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Tag Archives: The Daily Beast
The Supercommittee Needs an Intervention – The Daily Beast
Cynicism passes for wisdom in Washington for a reason. With the hours counting down before a November 23 deadline, the so-called supercommittee seems either unable or unwilling to make a deal that would reduce our debt by $1.2 trillion over … Continue reading
Occupy Wall Street Movement Has No Right to Sleep in Parks – The Daily Beast
I heard the helicopters in the middle of the night hovering over lower Manhattan as the eviction of Occupy Wall Street occurred. Only a few hours before, I’d walked past the Zuccotti Park encampment and Occupy Wall Street’s tent city … Continue reading
Election Day Backlash – The Daily Beast
Swing voters asserted their independence again on Election Day 2011, repudiating Republican ideological overreach in key votes but denying Democrats clear-cut victories heading into 2012, as the cycle of over-reach and backlash continues.
How Obama Can Win – The Daily Beast
On the campaign trail, President Obama is already offering flashes of his favorite 2012 narrative: “Give ‘em Hell, Harry” redux, running against the “Do-Nothing 112th Congress.” It is the hyper-partisan Republicans in the House, he says, who have stopped his … Continue reading
Posted in Columns
Tagged 2012 Elections, Elections, President Obama, The Daily Beast
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Georgia Terror Plot’s Militia Roots – The Daily Beast
The Hatriots have reared their heads again—this time in the form of a Georgia domestic terrorist plot against law enforcement officials that variously contemplated ricin attacks, blowing up a federal building, and targeted assassination.
Jan Brewer’s Sleazy Power Grab – The Daily Beast
This is low and cynical even by political standards. Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer is trying to impeach her state’s independent redistricting commission because they recommended political districts that do not disproportionately favor Republicans.
We Need Deficit Deal Now – The Daily Beast
Nearly 100 members of the House of Representatives from both parties have signed a letter urging the so-called supercommittee to go big and tackle $4 trillion in deficit reduction instead of the $1.2 trillion it has been tasked. The letter … Continue reading
The End of TV Campaign Ads? – The Daily Beast
In the two hours after Herman Cain’s “Smoking Man” video was released to the public, it was watched more than 100,000 times. Two days later, it had tallied nearly 700,000 views on the campaign’s YouTube channel alone—a total that doesn’t … Continue reading
Rick Perry’s Missed Opportunity – The Daily Beast
Rick Perry unveiled the details of his flat-tax plan and overall economic package today in South Carolina. Give the man points for going big: it’s a 20 percent flat tax for both individuals and corporations. This is smart politics for … Continue reading
Obama Shouldn’t Use Bush’s Reelect Strategy – The Daily Beast
The buzz is that President Obama is going to use Bush-Cheney ’04 as his re-elect model. This is a bad idea on at least five different levels. First, the hallmark of the BC-04 campaign was play to the base in … Continue reading
The Battle For Wall Street – The Daily Beast
A little after 6:30 a.m., a cheer went up from the protesters gathered in Zuccotti Park. A press release by New York City Deputy Mayor Cas Holloway announced that Brookfield Properties—the owner of the park—had decided to call off their … Continue reading
Perry’s Do-or-Die Debate – The Daily Beast
Applications for the GOP’s Messiah of the Month Club are now closed. The Christies and Danielses have declined. Sarah Palin’s belated bow-out seemed bizarrely anticlimactic after three years of overheated speculation from fans now left at the altar while she … Continue reading
Tea Party for the Left? – The Daily Beast
We are living in a time of decentralized populist political movements, fueled by economic anxiety and magnified by social media. As Occupy Wall Street spread into satellite protests this past week, there was an understandable impulse to impose an established … Continue reading
Occupy Wall Street’s Empty Protests – The Daily Beast
“Do what you’ve got to do, but don’t climb on the walls because you might fall off and get hurt.” This was the voice of “the man”—in this case, a police officer with a megaphone—on the opening night of the … Continue reading
2012’s New Contenders – The Daily Beast
We are living in a “pox-on-both-your-houses” moment. Congressional approval is at an all-time low. More than 40 percent of Americans believe that both Republican and Democrat policies are moving the country in the wrong direction, while Tea Party approval has … Continue reading
Jeers for a Gay Soldier – The Daily Beast
The GOP presidential debate in Orlando produced a profile in courage and nine profiles in cowardice. The profile in courage came courtesy of the brave active-duty solider named Stephen Hill serving in Iraq who chose the Republican debate as the … Continue reading
Obama’s Debt-Reduction Dare – The Daily Beast
“This is not class warfare—it’s math.” President Obama was playing the happy warrior while presenting his $3 trillion debt-reduction plan in a Rose Garden address, welcoming a fight over raising taxes on the wealthy while a tough re-election looms.
A Tax Reform Slam Dunk – The Daily Beast
Tax Day is nobody’s idea of a good time. But get ready for a year of heated tax debates ahead. In his deficit speech last week, President Obama made clear that he intends to continue his fight to raise the … Continue reading
Wake Up, Washington! – The Daily Beast
Republican Bob Turner won the special election to succeed Anthony Weiner last night, and conservatives are crowing that it signifies a tidal shift against President Obama. It’s true that this Queens-Brooklyn district, once represented by Geraldine Ferraro, hasn’t voted for … Continue reading
Islam’s Civil War – The Daily Beast
The 10th anniversary of 9/11 is over, but America is still wrestling with the role of Islam in our society. And Islam, no less significantly, is struggling with its own internal tensions as a faith battered between radicals, reactionaries, and … Continue reading