(New York Times): "GOP senators fail to head off primary challenges"(Los Angeles Times): "Matt Romney, Mitt's son , decides not to run for mayor of San Diego"(Charleston Daily Mail): "Natalie Tennant could tighten U.S. Senate race (in W. Virginia)"(Bloomberg): "Christie runs up vote, faces partisan pivot others missed"(The Hill): "Sister of Liz Cheney says she is 'dead wrong' in opposition to gay marria...
Saturday, August 31, 2013
By Frank MoraesI've been really busy this week, so I haven't been doing much cooking. And cooking is the only time I watch television. But tonight, I had to cook because I had some Spanish rice and corn tortillas that really needed to be used or they were going to go bad. So I found myself in the kitchen trying to make something like taquitos. I failed miserably, but the result was still delicious. But mostly, I got to watch All In, which was all about the coming Syrian attack. Even though I seem to agree with Chris Hayes on the issue, most...
By Richard K. BarryLiz Cheney is running for the Republican senate nomination in Wyoming against incumbent Mike Enzi. The GOP establishment seem to be backing Enzi, but Liz wants what she wants. Anyway, it's a democracy so, fine, she can run.Recently, Cheney issued a press release accusing Enzi of conducting a push poll which implied that Cheney was pro-abortion and supported gay marriage. A push poll, if you don't know, is a poll that asks questions which never clearly state that your opponent holds an unpopular view or is guilty of some terrible...
(New York Times): "Kerry becomes chief advocate for U.S. attack"(The Hill): "Some see Syria as edge for Obama in fiscal showdown"(Washington Post): "Conservative activists heckle Marco Rubio"(Daily Kos): Obama praises value of stable, prosperous working class in weekly address"(Politico): "Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg to officiate at same-sex weddi...
Friday, August 30, 2013
(Sabato's Crystal Ball): "Virgina Governor: A favorite emerges - McAuliffe leads race going into Labor Day"(New York Times): "Leading Democrats, de Blasio has broad support as primary nears"(Charlie Cook): "The GOP shouldn't run a fools errand"(The Hill): "Poll: W. Virginia secretary of state would make senate race competitive"(Roll Call): "Liz Cheney accuses NRSC of push poll against her #WYS...
By Richard K. BarryAs one who probably never said anything nice about George W. Bush during his disastrous tenure as president, I don't mind throwing the man a bone now that he is far from the levers of power. In this case, W. was asked by Fox News to comment on whether or not Obama should intervene militarily in Syria, to which he responded, "the president has to make a tough call," adding that he "was not a fan of Mr. Assad." He also said some things about President Obama having the best armed forces in the world at his disposal should he choose...
By Frank MoraesThere was amazing news out of Washington yesterday. The Huffington Post reported that the Justice Department is going to stop prosecuting cannabis laws in Colorado and Washington, at least for now. There are, of course, exceptions big enough to drive a SWAT team through. But this is amazing because it is unquestionably a move in the right direction.It wasn't until 1914 with the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act that we had any federal drug laws. Truly, if drug use is an issue, it is a local issue. But at least that was a tax act—a...
(New York Times): "Obama set for limited strike on Syria as British vote no"(Politico): "The lonely president"(First Read): "Nearly 80 percent want congressional approval on Syria"(Buzzfeed): "Federal judge strikes down law barring same-sex couples from receiving veterans' benefits"(The White House): "Fact Sheet: New Executive actions to reduce gun violen...
Thursday, August 29, 2013
By Richard K. BarryThe Washington Post reported today that Priorites USA Action, a pro-Obama super-PAC, isquietly positioning itself to become the main independent group funding a media campaign for Hillary Rodham Clinton in the 2016 presidential race, according to Democrats familiar with the plans.The story also says that having Priorities in Hillary's corner would "introduce a heavyweight player into the rapidly intensifying effort by super-PACs to shape the 2016 landscape." You'll recall from the 2012 campaign that Priorities did a masterful...
By Frank MoraesThis morning, the Associated Press reported, Intelligence on Weapons No Slam Dunk. And it's first sentence is a doozy, "The intelligence linking Syrian President Bashar Assad or his inner circle to an alleged chemical weapons attack is no 'slam dunk,' with questions remaining about who actually controls some of Syria's chemical weapons stores and doubts about whether Assad himself ordered the strike, U.S. intelligence officials say." Now I don't want to get all metaphysical here, but that sure doesn't go along with Secretary of State...
By CarlHere’s an excerpt from last night’s Republican primary debate for the candidates seeking to be the next mayor (because, THANK GOD!, Bloomberg has to leave.) [video at the link]Asked at the start how they'd react to one of their children getting questioned by police, none of the candidates -- whose families are white -- said they'd necessarily have a problem with it.A federal judge ruled this summer that New York's stop-and-frisk policy was unconstitutional."I'd say to him, 'What did you do to provoke it?'" billionaire businessman John Catsimatidis...
(Roll Call): "Yellen plays down chance of getting top Fed post"(PBS Newshour): "President Obama: 'I have not made decision' on Syria"(New York Times): "The most dangerous negro"(Washington Post): "States find new ways to resist health care law"(Associated Press): "Obama offers new gun control ste...
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
By Richard K. BarryRoll Call noted today that a number of high profile Republicans were invited to speak at the 50th anniversary of the historic civil rights march on Washington, but declined. Prominent on the list of those who apparently had something better to do were Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor.That wasn’t a wise choice, said Julian Bond, a renowned civil rights activist, in an interview with MSNBC on Wednesday afternoon.“What’s really telling, I think, is the podium behind me, just count at the end of the day how many...
By Richard K. BarryJust kidding about politics being complicated. It's simple really. There are just a few basic rules, one of which is that politicians shouldn't draw undue attention to measures they support that are highly unpopular with their constituents. See? Simple."Embattled" Senator Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) gets that, which is why he is making himself scarce when Bill Clinton comes to Arkansas to talk about how great ObamaCare is. Pryor's press aide is saying that the senator has a prior commitment so won't be able to attend. Yes, he has a very...
By Frank MoraesSteve Benen is something of a legend as a blogger. And now he pretty much single-handedly writes Maddow Blog. He is really good, but I often have problems with him. They are usually the same problems I have with Rachel Maddow and the whole of the MSNBC nighttime lineup. First, they are too actively partisan. Second, they are not very effective in their partisanship. I think of them very much the way I think of Obama: in a perfect world, we largely agree. But given political constraints, their priorities are very often...
By Carl Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. August 28, 1963:"But one hundred [ed.note: and fifty] years later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his...
(New York Times): "President, not preacher, but speaking more on race"(The Hill): "McCain scolds Obama for 'crazy' leaks on Syria air strikes"(Washington Post): "Here's why Obama is giving up the element of surprise in Syria"(Kaiser Family Foundation): "Majority against defunding ObamaCare"(Politico): Immigration reform no. 1 enemy: Ti...
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
By Richard K. BarryOkay, this is what passes for political news in the dog days of August. The New York Times is quasi-breathlessly reporting that Clintonite Harold Ickes has managed to get himself on the Rules and Bylaws Committee of the Democratic Party. As you may recall from the 2008 campaign, rules are very important and Mr. Ickes intends to be there to ensure that Hillary, should she run for president, has her ducks in a row, rules-wise.Does it mean she will definitely run? Of course not. Does it mean she wants to be well positioned should...
By Frank MoraesMy colleague Richard Barry here at The Reaction brought my attention to a little speech that Ashton Kutcher gave last week at the Teen Choice Awards. He told the teens (and all of us, really, because Kutcher is just that kind of a guy), "I've never had a job in my life that I was better than. I was always just lucky to have a job. And every job I had was a steppingstone to my next job, and I never quit my job until I had my next job." I'm so inspired that I want to drop an anvil on my foot.Richard brings up the speech...
By CarlOne kind of wonders why both China and Russia are making trouble with the world on Syria:Russian foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich has called on the international community to show "prudence" over the crisis and observe international law."Attempts to bypass the Security Council, once again to create artificial groundless excuses for a military intervention in the region are fraught with new suffering in Syria and catastrophic consequences for other countries of the Middle East and North Africa," he said in a statement.The...
(Courier Journal): "Sen. Rand Paul's fundraising has picked up the pace"(BloombergBusinessWeek): "The lucky break that could land Larry Summers at the Fed"(Washington Post): "After Syria chemical allegations, Obama considering limited military strike"(Reuters): "Haley announces reelection bid"(New York Times): "Mayoral rivals in two-way fight for black vo...
Monday, August 26, 2013
By Richard K. BarryHere's a bit of an oddity as we approach the end of summer. It seems that a number of high profile conservatives think they have found a new hero in actor Ashton Kutcher for his recent comments on the virtues of hard work.Speaking at the Teen Choice Awards Kutcher made statements such as, "I believe that opportunity looks a lot like hard work," andI've never had a job in my life that I was better than. I was always just lucky to have a job. And every job I had was a steppingstone to my next job, and I never quit my job until...
Sunday, August 25, 2013
By Michael J.W. StickingsA quick update, given that nothing new has appeared here in quite some time, an unusual thing for us...Richard and I are both currently on vacation, and that includes a vacation from blogging -- and in my case even from paying much attention to what's going on in the world, including in the world of American politics (which just keeps getting sadder and stupider in many ways). I wrote a few things last week, but otherwise I'm enjoying the disconnection, and I know Richard is as well. Now, of course, we have several other...
Thursday, August 22, 2013
By Capt. Fogg Here's a history quiz for you. Which President of the United States do we see on the left, telling the incompetent Mr. Brown he's doing a "heckuva" job responding to hurricane Katrina? 29% of Louisiana Republicans said in response to a TPM poll that it was Barack Obama - still only an obscure freshman senator from Illinois who bears most of the blame. 44% weren't sure just who was responsible for the poor...
Monday, August 19, 2013
By Michael J.W. StickingsSo right-wing mouth-frother Ted Cruz, senator from the not-so-great state of Texas, has released his birth certificate. And, yes, he was born in Calgary -- that is, not in the U.S. -- and is a dual citizen of Canada and the U.S. (given that he was born in Canada to an American mother). Which, yes, means he likely can be president, as he is a "natural born" American, unlike, say, Arnold Schwarzenegger, though there may be some lingering dispute as to the meaning of "natural born." But the facts of his birth will continue...
By Michael J.W. StickingsHonestly, the surveillance state apologists all across the spectrum, on both sides of the Atlantic and around the world, can go fuck themselves.Because this is how their beloved "democratic" governments operate, this is what they do when you dare challenge their undemocratic rule, their regime of secrecy and surveillance:The partner of the Guardian journalist who has written a series of stories revealing mass surveillance programmes by the US National Security Agency was held for almost nine hours on Sunday by UK authorities...
Sunday, August 18, 2013
By Michael J.W. StickingsYou have to wonder.Krazy Bill Kristol has a long history of the Krazy. And it's not just partisan Republican or ideological neocon. Sometimes it's just batshit insanity, "analysis" that is so Krazy it makes you wonder if he's serious in his Kraziness or just throwing around bullshit to see what sticks. I used to think he was a fairly bright fellow, if terribly misguided, and so my sense used to suggest the latter. But now I'm not so sure.To wit:The Weekly Standard‘s Bill Kristol was one of Sarah Palin’s earliest supporters...
Friday, August 16, 2013
By Frank MoraesRecently, I've been confronted with a lot of people telling me that they don't care about government surveillance programs because, "I don't have anything to hide." This seems like a strange response to me. First, you all may not have anything to hide, but I do. I am working on of a high tech project that we are concerned will become known before we go public. And it is especially the kind of computer hackers who the NSA employs that we don't want finding out about our work. Second, even if you don't think you have anything to hide,...
(Washington Post): "NSA broke privacy rules thousands of times per year, audit finds"(CNN): "Christie raps potential 2016 rivals at Republican confab"(Politico): "Eve of destruction"(Wall Street Journal): "An Ohio prescription for GOP: Lower taxes, more aid for poor"(National Journal): "Michigan GOP poised to botch Senate pickup opportuni...
Thursday, August 15, 2013
By Frank MoraesI think I may understand why Karl Rove sounds like the voice of reason in the Republican Party these days. Unlike most of the Republicans in Congress, he's practical. To him, it is very simple: blocking everything that Obama proposes does not lead to Republican policy. Nor is it the case that just standing around blocking all policy will lead to a Republican White House and Congress. In fact, on Monday, the Washington Examiner published, House...
By Mustang BobbyJosh Marshall makes the case that it’s pointless to go after Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) over the question of whether or not he’s eligible to run for president: the law is pretty clear that he’s a natural-born U.S. citizen.Yes, it’s nice to see Tea Partiers discomfited that their guy really was born outside the United States (he was born in Calgary). But that schadenfreude doesn’t change the fact that he’s natural born and thus eligible. As he told ABC News a month ago, “My mother was born in Wilmington, Delaware. She’s a U.S. citizen,...
(Politico): "Hillary Clinton considering academic options"(The Hill): "Republicans fear 2016 free-for-all will only boost Hillary Clinton"(Bloomberg): "With so many job openings, why so little hiring?"(New York Times): "Death toll in Egypt raids climbs to 525"(The Hill): "Crunch time for Keystone ...
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