Month: March 2007
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The “everybody does it” defense
One of the most frustrating things about the Bush administration is the way that the White House and its supporters fall back on the defense that all administrations do X — a claim that obscures differences in degree that amount to differences in kind. For instance, when we wrote about the administration’s dishonesty about policy
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Mark Leibovich and the Style-ization of news
Along with Maureen Dowd, the Washington Post Style section helped popularize the sneering, snarky, personality-driven approach to political reporting that now dominates national press coverage. It’s become so influential that a number of its “best” writers have been poached by other publications. As Post culture critic Phil Kennicott told the Washingtonian, “Style has won the
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Amy Dickinson gives the worst advice ever
Amy Dickinson, the advice columnist in the Chicago Tribune, offered what might be the world’s worst marriage advice in a January column that was quoted in The New Yorker this week: For fun and to try to mix this up a little, you two might develop a verbal or visual cue that is more subtle
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John McCain’s awkward pandering
The only thing worse than pandering is obviously insincere pandering, which means John McCain is in trouble. Jon Chait flags what has to be the most awkward interview transcript in recent memory — an account of a series of questions asked of McCain about his positions on condom distribution and HIV prevention in Africa, including
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Few people think Barack Obama is a Muslim
Despite all the publicity the phony madrassa story received, only six percent of voters wrongly identify Barack Obama as Muslim. That’s good news — I thought the number would be significantly higher.
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The Krauthammer double standard
Charles Krauthammer, a Washington Post columnist who was trained as a psychiatrist, correctly denounces an article by Michelle Cottle in The New Republic that speculates Vice President Cheney is suffering from cognitive decline caused by his heart problems. One of the greatest pathologies of modern political discourse is the constant suggestion that political opponents are
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Beck calls Hillary “stereotypical bitch”
Hear that? No? It’s the lack of outrage over the fact that Glenn Beck called Hillary Clinton “the stereotypical bitch,” as Garance Franke-Ruta pointed out on Tapped. Here’s what Beck said on his nationally syndicated radio show (he also has a show on CNN Headline News): Hillary Clinton cannot be elected president because — am
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Dennis Kucinich on New Hampshire and tofu
While interviewing Chuck Schumer at his favorite Chinese restaurant, The New Yorker’s Jeffrey Goldberg runs into Dennis Kucinich, who sums himself up in two perfect sentences: One night last week, as Schumer sat down for dinner, the only other diners were a group of out-of-town electric-company executives and Representative Dennis Kucinich, of Ohio, who is
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Win Without War on “Meet the Press”
How unpopular is the war in Iraq? Tim Russert is featuring the director of the group Win Without War on Sunday’s “Meet the Press”: [N]ext week marks the start of the 5th year of the war in Iraq. After four years, has it been worth the cost in life and treasure? And should the U.S.
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George Allen considers another Senate run
Sadly, it looks like the political career of my least favorite politician is not over. The Washington Times reports that George Allen is considering running for Virginia’s other Senate seat and might also run for governor again: Inside the Beltway has learned that former Sen. George Allen, Virginia Republican, will host a private dinner in