WASHINGTON -- We may be reaching an inflection point, the moment when the terms of the political argument change decisively. Three indicators: An important speech by Rep. Paul Ryan, the increasingly sharp tone of President Obama's rhetoric, and the success of Occupy Wall Street in resisting attempts to marginalize the movement. The most telling was Ryan's address at the … [Read more...] about Why Paul Ryan is Unhappy
The Politico Breaks Herman Cain Scandal: Accused by Two Women of Inappropriate Behavior in 1990s (UPDATED)
Expect this to be a big political news week with a political story that has just been broken by The Politico, an online publication that'll be hard for partisans to dismiss as part of the "liberal news media." Major candidates get major scrutinty and so it has begun for poll-soaring Herman Cain who The Politico reports was accused by two women who worked at his company for … [Read more...] about The Politico Breaks Herman Cain Scandal: Accused by Two Women of Inappropriate Behavior in 1990s (UPDATED)
One Picture Explainer: Why Voters Are POed
This image from the CBO report, Trends in the Distribution of Household Income Between 1979 and 2007 (pdf), helps explain a general sense of voter unease and stress. The only household group that showed a gain in "market income" (that's income before taxes) in this almost 30-year period is the upper 1%. In this chart, like most others that talk about the top quintile, the … [Read more...] about One Picture Explainer: Why Voters Are POed
Quote of the Day: College Students Welcome to Screw U University
Our political Quote of the Day comes from an op-ed column in the New York Post by law prof Glenn Reynolds, aka InstaPundit, who says the government is to blame for the college loan bubble but Obama's recent announcement of a fix will do little to fix it. Keep in mind when you read this must-read-in-full column that Reynolds works in the college community, so this is more than … [Read more...] about Quote of the Day: College Students Welcome to Screw U University
U.S. Out of Iraq
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Campaign Parody: Parody Song of Rick Perry Singing “It Sucks to Be You”
You know the campaign has begun in earnest when you start seeing musical parodies about the candidates. Here's one starting to gain popularity on You Tube: Rick Perry supposedly singing "It Sucks to Be You" -- clearly produced by a non-fan: … [Read more...] about Campaign Parody: Parody Song of Rick Perry Singing “It Sucks to Be You”
CBS’s Cancer Survivor Bob Schieffer Confronts Cain About Smoking Ad
I've often said that CBS truly blew it with Bob Schieffer. He was the natural replacement for Walter Cronkite but CBS sorely wanted Dan Rather. So Cronkite was encouraged to retire early and CBS chose Rather, sacrificing Roger Mudd in the process. The real Walter In Waiting who went to the same stylistic school of journalism was Bob Schieffer. But Schieffer was, above all, a … [Read more...] about CBS’s Cancer Survivor Bob Schieffer Confronts Cain About Smoking Ad
The White House Begins Its Attack on Mitt Romney
A top White House advisor on NBC's Meet the Press today gave a preview of how the White House will deal with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney if Romney win the 2012 Republican Presidential nomination, which polls consistently show would happen if many Republicans hold their noses: Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy Note that … [Read more...] about The White House Begins Its Attack on Mitt Romney
Romney Ducking Sunday Morning Interview Shows?
Is former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney ducking the Sunday morning interview shows -- shows where candidates could find themselves on the hot seat, having to answer some unwanted questions from reporters? Fox News' Chris Wallace has called Romney on it and Wallace does seem to have the facts on his side: Four GOP hopefuls hit the Sunday talk shows this week, a roster that … [Read more...] about Romney Ducking Sunday Morning Interview Shows?
The GOP Needs to Expand its Spanish Vocabulary
In a recent piece about how the GOP seems to be bent on blowing off the Latino vote, Shaun Mullen sees the Latino answer to the GOP as being “¡Muéranse!” or drop dead. I believe that the GOP begets -- deserves -- such a reaction because the GOP has, for years, been telling Latinos exactly the same. According to the New York Times, seven Republican presidential … [Read more...] about The GOP Needs to Expand its Spanish Vocabulary
What Occupy Wall Street Says About America
I have pointedly refrained from commenting on the OWS protests now transpiring worldwide, prior to this date. The Antisemitic "Antisemitism" smear from the RNC last week There is a good reason for this: generally when I write about a topic, I like to know something about it. I like to THINK about it. The early reports and coverage presented us with a wealth of information, … [Read more...] about What Occupy Wall Street Says About America
Iowa Poll: Cain, Romney Lead, Bachmann Fades, Perry Irrelevant
A new Iowa Poll puts former Godfather's CEO Herman Cain in the lead with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, shows onetime Tea Party favorite Michelle Bachmann is continuing to head south and continues to show another one time Tea Party favorite, Texas. Gov. Rick Perry is continuing his political road to the bottom (for now): Herman Cain and Mitt Romney top The Des … [Read more...] about Iowa Poll: Cain, Romney Lead, Bachmann Fades, Perry Irrelevant
Halloween Romney
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Quote of the Day: Is This the Era of Leaderlessness?
Our political Quote of the Day comes from John Yemma, editor of The Christian Science Monitor, who looks at the Occupy movements in the United States and Europe and asks whether we are in a new era of leaderlessness. Here's part of his must-read-in-full post: The tea party and the “Occupy Wall Street” movements evolved on different planets, even if members of both groups … [Read more...] about Quote of the Day: Is This the Era of Leaderlessness?
R.I.P. American Corporations’ Effecient Versus Perfunctory Customer Service (UPDATED)
Over the past month I've had truly poor experiences with two big corporations that you would think are stellar when dealing with customers. And I contend the experiences are indicative of how the quality corporations deliver to customers is suffering on some fronts. THE ABSOLUTE WORST EXPERIENCE: Dealing with Time Warner. I will say it: I have lived all over the world and … [Read more...] about R.I.P. American Corporations’ Effecient Versus Perfunctory Customer Service (UPDATED)
Tea Party, OWS & Blue Republicans: Is This Phase Change?
Of all my articles to date, the one that has drawn the most attention made the simple claim that in the political and economic histories of nations, “phase changes” happen, and that one might be about to happen here in the USA. A phase change, which may happen once every few generations, causes a country to move down a dramatically different path that had been predicted by no … [Read more...] about Tea Party, OWS & Blue Republicans: Is This Phase Change?
Count The Wrong Beans, You Get The Wrong Policies
Accountants working for companies provide a valuable service. They compile numbers about various aspects of a company's operations that management can use as guides to improve performance. But there are caveats. If the counting doesn't include all important factors, if it seems to emphasis one factor above another in an incorrect way, or if management uncritically uses … [Read more...] about Count The Wrong Beans, You Get The Wrong Policies
(UPDATE II) Overreacting Police (Again) Sustain Occupy Wall Street Protests
Occupy Wall Street organizers, such as they are, can thank police overreaction as much as anything for keeping the nationwide protests going. There is a question as to how long the protests can be sustained with colder weather arriving in northern latitudes and snow predicted this weekend in some areas, but the movement got a timely boost this week when Scott Olsen, a … [Read more...] about (UPDATE II) Overreacting Police (Again) Sustain Occupy Wall Street Protests
The Bad News: Our National Debt Is Almost as Big as Our Economy
And now the bad news: our national debt is nearly as big as our economy. USA Today reports: The Obama administration won a reprieve this week from some particularly scary economic news that had been projected to occur around Halloween. The news: The ever-escalating national debt will hit and then surpass the size of the entire U.S. economy -- an ignominious distinction … [Read more...] about The Bad News: Our National Debt Is Almost as Big as Our Economy
Motormouth Limbaugh Meets the Machine Gun Preacher (Guest Voice)
Motormouth Limbaugh Meets the Machine Gun Preacher by Michael Winship If you blinked, you might have missed a recent movie called Machine Gun Preacher. The film hasn’t burned up the box office and the title may have kept you away from your local picture palace in the mistaken belief that it was some kind of exploitation flick or the latest Quentin Tarantino exercise in … [Read more...] about Motormouth Limbaugh Meets the Machine Gun Preacher (Guest Voice)