politics – Page 11

“Lying is what makes you sound like a conservative”

From Rick Perlstein's dark journey into the mind of Mitt Romney: It’s time, in other words, to consider whether Romney’s fluidity with the truth is, in fact, a feature and not a bug: a constituent part of his appeal to conservatives. The point here is not just that he lies when he says conservative things,Continue reading ““Lying is what makes you sound like a conservative””

A flip-flop too far: Romney shuts up on FEMA after Sandy

A couple of days ago it was suggested somewhere that reporters on the campaign trail ask Gov. Romney if he still advocates replacing Federal disaster aid, including FEMA, with grants to the states, as he said last year in response to a direct question in a GOP debate. This morning that is the questionContinue reading “A flip-flop too far: Romney shuts up on FEMA after Sandy”

Hurricane Sandy has a question for our politics

Toles frames the question: Eugene Robinson follows up: The words “climate change” were not spoken during the presidential debates. Hurricane Sandy wants to know why. Or, as Terry Tempest Williams tweeted: So ironic: no mention of Nature or wildness in the presidential debates and now, it is commanding force in chief. We are forced toContinue reading “Hurricane Sandy has a question for our politics”

Romney calls FEMA disaster aid “immoral” (6/11)

A year and a half ago, during a GOP debate, when asked by a journalist if he would oppose Federal aid to disaster victims, or replace it with something else, Mitt Romney said yes. He would want to cut agencies such as FEMA, he indicated, but would provide aid to the states, or allow privatizationContinue reading “Romney calls FEMA disaster aid “immoral” (6/11)”

“Nothing is more permanent than the temporary”

A really good essay can be read and re-read just like a really good novel. Example: Austerity Measures: A Letter from Greece, by translator A.E. Stallings, in a recent issue of Poetry. Have read it several times. So good it's difficult to figure out what to quote in this poetry-rich piece. Every time I find aContinue reading ““Nothing is more permanent than the temporary””

The Grim Reaper, 21st century edition: the Drone Master

To Business Insider, this logo for the Navy's drone warfare program is "awesomely bad." Ted Rall files it under "you can't make this shit up." Well, okay, but somebody obviously did make this up. It's all too real — the 21st century edition of the Grim Reaper. Gives executive decision making an ominous ring, doesn'tContinue reading “The Grim Reaper, 21st century edition: the Drone Master”

The undecided voter: Hating the hating of politics

Joel Achenbach of the Washington Post is one of the best of this nation's roughly 40,000 reporters, a man who likes complicated science stories, but also a shoeleather reporter ready and willing to go on a hunt to hardscrabble Ohio in search of that mythical beast, the undecided voter. How does he find him (or her?)Continue reading “The undecided voter: Hating the hating of politics”

Daniel Larison: GOP is a party about nothing

Strange irony of the political punditry today: Nobody, but nobody, has been tougher on the GOP than the gang at The American Conservative. Here's Daniel Larison on what the Republicans will learn from their loss this fall: The GOP’s predicament is that it is mostly running on nothing, or at least nothing that isn’t aContinue reading “Daniel Larison: GOP is a party about nothing”

The post-modern candidate who is about nothing: Romney

Mitt Romney's latest "secret video" debacle has been unexpectedly depressing for me. Think conservative Jonah Goldberg (of all people!) put his finger on the reason why here: Romney’s remarks reinforce the overriding problem with his campaign: It is bloodlessly non-ideological. And that is by design. Stewart Stevens, Romney’s top strategist has made it abundantly clear heContinue reading “The post-modern candidate who is about nothing: Romney”