Read a little. Learn a lot. • Tightly-written news, views and stuff • Follow us on Twitter • Be a Facebook Fan • Tumble us!

11 Oct 2011 18:52

tags

Politics: What we’re looking for from tonight’s #EconDebate

  • It’s debatin’ time! Yet again! The big news hanging over this one is Chris Christie’s recent endorsement of Mitt Romney, tactically deployed the day of the debate, but there’s a lot of other stuff to look for, too. Will Newt Gingrich insult the moderators? Will Michele Bachmann look unnervingly calm the entire time? Will Jon Huntsman make an awkward joke? Will Gary Johnson and Buddy Roemer crash the debate last-minute? Here are a few things to keep an eye out for tonight during the EconDebate, a Washington Post/Bloomberg joint we’re covering with DC Decoder, which starts at 8 p.m. EST:
  • Romney Vs. Hermanator The GOP field hasn’t, to this point, treated Cain as a serious threat. But with his recent polling surge, Cain now appears to be a legitimate top-tier contender and a real threat to Mitt Romney. If Romney goes on the offensive against Cain tonight, it’ll indicate that he’s bought into the hype and fears the Cain Train. On the other hand, if Romney and company give Cain a pass, it’s a sign that, polling aside, the pizza man still isn’t being taken seriously by the big dogs.
  • Can Perry Save himself? This debate may well be make-or-break for Rick Perry. Despite his $17 million fundraising haul — much of which was given prior to his profoundly inept performance in the last debate — the Texas good ol’ boy is sinking like an anvil in the polls and needs something to jumpstart his campaign. A robust performance tonight could do that. An aloof, absent-minded fumbling of easy questions could put the nail in Perry’s coffin. What a difference a month makes, eh?
  • the Mormon card For most of the race, Romney and Huntsman’s religion has been the elephant in the GOP primary room. Now it’s out in the open, after a prominent Perry supporter called Mormonism a “cult” at the Value Voters Summit last weekend. This question is sure to come up during the debate, and how the other candidates respond could portend the course of the campaign. If they take the bait, Mormonism may become a central campaign issue. If not, it may die down … for now.
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

04 Oct 2011 15:12

tags

Politics: House GOP triples budget to fight same-sex marriage

  • $1.5 million in funding to prevent gays from marrying source
  • » Don’t forget, this is taxpayer money, allocated by House Republicans to their legal counsel to defend DOMA in court. It was originally capped at $500,000, but that limit has since been tripled.
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

04 Oct 2011 14:37

tags

Politics: Polling roundup: Cain continues to surge

  • 3 states in which Herman Cain now leads everybody else source
  • » All aboard the Cain Train! Republicans in North Carolina, Nebraska, and West Virginia want Herman Cain as their nominee–he leads all of his opponents in a new PPP poll. A Washington Post/ABC poll released today showed Cain tied with Perry for second nationally, and two polls last week also showed evidence of Cain Fever sweeping the nation. This seems to be at the expense of Rick Perry, who’s collapsing just as fast as Cain is rising (in North Carolina alone, more than half of his supporters have abandoned him, and a Fox News poll last week showed him losing ten points in a month). Romney is still the (perpetually-endangered) frontrunner, but there’s a plausible argument to be made that Cain is now in the top-tier of candidates. Of course, the same thing was once said of both Donald Trump and Michele Bachmann, so take that as you will.
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

27 Sep 2011 22:32

tags

Politics: Romney, Perry: We won’t raise very much money

  • Hey everyone, let’s play “no expectations!” This game is common in presidential campaigns, and usually commences just before quarterly fundraising totals are announced. Here’s how it works: Each campaign works diligently to convince the press that they’re not going to bring in very much money; this is accomplished by saying things like, “We are going to raise considerably less than what we did in our first reporting period.” Then, once the numbers come in, it’s a win-win. If the totals are robust, the campaign looks surprisingly potent; if the numbers fall short, the campaign can just say, “I told you so!” It’s also acceptable to play this game prior to debates and straw polls. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Sep 2011 21:08

tags

Politics: Elizabeth Warren leapfrogs Scott Brown in Massachusetts Senate race

  • ThenIn June, Scott Brown looked invincible. The Senator led every potential challenger by at least nine points, and Elizabeth Warren, perceived to be Democrats’ best shot against him, trailed by fifteen.
  • Now Since Warren declared her candidacy earlier this month, she’s skyrocketed in the polls and now leads Brown by two points. That’s a seventeen-point gain in a little over three months. source
  • » Hey, wha’ happen? Warren’s rise may be due in part to an “announcement boost;” she was long-rumored as a candidate, and her official entry in the race may have fired up a contingent of Democratic voters. Perhaps more significant of a factor, however, is Brown’s plummeting popularity. Back in December, he was the 16th most popular Senator in the country, out of 87 polled. Now, Brown is in 61st place, and his favorability has dropped by 25 points.
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Sep 2011 00:19

tags

World: There’s something world leaders don’t say every day

  • Berlusconi’s back: In a move that probably won’t help German-Italian relations, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was caught on tape referring to German Chancellor Angela Merkel as an “unf@#kable lard-ass.” These are harsh words from the lothario Berlusconi; while he’s admitted to being “a bit mischievous” with his sexual exploits, he’s also insisted that he treats women with the utmost respect. Hopefully this won’t spark an international crisis (Reuters photo). source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Sep 2011 23:03

tags

Politics: Kucinich will run for re-election in newly-drawn district

  • Why’s Dennis Kucinich so happy? Because he’s found a new congressional district! His old Ohio seat was recently redistricted out of existence, but he’s found a potential new home in a redrawn district that includes his home city of Cleveland. There’s just one catch: Rep. Mary Kaptur, who also got the short end of the redistricting stick, wants to run in the same district (that’s the last time we’ll use the word “district” in this post). Kaptur, the longest-serving female Democrat in the house, isn’t looking forward to the primary. “We’re friends,” Kaptur said. “This is hard for us.”  source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

15 Sep 2011 22:33

tags

U.S.: US Supreme Court issues stay in execution of Texas inmate

  • NO Duane Buck won’t be executed tonight source
  • » What happened: In 1995, Buck was convicted of double-murder in Houston, Texas, and sentenced to death. Buck’s guilt is not being disputed; however, during the sentencing phase, a psychologist testified that black criminals are more likely than other races to pose a threat to the public if released. Buck’s lawyers contest that this testimony–which was denounced in 2000 by then-Texas Attorney General John Cornyn–played a role in Buck’s sentence, and asked Governor Rick Perry and the district attorney to grant Buck a retrial. Perry and the DA refused the request, but the US Supreme Court intervened today, issuing a stay in his execution just four hours before his execution was set to take place. The court has yet to rule on a request for a resentencing.
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Aug 2011 22:53

tags

Politics: Why to be careful when blocking judicial nominations

  • cause Back in May, Goodwin Liu’s nomination to the 9th Circuit Court was blocked by Republicans, due in part to his support for same-sex marriage.
  • effect Liu is now on track to be seated on the California Supreme Court instead–and will likely be confirmed in time to hear the case to repeal Proposition 8. source
  • » One note: Goodwin Liu has publicly opposed Proposition 8 in the past, so if he ends up hearing the case, supporters of the law will likely ask that he recuse himself. But that doesn’t mean he has to.
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Aug 2011 22:29

tags

Politics: Ex-Powell staffer: Cheney fears he’ll be tried for war crimes

  • [Dick Cheney]’s developed an angst and almost a protective cover, and now he fears being tried as a war criminal.
  • Colin Powell’s former chief of staff, Col. Lawrence Wilkerson • He also contends that Cheney “was president for all practical purposes for the first term of the Bush administration,” something critics have long-alleged. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
<< newer 
top tags
older >>