National Democrats
Earthquake
Now and then in politics, you feel the ground shudder beneath your feet. The world isn’t shaking yet, but the tectonic plates are grinding, the pressure is growing and something big is coming. So it is these last couple of days. In the Senate, the Republican promise to repeal Obamacare collapses. In the White House,…
Read MoreSigns
Twenty-four years ago newly elected President Bill Clinton had a ‘Disapproval’ rating of 51%, and Democrats lost the next election in a landslide. In 1994 Republican gained 54 seats in Congress. President Trump has a ‘Disapproval’ rating of 58% – 7 points higher than Clinton’s – but, like most people, Republican politicians shrug, That won’t…
Read MoreNo One in Congress…
Republicans won four straight elections campaigning against Obamacare – it was that unpopular. But, now, they’ve laid out their own healthcare plan and guess what: Voters favor Obamacare over the Republican Plan by 2 to 1. Who’d have thought it was possible? Can no one in Congress…fix anything?
Read MoreRedistricting
Only a rare politician can resist it and no politician can cure it;—I first laid eyes on it twenty-six years ago when Jack Hawke asked me to drive over to Republican Headquarters for a meeting with a dozen legislators; an hour later standing around a conference room table covered with maps a legislator – enthusiastically…
Read MoreMore Harm Than Good
I haven’t seen this much howling and gnashing of teeth since I can’t remember when: Mention the word Russia and The New York Times and the Washington Post start hopping up and down and Anderson Coopers turns steely-eyed while, over on the other side of the aisle, Tucker Carlson turns downright snarky. The liberals are…
Read MoreClick Bait
Most times the roots of blindness – whether it’s blindness due to pride or meanness or fear – run down into the clay-footed soil of human nature but the other day Peggy Noonan spotted an odd phenomenon. Noonan wrote: “News bias now is in part a financial decision.” Back in the old days the New…
Read MoreThe Subject Was Nancy Pelosi
Like a lightning bolt a ‘moment of clarity’ struck: On Meet the Press Chuck Todd was interviewing two Democrats about Nancy Pelosi’s future. Congressman Tim Ryan doffed his hat to Pelosi then said her time was past. It was time for Pelosi to go. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell didn’t like that one bit. She lavished…
Read MoreThe Gift Horse
Sometimes when you expect it least your worst enemy hands you a gift. That just happened to Donald Trump. Trump’s adroit. In the blink of an eye his days of tweeting ‘no meddling’ and ‘no collusion’ vanished. Suddenly, Trump was singing a new song on Twitter: Obama knew about the Russian meddling – but did…
Read MoreStill searching for a win
Even with Trump’s troubles, and even with some close finishes, Democrats can’t turn the corner. We came close in Montana, close in Georgia and close even in South Carolina. But a loss is a loss. And we’re still looking for a W. Which makes must-reading of an article in this coming Sunday’s New York Times…
Read MoreThe Queens Boy Syndrome
Chuck Schumer couldn’t believe his luck – when Trump said he was willing to testify, as fast as Schumer could he said, Come on over to the Senate and we’ll swear you in. A born showman, Donald Trump craves attention. But that need lands him in messes. Once he boasted he drew bigger crowds than…
Read More