National Republicans
Republicans and Insurance Deadbeats
A Democratic reader wonders why Republicans have gone soft on deadbeats. Ronald Reagan excoriated “welfare queens.” The Tea Party denounced freeloaders who sponge off hard-working taxpayers. Republican Governors pick loud fights with public-employee “leeches” who get big salaries and generous benefits, courtesy of the taxpayers. The reader asks: What about people who don’t…
Read MoreIn Victory, Defeat
Republicans remind me of Barack Obama. After the 2008 election, Obama wasn’t going to restrict himself to rescuing the economy from a depression. He was also going to reform health care, re-regulate business and Wall Street, save the planet from global warning, win and end two wars, clean up campaign finances and reform the…
Read More$48 a Month
Up in Washington there’s a big rhubarb going on over Republicans cutting $60 billion in government spending. ‘Heaven forbid,’ the newspapers are reporting, ‘workers will have to be furloughed.’ ‘Horror of horrors,’ the editorialists add, ‘the government may shut down.’ Every agency from Social Security to Homeland Security is moaning and predicting…
Read MorePower Plays
These aren’t lofty matters of principle. They’re raw, partisan power politics. In Wisconsin and New Jersey, the battles are between Republican governors and public employee unions. In North Carolina, the battles are over voter IDs and – soon – redistricting. Even Democrats who don’t like public employee unions see unions – and…
Read MoreThe Bullseye State
Governor Perdue called the choice of Charlotte for the Democratic convention “fantastic.” One of her advisers emailed me: “If you are posting on today’s announcement, all good from our point of view. People and resources in state, not to mention that O will be competing in NC!” As Carter told Rob Christensen in today’s…
Read MoreA Rhetorical Miss
Because I’ve written so many speeches, I can’t help being a speech critic. And I think President Obama missed the mark last night. Normally, Obama is a powerful speaker – and a great writer. And his State of the Union speech had its moments. He probably got the politics right. Even Speaker Boehner…
Read MoreAttention Must Be Paid
Looking back, President Obama made a huge strategic error in 2010: He let voters think he was spending too much time reforming health-care and not enough time creating jobs. He learned a lesson. He now promises to focus on jobs, beginning with his State of the Union speech. But did Washington Republicans miss…
Read MoreBlood and Tears
President Obama soared. Sarah Palin bombed. And, of course, John Boehner almost broke down. Let’s examine all three performances – and the implications. When even Fox News and Glenn Beck praise him, you know Obama hit a home run. But the most remarkable thing about a remarkable speech was that he had to…
Read MoreA Voice of Sanity
Well, I predicted it Monday (“Commence Firing”). And while overheated political rhetoric may not necessarily lead to violence, violence certainly leads to overheated political rhetoric. Sarah Palin says it’s a “blood libel” to criticize her for placing Democrats — including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords — under crosshairs during the 2010 election and talking about…
Read MoreThe Reckoning
Unlike some Democrats, I’m not in despair about the Republican Party’s new power. It’s not just that I’m glad the GOP will share some – or bear all – of the blame for unpopular cuts. Rather, it’s time we finally decide how much government we want – and how much we’re willing to…
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