Category Archives: election 2012

Barack Obama’s historic gamble

Posted on May 12, 2012 by

Barack Obama has once again assured his place in the history of the American presidency. Obama acted courageously, if carefully, this week in becoming the first American president to openly support gay marriage. In doing so, he took substantial risks – with … Continue reading →

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Mitt Romney: Dogged by that pet on the roof

Posted on March 20, 2012 by

So how did the story of Mitt Romney’s dog go from being an asterisk in this campaign to one of the hottest stories in American political journalism? The tale of Seamus, the Irish setter, is hardly new. On June 27, … Continue reading →

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‘President Evil’ captures hyperbole of GOP presidential politics

Posted on February 23, 2012 by

Presidential candidates of all stripes routinely promise more than they can deliver and cast their opponents’ policies in the worst possible light.  But the demonization of the opposing candidate seems largely a specialty market of the Republican Party. Jon Stewart … Continue reading →

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The new, improved, tougher Barack Obama

Posted on February 16, 2012 by

There’s a really interesting post on Ezra Klein’s Wonkblog in the Washington Post today. As Congress moves toward extending the payroll tax cut for the rest of this year — a remarkable retreat or return to sanity by a Republican caucus … Continue reading →

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Santorum, new GOP frontrunner, thinks rape babies are stlll God’s gift

Posted on February 15, 2012 by

Somebody better start listening to what’s coming from the mouth of Rick Santorum.  Listening closely. For one thing, Santorum is quickly emerging as the frontrunner of the GOP sweepstakes for a presidential candidate.  Following his victories in the Colorado, Minnesota … Continue reading →

Posted in abortion, contraception, election 2012, Republican primaries, Rick Santorum, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

A tough TV choice: A GOP debate — or the Celtics?

Posted on January 27, 2012 by

I sat on my exercise bike with the remote last night, flipping between the umpteenth GOP presidential debate and the Boston Celtics game.  The Celtics started miserably — down 27 at one point in the first half. But they still … Continue reading →

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Obama: Speaking softly but carrying a big stick

Posted on January 5, 2012 by

Suddenly Barack Obama seems to be doing everything right. Gone is the president seemingly so eager to compromise with the unyielding GOP that he often got rolled.  Last month, Obama backed the House leadership into a corner when  he wouldn’t … Continue reading →

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Someone will win in Iowa tonight. Who cares?

Posted on January 4, 2012 by

The Iowa caucus just keeps getting weirder. In an effort to win a plurality of perhaps 120,000 votes tonight — 8 percent of all the people living on the island of Manhattan, and less than 5 percent of the total … Continue reading →

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Ode to an Iowa wrestling match

Posted on December 29, 2011 by

Twas three days before New Year’s and all through the Web, the political pundits were bobbing their heads. The Iowa caucus just six days away and no one was certain which pol would hold sway.  There was Dr. Ron Paul, … Continue reading →

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When capitalism goes haywire

Posted on December 19, 2011 by

As a kid, I used to pore over baseball statistics. These days, I’m increasingly finding myself obsessing over statistics about income inequality instead. I try to keep in mind that economics, at best, is a shaky science. And, as a … Continue reading →

Posted in class warfare, economic inequality, economics, economy, election 2012 | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment