The memo, which contains a number of factual errors and misleading statements, lays out two courses for a President Romney: Either immediately promise to rescind Obama’s executive order upon taking office, or initiate a “comprehensive review” of interrogation policy that ends with Romney rescinding Obama’s executive order. Though the outcome of the “review” is never…
Category: News & Opinion
Mitt Romneys Real Agenda
The GOP legislation awaiting Romneys signature isnt simply a return to the era of George W. Bush. From abortion rights and gun laws to tax giveaways and energy policy, its far worse. Measures that have already sailed through the Republican House would roll back clean-air protections, gut both Medicare and Medicaid, lavish trillions in tax…
The smiling and crying babies of campaign 2012 – Photos
Politicians this cycle may be dogged by the popular notion they’re acting like babies, but that hasn’t stopped them from engaging in the time-honored tradition of photo ops with babies out on the campaign trail. Here are some of the cutest — if most “emotionally manipulative” — of those moments this year. MORE: The smiling and…
NEW ROMNEY VIDEO: In 1985, He Said Bain Would “Harvest” Companies for Profits
His campaign spokeswoman, Andrea Saul, has said that Romney’s Bain days afford him more expertise than Obama to “focus on job creation and turn around our nation’s faltering economy.” Romney has even claimed that during his tenure at Bain, “we were able to help create over 100,000 jobs.” In his acceptance speech at the Republican…
Record Number Of Americans Now Have Student Loan Debt
Nearly one-in-five American households now have student loan debt, according to a study released by the Pew Research Center. Overall, 19 percent of households carried some amount of student debt in 2010, up from just 15 percent in 2007. Borrowers on average owed more than $26,000, double what they owed in 1995. Student loan debt…
Americans’ Preference Shifts Toward One-Party Government
A record-high 38% of Americans prefer that the same party control the presidency and Congress, while a record-low 23% say it would be better if the president and Congress were from different parties and 33% say it doesn’t make any difference. While Americans tend to lean toward one-party government over divided government in presidential election…
STUDY: TV News Covered Paul Ryans Workout 3x More Than Record Arctic Sea Ice Loss
Arctic sea ice is declining much faster than scientists expected, which has important implications for the rate and impacts of climate change. But the major TV news outlets have largely ignored the record sea ice loss this summer, while making ample time to cover Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryans physical fitness. Whats Hotter: Global…
Cherokee Nation Chief Demands Apology From Scott Brown Campaign
The principal chief of the Cherokee Nation is calling on Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., to apologize for a video that allegedly shows members of his staff imitating “stereotypical ‘war whoops chants.’” As WBUR’s Curt Nickisch reported Tuesday for All Things Considered, Brown’s supporters were filmed imitating “tomahawk chops” at a rally in Dorchester, Mass., over…
A Political Litmus Test, In 6 Jokes
“Like smell or taste, humor is a sense and different people are going to think different things are funny,” says Alison Dagnes, author of the just-published book A Conservative Walks Into a Bar: The Politics of Political Humor. “When you throw politics into the mix, our opinions and our biases will affect the way the…
Bronx Prosecutors Wary Of Arrests From NYPD Stop-And-Frisks
The NYPD’s stop-and-frisk tactics came under fire after news emerged that police stops in New York City increased by more than half a million between 2003 and 2011, and that New York officers conducted more stops of young black men in 2011 than there are young black men in the city. A significant proportion of NYPD stops, 10…
Phoenix Mayor Attempts To Live On A Food Stamp Budget: ‘I’m Tired, And It’s Hard To Focus’
When local activist groups challenged Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton to live on a food stamp budget for a week to mark Hunger Awareness Month, he took them up on the offer and found out just how hard it was. Stanton kept a diary on the challenge, which allotted him roughly $29 a week, the same…
46 Republicans Claim Wind Credits Are Too ‘Costly’ After Voting To Retain Billions In Big Oil Subsidies
The future of wind tax credits is still tied up in Congress as the clock runs down to extend the production tax credit for wind (PTC) expiring at the end of the year. This week, 47 House Republicans urged House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) to let them expire. Although GOP districts hold 81 percent of…
Romney vs. Romney on Struggling Americans
Mitt Romney released a new ad to try and recover after dismissing half of America, but Mitt Romney’s words speak for themselves
Why Romney is losing must-win Ohio
A handful of GOP strategists blamed Romney’s standing on campaign staffers who aren’t Ohio natives. One longtime Republican strategist griped about the “arrogant top-down” approach of the Romney team and said they have done a poor job listening to the advice of savvy Ohio strategists — a charge rebuffed by Romney aides who point out…
Obama Approval, Vote Support Both Reach 50% or Better
President Barack Obamas job approval rating has been 50% or higher in each of the last four Gallup Daily tracking figures, including a 51% rating in the latest three-day rolling average, from Sept. 23-25. This nearly matches the level of approval for Obama that Gallup found at the end of the Democratic National Convention earlier…
The Numbers Favor the President
If you eliminate the candidates with double-digit leads, the front-runner’s record is eight Electoral College wins in 10 tries, or a batting average of 80 percent. This a simple method — to the point of being crude. But it’s interesting, nevertheless, that the 80 percent figure corresponds quite well with the FiveThirtyEight forecast, which gave…
Latest Swing State Polls
Here are the latest polls from the battleground states, updated as needed through the day:Florida: Obama 53%, Romney 44% (NYT/CBS/Quinnipiac)Ohio: Obama 53%, Romney 43% (NYT/CBS/Quinnipiac)Pennsylvania: Obama 54%, Romney 42% (NYT/CBS/Quinnipiac) via Latest Swing State Polls.
Mitt Romney: No campaign cash from teachers’ unions
It’s not unusual for Republicans to advocate limiting or eliminating campaign contributions from public employees unions. But in an election cycle where both candidates are raking in large fundraising hauls and super PACs backed by unlimited contributions from wealthy donors are surging, Romney offered a more robust criticism of the campaign finance system. Romney argued…
Scott Brown Shows His Prejudice
I’ve been wondering about this for a few days. Scott Brown has made the ‘controversy’ over Elizabeth Warren’s purported Native American heritage a centerpiece of the final lap of the campaign. Indeed, his staffers went so far today as to taunt Warren with “tomahawk chops” mocking her claims. But at the debate, Brown said this…
WATCH: Scott Brown Staffers “Tomahawk Chop” at Warren Volunteers
On Monday, Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) released a new television ad hammering his Democratic challenger, Elizabeth Warren, for identifying herself as part Native American to her employers at Harvard Law School. On Tuesday, the progressive blog Blue Mass Group published this video, which shows at least three two top Brown staffers shouting Indian war whoops and making tomahawk gestures at a group…