Earlier this week I was preparing a column on the Delaware Senate race for Pajamas Media and having a bit of fun with it. Some skeletons have been rapidly emerging from the closet of Tea Party favorite Christine O'Donnell in terms of old campaign debt, IRS woes and sheriffs coming to foreclose on her home. (Since there is no sense rehashing it all, just follow the link if … [Read more...] about Christine O’Donnell: Curiouser and Curiouser

I was recently tasked with writing a column on the resurgence of Northeastern Republican Politicians. (Or NERPs) It was a fun topic to tackle, and one which I foolishly imagined the vast majority of conservatives and Republicans could embrace as "good news." I was quickly disabused of this notion, however, when the usual parade of comments and e-mails emerged airing the same … [Read more...] about The NERP Manifesto: Modulating and Moderating the Conservative Message

The announcement of the retirement of Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens has brought us once again to the edge of change, though probably not as much as you might think or the kind of change some of you were hoping for. Frankly, I long ago gave up hope that presidents of either party would start appointing truly independent, non-partisan judges - the kind that will … [Read more...] about GOP Opportunity and Peril in the SCOTUS Nomination

They're rude. They're crude. They show up precisely where they're not wanted and shout inappropriate, vulgar things. They not only make threats of violence, but engage in it as their preferred method of exercising their free speech rights. You know the type, right? What have they been up to lately? When a political author hosts a book signing and speech, they shout him down, … [Read more...] about Those Awful, Violent Activists

And now the deed is done, as Macbeth said upon emerging from the chamber with blood covering his hands. The Democrats' majority in Congress has finished their series of back room deals and procedural maneuvers and gotten some version of their health care "reform" package voted past the bipartisan opposition to it and on its way to the President's desk. And now that it no longer … [Read more...] about The “Dirty Little Secret” of Health Care Reform

If you were awake and even glancing at the news yesterday, you likely caught wind of a fast breaking kerfuffle in the ongoing health care reform debate. Republicans were excitedly talking up a supposed "leaked memo" which was - eventually - alleged to have originated from Majority Leader Steny Hoyer's office, instructing Democrats to avoid talking about planned increases in … [Read more...] about Romancing the Health Care Memo Hoax

One of the strangest and possibly least noticed political stories of the week comes out of Utah, where State House Majority Leader Keven Garns (R-Layton) has resigned his office in the midst of what is being described as a "hot tub scandal." This might have quickly passed through the maw of the 24 hour news beast as just another "scumbag politico gets caught" story unless we … [Read more...] about Vindication or Blackmail?

Both the media and many high profile politicos still seem to be flailing around trying to find some way to label, quantify and pigeonhole the myriad tea party groups which are springing up all around the country. Even Karl Rove, during a stop to promote his new book, expressed concerns over whether or not they might spur some sort of third party movement which could hurt the … [Read more...] about What I Learned at the Tea Parties

President Obama seems to have teed up the Democrats this week, and once again the Republicans are looking to hit one out of the park. Were this story found in a Nero Wolfe mystery we might have called it, "A Muddle of Mathesons." The question which we, as observers, are left to wrestle with is, was it a case of blatant nepotism and bribery or simply astoundingly tone-deaf … [Read more...] about On the Horns of the Democratic Dilemma