If there is one likely loser in this campaign season, it’s the political debate, the traditional chance for interested voters to size up two (or more) candidates at the same time. Sen. Al Franken, the DFL incumbent, refused to participate in the traditional State Fair debate sponsored by MPR. And today, Minnesota Daily reports he’s Read more →
You know we’ve entered a new stage of political analysis when the analysts discuss whether a president should wear a tan suit while discussing serious subjects. Read more →
Slate and CBS political analyst John Dickerson suggests today that the end of the Scott Walker era may be at hand in Wisconsin. A poll shows Walker’s Democratic challenger, Mary Burke, has her biggest lead — just 2 percentage points — or the campaign so far. While that suggests that it’s anybody’s race, Dickerson says Read more →
The difference in reactions to the disturbances in Ferguson, Mo., where a white police officer shot an unarmed young black man nearly two weeks ago, sadly isn’t surprising. Many white Americans reportedly think the black community’s anger over Michael Brown’s death – indeed, the growing movement in Ferguson to address longstanding inequities — and the Read more →
When President Obama addressed the nation Monday on crises in war-torn Iraq and Ferguson, Mo., millions likely waited with anticipation for inspiring and defining words. Across the country, the attention was focused not on the Middle East but on what the president would have to say about Ferguson, which has swirled in turmoil since police Read more →
It’s not been a particularly prideful 24 hours for Republican Party insiders on social networks. Read more →
“It’s like trying to buy bread in Poland in the 1980s,” Jeff Mudge tells the Pioneer Press. It’s funny he chose the analogy because several paragraphs into the weekend Pioneer Press’ story about how long it takes to get a driver’s license road test, I was thinking, “this sounds like the old Eastern Bloc days.” Read more →
You’ve probably heard that today is the 40th anniversary of the day Richard Nixon resigned the presidency, a day that now is typically marked by younger people revealing the massive failure of American history teachers. Read more →
Why are the people who hold office so afraid of being questioned? Read more →
When’s the last time you watched a floor speech with any passion in the U.S. Congress on any subject? Read more →
Political victory speeches are usually tame and boring things. Even if you hate your opponent, graciousness is the order of the day. Ronald Reagan declared it so when he created the 11th Commandment. Not in Michigan last night, and not for Rep. Justin Amash, the Republican who won his primary battle. One can hardly blame Read more →
Restaurant bills have something to say about prayer and the minimum wage Read more →
Southern cities are generally more conservative than northern cities; not much of a surprise there. The Economist has pored over the data in a new survey of cities and found a few interesting differences within states. Toledo is more conservative than Cleveland, for example. And Colorado Springs (a military community) is more conservative than Denver. Read more →
No doubt there’ll be many tributes — and from some, brickbats — on the occasion of the death of the former Reagan press secretary, James Brady, who took a bullet to his brain intended for his boss. This is my most memorable moment. It was Chicago, 1996, the second national convention of the year, following Read more →
An astronaut’s camera captures death, not tranquility, over Earth. Read more →
Bob Collins
David Cazares