Articles About Politicians

Of Political Protests and Laser-Guided Hushpuppies

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 20:40:20 +0000

I’m sure by now you’ve seen the video of the disgruntled Iraqi reporter throwing his shoes at President Bush last Sunday. I’m also fairly confidant after all the in-depth expert analysis that followed in its wake, you’re well aware that the act is the Arab equivalent of giving someone the “finger”; albeit in an admittedly more forceful and potentially painful manner.

That’s not even mentioning the potential olfactory offensiveness, depending on the attacker’s personal hygiene and the condition of their shoes, but I digress.

Candidate Strangelove Becomes Secretary Strangelove

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 02:25:59 +0000

In honor of Senator Clinton's introduction as President-Elect Obama's nominee for Secretary of State, I thought it might be nice to take a look at what we - and more importantly the President-Elect - might expect from Secretary Clinton.

What worldview does she bring to the administration? What style of diplomacy might we expect from her? What personal panache or interpersonal communication skills does she bring to the table?

Obama - President-Elect, Master of Political Stagecraft

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:30:08 +0000

One of the areas that the Obama campaign clearly dominated its’ Republican counterpart was in the realm of political stagecraft.

As the old saying goes, perception is reality. Masters of political stagecraft understand it is a powerful element in the creation of perceptions and thereby political realities.

As early as June, I gave the stagecraft advantage to the Obama camp. This was due in part, to their mastery of the “shot”.

Berg v Obama

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 04:28:11 +0000

On September 29^th ofthis year a Federal District Court in Pennsylvania ruled that the Democratic Nominee for President Barak Obama had 72 hours to turn over a copy of his long form “vault” birth certificate to long timeDemocrat and Hillary Clinton supporter, Philip Berg. In the DNC’s motion to dismiss they argued Mr. Berg had no “standing” upon which to bring his lawsuit and therefore the Federal Court should dismiss it.

The court refused to accept theDNC’s and Mr. Obama’s argument instead issuing a ruling that gave numerous statutes and case law which, in the court’s judgment, gave Mr. Berg standing. One such case was the 1998Supreme Court case of FEC v. Akins. In this case the United States Supreme Court held that Akins, et.al. acting as voters had standing to challenge the FEC for information under the FECA, Fair Election Campaign Act. The court so eloquently held that “the injury pertaining to voting, the most basic of political rights, is sufficiently concrete.” For a petitioner to have standing the injury, in the eyes of a court,must be sufficiently concrete as to merit a case or controversy. In the case of Akins, et.al. the court sided with the voters.

Searching For Reagan In The Wilderness - The Future of the Republican Party

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 02:17:55 +0000

With the Democrats controlling both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, there are those among the Conservative ranks contemplating how best to take maximum advantage of their newfound time in the political wilderness. Recruiting foot soldiers, grooming the next generation of leaders, raising money and engaging in a robust and often painfully honest bit of soul-searching all rank high on the list of priorities.

Crucial among those pressing issues is the debate of the intellectual-ideological foundation on which the next Conservative revival will be built.

What lies at the dogmatic heart of the Conservative movement? What principals are inviolable? What is considered heresy? Are pragmatics apostates to be excommunicated?

McCain ~ With Honor He Fought, In Honor He Is Undone

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 03:02:45 +0000

As signs of his impending defeat rise, criticism of Senator McCain and his campaign has mounted.

Having assailed the Senator and his staff for failing to learn from history and to fundamentally understand the priorities and mood of the electorate myself several times over the course of the campaign, I speak from experience.

Rest assured, despite many pointing to September 15th and the devastating landfall of the financial hurricane on the American economy as the tipping point of the campaign, this defeat has been eight months in the making.

Michelle Bachmann and the Politics of Division

Sat, 18 Oct 2008 23:42:40 +0000

I write this article neither as a Liberal nor as a Conservative. I write this article as an American. I write this as a Caucasian American who holds to a set of Moderate to Right-Libertarian political views. I write this as someone who is quote worried about the direction our Nation is taking. I write this as someone who is heartsick over the deep divisions in the world of politics.

For the first time, since I have been Blogging, I feel the need to speak out against those who hold similar political views as mine. I am referring to the comments that were made by Rep. Michelle Bachmann. Rep. Michelle Bachmann on an appearance on MSNBC’s Hardball said that there were persons in the United States Congress, who held to Anti-American views. She also said that these people should be investigated.

Sarah Palin - Hockey Mom, Conservative Icon, Playboy Playmate?

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 02:05:02 +0000

In high school, Sarah Palin’s nickname on the girls’ basketball team was “Sarah Barracuda”. Playing off this, stage managers at the Republican National Convention used Heart’s 70’s hit “Barracuda” as her signature music, much to the chagrin and dismay of the Wilson sisters. However, in light of several recent offerings by Reuters and Associated Press photographers, perhaps a more appropriate selection would be ZZ Top’s “Legs” or even Van Halen’s “Hot for Teacher”.

Debate Two - Bland Cold Cuts and Stale Leftovers

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:51:04 +0000

In the second of their three scheduled debates, Senators McCain and Obama agreed that the nation faced the most challenging economic crisis since the Great Depression. Sadly, though, neither believed circumstances were dire enough to warrant dispensing with the petty bickering and snide remarks that have become the hallmark of the current presidential race.

Cordial Combat - The Vice Presidential Debate

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:21:51 +0000

Stepping into the national spotlight together for their lone debate, Alaskan Governor and Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin and her Democratic counterpart, Delaware Senator Joe Biden, carried the expectations and hopes of their respective campaigns heavily on their shoulders.

With more than 35 years in the Senate, two runs for the White House of his own and considered to be one of the Democratic Party’s elder statesmen on matters of foreign policy and national security, Biden’s experience complimented the comparatively meager resume of Democratic presidential nominee, Illinois Senator Barack Obama.