Immigration Reform's Chances
[ Posted Tuesday, January 29th, 2013 – 17:40 UTC ]
Does comprehensive immigration reform have a chance of becoming law in 2013?
Archive of Articles in the "Television" Category
So Long, Sarah
[ Posted Monday, January 28th, 2013 – 16:58 UTC ]
Last Friday, Sarah Palin left Fox News. Her exit from the national stage is now complete. But her passing from view bears comment, for the unique nature of her influence on the country's politics for the past four or five years. Because one thing everyone can agree upon -- love her or hate her -- Sarah Palin was unique.
Friday Talking Points [242] -- Obama's Second Inauguration
[ Posted Friday, January 25th, 2013 – 18:20 UTC ]
President Barack Hussein Obama's second inauguration pretty much dominated the political news this week.
"No Budget, No Pay" Smoke And Mirrors
[ Posted Thursday, January 24th, 2013 – 17:00 UTC ]
The Republican House just scored a political victory. While meaningless in financial fact, they successfully co-opted a dandy slogan -- which may have real political consequences for Senate Democrats -- and they also managed to pull the wool over the eyes of a large portion of the mainstream media while doing so. Which, as I said, has to be chalked up as a big political victory for the House Republicans.
Friday Talking Points [240] -- Time To Dust Off The Fourteenth Option
[ Posted Friday, January 11th, 2013 – 17:24 UTC ]
According to the news media, America's biggest concern right now should be the silliness of Jack Lew's signature. That's the kind of week it's been, at least among the inside-the-Beltway cocktail party circuit.
Dare Not Speak Its Name
[ Posted Wednesday, January 9th, 2013 – 18:28 UTC ]
Last night, on a primetime television show, a character had an abortion. Does this shock you? It might, if only for the fact that such a plotline is so incredibly rare on American television. In less than two weeks, the Supreme Court decision in the landmark Roe v. Wade case will be forty years old. Four decades later, the debate over abortion still rages. But it is a debate which is largely silent on the small screen. Even last night, abortion did not really dare to speak its name.
Republicans Creating National Health Insurance Exchange?
[ Posted Monday, January 7th, 2013 – 16:13 UTC ]
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (otherwise known as "Obamacare") put Republican governors between an ideological rock and a very hard place for conservatives. After losing their court challenge on the constitutionality of Obamacare, each state's governor was faced with a clear choice: either set up a state-run health insurance marketplace (or "exchange"), or refuse to do so and pass the buck to the federal government, which will set up an exchange for states who opt not to create one on their own.
Friday Talking Points [239] -- Talking About The Deal
[ Posted Friday, January 4th, 2013 – 17:32 UTC ]
If we had a "best quote" awards category, we'd certainly have to nominate what outgoing House Republican Steven La Tourette had to say about the whole situation, after the Senate had voted 89-8 to approve the fiscal cliff avoidance deal: "We should not take a package put together by a bunch of sleep-deprived octogenarians on New Year's Eve." Now that's funny!
Obama Poll Watch -- December, 2012
[ Posted Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013 – 17:17 UTC ]
A happy chart indeed for Obama fans. Last month I predicted this rise by noting that many of the nationwide polling operations just ceased polling after the election was over. This dearth of data meant that while Obama's numbers were climbing fast, the "poll of polls" average at RealClearPolitics.com was dragged downwards by pre-election numbers still being averaged in. While I did predict that Obama's numbers would continue to rise in December (as more and more data came in), I will admit that even I was surprised at size of the post-election bump which Obama managed.
My 2012 "McLaughlin Awards" [Part 2]
[ Posted Friday, December 28th, 2012 – 18:02 UTC ]
Welcome back to our annual year-end awards column!