Where Are All the GOP 2012 Candidates? Blame Sarah Palin
The politerati are all a-flutter. Why are there no GOP presidential candidates yet? There sure are plenty -- it seems like dozens -- of 2012 wannabes. But so far not one of the conventional possible contenders (probable or improbable) have officially tossed a hat (or checkbook) into the ring. By this point in the 2008 campaign, much of the Democratic and Republican field was in place -- or close to it. John Edwards (remember him?) announced his run for the presidency on Dec. 26, 2006, at an event with kids in flood-ravaged New Orleans. Hillary Rodham Clinton lifted off with a Web video posted ...
Obama Hate Machine Exploits Egyptian Crisis
It's been thrilling to watch millions of people rise up and call for free expression and democracy in Egypt. The collective courage of the demonstrators has been inspiring; the apparent spontaneity encouraging. And we could view it live on our computer screens and smartphones. At this point, there's no telling what the as-of-yet nonviolent protests will yield. Political reforms that lead to a diverse democracy? An opening that is exploited by Islamic fundamentalists? Chaos? Rebellions can produce horrible outcomes. But the Egyptian uprising holds plenty of promise -- and is boosting the ...
Ronald Reagan at 100: The Darker Legacy
Are you ready for Reaganpalooza? February 6 will mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ronald Reagan, and the coming week will be loaded with events, op-eds, and television packages commemorating the day and celebrating the 40th president. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and the University of Southern California are holding an academic-star-studded conference on the Reagan legacy. Sarah Palin will deliver the keynote address at a gala being mounted at Reagan's former ranch in Santa Barbara, California. Related Stories Ronald Reagan's Children Disagree ...
Obama's SOTU Bargain: Cut Government to Do More With Government
Is President Obama a fierce down-sizer of government, or an ardent champion of boosting government investment in the economy? Well, he's both. In his second State of the Union speech, delivered Tuesday night, Obama trotted the tight wire. To show he's a mighty crusader against deficits, he declared he would impose a five-year freeze on non-security discretionary spending. And to show he's (still) the rescuer of the U.S. economy, he proclaimed he wants to spend billions on -- that is, invest in -- innovative technology (such as clean energy), infrastructure (including high-speed rail and ...
Far From Humble Republicans Prep for the State of the Union
Republicans seem a tad cocky these days. After repealing President Obama's health care law -- I mean, voting symbolically to repeal it -- they are claiming this week that they have already rescued the economy, and they are highlighting their party's most unpopular positions without concern for popular backlash. Hubris, anyone? On Monday morning, Dow Jones reported that a quarterly survey of 84 companies conducted by the National Association for Business Economics found that 42 percent of these firms expect to hire more workers in the coming six months. Fifty-five percent reported rising ...
What Progressives Want From Obama's State of the Union Address: Fighting Words
An editor asked me a simple question: What do progressives want from President Obama when he delivers his State of the Union speech on Tuesday night? I'm no spokesperson for the left. But here's my hunch: fight. The first two years of Obama's presidency have yielded mixed feelings among many of his supporters. He succeeded in scoring big legislative victories with his stimulus package, the health care bill, and the Wall Street reform law. But these initiatives all were marked by compromises that disappointed progressives. The stimulus bill was too small; the health care legislation did not ...
GOP Health Care Plan: More Repeal Than Replace
Late on a damp and chilly night, a few weeks before the midterm elections, I was strolling down Lexington Avenue, returning to my hotel, when I heard a voice from the street call out, "Hey, it's David Corn of Mother Jones." I turned and encountered a middle-aged fellow who was part of a work crew laying fiber-optic cable beneath New York City's streets. I said hello, he told me he was a regular watcher of MSNBC, and introduced me to the two other members of his gang. We immediately started talking politics. These three guys, who each belonged to a Queens local of the International Brotherhood ...
Worst Thing Said This Week: Rush Limbaugh Wins in This Category
At the memorial service in Tucson on Wednesday night, President Obama delivered a moving speech -- one of the best of his political career -- and fulfilled the role of leader. He called on Americans to debate our policy and political differences with honesty and respect, noting that "a more civil and honest public discourse can help us face up to the challenges of our nation." It is the president's job to inspire and encourage what Abraham Lincoln described as "the better angels of our nature." But the problem that remains and confounds is this: What happens when someone doesn't play by these ...
When It Comes to the Rhetoric of Rage, the Right Has the Edge
It was inevitable. A horrific shooting in Arizona has prompted a vitriolic debate about vitriolic political discourse. Nanoseconds after Jared Lee Loughner attempted to kill Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), murdering six other people and wounding over a dozen, including the congresswoman, commentators on the left accused the right of creating a rage-filled political atmosphere that could lead to violence. Noting that Sarah Palin's political action committee had named Giffords a "target" and literally placed her in cross-hairs, blogger Andrew Sullivan maintained that "her recklessly violent ...
Boehner in Wonderland: Kill Health Care Before Reviewing the Evidence
Now that Speaker John Boehner has been handed Hagrid's gavel, the first order of policy business for the newly empowered House Republicans is eradicating President Obama's health care reform package by passing HR 2, which is titled -- seriously -- "Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act." The measure, scheduled for a quick vote next Wednesday, will pass with Republican votes, but it won't go anywhere: Democrats in the Senate won't bother with it, and Obama has already vowed to veto the measure, if it ever reaches his desk. Which it won't. But this stunt -- being conducted instead of ...
POPULAR
- Nancy Pelosi Confirms House May Skip Up or Down Vote on Senate Health Bill
- Debrahlee Lorenzana: A Double Take on Those Double D's
- Campbell Brown Quits CNN With Shockingly Frank Farewell
- Palin Earnings Estimated at $12 Million
- The Five Most Racist Obama Cartoons?
- Jimmy Carter Leaves Church Over Treatment of Women
- Soraya M., Stoned to Death for Being an "Inconvenient Wife''
Follow Politics Daily
News From Our Partners
- Dragon arrives at space station in historic 1st
- Picking new leader, Egyptians search for superman
- Egyptians vote in first free presidential vote
- Moon chips from Vegas casino mogul sent to NASA
- Egyptians vote to rid nation of autocratic rule
- More Stories »
- 'Masters of the Universe' Sure Have Fragile Egos
- Romney: My Mistakes 'Haunt Me'
- Newt Lauds Romney: He's Like Eisenhower
- Irked Senate Panel Votes 30-0 to Cut Pakistan Aid
- GSA Bash Organizer Steps Down
- More Stories »
- Know Your Enemy
- Obama’s Challenge in Egypt
- The Edwards Waiting Game
- Are Doctors Doing Too Much?
- The Pagan Cult of Reagan
- More Stories »
- Ambition Counteracting Ambition
- Robert Blagojevich Speaks Out
- In Iowa, Obama Calls Romney's Words 'A Cow Pie of Distortion'
- In Iowa, Obama Calls On Congress to Act on Clean Energy Tax Credits
- Romney Has Interesting Morning in Inner-City Philly
- More Stories »
Top News
More News
More on Aol
Local News
More Blog/Sites
Sites and Services
HuffPost Politics