News

Wyclef Jean to Run For President?

Andrew Belonsky :: Monday, July 26th, 2010 5:30 pm

So, Wyclef Jean may run for President in Haiti’s next election. How exciting, right? Well, that depends on how you look at it.

Playing politics quite well, Jean concedes he’s considering a run, and has even filed the appropriate paperwork, but refuses to flat-out admit his aspirations. And a presidential move seems like a natural fit for Jean: he was born in Haiti and has made the country the centerpiece of his philanthropic work, especially after this year’s devastating earthquake.

As the story grows here and in Haiti, however, voters should look beyond Jean’s potentially distracting celebrity and examine his foundation’s troubling financial past. MORE »

California Shooting, a Dangerous Political Projection?

Andrew Belonsky :: Tuesday, July 20th, 2010 12:30 pm

Feminist writer Carol Hanisch coined the phrase “the personal is the political,” meaning that personal problems often find their root in political soil. These days, that phrase seems to be turned on its head: the political is the personal. Politics are thrust upon a person’s actions or, in some cases, inaction. Just look out in California, where a parolee named Byron Williams allegedly shot at police yesterday.

His mother claims the unemployed man let loose on traffic cops because he’s disgruntled over “left-wing politics,” thus providing conservatives and other right wingers the perfect opportunity to demonize the Obama administration. This isn’t about personal politics. It’s about political projection.
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Mel Gibson: Is The NRA His Last Shot At Salvation?

Andrew Belonsky :: Monday, July 19th, 2010 3:30 pm

Boy oh boy, people really hate Mel Gibson these days. And you can’t blame them.

Four years after his infamous anti-Semitic rant, and just as he was recovering his public image, the actor has again found himself — and his dirty mouth — in the tabloids, thanks to audio tapes chronicling the racist verbal abuse he dumped on his ex-girlfriend and baby mama Oksana Grigorieva.

In addition to the oral assault, Grigorieva also claims that Gibson punched her, their child and threatened her with a gun. Now experts, insiders and regular Joes are wondering if Gibson can ever recover. Honestly, it doesn’t look good. There is, however, a way Gibson can save himself: hitch his fallen star to the National Rifle Association. MORE »

Liberal Is A Bad Word For Democrats, Too

Andrew Belonsky :: Friday, July 16th, 2010 2:45 pm

Liberal. Say that word among conservatives and you’re likely to elicit a groan, for this once-apolitical word has become a call to arms for the right, who see “liberals” as free-spending, left-leaning, socialist-loving zealots. Thus, Republicans and their peers consistently lob the “L word” at the ideological enemies. And they’re not alone.

IRS filings reveal that the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) footed the bill for commercials and fliers from the “Iowans for Responsible Government” that attacked Iowa gubernatorial hopeful Terry Branstad’s “liberal” politics. Too bad for Democrats that this campaign totally undermines their party.
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Playboy, Hefner Cannot Go to Penthouse

Andrew Belonsky :: Thursday, July 15th, 2010 7:30 pm

Like most print publications, Playboy has been struggling: revenue last year dropped to $240 million, down considerably from the $331 million founder Hugh Hefner and company made in 2009, and last October’s circulation came around 1.5 million, a far cry from the magazine’s peak circulation of 7.1 million in 1972.

Now there’s news that competitor Penthouse‘s parent company wants to make a play for the venerable skin mag. They must be stopped. MORE »

What The BP Oil Spill Tells Us About Human Nature

Andrew Belonsky :: Tuesday, July 13th, 2010 2:30 pm

BP employees will spend the next two days testing the latest well cap to stop the catastrophic Gulf of Mexico oil leak. This is the umpteenth time they have tried to stem the crude’s spread.

It’s also the perfect opportunity to explore how this company single-handedly disproved two of history’s greatest philosophical minds: Thomas Hobbes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. MORE »

At Idaho Fiesta, The GOP’s Repugnant Political Theater

Andrew Belonsky :: Friday, July 9th, 2010 2:30 pm

Arizona’s immigration law has had quite the political impact, and in ways that boggle the mind.

Sure, the draconian legislation only inflamed already existing political divides: Republicans have rallied behind Gov. Jan Brewer, while Democrats, including the President, have blasted the laws potential for racial-profiling.

Even the Justice Department has gotten in on the act, and this week launched a lawsuit against the state, and outraged Americans launched a bevy of Arizona-snubbing boycotts.

But the raging debate has found other, less traditional battlegrounds, like the Bonner County Fair in North Idaho, whose residents decided to call the annual event, “Fiesta at the Fair.” Now local Republicans have declared the bilingual language dirty and are launching a homegrown protest. Que ridículo!
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Sarah Palin’s Mom Movement Hurts Women

Andrew Belonsky :: Thursday, July 8th, 2010 2:15 pm

Sarah Palin owes a lot of her superstar career to the women who have rallied around her. And now Palin has returned the favor by releasing a video called “Mama Grizzlies,” in which the former Alaska Governor celebrates women’s political power and promises that they will change the world through a “Mom Awakening.”

Palin deserves praise for offering such a powerful rallying cry for women who have been stuck in the political kitchen. Her message, however, may end up doing more harm than good.
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The Political Staying Power of Whites-Only Country Clubs

Andrew Belonsky :: Tuesday, July 6th, 2010 3:15 pm

Congressional hopeful Andy Barr has found his good name soiled by news that the Kentucky Republican belongs to the Idle Hour Country Club, which didn’t allow a black member until just last year.

Barr’s campaign tried to write off the bad press as incumbent opponent, Democratic Rep. Ben Chandler planting “cheap, personal attacks.” They also pointed out that Chandler, though not a member, has attended events at Idle Hour.

This colorful mess illustrates how a discriminatory country club culture continues to resonate in America’s mythical “post-racial” society. And it’s not just Republicans who to play through the segregated minefield.
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Down To Earth, Grounded Superman Finds His Humble Home (And Men Should, Too)

Andrew Belonsky :: Friday, July 2nd, 2010 10:00 am

Superman has had a hard time: his long-lost planet, Krypton, recently came back from the dead, only to be destroyed again. Now he’s back on Earth, celebrating the 700th issue of his titular comic book. And the Man of Steel, like so many of us, is feeling a little downtrodden.

Unsure of where to go with his life, he realizes that he’s been flying far too fast, letting the heart and soul of America go by in one big blur. So, for the next few months, Superman will embark on a storyline called “Grounded,” walking, strolling and perhaps even jogging from coast-to-coast. This archetypical hero’s self-imposed humility may be more powerful than his laser vision, and provides a potential road map for the American male.
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At Elena Kagan’s Confirmation Hearings, An Evolving Supreme Court

Andrew Belonsky :: Thursday, July 1st, 2010 11:00 am

Elena Kagan’s Supreme Court nomination looks like a done deal: Senators from both parties agree the Solicitor General won’t face any more hurdles in her road to becoming a Justice. If her behavior and attitude are any indication, Kagan will change the face of the nation’s high court, bringing wit and humor into the at-times stodgy institution, which has been evolving before our eyes and will never be the same. That’s the point.
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5 Ways Health Care Impacts Young Americans

Andrew Belonsky :: Tuesday, June 29th, 2010 11:30 am

President Obama’s health care reform will soon up the insurance ante by unveiling a new website that compares health care rates for consumers. “It is important to have these steps in places to protect consumers from unjustifiable rate increases,” said the President yesterday. “In fact, many states are already exercising their review authority. We’re already seeing a wave of change that’s lifting up consumers and leveling the playing field.”

Yes, soon we’ll live in a nation where everyone, regardless of race, color or creed, has health care, bogus preexisting conditions are banished and cancer is a thing of the past. We will live in a world where, as Nancy Pelosi once put it, “people could be an artist or a photographer or a writer without worrying about keeping their day job in order to have health insurance or that people could start a business and be entrepreneurial and take risk.” So what does health care reform mean for all of America’s hip young dreamers? Let’s take a look…. MORE »

France Should Lay Off The Noriega

Andrew Belonsky :: Monday, June 28th, 2010 2:30 pm

Drug icon and tyrannical General Manuel Noriega finds himself back in the spotlight, thanks to a French court’s decision to extradite the former Panamanian dictator and put him on trial for laundering some drug money.

If convicted, the 72-year old, who just ended a 20-year prison stint here in the U.S., could face 10 years in the Parisian penal system. Sure, that sounds like a good idea, except that it’s a complete miscarriage of justice that hampers Panama’s ability to move beyond their nightmarish past.
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Political Distortions and the Pitfalls of Technocracy

Andrew Belonsky :: Thursday, June 17th, 2010 1:45 pm

Politicians are a compelling species. They are, on a good day, selfless and humble civil servants, yet are still narcissistic enough to believe that only they, not their opponent, can do the job. These contradictory traits very often clash, leading candidates to boast and brag about qualifications that may not exist. Mark Kirk, Richard Blumenthal and Rand Paul are learning that the hard way. All three have been questioned about inconsistencies in their resumes and career paths. Are they just playing politics, or is this trend a symptom of a larger social epidemic? And what does it mean for underdog Alvin Greene?
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Rep. King’s Obama Race Baiting Alienates Right, Sort Of

Andrew Belonsky :: Wednesday, June 16th, 2010 2:00 pm

Republican Rep. Steve King this week insisted that President Obama has a “default mechanism” that makes him favor black people. King’s intimations aren’t winning him any friends. Not in public, at least…
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