News

Has Health Care Made America Sybil?

Andrew Belonsky :: Monday, March 22nd, 2010 2:00 pm

Republicans are none-too-happy about health care reform’s passage yesterday. That comes as no surprise. Nor do their pledges to use the legislation as a wedge issue in the upcoming midterm elections. Though none of this strikes me as out-of-the-ordinary, it makes me wonder, “Is health care America’s collective Sybil?” Is this evidence that our nation, which claims to be United, has split personalities?

Soda Tax Will Tear Us Apart

Andrew Belonsky :: Friday, March 19th, 2010 3:40 pm

Of all the political discussions bubbling up across the nation, the one on the so-called soda tax seems, on the surface, to be one of the more absurd. Take a deeper look, however, and one quickly sees that this debate is pitting rich against poor, doctors against businessmen and journo against journo. Could this be the unique culture war that tears the States asunder?

Rand Paul: An Outsider on The Inside Track

Andrew Belonsky :: Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 11:30 am

Rand Paul’s well on his way to being a Republican candidate in Kentucky’s Senatorial race. This comes as no surprise: Paul, an eye surgeon and son of Congressman Ron Paul, started the race as an outsider, and emulates many of the populist ideals coarsing through America’s collective vein right now: he’s for limited government, wants to lower taxes and describes himself as a “candidate of the people,” a man who can cure Washington of its ills. But Paul, who got his start in his state’s tax reform movement, also straddles the “outsider” divide and has courted support from the likes of Sarah Palin and Dick Armey. He is the outsider insider, and here Paul explains why he doesn’t want to be grouped with the far right, how the media works against third parties and why health care needs more, not less, capitalism. Oh boy…

Rod Blagojevich Seeks Redemption At Trump’s Diner

Adam Kearney :: Monday, March 15th, 2010 2:00 pm

Rob Blagojevich won’t quit, though he may be fired once again. He was removed from the office of Governor of Illinois in January 2009, after he attempted to offer Barack Obama’s Senate seat in exchange for a personal favor, and the dome-headed buffoon has been defending his innocence ever since, even giving ironic speeches on government ethics. The lecture circuit was a paying gig, and it looks like he needs the money. His wife has traveled to Costa Rica and eaten tarantulas to raise money for his legal fees, and his new job has him waiting tables on Donald Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice. MORE »

Funny or Die Presents: Ron Howard’s “Presidential Reunion”

Johnny Sanford :: Thursday, March 4th, 2010 1:30 pm

A few days back, I was critical of HBO’s new series “Funny Or Die.” You can read that review here. But I believe this new sketch strengthens my argument. This is the perfect example of how great web-only content can be. Ron Howard uses the sketch to hit home a serious message, and in the process he brings together some of the greatest comedians of all time. Some of the actors in the sketch include Fred Armisen, Will Ferrell, Jim Carrey, Maya Rudolph, Dana Carvey and Dan Aykroyd. To watch the video, make the jump. MORE »

Nothing Ever Happens

Stephen Blackwell :: Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 7:15 pm

The vast majority of Americans would never fly a plane into a government building. Nor would they bulldoze their own home. But Americans are susceptible to being swept up in crazes good and bad, whether it’s Beatlemania or McCarthyism.

Casting the Tea Party as a wacky fringe borders on idiotic. It’s a movement that elects U.S. Senators. Its potential to become the “third party” is staggering, and I suspect liberal hatred of the movement is rooted in two things: (a) it possesses an unwavering message that (b) is completely rational. MORE »

American Movie Presidents

Adam Kearney :: Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 4:00 pm

Barack Obama could be called a celebrity president. Before being elected, he gained international fame and popularity, and he is known for his eloquent rhetoric and moving speeches. But there was a time not so long ago when we had a President who could barely string a sentence together. And given our political climate, there is a high probability we will be “led” by such a buffoon in the future. This is not a serious problem however, because no matter who is sitting in the Oval Office, we can always look to American cinema for inspiring Presidential figures. Here are some of our favorite celebrity “Presidents.” Let us know if you have any others. MORE »

Yeah, Obama’s Radical, and The Right Should Be, Too

Andrew Belonsky :: Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 5:20 pm

The political lexicon relies in large part on buzzwords, like “patriot” or “socialist.” And then there’s “radical,” which the right wing applies more tenaciously to President Obama than almost any other term. The most recent usage stems from the word that Sean Hannity will soon publish a new book, Conservative Victory. Not surprisingly, it’s being billed as a guide to defeating Obama’s “radical agenda.” In light of this news, let’s take a moment to look at the myth of radicalism, which consistently misses the mark because every American, including Republicans, needs to be more radical, dude.

Misplaced Anger, Prejudice and Casual Racism Brew at Tea Party

Colm McAuliffe :: Tuesday, February 16th, 2010 2:00 pm

According to the American Conservative Values blog, “Sarah Heath Palin is the defacto Shadow President of the United States right now. We hope very much she runs for President in 2012. She could change the world. She can save this country. We listen to her and are awed.” Last weekend’s Nashville meeting of the Tea Party under the aura of Palin is a prime example of these poujadist, little man against big, nasty government which sully the reputation of the democratic story.

Are You A Bad American For Not Liking Olympics?

Andrew Belonsky :: Friday, February 12th, 2010 3:20 pm

The Olympics officially kick off this evening, and millions of people plan on tuning in tonight and over the next few weeks. An estimated fifty-three percent, actually. Although that number’s down a bit from the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, it’s still a significant amount. Yet, unlike these people, I can’t bring myself to give a damn…not about the stats and scores, anyway. I don’t much care whether we win in figure skating, the most popular sport, or bobsledding, the gayest. Nor does roughly forty-seven percent of the nation. I wonder: Does that make us bad American, or good ones?

Obama Gives Agnostic Thumbs Up to Tax Increase

Shannon Hassett :: Thursday, February 11th, 2010 7:45 pm

I think of two things when I hear the word ‘agnostic’: that band present but not quite cool enough to fit under the 80s NYHC tag, and everyone too cowardly to commit to atheism. Obama has been getting a lot of headlines for his use of the word, which truth be told, isn’t that far off from either of the aforementioned sentiments. The meteoric celebrity of his early presidency has steadily petered out, mostly based on the grounds of his refusal to commit to his own ideologies (or pretty much anything). It would seem a fairly simple rebuilding strategy to avoid employing words that draw attention to these criticisms, yet in the past week, Obama’s language has provided perhaps the strongest evidence yet that he will continue to go back on campaign trail promises. MORE »

“Miss Me Yet?”

Matt Kiebus :: Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 2:00 pm

Never heard of Wyoming, Minnesota? Well it’s home to around 3,000 people and an odd giant billboard featuring our former fearless leader, George Dubya. The clever ad depicts a goofy President Bush giving a sheepish wave and asks the question “miss me yet?” There is much debate about who is responsible for the financial backing of the billboard, a conservative Obama hater, or a witty left-winger.

I think the billboard on Interstate 35 asks a great question. How can Barack Obama make America forget the most accomplished President in United States history? Say what you will about George W. Bush, but the silly old bastard achieved a lot while occupying the Oval Office. MORE »

Sam Alito’s “Outburst”: Unsurprising but Dangerous

Andrew Belonsky :: Thursday, January 28th, 2010 12:20 pm

President Obama addressed key national issues last night: health care, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, green energy. All of this is well and good, but the real action of State of the Union comes in the form of broadcasted dissent. Though typically criticism comes from Congressional enemies like Joe Wilson, who last year infamously yelled “You Lie” at the Commander-in-Chief, this year’s big scuffle came from a more judicious source: Sam Alito.

American Altruism Biting You In The Ass?

Stephen Blackwell :: Thursday, January 21st, 2010 1:00 pm

President Obama as well as Presidents Clinton & Bush have made numerous overtures to the American public to donate money to Haitian relief. As Obama puts it, “When we show not just our power, but also our compassion, the world looks to us with a mixture of awe and admiration. Every American can look at this relief effort with the pride of knowing that America is acting on behalf of our common humanity.” (Clinton, the more straightforward of the two, says “We need more money to ensure that we can deal with the immediate humanitarian crisis.” [Newsweek]

Word is some of us have been a little trigger happy with the charity. The public-spiritedness, combined with a misunderstanding of how the the text message donation program functions, has left some people with $1,000+ phone bills. Are you one of them? Let us know. Was it excessive goodness on your part, or did you quite not get the technology, you luddite. You can e-mail me: [email protected].

Obama: The Musical

Adam Kearney :: Monday, January 18th, 2010 12:40 pm

At a time when many Americans are becoming jaded once again by the political process, after a crippling recession, a bitter battle over public health insurance, and a continued war on terror overseas, we can look back to the inspiring moments of Obama’s 2008 election campaign through a musical in Germany titled “Hope- The Obama Musical Story.”

Set in Chicago, in the 20-year period leading up to the election, the story begins with Obama as a community organizer and follows his journey to becoming the first black president, focusing primarily on the 2008 campaign and his historic slogan “Yes we can.” MORE »