politics

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Drenched in Watercooler Moments, SNL Is Hot Again

Late-night is the standout hit of the fall season

(Newser) - The fall TV ratings are in, and while Heroes needs saving and House is collapsing, Saturday Night Live has emerged as the biggest hit of the season, Maureen Ryan writes in the Chicago Tribune. Unlike other shows, SNL’s live ratings have jumped nearly 50% in its 34th season. “...

'Dysfunctional' Campaign Must Go: Kristol
'Dysfunctional' Campaign Must Go: Kristol
OPINION
Oct 13, 2008 12:44 PM CDT

'Dysfunctional' Campaign Must Go: Kristol

Attacks haven't and won't work, so it's time to go back to basics

(Newser) - John McCain’s campaign isn’t working, and if he’s smart, he’ll “junk the whole thing and start over,” William Kristol writes in the New York Times. McCain’s current “combination of strategic incoherence and operational incompetence has become toxic,” the high-profile conservative argues....

Trick-or-Treaters Vote for Palin

Mask retailers scramble to stock likeness ahead of Halloween

(Newser) - Costume shops are scrambling to stock enough masks of Sarah Palin, who looks to be a popular choice this Halloween, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Trick-or-treaters who want to transform into either of the presidential candidates—or most of their early competitors—are in luck, but heavy demand for Palin's likeness...

Senate to Tweak Bailout —But not Much

Dissenting Dems, GOP want different changes

(Newser) - Senators are scrambling to revive legislation for the financial bailout after its surprise failure in the House yesterday, but must strike the right balance to attract new House votes without driving away initial supporters, Bloomberg reports. House Republicans want an expanded role for the FDIC in the bailout and for...

5 Reasons Pols Dissed the Bailout
 5 Reasons Pols
 Dissed the Bailout 
ANALYSIS
Sep 29, 2008 6:08 PM CDT

5 Reasons Pols Dissed the Bailout

A bad sell, partisan wrangling, and an urge to be reelected led to bill's downfall: Pershing

(Newser) - House members were only given a chance to salvage the world economy—why do it? There are several reasons why 95 Democrats and 133 Republicans turned down Henry Paulson's $700 billion bailout plan, Ben Pershing writes in the Washington Post. The simplest? “A lot of members just didn't like...

Scare Easily? You May Be a Conservative

Study suggests political leanings could be hard-wired

(Newser) - People who startle more easily at loud noises or frightening images may be more prone to taking conservative political stances, reports the Washington Post. A new study suggests that there may be a biological basis for people's stands on contentious issues, with those who react less strongly to perceived threats...

Why McCain Longs for 19th Century Fuels
Why McCain Longs for 19th Century Fuels
OPINION
Sep 14, 2008 3:00 PM CDT

Why McCain Longs for 19th Century Fuels

He's making every debate, even energy, a 'cultural wedge issue'

(Newser) - Why are Republicans chanting "drill, baby, drill," a call for an outdated, 19th-century technology like fossil fuels? Because they are turning every political debate into a cultural "wedge Issue," Thomas Friedman writes in the New York Times—"including even energy policy, no matter how stupid...

Chafing Under Term Limits, Local Pols Act

Elected officials nationwide push for more time in office

(Newser) - Local politicians across the country are mounting campaigns against the term-limits laws that threaten to force them from office, reports the New York Times. More than 20 governments—including New York City's—are considering repealing term limits, with term-limited politicians spearheading the challenges. "We do a lot of churning...

Slumping Far-Right Party Sells Paris HQ

Far-right, anti-immigrant politics in decline in France

(Newser) - France's declining far-right party is selling its Paris headquarters to pay an €8 million debt, the Guardian reports. Jean-Marie Le Pen's National Front party has agreed to sell the building, overlooking the Seine, for an estimated €12 to €15m—several million less than it had hoped. The...

Gourmet Writer a Threat to Beijing?

Baffled food journalist denied Olympic visa

(Newser) - She's not a Tibetan activist, a human-rights watchdog, or a political correspondent. So why couldn't Karen Coates, a food writer for Gourmet, get a visa to cover the Beijing Olympics? She recounts the mind-numbing bureaucratic hoops she jumped through to submit her application, which seems to have vanished into a...

'Young Old People' Defend McCain From Age Attacks

'What was the question?' quips one

(Newser) - A group of fit Florida seniors have stepped up to the plate to defend candidate John MCain from criticism that he's too old to competently govern the country. "I think he could do the job in his 90s," said a supporter, one of several men born within days...

Obama May Signal The End of Black Politics

Younger politicians are leaving elders and history behind

(Newser) - Barack Obama may be the most successful black candidate in American political history, but his prominence and possible presidency could be the death knell for black politics as we know it, Matt Bai writes in the New York Times Magazine. While he's not quite the “post-racial” candidate some have...

Obamas Leave for Hawaii
 Obamas Leave for Hawaii 
Aug 8, 2008 4:08 PM CDT

Obamas Leave for Hawaii

Trip is for family time, to see aging grandmother, Dem says

(Newser) - Barack Obama departed for Hawaii today to kick off a week-long vacation with his family, Reuters reports. He’ll take part in a welcoming rally and fundraiser there, but will otherwise rest from campaign rigors. John McCain attacked his rival’s “beach vacation” in light of the hardships facing...

Republicans Continue House Protest Over Energy Vote

They want Pelosi to reconvene lawmakers

(Newser) - A group of House Republicans continued their protest on the floor of Congress today against Nancy Pelosi's decision to adjourn for summer recess without a vote on their energy plan, which calls for offshore drilling. The lawmakers, speaking in a dimly lit chamber witout a public-address system for the third...

When Music, Politics Collide, It's Usually Cringe-Worthy

Rowdy rockers make strange bedfellows for pols

(Newser) - As Barack Obama prepares for an appearance at Lollapalooza this weekend, Radar revisits odd moments when music invaded the political arena. Sometimes scary, sometimes silly, but always strange, here are some highlights:
  • Elvis and Nixon: The King visited the White House and offered to help in the fight against drugged-out
...

Israeli PM to Step Down in 2 Months

Olmert's move may threaten peace effort, national stability

(Newser) - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced today he will resign in September, throwing his country into political turmoil and raising doubts about progress for US-backed Mideast peace efforts. Olmert's brief address included harsh criticism of police investigations of corruption allegations against him. He said he was choosing the public good...

Here Comes Era of Activist Government
Here Comes
Era of Activist Government
OPINION
Jul 18, 2008 10:17 AM CDT

Here Comes Era of Activist Government

It's necessary, and McCain is better suited for the job: Brooks

(Newser) - With daunting issues demanding immediate action—energy, the markets, and crumbling infrastructure to name but a few—the US is about to enter a phase of "government activism," writes David Brooks in the New York Times. Bad news for John McCain, right? Maybe not. As past periods of...

Indian Politician Bridges Caste Divide

Kumari Mayawati, an untouchable, has risen to prominence, power

(Newser) - Kumari Mayawati, the 5-foot-tall, unmarried member of the so-called untouchable caste, has gained unprecedented power and stature in Indian politics. The leader of the nation's most populous state, Mayawati is positioning herself to become India's next prime minister, a feat that would have been unthinkable until recently and for which...

NYC Biz Leaders Search for Next Mayor/CEO

Bloomberg's city-as-business style likely hard to replicate

(Newser) - New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg will vacate his office in 18 months, the New York Times reports, and local business honchos are already hunting for a replacement candidate who shares Bloomberg's financial independence and city-as-a-business approach. "What the business community wants is not just a businessman but a Bloomberg-type...

Flip-Flopping Pols Are Just Channeling Inner Hypocrite

They know it's wrong, but benefits too great

(Newser) - Think all politicians are self-justifying hypocrites? You're probably right, John Tierney writes in the New York Times. As a recent psychological study demonstrates, all of us, given enough time and mental wiggle room, will succumb to the "self-halo effect," justifying in ourselves and our allies moral lapses we...

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