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Friday, May 09, 2008

Does Rupert Murdoch Know What He's Doing To The 'Wall Street Journal'?
by Gabriel Sherman
Shortly after none in the morning on April 28, about two dozen reporters and editors in The Wall Street Journal’s Washington bureau assembled for the ...

Hillary Clinton, Conservative Populist
by Jonathan Chait
The dying days of the Hillary Clinton campaign have brought the breathtaking spectacle of a candidate lashing out at every element of public life that...

Stop, 'Speed Racer,' Stop! The 'Matrix' Madmen Plunge Off The Rails
by Christopher Orr
Are the Wachowski brothers the new George Lucas?

The Key Election For Barack Obama This Month Wasn't in North Carolina Or Indiana
by E.J. Dionne, Jr.
Barack Obama's victory in the North Carolina primary was actually the second important election result for his campaign this month.

Thursday, May 08, 2008

The McCain Archives: A Walk Through TNR's Past Coverage of John McCain
by TNR Staff
Now that it appears almost certain that the general election match-up is set, we've combed the TNR archives to find all the pieces that we've run on John...

The Obama Archives: A Walk Through TNR's Past Coverage of Barack Obama
by TNR Staff
Now that it appears almost certain that the general election match-up is set, we've combed the TNR archives to find all the pieces that we've run on Barack...

Let The November Questions Begin
by S.V. Dáte
No point denying it: Barack Obama has a Jewish problem. Because of his sympathy for the Palestinians, his willingness to meet with enemies, perhaps ...

"He Presumes To Speak For Progressives, And We're Left Behind To Clean Up The S**t"
by Gabriel Sherman
Ralph Nader, Public Enemy No. 1

Lessons From The American Frontier That You Won't Find In A Rather Disappointing New Book
by Alan Taylor
Seizing Destiny: How America Grew from Sea to Shining Sea

The Writer of HBO's 'John Adams': When Is It Acceptable To Rewrite History?
by Kirk Ellis
For good or ill, most people today receive their historical knowledge from the electronic media rather than the written word, especially as today's ...

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

He Beat Hillary--But Can He Beat McCain?
by John B. Judis
The Democratic primary is over. Hillary Clinton might still run in West Virginia and Kentucky, which she'll win handily, but by failing to win Indiana...

It's Not Just About Iraq: Four Reasons To Fear John McCain's Foreign Policy
by Ilan Goldenberg and Max Bergmann
John McCain is...

How Smart Gas Policy In Mexico Could Reshape Latin America
by Alvaro Vargas Llosa
WASHINGTON--It could be said that Latin America will come of age politically the day that Pemex, Mexico's oil behemoth, ceases to be a state monopoly...

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Indiana And North Carolina: Will The Man Who Pulled It Out For Hillary In California And Texas Surprise Everyone?
by Adrienne Johnson Martin
Before the...

What Happened To The Missing Kids On The Milk Carton?
by Ruth Franklin
Beautiful Children By Charles Bock

The Obama Of January Vs. The Clinton Of Today: What A Race We Could Have Had!
by E.J. Dionne, Jr.
ROCKY MOUNT, N.C.--At this crucial moment, the Democratic presidential battle is an enigma wrapped in two ironies.

Monday, May 05, 2008

Don't Expect The Cyclone In Burma To Make Its Government Any Less Coarse
by Joshua Kurlantzick
Recently, there's been a trend towards political reconciliation following a horrific natural disaster. In the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami that devastated...

How The Christian Right Has Damaged America
by Damon Linker
The religious right blended religion with wildly partisan politics--and they're still hurting the country.

Will John McCain Undo A Half-Century Of U.S.-Led Internationalism?
by Eric Rauchway
Seventy years ago, back when John McCain was a toddler babbling nonsense, the U.S. turned toward international cooperation on economic issues. With the...

Cambodia's War Criminals Are Finally Being Brought to Trial--But Only To Make Room For A New Crop Of Disastrous Leaders
by Christina Larson
An hour's drive from downtown Phnom Penh sits a campus of modern office buildings. The architecture is standard office-park fare, but with fantastic crowns...

Saturday, May 03, 2008

Was Shakespeare A Philosopher?
by Martha C. Nussbaum
Shakespeare the Thinker -- By A.D. Nuttall

Why Is Paris Starting To Look Like A Mini-America?
by Sonia Landes
A city like Paris never stands still. The dollar may be down, but America is up. France prides itself on its exquisite culture, especially in comparison...

If You Like George Bush's Foreign Policy, You'll Love John McCain's
by J. Peter Scoblic
John McCain knows a lot less about foreign policy than he'd have us believe.

Dear Hollywood: Please Stop Trying To Kill Robert Downey, Jr.
by Christopher Orr
Dear...

Friday, May 02, 2008

Nanotechnology: One Step Forward For Science, Two Steps Back For The Environment And Our Health?
by Carole Bass
Your toothpaste may be a pesticide. So might your electric razor, your computer keyboard, and your child's teddy bear. These products, and scores of others...

Would Reverend Wright Be So Vilified If He Were Conservative And White?
by E.J. Dionne, Jr.
NEW YORK--Do white right-wing preachers have it easier than black left-wing preachers? Is there a double standard?

Too Many People Own Homes
by Joshua Rosner
In the midst of the subprime crisis, there's an important question that analysts and policymakers have neglected: Did so many people need to own homes...

Thursday, May 01, 2008

Africa's Cruelest Dictatorship Is On The Brink Of Collapse. The U.S. Should Give It The Final Shove.
by The Editors
With so few accomplishments as he nears the end of his second term, ...

Iron(y) Man Soars
by Christopher Orr
Robert Downey Jr. turns summer's first blockbuster into a fast, fun triumph.

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Would Bill Clinton Have Been Less Of A Disaster If He Ran As Hillary's Co-President?
by Michael Crowley
Like a terrible werewolf moon, Bill Clinton is shining again in his full brilliance. A new wave of commentary, from The New Yorker...

What Paraguay's New President Can Tell Us About The Future of South America
by Alvaro Vargas Llosa
WASHINGTON--The victory of Fernando Lugo, a left-wing former Catholic bishop, in Paraguay's presidential election is being interpreted as confirmation...

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

John McCain vs. Elizabeth Edwards On Health Care, Round 2
by Jonathan Cohn
A few months ago, when John McCain decided to address the public's anxiety about unaffordable medical care, he gave the sort of speech we've grown accustomed...

In Defense of Bill Clinton
by David Greenberg
What's behind the media's newfound antipathy for the former president?

Can Green-Collar Jobs Save The Labor Movement?
by Dayo Olopade
For the past week, the entirety of American politics has seemed to hinge on Pennsylvania--and not just Pennsylvania, but a set of very specific questions...

NYC's Sedate New Museum: Why Is A Museum Dedicated To Contemporary Art So Conventional?
by Sarah Williams Goldhagen
NYC's Sedate New Museum: Why Is A Museum Dedicated To Contemporary Art So Conventional?

Size Matters: Is This Election Big Or Small? Obama's Hopes Hinge On The Answer.
by E.J. Dionne, Jr.
Size Matters: Is This Election Big Or Small? Obama's Hopes Hinge On The Answer.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Sunset in America: The End Of The Age Of Reagan
by Sean Wilentz
On May 3, 2007, ten aspirants to the Republican presidential nomination kicked off the long campaign with a debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential...

'Lush Life' Author Richard Price On The Politics Of Cops And Why 'The Wire' Isn't Really Television
by Dayo Olopade
The Bronx-born Richard Price has walked a steady beat for over 30 years--combing the streets of New York and New Jersey for authentic American stories...

The Supreme Court's View Of "Cruel and Unusual Punishment" Makes No Sense. Here's How To Fix That.
by Benjamin Wittes
The Supreme Court's Continued Failure To Rationalize Its Decisions About Cruel And Unusual Punishment

When Palestinians Collaborated With Zionists
by Benny Morris
Army of Shadows: Palestinian Collaboration with Zionism, 1917-1948 By Hillel Cohen

Saturday, April 26, 2008

A New Treasure From Mongolia; Plus, 'Flight Of The Red Balloon' Soars
by Stanley Kauffmann
Tuya's Marriage -- Music Box

Friday, April 25, 2008

Errol Morris Was A Master Documentarian--Until The Iraq War Got Ahold Of Him
by Elbert Ventura
Accepting his Oscar for 'The Fog of War' at the 2003 Academy Awards, Errol Morris made one of the night’s memorable speeches.

Tina Fey's 'Baby Mama' Is A Bundle Of (Low-Key) Joy
by Christopher Orr
At last, the backlash. Following a series of unwanted pregnancy comedies (the not-at-all smart 'Smart People' was the latest in the litany), we're now...

Cheer Up, Democrats!
by Alan I. Abramowitz
Even if the primary stretches on, a long-term tectonic shift in the electorate means the party is in great shape for November.

Can Barack Obama Escape The Limits Of His Party's Past?
by E.J. Dionne, Jr.
WASHINGTON--Perhaps it was inevitable: The Democrats' battle for the presidential nomination has now led us into the thicket of race and religion.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Sorry, Obama Won't End The War
by Michael Crowley
As a candidate for president in 1968, Richard Nixon ran on what is (apocryphally) remembered as a "secret plan to end the war" in Vietnam. We now know...

Is Obama Really A Marxist?
by Leon Wieseltier
Last week was a good week for Herbert Marcuse. Bob Dylan won a Pulitzer Prize and Karl Marx was published on the op-ed page of ...

Red Hot Chili Peppers? Christina Aguilera? The Meaning Of U.S. Troops' Torture Playlists.
by David Browne
Back in 1961, director Billy Wilder had a pretty good laugh at rock's expense.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Disputations: "Change To Lose"
by Greg Tarpinian
Alyssa Rosenberg's article "Change to Lose" is imbalanced and inaccurate in its account of the Change to Win alliance. The seven unions of Change to Win...

The Next McGovern?
by John B. Judis
Hillary Clinton won a decisive ten-round decision over Barack Obama in Pennsylvania's Democratic primary, but she didn’t score a knockout. The struggle...

McCain's Millionaires' Amendment Under Siege! Conservatives Argue That Helping Poor Candidates Unconstitutionally Hurts Rich Ones.
by Josh Patashnik
If you had to pick someone who might threaten ...

Yes, We Face A Food Crisis. And Yes, Smarter Politics Can Solve It.
by Alvaro Vargas Llosa
WASHINGTON--In the 1830s, Richard Cobden and John Bright started a campaign against the protectionist laws that were keeping food prices high in Britain...

The Orders To Torture Inmates At Gitmo Came From The Top
by Scott Horton
British writer and international lawyer Philippe Sands is the author of ...

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Obama's Nerd Commander
by Noam Scheiber
By October of 2007, we in the press had decided that, if Barack Obama was going to make a move, he had better do it soon. Unfortunately for Obama, so ...

Forget The Candidates. Union Endorsements Aren't Good For Unions.
by Alyssa Rosenberg
When the seven unions that now make up the Change to Win labor federation left the AFL-CIO in 2005, many of them ...

Florida, Michigan, All Over The U.S.--Voter Disenfranchisement Is Real And Serious
by The Editors
There is no shortage of reasons for Democrats to be annoyed that the race for their party's nomination has deteriorated into a tedious fight over bitterness...

There Are Two Obamas, JFK And Adlai Stevenson. Which Do You Believe In?
by E.J. Dionne, Jr.
DOWNINGTOWN, Pa.--The result of the 2008 election may come down to how voters decide to define Barack Obama. Is he Adlai Stevenson or John F. Kennedy? ...

Monday, April 21, 2008

Hillaryland Is A Far More Conniving And Rage-Fueled Place Than You Had Imagined. The Exclusive Inside Story.
by Michelle Cottle
By the time Hillary Clinton's campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle finally packed up her lovely corner office with its fresh blue carpet and mini-fridge...

How Pennsylvania's New Democrats Could Make All The Difference For Obama
by Marin Cogan
Amidst all the statistics clamoring for attention during these past six...

Considering China's Loud Actions In Tibet And Their Quieter Misdeeds In Darfur
by Bernard-Henri Levy
Friends of Tibet and the Tibetan cause, I would like to remind you that China's totalitarian power also bears responsibility for another crushing disaster...

Waldman on the Final Hour of 'John Adams'
by Steven Waldman
Calling out unnecessary historical inaccuracies--but still loving the series.

Ellis on the Final Hour of 'John Adams'
by Kirk Ellis
Defending artistic license in recreating history.

Diggins on the Final Hour of 'John Adams'
by John Patrick Diggins, Kirk Ellis, Alan Taylor, and Steven Waldman
Assessing the legacy of America's second president.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

The End of the End of History: Why The Twenty-First Century Will Look Like The Nineteenth
by Robert Kagan
In the early 1990s, optimism was understandable. The collapse of the communist empire and the apparent embrace of democracy by Russia seemed to augur ...

Olympic Protests That Did Make A Difference: A Slideshow Analysis
by Cara Parks
Despite the Olympic Charter's explicit ban on "political, religious, or racial propaganda," there is a long history of political involvement in the games...

Films Worth Seeing
by Stanley Kauffmann
Body of War. The subsequent...

Friday, April 18, 2008

Conservatives Perfect Working Class P.C.
by Jonathan Chait
Barack Obama's comments about the white working class have thrown the political campaign into a particularly comic spasm of pretense and hypocrisy, but...

We Can't Use Bush's Mistakes As An Excuse To Ignore China's Human Rights Issues
by Steven Clemons and Richard Just
Let me take Steve's points one by one. First, he apparently sees little distinction between the opinions of the Chinese government and the Chinese people...

My Town's Sad Spiral Shows Why Rural Americans Might Be "Bitter."
by Jordan Stancil
Barack Obama's clumsy remarks on the links between culture and economics in small-town America have unleashed the predictable charges ...

The Pope Is Talking Tough To America's Catholics. Isn't That The Whole Point?
by E.J. Dionne, Jr.
The most jarring word that Pope Benedict XVI is using during his visit to the United States is "countercultural." The American sense of that term is shaped...

Geezers Rock! Why 'Young@Heart' Warmed This Cynical Critic's Heart
by Christopher Orr
What happens when a musical form associated with the dubious glamour of dying young becomes entwined with the less glamorous, far less dubious eventuality...

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Debating The Beijing Olympics: First, Clean Up Bush's Messes. Then, Push On Human Rights.
by Steven Clemons and Richard Just
In this TNR debate, Steven Clemons of the New America Foundation and New Republic deputy editor Richard Just discuss the appropriate response to the Beijing...

The Met's Absolutely Astonishing New Art Exhibit
by Jed Perl
'Poussin and Nature: Arcadian Visions," at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, takes us deeper into the inexhaustibly complex relationship between nature...

How Lobbyists Screw Scientists Over And Over And Over Again
by Chris Mooney
The idea that the Bush administration has placed science under attack is so commonplace now that it's almost cliche. It's hard to think of a government...

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

What's Immature About Supporting Human Rights?
by Steven Clemons and Richard Just
Part Two Of A TNR Debate On The Beijing Olympics

The Upside Of Holding The Olympics In Beijing
by Alvaro Vargas Llosa
WASHINGTON--The Olympic torch relay has galvanized international public opinion against the communist regime in Beijing, not a bad thing considering...

It's Not A Tumor: The Governator's Genius Pain-Free Enviro Pitch
by Josh Patashnik
Last month, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger unceremoniously fired a former mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, from the State Park and Recreation Commission...

Meet Dmitri Medvedev, A Docile President For A Docile Country
by Michael Idov
Minutes after the polls closed on March 2 in the westernmost Russian city of Kaliningrad--certifying a blowout victory by presidential candidate Dmitri...

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Cohn: PBS' 'Sicko' For Smarties
by Johnathan Cohn
It was a little less than a year ago that filmmaker Michael Moore got the nation’s attention with . But it’s hard to know how many people watching the...

When This Is All Over, Barack Obama's Going To Be The Bitter One
by John B. Judis
Some liberal commentators have downplayed the effect of Barack Obama's fundraising speech at a San Francisco fundraiser last week. But that's wishful ...

Obama vs. Hillary: Frankly, It's Shameful
by E.J. Dionne, Jr.
Barack Obama violated two elementary rules of political campaigning. A candidate should never play the role of a political scientist or sociologist analyzing...

John McCain Came Late To Tax-Cutting. Maybe That’s Why His Plan Is Such An Incoherent Disaster
by Robert Gordon and James Kvaal
George W. Bush has many, many faults, but he deserves credit for this: The man knew how to sell a tax cut for the rich. In his 2000 campaign, he carted...

Hillary's Immature Proposal To Boycott The Olympic Opening Ceremony. Part One Of A TNR Debate.
by Steven Clemons and Richard Just
In this TNR Debate, Steven Clemons of the New America Foundation and New Republic deputy editor Richard Just discuss the appropriate response to the Beijing...

Why Species Extinction Matters--Not Just To The Environment, But To The Human Psyche
by Jonathan Rosen
Recently, I wandered through "Audubon's Aviary," an exhibit at the New York Historical Society featuring watercolors by John James Audubon of birds ...

Monday, April 14, 2008

How Bush's Legal War Against The Environment Backfired
by Jeffrey Rosen
In their long-standing campaign against environmental protections, American conservatives have taken a kitchen sink approach: First they exalted states...

Baltimore's Ex-Mayor Lays Out The Next President's Best Possible Drug Policy
by Kurt L. Schmoke
A different commander-in-chief will soon assume leadership of the War on Drugs. Let's hope that a new leader will implement a new strategy, because ...

The Politics Of The Civil War Dead
by Steven Hahn
Dreadful as the past century has been in its carnage, Americans have--with some notable exceptions--been removed from the direct encounters. The bloody...

Finally, John Adams Grows A Pair!
by John Patrick Diggins, Kirk Ellis, Alan Taylor, and Steven Waldman
OK, so John Adams is no longer pathetic. I had felt that in Parts 2 to 5, HBO had made Adams seem ineffective, tone-deaf, and humiliated. In the sixth...

Saturday, April 12, 2008

John McCain Has Signed On For The Latest in GOP Global-Warming Denialism
by Jonathan Chait
If you've been anywhere near...

VIDEO: Scoblic On Why Rogue States Love Your Eco-Consciousness

The author of 'U.S. vs. Them: How A Half-Century of Conservatism Has Undermined America's Security' discusses global warming and nuclear proliferation...

What Does The Congress That Authorized The Iraq War Owe To A Wounded Vet?
by Stanley Kauffmann
During the debate in the fall of 2002 on the resolution that would empower President Bush to launch war in Iraq, Senator Robert Byrd--then age eighty...

Friday, April 11, 2008

Why Rogue States Love Global Warming
by J. Peter Scoblic
Anne Lauvergeon (or "Atomic Anne," as the press calls her) is the fourteenth most powerful woman in the world, according to Forbes. She owes this rank...

Part Four of A TNR Debate: 'The Ten-Cent Plague'
by David Hajdu & Douglas Wolk
Does It Matter If The Bad Guy Wins?

What Chris Matthews' Good Friend Can Teach Obama About PA
by Steve Volk
Since March 5, the day after the Texas and Ohio primaries, the Barack Obama campaign has been busy talking down its candidate's chances in Pennsylvania...

'Smart People' Isn't Just Dumb--It's Dumb About Smartness
by Christopher Orr
The title of the film 'Smart People' seems almost a dare to critics: Can you make it through your entire review without calling the movie "stupid"? Alas...

McCain, Obama, And The Real Meaning Of "Victory In Iraq"
by E.J. Dionne, Jr.
WASHINGTON--The problem with the debate over our future course in Iraq is that the two sides are not even talking about the same things.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Fighting For Mac Daddy's Love
by Jason Zengerle
This election may be decided by the cannibalistic aides squabbling over John McCain.

Can A Jew Enjoy The Sound Of Church Bells?
by Leon Wieseltier
For a long time I did not hear the beauty of church bells; or more accurately, I did not wish to hear it. They sounded only like Christianity, which...

Part Three Of A TNR Debate: 'The Ten-Cent Plague'
by Douglas Wolk & David Hajdu
What Was Crime Comics' Moral Message? PLUS: The Horror! Exclusive Slideshow

One Measly Little Election Wasn't Really Going To Force A Murderous Tyrant From Power
by Jamie Kirchick
Reports of Robert Mugabe's demise have been greatly exaggerated. Last week, many media outlets wrote that the Zimbabwean dictator--having failed to ...

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Will Andy Stern Save Unions Or Destroy Them?
by Bradford Plumer
With our interview winding down, Andy Stern leaps out of his chair to show me something. On the far wall of his Washington, D.C., office, the leader ...

Bookmarks: The Best Books On Labor
by John B. Judis
The labor movement once loomed large over American politics. If the nineteenth century was dominated by conflict with Indians and over slavery, the early...

Part Two Of A TNR Debate: 'The Ten-Cent Plague'
by David Hajdu & Douglas Wolk
Comic books in the '50s directly addressed 'evil' as a subject. Sometimes that was dangerous for young readers--and sometimes it was necessary.

Hold on, Barack: Why Talking To Dictators Isn't The Best Idea After All
by Lee Smith
Barack Obama's professed willingness to sit down with dictators may have elicited jeers from the Clinton campaign, but in recent months the idea has found...

Four Lessons We Should Learn From The Horrific Mugabe Regime
by Alvaro Vargas Llosa
WASHINGTON--Robert Mugabe's defeat in the recent elections in Zimbabwe is the beginning of the end for that country's octogenarian tyrant. Although the...

Will Your Cell Phone Kill You? Investigating The Link Between Mobile Phones And Cancer.
by Ezekiel J. Emanuel
The Secret History of the War on Cancer -- By Devra Davis

TNR BLOGS

Conservative Populism, Continued
Posted 03:25 PM | 05.09.08

What To Do About Joe?
Posted 03:16 PM | 05.09.08

David A. Bell on the Unity Ticket
Posted 01:52 PM | 05.09.08