Joe Conason from Creators Syndicate

Why Bloomberg? for 01/03/2008

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800

As political buzzwords, "bipartisan," "nonpartisan" and "independent" sound elevated and even virtuous, which must be why we so often hear them touted as remedies for our national ills. Every four years, the promoters of these miracle cures seek a vessel for their illusions, preferably someone whose fortune is as limitless as his ego. This year's model seems to be ...

Updated: Thu Jan 03, 2008

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The Coming Attack on Barack for 01/10/2008

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800

"They will try to Swift Boat me," said Barack Obama in the days before the New Hampshire primary, looking forward to the Democratic nomination that he still believes will be his, with a prediction both accurate and chilling.

Whether he can go on to claim the nomination is yet to be determined. Much more predictable is the nature of the campaign that would be waged against him & ...

Updated: Thu Jan 10, 2008

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What They Call 'Progress' in Iraq for 01/17/2008

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800

As America marks the first anniversary of the troop escalation in Iraq, at least one thing has become clear. Although the "surge" is failing as policy, it seems to be succeeding as propaganda. Even as George W. Bush continues to bump and scrape along the bottom of public approval, significantly more people now believe we are "winning" the war.

What winning really mean ...

Updated: Thu Jan 17, 2008

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That Dismal Democratic Debate for 01/24/2008

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Supporters of one Democratic candidate or another may insist that their man or woman won last Monday's debate in South Carolina, but in their hearts most viewers could only have been disappointed by its childish tenor and puerile content. Unless those viewers happened to be Republicans, of course — in which case they could only have been delighted.

With a worried nation edging towa ...

Updated: Thu Jan 24, 2008

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Step Back, Mr. Clinton for 01/31/2008

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800

The most likely motive for Bill Clinton's reckless political performance in recent weeks, ironically and sadly, is to redress the terrible humiliations he inflicted on his wife in years past. But unless he quickly regains control of himself, the most likely result will be to inflict irreparable damage on the presidential aspirations of Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Whether he has done that muc ...

Updated: Thu Jan 31, 2008

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What Will McCain Do Now? for 02/07/2008

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800

The revival of John McCain's presidential candidacy, now expected to carry him through to his party's nomination, can be interpreted as either proof of the judgment of Republican primary voters or evidence of the paucity of alternative choices. Certainly, it confirms the wisdom of betting against the predictions of the national press corps, which produced so many sorrowful postmortems on his ca ...

Updated: Thu Feb 07, 2008

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What's Waiting for Obama for 02/14/2008

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800

For the next month or so, the conservative valentines will arrive every day at the headquarters of Barack Obama's presidential campaign. The Illinois senator's image will be illuminated by the bipartisan aura of admiration from prominent Republican commentators and strategists, as they savor the promise of his victory over Hillary Clinton, long the object of their hatred. He may well imagine th ...

Updated: Thu Feb 14, 2008

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No "Straight Talk" on Iraq Cost for 02/21/2008

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800

As a presidential candidate, John McCain stands out not only for his vocal endorsement of the unpopular war in Iraq, but also because one of his own sons is a Marine Corps officer on active duty there. He supports the war, even at the price of his own career or the life of a child he loves.

Yet although the senator from Arizona is obviously no chicken hawk, he carefully avoids "stra ...

Updated: Thu Feb 21, 2008

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McCain's Political Quagmire for 02/28/2008

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Within the next two weeks, the number of American troops killed in Iraq is likely to reach 4,000, assuming that the average number of fatal casualties per day remains steady. It is an arbitrary number, given meaning by the fact that the nation may briefly take notice, but a day will come in this presidential campaign when Sen. John McCain must explain what he thinks we have gained by the sacrif ...

Updated: Thu Feb 28, 2008

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McCain's Very Own Farrakhan for 03/06/2008

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Whatever their true private beliefs, presidential candidates in America are constantly required to provide proofs of faith, often through their connections with various religious figures. Benedictions from the pulpit bestow an aura of righteousness — except, of course, when the pastor or minister is a disreputable kook whose endorsement should be an embarrassment.

In recent weeks, ...

Updated: Thu Mar 06, 2008

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The Shame of Eliot Spitzer for 03/13/2008

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700

When Eliot Spitzer stood before the stunned press corps on Monday to make a brief apology for his misconduct, he spoke of "real change," of trying to "uphold a vision of progressive politics that would rebuild New York and create opportunity for all," of "ideas, (and) the public good." If the governor actually believes in any of those things, he will be the former ...

Updated: Thu Mar 13, 2008

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The Folks Who Brought You Iraq for 03/20/2008

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700

"Well, that's history. That's the past. That's talking about what happened before. What we should be talking about is what we're going to do now."

The man who spoke these words is Sen. John McCain, and the subject was the Iraq war and its origins in official falsehood, strategic error and wishful thinking. Expect to hear him repeat those same dismissive phrases again and again ...

Updated: Thu Mar 20, 2008

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Slap Down 'Free Market' Pirates for 03/27/2008

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700

For many years, Robert Morgenthau has warned America that the nexus of capitalism and criminality poses a serious threat to our prosperity, security and growth. Now in the wake of the collapse of Bear Stearns, which pushed global markets further closer to the brink, perhaps the nation will listen to the Manhattan district attorney, whose scrutinizing gaze is fixed on targets well beyond New Yor ...

Updated: Thu Mar 27, 2008

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He's 'McSame' on Social Security, Too for 04/03/2008

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

The most puzzling aspect of John McCain's political persona is his habitual attraction to George W. Bush's bad ideas. Their shared enthusiasm for invading Iraq and then escalating the war is why "McSame" will soon become the new shorthand for the Arizona Republican, replacing "maverick" — but that isn't the only reason. He doesn't just endorse the disastrous foreign po ...

Updated: Thu Apr 03, 2008

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Are We Closer to "Victory"? for 04/10/2008

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of the American forces in Iraq, is more candid than his publicity agents. Unlike the senators and editorial writers who claim that the glorious "surge" should be hailed as one of the most successful military campaigns in history, he warns the escalation's achievements are mixed at best — or, as he put it, progress on the ground is "uneven,& ...

Updated: Thu Apr 10, 2008

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Whose Elitism is Worse? for 04/17/2008

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

It is hard to blame John McCain for mocking Barack Obama as an "elitist" following that silly remark about bitter folks who cling to guns and religion. Rarely does the Arizona senator — one of the wealthiest members of Washington's most exclusive club — encounter such a tempting chance to masquerade as a populist.

Making the most of that opportunity, elder statesman ...

Updated: Thu Apr 17, 2008

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The Ritual Flaying of Jimmy Carter for 04/24/2008

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Nobody with a functioning memory should be too quick to condemn Jimmy Carter for daring to speak with the leadership of Hamas, as nearly everyone along the American political spectrum suddenly has felt obliged to do. From Condoleezza Rice and John McCain to Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, along with every Congressional backbencher in both parties, expressions of disapproval have rained down u ...

Updated: Thu Apr 24, 2008

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Why Celebrate Rev. Wrong? for 05/01/2008

Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

As the Rev. Jeremiah Wright gleefully tours the airwaves, inflicting severe political damage with almost every utterance, he is proving that racism isn't the only obstacle to a black president. The historic prize is almost within the grasp of one of the most talented politicians America has ever seen, yet what seems most likely to frustrate Barack Obama now is not white prejudice but the frivol ...

Updated: Thu May 01, 2008

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Hillary Plays the Crazy Card for 05/08/2008

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

In this protracted and often dispiriting prelude to the general election, few remarks have been as poorly chosen as Sen. Hillary Clinton's threat to "totally obliterate" Iran. What she obliterated with just those two words were her own boasts of superior diplomatic experience — and she managed at the same time to tar America's international image with all the subtlety of the man ...

Updated: Thu May 08, 2008

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Cindy McCain Flaunts Her Privilege for 05/15/2008

Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Double standards are endemic in American journalism. But Cindy McCain, wife of the Republican presidential candidate, displayed poor taste in flaunting her family's special immunity from press scrutiny. Declaring on NBC's "Today" that she would "never" release her income tax returns even if she becomes first lady, the Arizona beer heiress showed no concern that she and her h ...

Updated: Thu May 15, 2008

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