Tag: Politics

  • Enron

    I’ve been spending the past week with Ken Lay, Jeff Skilling, Andy Fastow and the whole gang from Enron. It began Sunday afternoon, when I saw a screening of “The Smartest Guys in the Room,” the new documentary based on last year’s book. So what really felled Enron? Was it hubris? Greed? Well, yes of…

    Categories:
  • Politcs and the Schiavo story

    Anyone tracking the Schiavo story for the past few weeks is doubtless aware of the now infamous “GOP Schiavo Talking Points memo” which was circulated by GOP leaders on the senate floor around March 18th, and subsequently leaked to and reported by the press in the next few days. Something of a footnote in the…

    Categories:
  • In their own words

    The events of the last few weeks have brought a whole slew of political topics to the fore: the separation of powers, state’s rights, the role of religion in America, the meaning of conservatism. Here, with no commentary, editing or emphasis, are some interesting statements on these topics. I have backed up a few months…

    Categories:
  • Sunday bobble-head blogging

    1) Rummy the lizard-man on Stefanopoulis. (Note, we only call him the lizard man because he has the heart, soul, and mind of a reptile. And he eats flies.) What does Rummy think of the ABC poll that shows 53% of Americans now think the war in Iraq wasn’t worth fighting, and that 41% think…

    Categories:
  • Covert Propaganda

    There’s a substantial piece in today’s NY Times about the current Bush administration’s unprecedented efforts to sway public opinion by distributing fake news reports to the major televsion networks, and by putting pundits on the payroll. Fake TV news in particular seems to be a favorite ploy of this administration–remember the RNC last summer when…

    Categories:
  • The Rice Filibuster

    Seeing Condi on MTP this morning reminds me of the method preferred by the current administration for dealing with the press, namely to avoid any direct answer to questions, but instead to filibuster them with long responses peppered with talking points. Condi is one of the true masters of this technique, owing to her ability…

    Categories: