Author: Elspeth Reeve

The Drone Speech and the Hyperexcited Return of Intellectual Obama

Associated Press

President Obama's speech on counterterrorism on Thursday won rave reviews among some who seemed to see it as a return of the liberal constitutional law professor who ran for president in 2008. But while the tone might have been refreshing, maybe we should wait to see Obama's follow-through?

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 17, 2012

Nikki Haley Names Tim Scott to Replace DeMint

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley will announce whom she's picked to replace Sen. Jim DeMint in a press conference Monday at noon, and The New York Times now reports that person will be Rep. Tim Scott.

Comments | 1,357 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 14, 2012

What They're Saying About Gun Control After the Newtown Shooting

Here's a tally of public figures who've called for a change in the wake of the tragedy. Or not.

Comments | 16,017 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 14, 2012

President Obama Cried About Newtown at the White House Today

It's been an emotional day for everyone: President Obama teared up while delivering a statement to the press on the Newtown school shooting Friday afternoon, pausing for several seconds and wiping under his eye while talking about the children who died.

Comments | 51,261 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 14, 2012

Why the NRA Is Still Winning the War on Guns

In the wake of the Newtown school shooting — and a year full of gun violence — it's worth remembering that the NRA's favorite laws are passing.

Comments | 42,092 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 14, 2012

This Guy Robbed a Bank in a Mitt Romney Mask

On Friday, the TMZ cycle whirled on, when Romney's name got pulled into a petty crime. A man wearing a Romney mask robbed a bank in Sterling, Virginia, Point Break-style.

Comments | 517 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 14, 2012

Obama Says Targeting Stoners Not a 'Top Priority'

With more and more states legalizing marijuana, President Obama's administration hasn't said how it will reconcile federal laws against it, but in a new interview with ABC News's Barbara Walters, the president said he has "bigger fish to fry."

Comments | 1,540 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 14, 2012

Only 28 Percent of Romney's Donors Were Women

Mitt Romney lost women voters by 12 percentage points, but he lost women donors by way more.

Comments | 1,079 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 13, 2012

How the Legalization of Marijuana Could Play Out

Despite the Justice Department getting ready to enforce and the Senate ready for a hearing, it's a little funny that legalization really could spread the way dorm room stoners always imagined: states will figure out they can make lots of money taxing weed.

Comments | 11,931 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 13, 2012

How John McCain Forced Out Susan Rice

McCain's campaign to block Rice's appointment was as strange as it was successful. Here's a timeline of the big moments that forced Rice to withdraw her name from consideration for Secretary of State on Thursday afternoon — and probably now make John Kerry the frontrunner.

Comments | 8,966 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 13, 2012

Inside Nikki Haley's Massive Opposition Research Dump on Candidate Colbert

On Facebook Thursday afternoon South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley launched a fierce counter-counterattack to Stephen Colbert's counter-attack to Haley's Facebook attack last week. It involves salamanders.

Comments | 4,572 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 13, 2012

Meet Chuck Hagel, Your 'Likely' New Secretary of Defense

Former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel is "likely" to be named the next Secretary of Defense by President Obama, Bloomberg is now reporting. Here's what to expect out of him.

Comments | 10,502 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 13, 2012

United Nation Fights the 'Asshole Factor'

In this time of great partisan fighting, there is one arena in which we are seeing a great breakthrough: Leaders inside and outside government, on both the right and the left, are publicly saying they refuse to work with "assholes."

Comments | 3,733 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 13, 2012

Cliff Diving

John Boehner's Chart Takes on America

Everyone seemed to ignored one thing that made Boehner's Thursday press conference new and special: a chart — from Paul Ryan, no less.

Comments | 3,835 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 13, 2012

Making Sense of the Mutiny Against John Boehner

Some House Republicans are openly criticizing Speaker John Boehner, but right now, the threat that he could actually be deposed of his speakership remains small. So where's the mutiny coming from, exactly?

Comments | 4,174 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 12, 2012

Rep. Moran's Son's Girlfriend Denies Assault, Blames Heels for Broken Nose

The unusual chain of events — and a series of press releases — are a little hard to follow, so here's a timeline that seems straight out of Homeland.

Comments | 2,311 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 12, 2012

Julian Assange Wants to Run for Senate (in Australia)

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has revealed his intention to run on a WikiLeaks party ticket in 2013, and his chances aren't as slim as you might imagine — despite his residence in Ecuador following allegations of rape in Sweden.

Comments | 1,205 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 12, 2012

Senator Bob Menendez's Intern Arrested for Being Illegal Immigrant

An unpaid intern for New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez was arrested for being an illegal immigrant on December 6, because Homeland Security asked federal agents to delay the arrest until after the election, the Associated Press reports.

Comments | 4,483 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 12, 2012

Cliff Diving

The Sliding Scale of Fiscal Cliff Panic

Why is the fiscal cliff so boring? It's not because it's about math. But whether or not you freak out over tax hikes depends on what you think about how many details Republicans have made public. A guide.

Comments | 812 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 12, 2012

How Romney and His Super PAC Blew the Great TV War of 2012, Revealed

Forget for a moment whether they were true or not, and that one of them earned the title of "Lie of the Year" today. When it came to the biggest expenditure of his presidential campaign — TV ads — the technocratic and data-loving Mitt Romney allowed his campaign to waste a shocking amount of money.

Comments | 6,209 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 12, 2012

Mitt Romney Ad Wins 'Lie of the Year'

Mitt Romney's campaign ad claiming President Obama "sold Chrysler to Italians who are going to build Jeeps in China" — implying Ohio jobs were being shipped overseas — has been awarded PolitiFact's dubious achievement.

Comments | 16,898 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 11, 2012

The 'Game Change' Sequel Will Attempt to Make a Horse Race of 2012 After All

John Heilemann and Mark Halperin are writing a followup to their 2008 bestseller, but this sequel is unlikely to be as thrilling as Terminator 2. (Paul Ryan is no Sarah Palin.)

Comments | 929 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 11, 2012

Rape Gaffe Candidate Richard Mourdock Blames His Loss on 'Liberal Media'

His campaign may be correct that it's the media's fault that he didn't win his Senate race in Indiana, as it claimed in a fundraising email. If the media hadn't reported that he actually said rape pregnancies are a "gift from God," he might have won.

Comments | 5,393 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 11, 2012

Jenny Sanford Is on Nikki Haley's Senate Shortlist — and Stephen Colbert Isn't

The South Carolina governor is thinking about replacing Sen. Jim DeMint with the ex-wife of Mark Sanford, who was governor when he disappeared on 2009 to "hike the Appalachian trial" while actually cheating on her with an Argentinian.

Comments | 4,483 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 11, 2012

Why Jon Stewart Really Almost Quit 'The Daily Show'

Thirteen years of history might not have happened, because of jerks, the host revealed at a recent fundraiser.

Comments | 9,304 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 11, 2012

Can the GOP Fix Its Minority Problem?

Five weeks after its losses in the election, the Republican Party is still trying to figure out how to talk to people who aren't older white males. So far, the strategy has crystallized to look something like this.

Comments | 2,414 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 10, 2012

Women Aroused by Jewelry: A GIF Guide to the Most Sexist Holiday-Gift Ads Ever

The most wonderful time of the year is also the time of the year in which we are bombarded with the most sexist commercials on television. Let's take a stroll through the Ghosts of Christmas Jewelry Ads Past.

Comments | 7,197 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 10, 2012

McCain Joins Senate Foreign Relations Committee to Better Pester Susan Rice

John McCain is going to join a Senate committee just in time to vet Susan Rice, or whomever President Obama nominates for Secretary of State.

Comments | 926 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 10, 2012

Cliff Diving

Can This Man Really Replace Boehner?

SNL's image of a "poor orange man" who needs to be left alone may be funny, but it may not be true: Georgia Rep. Tom Price isn't quite coming for John Boehner's speakership, even if some of the House GOP is coming for his head.

Comments | 2,931 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 10, 2012

Cliff Diving

When Bill Kristol Tells The Journal to Give Up on the Cliff, Is That Progress?

It's a sign that maybe there's an emerging conservative consensus, given the growing number of Republican lawmakers suggesting the party should cave on lettings tax rates go up for the top 2 percent of income earners.

Comments | 1,823 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 7, 2012

Look How Thin Obama Got

The White House has released a photo of President Obama accepting Mitt Romney's concession call on Election Night, which is cool for historical purposes, but the thing you can't help but notice is how skinny the president has gotten.

Comments | 9,327 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 7, 2012

The Bill O'Reilly War on Christmas Is Not Wicked Enough

The Fox News host continued his misguided fight Thursday night. When will he see the light?

Comments | 3,788 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 7, 2012

Stephen Colbert Is Vastly Overqualified for Jim DeMint's Vacant Senate Seat

Stephen Colbert has launched a Twitter campaign to replace the departing senator. And the problem is not that Colbert isn't qualified. It's that he's too qualified.

Comments | 9,392 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 6, 2012

Why Jim DeMint's Would-Be Successor Refuses to Be 'The Black Republican'

It's a little tricky to talk about this — the history Tim Scott might help start to re-write for the GOP as its only black Congressman turned Senator — without dwelling too much on the history of affirmative action... and South Carolina.

Comments | 3,403 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 6, 2012

Is Jim DeMint's Heritage Foundation Job Kind of a Flip-Flop on Obamacare?

The South Carolina leader is quitting the Senate to run the conservative think tank that invented Obamacare. And if you take a look into his past, well, this guy really hates Obamacare.

Comments | 2,117 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 6, 2012

Cliff Diving

Here's the Best Fiscal Cliff News So Far

Even though we don't know what's going on behind closed doors in the fiscal cliff negotiations — or on the phone lines (they talked!) — we can measure progress on the fight in a couple clear ways.

Comments | 4,103 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 5, 2012

Here's Your First Look at Barack Obama Using Twitter and How He Uses the Web

Let's evaluate the new evidence from a White House video for the president's keyboard prowess... with GIFs!

Comments | 2,573 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 5, 2012

Cliff Diving

What Happens When Mom Gets Stuck on Capitol Hill for Christmas

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor announced Wednesday afternoon that the House can't go home for the holidays until the fiscal cliff is resolved, which sounds horrible, but maybe isn't totally. We asked Sen. Claire McCaskill's daughter.

Comments | 1,547 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 5, 2012

Cliff Diving

Obama Just Gave Boehner a Taste of His Own Fiscal Medicine on McConnell Idea

The president's latest attempt to portray congressional Republicans as unreasonable now boils down to something like this: What? What did I say? It was y'all's idea all along.

Comments | 10,195 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 5, 2012

Inside a Genius New Policy at Fox News: We Get It Wrong, He Gets Punished

You have to give credit where credit is due: In a world where there are few consequences for appallingly bad pundit predictions, Fox News — not The New York Times, not ABC News, not CNN — is taking the lead in pundit accountability.

Comments | 8,449 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 5, 2012

Dick Armey Quit FreedomWorks Over a Book Deal, Really

He left his job as chairman of FreedomWorks over a dispute with the Tea Party group's president, Matt Kibbe, and the fight was not over the direction of the group but over Kibbe's book deal.

Comments | 1,552 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 4, 2012

What Happened to the 'Beautiful Chaos' at FreedomWorks Just Now?

top Tea Party organization recently triumphant for bringing "beautiful chaos" to the right is suddenly falling apart into a kind of chaos of its own. A clash over the group's "direction" has taken place in the last 24 hours — not that anyone will say what that direction is, exactly.

Comments | 3,449 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 4, 2012

The UN Will Not Be Messing with Rick Santorum Anymore

He got what he wanted: the Senate did not ratify a United Nations treaty to protect disabled people worldwide from discrimination Tuesday.

Comments | 2,759 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 4, 2012

What It Looks Like When Hillary Clinton Stops Riding This High

She is so wildly popular right now that important people are begging her to run for president and mayor of New York, but it's worth remembering that America didn't always love her so much.

Comments | 2,681 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 4, 2012

Can Fox Still Hand-Pick a President?

The Washington Post's Bob Woodward today offers a fascinating look into how Roger Ailes doesn't just reflect so much as try to shape the Republican Party. But the question remains: Does Fox's behind-the-scenes political power actually work?

Comments | 1,991 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 3, 2012

Cliff Diving

How the GOP Fiscal-Cliff Counteroffer Stack's Up to Obama's Proposal

Basically, they want half the tax increases and 50 percent more cuts to entitlements, and say their plan adds up to $4.6 trillion in deficit reduction. Here's how the plans look side-by-side.

Comments | 3,979 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 3, 2012

McCain Called John Kerry 'Mr. Secretary'

At a press conference late Monday morning, Sen. John McCain called Sen. John Kerry "Mr. Secretary" at a press conference, which was either wishful thinking or a Freudian slip.

Comments | 10,372 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 3, 2012

Grover Norquist Scares the Republicans This Much

With Democrats having more leverage on taxes in the 2012 fiscal cliff fight, Norquist's power has become not a Democratic fantasy so much as a GOP nightmare.

Comments | 7,411 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 3, 2012

Rick Santorum Is a Columnist for WND's Conspiracy Factory Now

Rick Santorum is reportedly telling friends he'll make a third run for president in 2016, but in the meantime, he's going to keep his name in the news by writing for the top birther website on the Internet.

Comments | 1,747 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 3, 2012

Why Sheldon Adelson Will Matter in 2016

Here's how you know the Republican Party isn't going to change all that much in the next four years: Several potential 2016 candidates met privately with Sheldon Adelson, the conservative mega-donor with the worst return on political investment ever.

Comments | 2,069 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Nov 30, 2012

Let the Real War on Christmas Begin

Whether or not Bill O'Reilly's War on Christmas is fake, he's fighting on the wrong side this year.

Comments | 11,392 Views

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