August 27, 2009
Town Hall Turmoil
Don't Applaud Self-Described 'Terrorists'
“Bert Stead boasted about labeling himself a terrorist. The appropriate response for a reasonable elected official is not to cheer the guy on.”
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Courtesy of Steve Benen
#44 Steve Benen
The Washington Monthly
Steve Benen is "blogger in chief" for The Washington Monthly.
More information
Part partisan strategist and part watchdog, Benen rarely misses an act in the D.C. political circus. His blog posts—advocating for universal health care, calling out centrist Democrats, decrying the GOP’s dedication to free markets—frequently drive coverage for left-leaning bloggers, who spread his takes across the Web.
After college, Benen worked in politics, beginning with an internship in the Clinton White House and peaking with his position as communications director for an unsuccessful candidate for Congress from Pennsylvania in 1996. He began blogging anonymously in 2003 at a site he called The Carpetbagger Report; he eventually dropped political work when his reach and influence ballooned after guest-blogging gigs at Salon, Crooks and Liars, the American Prospect, and The Huffington Post.
Part partisan strategist and part watchdog, Benen rarely misses an act in the D.C. political circus. His blog posts—advocating for universal health care, calling out centrist Democrats, decrying the GOP’s dedication to free markets—frequently drive coverage for left-leaning bloggers, who spread his takes across the Web.
After college, Benen worked in politics, beginning with an internship in the Clinton White House and peaking with his position as communications director for an unsuccessful candidate for Congress from Pennsylvania in 1996. He began blogging anonymously in 2003 at a site he called The Carpetbagger Report; he eventually dropped political work when his reach and influence ballooned after guest-blogging gigs at Salon, Crooks and Liars, the American Prospect, and The Huffington Post.
Steve Benen on Town Hall Turmoil
Displaying 5
August 20, 2009
Town Hall Turmoil
Letting the Loudest Voice Win
“So why would Chuck Grassley say Congress and the White House should follow the demands of these unhinged activists? Because he's a surprisingly irresponsible senator, looking for an excuse to oppose reform.”
August 19, 2009
Town Hall Turmoil
How It's Done
“There was no defensiveness, and no anger, just someone who knows what he's talking about making someone who doesn't look like a fool.”
August 17, 2009
Town Hall Turmoil
Armey's Standards, Memory Lacking
“If some anonymous liberal compares Bush to Hitler, Armey thinks it's 'despicable.' If Armey organizes far-right activists carrying placards comparing Obama to Hitler, he thinks they're 'colorful.'”
August 13, 2009
Town Hall Turmoil
Astroweeds
“The far-right activists may be reading from a script, but they aren't actors. They're being fed misinformation by lobbyists and corporate interests, and are organized by conservative political outfits, but their outrage is their own.”