Autiello: Will True Christianity Please Stand Up?
Nick Autiello, Contributor
The notion that homosexuality is a sin and un-Christian is one that is less than a hundred years old. It is wrong, and has no basis in scriptural or historical reality.
SASSO: The Coming New Year
James Sasso, Associate Editor
As the tumultuous 2011 comes down to its final day, this column could contain an obnoxious summary of the year’s extraordinary events. Rather than once again discussing the protests around the world, the death of Osama Bin Laden, Fukushima, America’s political ineptitude, Europe’s demise or the increasingly frightful weather patterns, here I attempt to predict what 2012 holds in store.
SASSO: Kicking the Can
James Sasso, Associate Editor
For one of the first times in his tenure as Speaker, John Boehner has made a statement with which every American, Republican or Democrat, should fully agree; the two-month Senate bipartisan extension of the payroll tax cut fails to fix the nation’s problems sufficiently. Providing a short-term band-aid to a long-term dilemma contradicts what a responsible government should accomplish, but fits the pattern of contemporary American politicking.
CIOCCI: A Foolish Consistency
Mitt Romney is guilty of serial hypocrisy, Newt Gingrich is guilty of being a public intellectual constantly scrutinized by the media and others, and Ron Paul never ceases to remind me about one of my favorite quotes from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Essays: “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.”
AKMAN: Jon Huntsman’s Meaningless Campaign
Josh Akman, Columnist
Jon Huntsman did not participate in the CNN Debate in Las Vegas on Tuesday night. Short of his family and small (and getting smaller) campaign staff, no one really noticed. In a bizarre and counterproductive effort to impress New Hampshire voters Huntsman skipped the debate to protest Nevada moving its caucus ahead of New Hampshire’s, which has always been the nation’s first primary. It’s bizarre because no one else skipped the debate. It’s counterproductive because right now, Jon Huntsman is polling 6% in New Hampshire.
SASSO: The 99% Rising
James Sasso
Associate Editor
For the past month a movement has grown out of Zuccoti Park in New York with the potential to grab at the very heart of America’s problems. “We are the 99%” is not simply a catchy phrase used by frustrated jobless Americans , but a commentary on the disgraceful economic inequality that has arisen in the United States since the 1970s.
GLIDDEN: Post-Shellacking Wrap Up
President Obama, understandably, has an interest in ignoring the election results. It’s far easier for him to advance his agenda if he can dismiss his “shellacking” as a backlash against “the economy,” rather than his policies. His post-election speech reveals a lot about his thought process.
BAIN: Gridlock or Compromise
Sam Bain, Columnist
Earlier this January, Obama stated the difference between the 1994 midterms and the 2010 midterms was himself; clearly this was not the case. Will the President at least artificially embrace conservative policies in an attempt to keep the White House, or will he continue with this, “my way or the highway” notion that was responsible for his party’s defeat?
AKMAN: Where Democrats Should Go From Here
Josh Akman, Columnist
Democrats got crushed at the polls. Just a few days after the midterms, with the dust from the landslide still settling and leadership jockeying barely underway, there are some clear ideas for the Democrats
MARIN: Change Is Needed
Voting in a Republican Congress on Tuesday is a gamble. With the economy in the tank, the Obama Administration needs both a wake-up call as well as political cover for decisions that would be unpopular with the liberal base on economic issues. The imperative for change makes voting Republican a well-placed bet. And should it not live up to its promise, a Republican Congress may be what President Obama needs for reelection.
AKMAN: Bipartisanship Is a Myth
Josh Akman, Columnist
The emergence of MSNBC and Fox News as partisan propaganda networks demonstrates that partisanship doesn’t have a chance. With the Tea Party rally and Jon Stewart’s counter-rally, we’re literally marching on Washington in the spirit of partisanship. It’s not going to get any better. So let’s stop pretending.
THERRIAULT: Election Divination, an Employment Trends Update
Patrick Therriault, Columnist
For nearly two years, a clear majority of Americans have believed that the “economy and jobs” is the most important issue facing the US today. With the economic recovery coming under doubt in the recently-completed third quarter, job creation has taken center stage in elections across the country. The following is an update to previous analysis on employment trends and their effect on the pending mid-term elections, less than one month away.
LIFSON: Writing Off Murkowski
Matthew Lifson,
The real challenge to Senator Lisa Murkowski’s write-in bid is twofold: voters who walk into the polling booth with unformed preferences will break for the other candidates and many voters who prefer her will ultimately not vote for her.
STROSTER: What’s at Stake this November
Lianna Stroster, Columnist
With the general election 37 days away, campaigns are in full swing. From attack ads to yard signs in front yards, voters know it is that time of year again. But, do voters really know what is at stake this November? There is an array of choices for voters, but the decisions they make will have consequences in the future.
JACKSON: Nevada Progressives Violate Federal Law to Attack Sharron Angle?
Megan Jackson, Columnist
The Nevada progressive nonprofit network, ProgressNow Nevada, appears to be violating federal law by using their 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status to raise funds under the guise of “education” in order to attack the state’s Republican Senate nominee Sharron Angle.
PETERSON: Time to Press Refresh on Congress
Tim Peterson, Associate Editor
The first in series of posts discussing the role of politicians. They claim to be incrementalists even though their functions are reactionary; they deign to preserve rather than progress, even to the point when that which they are preserving is themselves, to our detriment.
MARIN: Stimulus Bashing – The GOP’s Best Weapon in 2010
by Paul Marin, Liberal Republican
In the context of double-digit unemployment that is unlikely to significantly decrease by election day 2010, stimulus bashing, if wielded properly, can become a potent political tool for the GOP.
ROGERS: Here Comes Sarah
Conor Rogers, Editor-In-Chief Ideology: Republican | Writing From: Nantucket, MA Sarah Palin is not the same brand of Republican as I – nor would she be my pick for President [...]