Ask yourself: if George W. Bush had been considered a successful president, would Barack Obama have been elected in 2008? Looking back, it’s a bit difficult to see how Obama could have won absent Bush being regarded as an absolute disaster; the raw bigotry that Donald Trump exploited in his 2016 presidential campaign was obviously […]
D.R. Tucker
D. R. Tucker is a Massachusetts-based journalist who has served as the weekend contributor for the Washington Monthly since May 2014. He has also written for the Huffington Post, the Washington Spectator, the Metrowest Daily News, investigative journalist Brad Friedman's Brad Blog and environmental journalist Peter Sinclair's Climate Crocks.
Posted inPolitical Animal
There Isn’t Much Honesty in Scarborough Country
Once again, we bear witness to Republicans recognizing social maladies only when those maladies affect them personally: Joe Scarborough, the MSNBC host and former Republican U.S. Congressman, has long served as a sort of morning bulwark against the progressive anchors who take up the network’s primetime schedule. Now, he suggested he may play a more […]
Posted inPolitical Animal
You Can’t Get What You Want (‘Til You Know What You Want)
No man can serve two masters, and no party can serve two masters, either. So who will the Democrats serve? I had all but given up on Bill Maher after he brought another Breitbart lackey on his show a few weeks back (to say nothing of the recent “house” controversy involving Nebraska GOP Sen. Ben […]
Posted inMain, Political Animal
Trump’s Indelible Stain on American History
Six months into office, Trump arguably already qualifies as the worst president in history.
Posted inPolitical Animal
Hiding Out: Why Republicans Really Don’t Want an August Recess
Republicans are scared to face the wrath of their constituents.
Posted inPolitical Animal
Scott Pruitt’s War on the GOP
Pruitt is turning up the heat on every House Republican who recognizes that climate change is an urgent issue.
Posted inPolitical Animal
Healthy Criticism from–and Unhealthy Criticism of–Bernie Sanders
For all the lingering controversies surrounding his 2016 presidential campaign, one cannot deny the fact that Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders generated so much momentum during that effort because of his clear moral vision concerning such issues as universal health coverage. That clear moral vision was on display this morning, during his appearance on CNN’s State […]
Posted inPolitical Animal
The New Fall Season: Will Gore Prompt More Green Programming?
Five years ago today, in an appearance on CNN, Bill Nye observed: I appreciate that we want to show two sides of the story — there’s a tradition in journalism that goes back quite a ways, I guess — but the two sides aren’t equal here. You have tens of thousands of scientists who are […]
Posted inPolitical Animal
Master of War: The Threat of Trumped-Up Military Action
Are we doomed to repeat history? With so much covfefe coming out of the White House these days, it’s easy to forget the last time 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue was occupied by shameless liars, and the ramifications of such recklessness. This month marks an ignoble anniversary in this regard, with lessons that are still important today. […]
Posted inPolitical Animal
Maddow’s Magic, Megyn’s Misfire
How else can I say it? Rolling Stone’s recent interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow is required reading for any serious student of politics and history; it should be included in any university course that looks back on how the mainstream media handled the unique controversies of the Trump administration. Asked about her coverage of Trump, […]
