It couldn’t possibly happen, could it? It has been just over two weeks since a would-be assassin tried to take the life of Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) in Virginia, the first time in six years that a sitting member of Congress has fallen victim to gun violence. Scalise will likely never return to Congress; the […]
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
Is the Right’s Lack of Empathy a Pre-Existing Condition?
You probably know somebody like this. You heard them complain in 2009 about “what Barack Obama’s doing to health care in this country.” They considered it an unconstitutional takeover of a critical part of the economy. They thought Sarah Palin nailed it when she talked about death panels. They agreed with Rush Limbaugh when he […]
Posted inPolitical Animal
Sorry, But Randy Bryce Doesn’t Have a Chance in Hell Against Paul Ryan
The late ultraconservative Boston City Councilor Albert “Dapper” O’Neil always used to boast that when he ran for re-election, they wouldn’t count the votes in his landslide wins; they would weigh them. I wouldn’t be surprised if House Speaker Paul Ryan makes a similar boast after his next re-election effort. Randy Bryce, the Democratic ironworker […]
Posted inPolitical Animal
Will Democrats Simply Ignore an Ossoff Loss?
Two years ago, after the unusual outcome of the Kentucky gubernatorial election (where Democratic candidate Jack Conway, who had been leading in the polls against Republican contender Matt Bevin, lost to Bevin by nine points), I observed that the Kentucky Democratic Party should at least try to verify the outcome of the election via a […]
Posted inPolitical Animal
Golden State Warrior: Jerry Brown’s Vision Trumps Right-Wing Folly
These days, you have to find Presidential leadership on the West Coast, not in the West Wing. California Governor Jerry Brown deserves tremendous praise for demonstrating the sort of climate courage Donald Trump refuses to. Just as former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger took steps to curb carbon pollution while George W. Bush dithered a decade […]
Posted inPolitical Animal
Murphy’s Law: Chris Christie’s Legacy is on the Ballot in New Jersey
Hey, if you were him, you’d be disgruntled too. Earlier this month, disgraced New Jersey Governor Chris Christie chewed out the man now expected to succeed him as the Garden State’s CEO: Gov. Chris Christie on Thursday gave a full-throttled attack against the person that polls show is the most likely to replace him, blasting […]
Posted inPolitical Animal
No, Charlie Sykes, There’s No Merit in Spotlighting Crackpots
As if Bret Stephens wasn’t bad enough, now the New York Times turns over valuable op-ed space to longtime Wisconsin right-wing radio host and frequent MSNBC guest Charlie Sykes–you know, the guy who hates Donald Trump but thought Scott Walker was just swell. Sykes tries to defend the sleazy decision by Megyn Kelly and NBC […]
Posted inPolitical Animal
Is Bernie Sanders Done For?
Even if you think the world of the man, you have to admit he seems to have the anti-Midas touch these days. First, there was his own campaign. Galvanizing to progressive activists and young voters. Inspiring to millions. Passionate, driven, wildly successful in terms of fundraising. Still couldn’t seal the deal in the Democratic primary. […]
Posted inPolitical Animal
Megyn Kelly: Nothing But Contemptible
What’s next–interviewing Holocaust deniers? Slavery defenders? Defrocked priests who abused minors? People who torture animals for fun? It’s hard to imagine NBC sinking any lower than its decision to air Megyn Kelly’s interview tomorrow night with a conspiracy theorist so vile his name does not merit being mentioned here. Whether motivated by greed or a […]
Posted inPolitical Animal
Years of Living Dangerously
It was just two years ago that the nightmare began. Two years ago yesterday–June 16, 2015–the man who has contaminated our democracy came down that escalator and began the process of dragging our country down with him. Some people knew immediately what was coming. Others didn’t think the worst could happen. Did anyone realize just […]
