Obama for real change, uncommon leadership
11/04/08 | DI EDITORIAL BOARD
When choosing a leader to take us into the next four years, there are a litany of interests to account for. Who would best command us out of Iraq? Who would succeed in leading us away from harrowing economic turbulence? Who would repair our national image to the greatness generations before us have sacrificed so much to maintain? Which candidate could guide our nation into a stronger position in the global economy, creating jobs, and elevating the level of education, all while placing us on the right track to eliminating our national debt?... read more
DI Editorial Board endorsements
11/03/08 | DI EDITORIAL BOARD
When Iowans go to the polls on Nov. 4, we have important offices in addition to the presidency to fill. Those elected to all national, state, and local offices make decisions that affect every constituent... read more
Biting the hand that feeds me
11/04/08 | BY NEAL SCHUETT
To those that think Obama is the American messiah sent to reform Washington, you are setting yourself up for great disappointment. It's still Washington and unless we as citizens push for reform and elect reform-minded candidates it's unlikely much will happen. The first rule of politics is to look after #1.... read more
Sound and furry
11/04/08 | BY BEAU ELLIOT
So this is the world we live in. On one moment on the radio (BBC, if you must know), Donald Trump is proudly announcing, “This is an important golf course.”... read more
An election carol
11/03/08 | BY DEAN TREFTZ
The scene begins with our protagonist, Joe the Humbug/Columnist, trudging home on Election Day, when his phone rings. It’s his exuberant ex-colleague, Barry... read more
That stupid Sarah Palin effigy
11/03/08 | BY LA TIMES EDITORIAL
Is it OK to hang an effigy of Sarah Palin from a noose, as a West Hollywood couple has recently become infamous for doing, but not an effigy of Barack Obama?... read more
Column: Mea culpa — In 2000, 2004, I voted for Bush
10/31/08 | BY CHRISTOPHER PATTON
I voted for George W. Bush. Not in 2000 — I was too young to vote. I voted for him in 2004. Though I have never lied about this, I rarely bring it up. Thus, even many of those who know me are not aware that I did such an incredibly stupid thing. But, before you write off my judgment as being entirely unsound, allow me to explain what went into my decision four years ago... read more
The Palin Paradox on ‘special-needs’ kids
10/31/08 | BY NEAL SCHUETT
“Who is Barack Obama?” Over the last few weeks, much has been made of this question and the responses offered by John McCain supporters. However, Gov. Sarah Palin’s recent comments regarding Colorado Amendment 51 have left me pondering, “Who is Sarah Palin?”... read more
Republican anti-voting tactics reprehensible
10/31/08 | BY JON GOLD
It looks like it’s largely over, right? It seems as if there’s really no way short of an alien invasion for John McCain to win the election. Both candidates know it, though they both, for different reasons, have to act like it’s still a nail-biting race to the finish. The McCain camp’s trying to set up its “Dewey defeats Truman” moment by “leaking” internal numbers that say McCain’s a lot closer than the public polling would indicate. It’s a transparent gambit to give the campaign a little bit of extra oxygen, but last gasps are last gasps. Right?... read more
A warning from the future
10/29/08 | BY NEAL SCHUETT
James Dobson's group Focus on the Family Action, Inc. has released a "letter" from "A Christian in 2012" telling of the horrors since President Obama took office. It's Justice Scalia's worst nightmare: the homosexuals run everything; the nation is godless; the Supreme Court is the executive, legislative, and judicial branch... read more
More windows into Steve King's fetid, festering soul
10/29/08 | BY CHRISTOPHER PATTON
Seriously, how can anyone feel good about sending this xenophobic Golem look-alike to Washington to represent the state of Iowa? Though he's something of a long shot, if you can spare the money, donate to Rob Hubler's campaign to help him in his valiant effort to kick King out of Congress... read more
"Fair and Balanced"
10/28/08 | BY CHRISTOPHER PATTON
Kelly seems to think if she says her network is "fair and balanced" enough times, that will make it so. I only wish it were that easy to bend reality to one's whims. If it were, I'd be taking the rest of the day off to repeatedly chant "I am a billionaire" until I was too hoarse to talk anymore.... read more
Bailout bullshit update
10/28/08 | BY CHRISTOPHER PATTON
One of the first things Obama does after he's sworn in should be to make all of the bailout's details public. Thankfully, he has a record of championing governmental transparency. In any case, it may be the first real test to see whether he lives up to any of his campaign's hype.... read more
McCain seeks surge with new endorsement
10/28/08 | DI EDITORIAL BOARD
Not to be outdone by former Secretary of State Colin Powell’s endorsement of Barack Obama, Al Qaeda allied website al-Hesbah sought to help Sen. John McCain rebound in the polls with a ringing endorsement from another famous player in the war on terror. Longtime al-Hesbah contributor Muhammad Haafid wrote (as translated by SITE Intelligence Group), “Then, Al Qaeda will have to support McCain in the coming elections.”... read more
Star glaze
10/28/08 | BY BEAU ELLIOT
So the presidential campaign has come down to the stars. And we ain’t talking astrology here. At least, I think we’re not. But it’s often hard to tell what we talk about when we talk about politics (to channel the spirit of Raymond Carver). We might as well talk about plasma physics, which, as it turns out, very few of us can... read more
Lipstick or Diva, which is worse?
10/27/08 | BY NEAL SCHUETT
Gov. Palin has blamed the Bush aides for her tarnished public image after her national interviews. Sorry Gov. Palin, the bad PR was because you couldn't answer the questions - but of course that was just a symptom of her annoyance at the inane questions of Katie Couric. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before we'll hear from the victim of a hunting accident apologizing for being under the helicopter... read more
N-word shouted at palin rally in Des Moines
10/27/08 | BY CHRISTOPHER PATTON
Sarah Palin seems to hesitate a bit after the supporter's slur, indicating that she heard what the person yelled. But she just goes on as though nothing had happened. Given the frequency with which this has been going on, it has become obvious that she has no interest in expressing disapproval... read more
The end of social conservatism?
10/27/08 | BY CHRISTOPHER PATTON
John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate was a craven ploy to draw in the religious right. To some extent it has succeeded in doing that, but it has also alienated many swing voters. Picking a moderate with impressive economic credentials would definitely have been the right thing to do--and it might have even made McCain more competitive... read more
Channeling Orwell, King claims only Republicans champion freedom
10/27/08 | DI EDITORIAL BOARD
Republican Rep. Steve King, who represents Iowa’s 5th District, over the weekend added yet another absurd statement to his long list of ludicrous contentions.Speaking at a campaign event in Sioux City on Oct. 25, King repeated what has become the Republican mantra in these final, frenzied days before the election: Sen. Barack Obama is a socialist... read more
Let’s blame the media?
10/27/08 | BY DEAN TREFTZ
I scrolled down and there it was. Another titillating story on Sarah Palin’s $150,000 wardrobe construction.I pulled up Word and innocently glanced around. Luckily, I was in a corner of the library’s ITC, and it was a low-foot traffic time of day... read more
For once, I really get Sarah Palin
10/26/08 | BY CHRISTOPHER PATTON
If an interviewer had exposed me as an incurious, idiotic political token, I would also be quite annoyed with that person. It's only natural. I feel your pain, Sarah, and it warms my heart... read more
A bizarre interview with Joe Biden
10/26/08 | BY CHRISTOPHER PATTON
I don't know about anyone else, but I'd love to see more journalists ask politicians if they aren't really just like Karl Marx. It makes for excellent television.... read more
Old-school style campaigning in 1st district commendable
10/24/08 | BY DI EDITORIAL BOARD
The district this year race between incumbent Braley and Republican state Sen. David Hartsuch offers a stark contrast to the current presidential race and the high-budget contest of two years ago. Not a single TV ad has been aired by either candidate... read more
The Republican Party is lashing out like a cornered animal
10/23/08 | BY CHRISTOPHER PATTON
Republicans in Minnesota and Virginia are mailing out this flier... read more
Presidential election results/margin prediction
10/23/08 | BY CHRISTOPHER PATTON
This is the first in a series of three posts. I'll update my predictions one week from today and the day before the election. I'm making these educated guessed based on what I've been seeing at several different poll tracking sites as well the IEM... read more
Politics of pain
10/23/08 | BY NATE WHITNEY
No matter what you think of Joe Six-Pack or Joe Plumber, no matter if you think jack shit of Barack Obama or John McCain, Cynthia McKinney or Bob Barr, I feel your pain. I assume you have the same pain as me, as my coworkers, as my family, my classmates, and the vast majority of the rest of the population of our nation, which is under assault... read more
Make Election Day a national holiday
10/22/08 | DI EDITORIAL BOARD
Every election cycle, countless Americans use the excuse “I didn’t have the time” when asked why they failed to vote. If a lack of time is a common obstacle to voting, the solution seems simple enough: Election Day should be a national holiday... read more
The blind leading the blind
10/22/08 | BY CHRISTOPHER PATTON
Our modern economy is almost unimaginably complex. Now more than ever it's clear that no one really understands how the whole thing works. Thus, the best strategy is to avoid excessively centralized economic decision making... read more
"Why, Congressman Latham?"
10/22/08 | CHRISTOPHER PATTON
I'll make my prediction now: Given the enthusiasm for Obama in the state, Latham is going to be out of a job on Nov. 5... read more
David Sedaris On Undecided Voters
10/21/08 | BY CHRISTOPHER PATTON
This is a perfect example of why Sedaris is such a good writer... read more
Bullet Train Proposition & Dangerous Habits
10/21/08 | BY NEAL SCHUETT
Californians have more than the President, local officials, and gay marriage on the ballot in November. Wired reports on Proposition 1A; a proposition that would fund a high-speed train line between L.A. and S.F... read more
Frontline On Global Warming
10/21/08 | BY CHRISTOPHER PATTON
PBS's Martin Smith debuts his two-hour investigation tonight, Oct. 21, 2008, from 8 to 10 p.m. CT. Watch it if you have time... read more
FLIP the ballot and vote yes for Johnson County conservation
10/21/08 | EDITORIAL BOARD
On Nov. 4, Johnson County voters will have the opportunity to advance a local environmental cause as well as choosing candidates for political offices at all levels of government... read more
Ugly America
10/21/08 | BY BEAU ELLIOT
In the Year of Joe the Plumber — and the Bridge to Nowhere and a “No Thanks” that was never uttered and the emergence of a ex-’60s-era-radical-turned-university-professor as the biggest bogeyman (or hobgoblin, if you prefer your goblins hobbing around) facing America — the ludicrous becomes the normal... read more
Another take on why the Republicans must be defeated this year
10/20/08 | BY CHRISTOPHER PATTON
For the sake of the country as a whole, the decent common-sense conservatives who make up the Republican Party's silent majority need to kick the loud and proud know-nothings to the curb... read more
Thank you Iowa
10/20/08 | BY NEAL SCHUETT
My former Islamic studies professor at the University of Iowa was born in Tehran. He was a California transplant in Iowa City after getting admitted into the Writers' Workshop. Based on what he learned in school in California, the "flyover states" - like Iowa - were nothing but fields, livestock, and hicks... read more
Obama should speak out against California's Proposition 8
10/20/08 | BY CHRISTOPHER PATTON
Admittedly, doing this would be at least mildly risky for Obama politically. But it's the right thing to do. As an African American, he should understand the importance of standing up for civil rights--especially when doing so is politically risky... read more
Is the Republican Ragnarök at hand?
10/20/08 | BY CHRISTOPHER PATTON
Peter thinks the conservative crackup is finally at hand... David Brooks vs. Sarah Palin... Is the culture war starting to ebb?... Should liberals cheer if the libertarian right is crushed?... read more
The end of Libertarianism?
10/20/08 | BY CHRISTOPHER PATTON
Probably not. Slate's Jacob Weisberg proclaims the end of libertarianism:
A source of mild entertainment amid the financial carnage has been watching libertarians scurrying to explain how the global financial crisis is the result of too much government intervention rather than too little... read more
The Republican Party's Disgusting Anti-Muslim Rhetoric
10/19/08 | BY CHRISTOPHER PATTON
The perverse xenophobia that the Republican Party has embraced this election cycle makes me ill... read more
McCain Talks The Fiscal Conservative Talk But Walks The Big Government Walk
10/19/08 | BY CHRISTOPHER PATTON
Real believers in economic liberty and small government have little reason to support McCain.The enormous military budget he favors dwarfs the pork barrel spending he loves to rail against... read more
More Crass Economic Nationalism From Obama
10/19/08 | BY CHRISTOPHER PATTON
Obama's demagoguery on globalization is the part of his candidacy that irritates me the most. Though some Americans may lose their jobs when multinational corporations take advantage of cheaper labor in China, all American benefit from low-cost Chinese products... read more
Vote yes on the ‘Idiot Amendment’
10/17/08 | DI EDITORIAL BOARD
On Election Day, Iowa voters will have more to consider than just the usual public offices. Also on the ballot is what some Iowans are referring to as the “Idiot Amendment.” The proposed amendment to the Iowa Constitution regarding voting limitations for mentally incompetent Iowans finally makes it onto the ballot 11 years after Rep. Pam Jochum, D-Dubuque, and former Rep. Betty Grundberg wrote the proposal... read more
Attack Of The Lizard King II
10/16/08 | BY CHRISTOPHER PATTON
Click through to see an edited version of a strange face Sen. John McCain made at the debate... read more
Jay Rosen: A Twitterer Worth Following
10/16/08 | BY CHRISTOPHER PATTON
Rosen provides excellent analysis of the media's coverage of the 2008 election. I especially appreciate his savaging of the vapid horse-race narrative and thorough deconstruction of the absurd elevation of neutrality over truth... read more
Obama, CO2, And The Clean Air Act
10/16/08 | BY CHRISTOPHER PATTON
Given the power federal administrative agencies have these days, Obama may actually be able to change quite a bit during his first days in office. Exceedingly detailed plans are already being drawn... read more
Slightly Above Average Debate Commentary
10/16/08 | BY CHRISTOPHER PATTON
Robert Wright and Mickey Kaus discuss last night's debate... read more
Know your voting rights
10/16/08 | DI EDITORIAL BOARD
With voting already underway at satellite locations in Iowa City, and absentee ballots being received in large numbers, the actual election process is finally upon us. And considering how divisive the presidential race has become and how dirty the strategies of candidates can get, it’s no wonder that recent reports have e-mails circulating in Iowa that make false claims about what voters can and cannot wear to polling stations... read more
Bizarre Portrayals Of Gays In Republican Ads
10/15/08 | BY CHRISTOPHER PATTON
These ads are actually too weird to even offend me. They just make it painfully obvious that those involved in these Republican campaigns don't know many (if any) people who are openly gay... read more
Coffee Drinkers Take Notice: BBC News
10/15/08 | BY NEAL SCHUETT
For those of you coffee drinkers seriously considering leaving Earth on November 5th if the your horse doesn't win the presidential race, you may want to check out this invention by two Costa Rican students. The BBC reports that the two men believe they have figured out a way to brew coffee in space... read more
There are other options on the ballot
10/15/08 | DI EDITORIAL BOARD
With the presidential election three weeks away and Sen. Barack Obama outstretching Sen. John McCain in Iowa by a margin of 13 percentage points, it may be time to investigate the positions of third-party candidates... read more
California should vote No to marriage inequality
10/14/08 | DI EDITORIAL BOARD
In response to the California Supreme Court's ruling this past May that legalized same-sex marriage in that state, opponents of marriage equality have succeeded in creating a ballot initiative that would amend California's Constitution, thus overruling the court's decision... read more
One Step Forward, Two Steps Back?
10/14/08 | BY NEAL SCHUETT
After taking a proactive approach this weekend in Pennsylvania in trying to calming the racial fervor of his base, John McCain refused to disavow Virginia GOP chairman Jeff Frederick's comments linking Osama bin Laden and Barack Obama. McCain wouldn't distance himself from the comment even though his campaign did... read more
Republican March Through Manhattan: YouTube
10/14/08 | BY NEAL SCHUETT
Here is one Republican's point of view on how the "Obamabots" act when exposed to McCain/Palin supporters. The video on the site can be seen here... read more
Palin 2012
10/14/08 | BY CHRISTOPHER PATTON
The UK's Times reports: Palin, 44, has led the character attacks on Obama in the belief that McCain may be throwing away the election and her chance of becoming vice-president. Her supporters think that if the Republican ticket loses on November 4, she should run for president in 2012... read more
Sarah Palin's Despicable Fear Mongering Continues
10/13/08 | BY CHRISTOPHER PATTON
CNN reports: Sarah Palin warned the audience about the threat of terrorism, and explained that the Republican ticket should be elected because “we know who the bad guys are.”... read more
Hack The Vote
10/13/08 | BY CHRISTOPHER PATTON
Will Wilkinson and Edward Felten discuss some important technology policy issues, the most pressing of which is the vulnerability of electronic voting machines to tampering... read more
ACORN and Voter Fraud: ABC News & Rotten Acorn
10/13/08 | BY NEAL SCHUETT
Here is an ABC news piece by Ren Holding on ongoing voter fraud issues during the election season. The story also speaks about concerns regarding the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN... read more
Too Little, Too Late
10/13/08 | BY NEAL SCHUETT
I applaud John McCain's recent defense of Barack Obama to his supporters. I applaud his decision to take the microphone away from a woman in Minnesota who called Obama an Arab. This is the John McCain I considered voting for. Unfortunately, the gesture by McCain is too little, too late... read more
McCain Booed For Defending Obama
10/13/08 | BY NEAL SCHUETT
MSNBC Video discussing the past week and the defense of Obama by McCain... read more
Christianism Rears Its Ugly Head At McCain Rally In Davenport
10/11/08 | BY CHRISTOPHER PATTON
Liveblogging for the Iowa Independent today, John Deeth reports: "The invocation is interesting, as I hear keyboards going all around me: 'There are plenty of people around the world who are praying to their god, be they Hindu, Buddah [sic], or Allah, that (McCain’s) opponent wins. I pray that you step forward and honor your own name.' Ends with 'in Jesus’ name.'"... read more
Freudian slip?
10/10/08 | BY NEAL SCHUETT
Absentee ballots near Albany misspelled "Obama" as "Osama". The ballot made it through three different levels of proof reading and is described as a typo. How do you hit the 's' key when you are trying to hit the 'b' key? They aren't in the same row nor are they in the same region of the QWERTY keyboard... read more
What a difference a year makes, part two
10/10/08 | BY NEAL SCHUETT
John McCain ran in 2000 as the reformer, the maverick - the man who wasn't afraid to stand up to the Republican base even if meant he was unpopular. He stuck to his morals, his values, and it probably cost him the party nomination. I can respect that... read more
What a difference a year makes, part one
10/09/08 | BY NEAL SCHUETT
Heading in to the primary season, I would have never guessed how this election process has turned out. I thought Mitt Romney would win the Republican ticket and that Hillary Rodham Clinton was a solid lock for the Democrats. Of course, this is why I am not a political analyst, and why I don't gamble... read more
John McCain is a dishonorable coward
10/09/08 | BY CHRISTOPHER PATTON
CNN reports: A prominent surrogate for John McCain on Thursday raised Barack Obama's admitted cocaine use as a teenager and said the Illinois senator should speak candidly about it to the American people... read more
Disenfranchising the masses: voting rights for 'felons'
10/09/08 | DI EDITORIAL BOARD
In just under four weeks, millions of Americans will go to the polls to elect the 44th president of the United States. Since 1870, our right to vote has been guaranteed by the 15th Amendment of the United States Constitution regardless of "race, color or previous condition of servitude."... read more
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