From the Left
/Politics
What The Numbers Now Tell About Biden's Economy
You may have noticed in recent weeks that alarming headlines about inflation -- specifically, those ubiquitous stories about the cost of gasoline, or eggs, or other household goods -- have vanished. Media outlets no longer feature those fearsome charts with arrows zooming skyward, or video loops displaying the latest eye-popping gas station ...Read more
The Mighty Achievements of Joe Manchin
When Joe Manchin announced his plan to retire from the United States Senate, he offered the following explanation: "I believe in my heart of hearts that I have accomplished what I set out to do for West Virginia." Manchin went on to add that while serving out the remainder of his term, he will also be "traveling the country and speaking out to...Read more
The Hidden World of Mike Johnson, Culture Warrior
House Speaker Mike Johnson, lately elevated to one of the most important posts in the federal government, is nothing if not a fervent culture warrior. If Johnson had his way, not only would abortion and homosexuality be absolutely outlawed, with severe criminal penalties as punishment for any infraction, but so would contraception and what he ...Read more
Mike Johnson Seems Nice
Mike Johnson, the four-term Louisiana representative just elected as House speaker, makes a pleasant first impression. That may be why his fellow Republicans chose such an untested politician, with no obvious qualifications, to fill that demanding post. Or they may have simply succumbed to exhaustion and embarrassment after the procedural ...Read more
The MAGA Culture of Menace Is No Surprise
When Republicans claim to be shocked by threats of violence that have repeatedly marred their party's contest for speaker of the House, it is hard to suppress a bitter laugh. The malignant direction of their party over the past several years is no secret -- and although many of them are too cowardly to identify the poison's source, everyone ...Read more
Replacing McCarthy? Keep Expectations Low
Having bounced poor Kevin McCarthy out of office -- a moment that might have been painful if the former speaker possessed a spine -- House Republicans now face the difficult prospect of choosing a replacement. Perhaps we can look forward to another clownish spectacle like the 15 rounds of voting and haggling that produced Speaker McCarthy, ...Read more
What the Biden Impeachment Inquiry Has Proved
So far, the Republican drive to impeach President Joe Biden has illustrated a crucial aspect of political life in America. It has nothing to do with the president, or at least not the current president. What we are learning from this shameful spectacle is that the Republican Party will shred the Constitution, the law and its own integrity ...Read more