Campaigns & Elections

The Democrats are about to be beaten by something that they do not in their heart of hearts think exists, a huge national majority. At this late hour, with the storm clouds gathering and the livestock getting restless, they see only sunshine. Yes, there is "foreign money" out there. Yes, the media have bungled broadcasting the purity of the Democratic message. And naturally, angry voices can be…

When it comes to so-called Super PACs spending money on TV ads targeting swing House districts, the Baltimore Sun seems to care a lot more about who's behind Republican ones than Democratic operations. Yesterday I noted how Sun staffer Paul West wrote about a PAC running ads against freshman Democratic Rep. Frank Kratovil (Md.). West portrayed the PAC's ads as a clever end-run around…

In a report so riddled with errors, inconsistencies, incompleteness and sloppiness that it's really hard to know where to begin, Associated Press real estate writer Alan Zibel couldn't even keep his housing recovery benchmark remotely consistent with what it was only a month ago. The Census Bureau's September release of information about August housing starts and building permits informed the…

CNN devoted several segments on Tuesday and Wednesday to Delaware Republican Christine O'Donnell's apparent gaffe on the First Amendment, but barely acknowledged her opponent Chris Coons's own gaffe on the amendment. Analyst Jeff Toobin spun O'Donnell's remark as demonstrating that "she didn't seem to know" the amendment. It took conservative Dana Loesch on AC360 to bring up Coons's own gaffe.

On Wednesday's CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith noted how President Obama was on the campaign trail "in hopes of avoiding a Democratic washout," but added, "he may be getting some help from Republicans....unintentional help." Congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes exclaimed: "...we've been seeing a spate of strange claims from tea party candidates in recent weeks." As supposed evidence…

On Wednesday's Good Morning America, former Democratic operative George Stephanopoulos extolled the virtues of Chicago's Democratic mayor and his famous Democratic father. Teasing the segment on Richard M. Daley, the host gushed, "...We're going to be talking to a political icon. A legendary political family is about to turn over the keys to the city here." Speaking of the mayor whose city…

The Democrats'  "localized approach to the midterms is understandable, defensible—and wrong. The best way to keep control would have been a national message targeted at independents," Newsweek's Jonathan Alter complained yesterday in an article at the magazine's website. And what exactly should the Democrats have touted in a national campaign strategy for the midterms? Why, shovel-ready…

In 2011, the two major legislative initiatives of the tea party Congress (pray the voters deliver such a congress) will be to get a grip on the deficit, and to begin to reverse the intrusion of the federal government in American lives and business. It remains to be seen whether Congress will have the guts — and even the tea party public will give their support-for the entitlement cutting that…

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid finally appeared in a debate on October 14 in Las Vegas with his Republican opponent, Sharron Angle. The appearance might come as a surprise to consumers of the national media. While Angle has been pounded relentlessly by national media outlets as being both dangerously radical and ridiculous, Reid has been left alone, and untouched. But what about Harry? He’…

Opening his October 18 article on a tight House race in Maryland that's garnered national attention, Baltimore Sun's Paul West trotted out the typical liberal lament about corporate money in politics (emphasis mine):

Liberal radio host Randi Rhodes attacked Rush Limbaugh Friday for an argument which he never made – namely that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid never privately practiced law. Limbaugh, in fact, affirmed that Reid practiced law – for two years. Smearing Limbaugh as a "fat freak," Rhodes criticized him for making facts up about Reid. "After [Limbaugh] said he did his research, he came back…

A letter to the editor of The Washington Times really underscored how little attention the D.C. media are paying to Congressman Jim Moran, who represents the easternmost part of northern Virginia (including MRC headquarters in Alexandria). A letter writer complained:

MSNBC on Tuesday continued its attempt to dismiss Republican candidates as extremist, hitting Sharron Angle, Christine O'Donnell and others as "mean girls" who are unqualified for office. Jansing appeared shocked that the Delaware candidate pointed out the phrase "separation of church and state" isn't in the Constitution. She then read from the First Amendment, but failed to find the words…

"[D]espite their professed desire for compromise, voters hardly have rewarded President Obama for attempting to achieve it."  That's Yahoo! News writer Jane Sasseen's lament in her October 18 article, "Compromise on Capitol Hill: Is it really what Americans want?" Sasseen answered in the negative, saying that although polling data shows, as it often does, that Americans want bipartisan…