RSS

Paul Waldman

Paul Waldman is a contributing editor for the Prospect and the author of Being Right is Not Enough: What Progressives Must Learn From Conservative Success.

Recent Articles

Have Your Burrito, and Eat It Too. With Nutella.

Paul WaldmanJan 13, 2010

We all know that America has an obesity problem. But guess what – as usual, our brave advertising executives have the answer. First, there's this ad for Nutella. "As a mom," our friendly actress says, "I'm a great believer in Nutella, a delicious hazelnut spread I use to get my kids to eat healthy foods." And what are these "healthy foods," you ask? Bread. With Nutella on it. If you're hungry for more healthy food, you could try taking a carrot, wrapping it in a slice of bacon, and dipping it in chocolate frosting.

The Justices Learn a New Word.

Paul WaldmanJan 12, 2010

Language is a many-splendored thing, and we should applaud those who explore its farther reaches in search of the most descriptive, interesting, or ear-pleasing variations to use in their speaking and writing. But sometimes, esoteric language is used to obscure and exclude rather that to enlighten and illuminate.

Though I'm not much of a fan of Chief Justice John Roberts, I have to give him credit for something he did in court yesterday, calling attention to the scourge that is "orthogonal":

Supreme Court justices deal in words, and they are always on the lookout for new ones.

Take That, Hippie!

Paul WaldmanJan 12, 2010

The latest high-profile entry into our Washington media universe, Tucker Carlson's Daily Caller, launched yesterday. With millions of dollars in venture capital, a staff numbered at 21 (a huge number for an online start-up), and plenty of publicity, the site hopes to be a conservative combination of the Huffington Post and Politico. Out of the box, there are certainly things you could criticize, like the pedestrian design ("Hey, what if we use a lot of bold, blocky capital letters, and everything will be red and blue? No one’s seen that before!"). But there is one thing that really stands out.

Yippee Ki-yay to You, Mr. Ailes.

Paul WaldmanJan 12, 2010

Over the weekend, Fox News chief Roger Ailes was profiled in the New York Times, and some people have mocked Ailes' contention that he might be a terrorist target:

As powerful as he is within the News Corporation, Mr. Ailes remains a spectral presence outside the Fox News offices. National security had long been a preoccupation of Fox News, and it was clear in the interview that the 9/11 attacks had a profound effect on Mr. Ailes. They convinced him that he and his network could be terrorist targets.

Can Obama Stop the War on Science?

For eight years, Republicans politicized science or ignored it. Now, Obama is trying to reverse the damage.

Paul WaldmanJan 12, 2010
Energy Secretary Steven Chu looks at prototype magnets for the National Synchrotron Light Source II. (Flickr/Brookhaven National Laboratory)

As a presidential candidate, Barack Obama warmed the hearts of progressives when he promised to change "the posture of our federal government from being one of the most anti-science administrations in American history to one that embraces science and technology." And when he got into office, he took a number of steps that demonstrated his sincerity.

Pages