Jamelle Bouie

I overlooked this in yesterday’s post, but the Supreme Court’s decision in McComish v. Bennett does more than just strike down the “trigger” mechanism in Arizona’s public-financing law, which provides funds to participating candidates when they’re outspent by opponents; it keeps Connecticut lawmakers from reintroducing an identical provision to their system of public financing, thus […]

Campaign finance reformers are understandably disappointed with the Supreme Court’s decision in McComish v. Bennett. Not only does it mark the second time in two years that the Court has ruled for plutocratic interests and against attempts to regulate the flow of money in elections, but the ruling itself is nonsense. Unless “restricting speech” is […]

New York’s passage of same-sex marriage legislation Friday was immediately followed by praise for Governor Andrew Cuomo’s leadership and his ability to assemble a coalition of Republican and Democratic lawmakers. The New York Times ran a glowing account of his maneuvering, highlighting his willingness to define a goal, stick to it, and use every method […]

As per Nate Silver, the results of yesterday’s Des Moines Register poll in Iowa were good for Mitt Romney, bad for Tim Pawlenty, and great for Michele Bachmann. Romney leads the field with support from 23 percent of likely Republican caucus-goers. Bachmann places second with 22 percent, and Herman Cain secures third place with 10 […]

Entertainment Weekly has released the first stills from Peter Jackson‘s adaptation of The Hobbit. Here is Martin Freeman in the lead role as Bilbo Baggins: Jackson is filming The Hobbit as a two-part prequel to The Lord of the Rings, and as such, the film will feature many of the same characters. In particular, Ian […]

After leaving his perch at MSNBC in a fit of drama earlier this year, Keith Olbermann has returned to television as chief news officer for Current TV, and host of a new Countdown. Meh. I understand Olbermann’s appeal to liberals; he’s loud, self-assured, and eager to lampoon conservatives for their conservatism. For liberals during the […]

Yesterday, after negotiating $2 trillion in spending cuts with Vice President Joe Biden and other senior Democrats, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor pulled out of budget negotiations and denounced any attempt to raise revenues or increase taxes. Speaking for Cantor, Speaker John Boehner commented: “I understand why [Cantor] did what he did. But I think […]

As part of his ongoing struggle to gain support and credibility from the right ing, Tim Pawlenty has announced his plan to sign the “Cut, Cap, Balance” pledge. Sponsored by Let Freedom Ring and 49 other conservative groups, the pledge asks candidates to work for “substantial cuts in spending that will reduce the deficit next […]

Like The Prospect‘s Robert Kuttner, I’m not sure that the Bush name is a huge vulnerability for former Florida governor Jeb Bush. Voters aren’t known for their historical memories (short-term or otherwise), and Bush could credibly present himself as a moderate in the mold of his father, and not the conservative belligerent who brought the […]

Michele Bachmann isn’t known as a “serious” member of the House. In her four-and-a-half years in Congress, she hasn’t crafted any significant legislation or chaired any committees, and while she maintains a constant presence in the media, it’s more spectacle than anything else; she says outrageous things, and the media covers them. However, now that […]