Kate Sheppard

The last two questions are equally inane: “What are your New Year’s resolutions?” and “What are the lessons from Iowa?” The first produced a lot of hopes that they’ll remember what’s at stake in the election, and pledges to spend more time with the family and exercise more. The second produced a lot of pandering […]

Now they’re doing candidate-specific questions. Some interesting ones, and some that seem a little off-base: First she asks Biden about some of his racial/cultural gaffes in the past. Then she asks Edwards about how he will work with the “special interests” in Washington should he become president, since they’re not all going to go away […]

Senate Republicans managed to chop tax increases on the oil industry and a 15 percent renewable electricity standard from the energy bill, but at least the final bill retained the provisions that raise fuel-economy standards to 35 miles per gallon by 2020, create a Renewable Fuel Standard, and increase efficiency standards for appliances and buildings. […]

Obama: reverse executive orders that have undermined our civil liberties, work on health care. Biden: abandon policies on torture, prisoners, create emergency health care funds on path to universal health care, invest in preschool education. Richardson: energy strategy to reduce foreign oil imports, bring back habeas corpus, stop using torture, restore ourselves as a nation. […]

The candidates are asked what should be done about energy independence, especially since it may be a costly transition. Each of the candidates handled it well, framing the transition to a clean energy policy as necessary, not optional. Biden, up first, says, “The president has to make this a moral crusade for the American people.” […]

Today the Los Angeles Times brings us this piece bemoaning the fact that negotiators in Bali have been stuck in debate about a carbon emissions cap without addressing the “most fundamental question of what it will take to achieve meaningful reductions.” The piece then toes the Bush administration’s line that it’s not emissions reduction targets […]

Climate talks in Bali are nearing conclusion, and it still looks as though the negotiators from the United States are squared up to impede progress there. Discussion between nations is currently divided over setting the ground rules for formal negotiations of a new pact, and the United States is at the head of opposition to […]

United Steelworkers just released a new video as part of their campaign to stop the import of lead-tainted Chinese products: Sure, the Christmas caroling is somewhat grating, but it’s good to see organizing going on around this issue. They’ve got more information on the campaign at Stop Toxic Imports and Protect Our Kids. –Kate Sheppard

Apparently already tiring of going after fellow Republicans, Mitt Romney is now airing an ad in Michigan that targets Hillary Clinton. And he’s playing the card she’s been using on Obama: experience. Setting aside the sheer hilarity of equating running the country to running the Olympics, it’s at best an absurd claim. “She hasn’t run […]

The latest edition in the The latest edition in the Washington Post series on the front-runners for president focuses on Fred Thompson, and why his campaign has been pretty much a non-starter. He started too late. His campaign announcement was too “flat and vague.” He’s too much of a “a policy wonk” to jump into […]