Blog: TAPPED

ANTI-SEX LOGIC. As someone who endured many abstinence assemblies during my 13 years in Catholic school, I wasn’t terribly shocked by yesterday’s news that Montgomery County junior high kids are being forced to share chewing gum to demonstrate why sex is icky. Another well-known abstinence-only “game” is to have the kids suck on a lollipop, […]

THE LIVEBLOGGING OF THE LIBBY TRIAL. The New York Times yesterday had a pretty nice piece on something of a phenomenon out of the Libby trial — the coverage by firedoglake. Initially, a different group of bloggers covering the trial – Media Bloggers Association – seemed to get all the attention. But there can really […]

THE 30 PERCENT RULE. Women’s E-News reported today that Chile is debating a quota law for women in congressional representation. The article noted that more than 50 countries around the world have laws requiring a certain percentage of women hold offices in congress or parliament. Opponents of the law in Chile say it will be […]

READING THE TEA LEAVES ON IRAN. Via Joe Klein, Azar Nafisi (whom I had the pleasure of finally meeting last week after Danny Postel‘s reading from his new book, Reading _Legitimation Crisis_ in Tehran) also makes the case that a military strike on Iran would be a disaster for Iranian dissenters. From her piece yesterday […]

HOW ‘BOUT THAT. A Democratic majority successfully asserts its will: A vote to criticize President Bush for his decision to send more troops to Iraq is expected to pass the House in a rare admonishment of a wartime commander-in-chief. Democrats who wrote the nonbinding measure and back it with near unanimity were clear that it […]

LIBBY, PLAME, AND THE NIE. The defense rested in the Scooter Libby trial yesterday, after offering a very brief case and without, of course, calling either Libby himself or Vice President Cheney. Was this a sign of the defense’s confidence? Or a sign it believed Libby’s odds on appeal were better than at trial, and […]

ON MINNESOTA POLITICS. Al Franken has been saying he’s going to run for Senate for a while now. (As the aforementioned Minnesota native on staff, I especially love this colorful illustration of Minnesotans depicted as simpletons courtesy the New York Times.) The recent announcement just made it official. I’m going to venture out on a […]

FRANKEN. So Al Franken is running for Senate in Minnesota. His announcement video — and has anyone else noticed the announcement video’s sudden ubiquity? Who’s giving the country’s campaign managers webcams? — is here, and it’s quite good. Word on the street is he’s listening to policy-wonk-to-the-stars (and occasional TAP contributor) Jacob Hacker, and you […]

RE: THE TABLE. In case I was unclear, I agree with the other Klein. If Iran, say, attacks America, then yes, all options are “on” the table. But I think the possible outcomes of us going to war with them are much worse than the outcomes of them developing nukes. So war shouldn’t be on […]

QUEER EYE FOR THE SPORTS GUYS. As a straight guy, I can tell you how easy it is for straight guys to make fun of gay men who are demonstrably effeminate. (I�d be lying if I said I have never made gay jokes; in certain settings straight men often make gay remarks, often about and […]