Republicans

Sunday’s New York Times Magazine carried a quizzical interview by Deborah Solomon with President George W. Bush’s former senior adviser, Karl Rove. Across 21 questions, Rove and Solomon covered a lot of political and even emotional territory, with an often-combative Rove laying claim to having had his feelings hurt by Solomon on an earlier occasion.
The highlight, though, [...]

While Republican Party representatives took heat this week for claiming in fliers that DFL candidate Ashwin Madia had the “wrong demographics” to serve the people of the 3rd Congressional District, they got off lightly with respect to the not-so-veiled undercurrent in their attack on Madia’s “lifestyle.” By larding in mentions of Madia’s household (he’s a renter, not an owner) and his hobbies (he’s not a soccer coach), the tacit insinuation that Madia must be gay is made easier to politely ignore. But it appears to be the real payload behind GOP efforts to point out Madia’s purported, um, difference from the stolid homesteaders of the 3rd District.

With the national economy in the tank and a seemingly never-ending war in Iraq, Republicans are looking to change the subject. But is abortion a winning issue in 2008? Some Minnesota Republicans seem to think so. The state Republican party, as well as two congressional candidates are using the abortion issue in campaigns.

“Drill, baby, drill,” the oft-heard chant of the Republican faithful during the party’s national convention, may become the GOP’s most unfortunate slogan ever as the federal bureau charged with managing and leasing offshore gas and oil reserves is embroiled in a scandal that literally finds them in bed with the oil industry.

Friday morning at the Humphrey Institute, former congressman, now lobbyist and big-time Republican insider Vin Weber gave an outstanding overview of the state of conservatism, focusing largely on the race for the Republican nomination for president.

Weber is the best I know at promoting his (Republican) side and his (conservative) cause without denying the obvious or [...]

From our sister site, Iowa Independent, their latest power rankings have been released.  This time, their focus is on the Republican presidential candidates.

Rankings and analysis after break

Campaign season has started, with the largest Republican presidential candidate straw poll commencing this weekend in Ames, Iowa.  And the coverage has already begun…
A new University of Iowa poll shows “Don’t Know” leading Iowa Republicans with 35 percent.  Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is in first place among actual candidates with 22 percent, followed by [...]

And it’s called TAXES!

One of my kids’ favorite books when they were small was Mercer Mayer’s “There’s a Nightmare in My Closet.” I think many people know the story:

There’s a little boy who believes a monster lives in his closet. As it turns out, the monster, who is big and ugly and creepy, is just [...]

Cross-posted at Vox Verax.

A revolution? Not quite. But the first paragraph of an editorial from a southeastern Minnesota newspaper chain speaks volumes about the change that has overcome the American electorate, at least as represented by a small-town newspaper publisher in a chiefly rural area in the upper Midwest.

more inside…