"... or you persevere and show your resilience." Hillary Clinton makes an observation , and she's talking about herself. Of course, the same thing applies to President Bush. "Resilient" — it's a good w…
Why did Huckabee do so well in the Iowa Straw Poll? [F]or those who have followed Mr. Huckabee as he has traveled across the country these past six months, he has distinguished himself in another way: as a candidate of considerab…
"It has the tonal quality of something being dropped on the floor, something heavy and damp-ish. Waterlogged paper towel. Fred." Is the Washington Post smoking pot again? IN THE COMMENTS: Simon asks, astutely: "Wha…
Rep. Frank Lasee has argued that we have too many lawyers, but why is he so antagonistic toward lawyers? The Wisconsin State Journal thinks it's found a clue in the court transcripts for his 2003 divorce: Lasee first acted …
It's Easter. (Happy Easter.) I drove 1235 miles yesterday. Crazy? I set out, as you can see from the last post, thinking it was possible. I was starting at 6 a.m., before dawn, so I'd have a whole long day of sunlight. I&…
This is a front-page "political memo" from Robin Toner. Today, many political strategists say women no longer have to be so defensive. Voters have grown more accustomed to women in powerful positions.... What this mean…
I'm watching Hillary Clinton doing her town hall meeting in Des Moines , Iowa. A man -- Representative Leonard Boswell -- is introducing her. He ends by waving his arm around and saying: "We wish you every success."…
1. People kind of hate real estate agents. 2. Maybe you really don't have to save that much for your retirement. 3. A developmentally disabled guy reacts to opposition to a group home for the developmentally disabled. 4. An a…
I drove what seemed like all day. But it was only half as much as yesterday. Big mushroom-shaped thunderstorms loomed in the expanse of desert in front of me. The lightning looked strangely three-dimensional, not flat against th…
John Kerry is still pissed at Tom Harkin for endorsing Dean: Senator Tom Harkin [is] holding his 27th annual Steak Fry this afternoon in Indianola, Iowa. Even though it's a tradition for Democratic presidential contenders to…
Amish day at the Times--Rumpspringa! (Apparently, I think it is my job to detect repetitions .) First, there's this description of Johnny Depp in a movie review by Elvis Mitchell headlined, "Beware of Amish Hitmen and…
Candidate Machismo Watch. This is the first entry in a projected series that will concentrate on the ways the Presidential candidates attempt to gain advantage by portraying themselves as more masculine than the other guy. There …