All FEBRUARY POSTS (59)

Killing DC Voting Rights With Dirty Tricks

February 27, 2009 at 4:05 PM

Washington, DC is closer than it’s been in memory to finally gaining voting representation in Congress. The Senate version of a bill that would turn Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton into a voting member of the House passed an important legislative hurdle on Tuesday, when 62 members voted to close debate on the matter, clearing the way for a vote. (This is important because it means there aren’t enough nays to sustain a filibuster and, thus, a simple majority of 51 votes is all that’s needed to pass the bill.) The House version will sail through the chamber, likely next week.

But don’t count your votes yet, Chocolate City....

Can Conservatives Even Hear Themselves Talking?

February 26, 2009 at 4:00 PM

Why, when there are already well-established fabulists on the far right, do more and more of them compete for the same job?

NATIONAL REVIEW’s Jonah Goldberg took a quick dig at Obama for starching high school drop-outs in his congressional address. ...

100-Plus Pages of Gov’t Geek Reading

February 26, 2009 at 3:47 PM

I can’t say I’ve ever read the whole budget, but it’s always fun to try—kinda like professing every Christmas that you’re gonna go back and read the whole Bible. Anyway, the digest Obama put out today isn’t even the whole budget, that’s not coming until April. But here’s the full text ....

Obama’s Super Smart Health Reform Play

February 26, 2009 at 2:00 PM

The White House led today’s rollout of its $3.5 trillion budget by making a big splash on health care—creating a $634 billion fund for health care reform, which the president called a “very substantial down payment.” It’s a bold choice, to be sure, but it’s both smart and unavoidable.

By starting with the money, instead of with a plan, the administration has avoided ...

All in Love is Fair

February 25, 2009 at 2:10 PM

Yesterday, the East Room of the White House, the same chamber where Barack Obama held his first, sobering presidential press conference just a week prior, was transformed—hosting Stevie Wonder in concert, in advance of his receiving the 2nd annual Gershwin Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Library of Congress. Obama is known to be a huge fan—using the song on the campaign trail and inviting Wonder to play before his acceptance speech at the Democratic Convention in Denver. Legends and fans like India.Arie....

Jindal All The Way

February 25, 2009 at 1:57 PM

So, this morning I was listening to my local morning radio program, and a caller compared Gov. Bobby Jindal’s sing-songy delivery of the Republican response last night to Kenneth (Jack McBrayer) from 30 Rock (the two also appear to have the same barber). That’s probably a little unkind to Jindal....

The Media Blows it

February 24, 2009 at 3:24 PM

Two distinct conversations on race have dominated this February, the first black history month with a black American president. One consisted of a steady stream of outrage over publication of a cartoon in the NEW YORK POST depicting a chimpanzee being shot to death. The other concerned a blunt and, some say, accusatory speech by Attorney General Eric Holder, in which he calls America "a nation of cowards" when it comes to race. Both instances have been almost laughably mistreated by the press.....

A Modern-Day Grandfather Clause?

February 23, 2009 at 1:50 PM

In this week’s issue of THE NEW YORKER, legal correspondent Jeffrey Toobin gives America a wakeup-call regarding the future of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. While we imagine the landmark legislation to be one of the pillars of civil rights-era racial advancement, it’s not a permanent fix to the problem of disenfranchisement in minority communities. Toobin previews a case to be decided in the upcoming Supreme Court term ....

Gather 'Round THE BROWN TABLE

February 22, 2009 at 1:44 PM

Welcome to THE BROWN TABLE, The Root’s new group blog. This space will be a daily repository for news reporting, culture and media criticism, arguments, amusements, provocations, pile-ons, and smart takes on the day’s stories—courtesy of The Root staff. In addition to being a must-read for politicos in Washington and around the world, we want this blog to engage a true call and response with our readers—so clap back! Send tips and tirades to: thebrowntable@theroot.com.

—The Editors