I loved hearing that Obama told Republicans griping about his stimulus proposal, "I won," meaning he has the political capital to do what he wants. I was particularly happy when I read what GOP Rep. Eric Canter was griping about: One of the best parts of Obama's proposal, to expand tax… Read full post »

I regret recently wading into a raging blog and comments war that is supposedly about Israel's incursion into Gaza, but is actually about...well, I'm not ready to judge what it's about.

All I know is that I believe in nonviolent resistance whenever possible, and to me that means I should… Read full post »

I wrote Salon's traditional "Year in Politics" wrap, and my introspection featured a lot of thinking about Open Salon. I talked a little bit about how some extreme (and nasty) early Obama partisans got my back up, and how some of the kinder, smarter (in my opinion!) Obama supporters talked me… Read full post »

A few hours ago I sent an AP story to our news team, about how Barney Frank and some other Democrats think Barack Obama should be doing more to intervene on the economy. A few hours earlier, I was on MSNBC right after Jonathan Weisman from the Wall Street Journal, who'd… Read full post »

As I'm sitting here waiting for Nora to get home tonight, I'm thinking sappy thoughts and they turned to all of you. I'm grateful for many things about Open Salon, but one thing that stands out is the advice so many of you gave me about dealing with her high school… Read full post »

I'm hearing a lot of people say we should just ignore Sarah Palin, but as much as I'd like to, she's engaged in a rehabilitation tour that she clearly hopes takes her to the White House in the next four to eight years.

I wrote about her horrific… Read full post »

Thanks to Saturn Smith for a great post! I have a cry-off candidate I meant to post the other day:

I never cross-post, but once I saw Monte's, I couldn't resist...

I had friends complain that Barack Obama's TV ad Wednesday night was "dull," but I thought it worked. Maybe that's because I spent the middle of the day getting ready for MSNBC's "Hardball," where I got to hear disgraced GOP… Read full post »

I will try to post the video, but Stephen Colbert's interview with Sherman Alexie was so politically incorrect and hilarious I couldn't take notes, but nonetheless had to post here.

Most shocking revelation: He tells Colbert "my spiritual animal is the squirrel." I don't know, but it could all make s… Read full post »

Oh brother. Thanks to my Open Salon and Salon friends who sent me nice emails about my Sunday Hardball performance (last week it was "Midnight Hardball;" I'm getting a name for doing these funny, off the schedule, free-association shows. )

Sunday I got to argue with Pat Buchanan about… Read full post »

I'm proud of Salon every day, but today is special: Mark Benjamin's report on two apparent friendly fire deaths, and their cover-up, is must reading. It made the Today Show this morning. 

The fact that the Today show picked it up so quickly is all about the credibility Mark has… Read full post »

I called Thursday night's debate pretty quickly for Joe Biden. But my confidence on the page masked the insecurity I felt half-way through the debate. I was instant-messaging with a Salon colleague -- I won't out him! -- and while we both thought Biden started strong, we began to worry mid-way… Read full post »

My mother died at 45. So I never had a hard time convincing myself that these last few years have been a gift – watching my daughter graduate from high school, moving her into her college dorm; having fantastic dinner dates when I'm in New York now (that's where we… Read full post »

I've been very influenced by the posts of Stellaa and Redstocking Grandma and others, urging people to stay focused on Sarah Palin's retrograde stance on the issues, not on her decisions as a mother. Occasionally I slip, but on balance, I think that's the right approach.

But I found myself appalled… Read full post »

"My fellow Americans, the choice of a running mate is a presidential candidate's first big decision. And with all due respect (ahem) to my Christian right allies, it's got to be my choice, made in the best interest of the nation. And for me, it's really not a choice at all:… Read full post »

I can't believe I didn't blog at all from Denver, except I did, on that other blog -- and in War Room, and I think I wrote a story, too. I can't remember, it's all a blur, but a great blur. You read about the Salon party thanks to marytkelly and… Read full post »

I'm sorry it's taken me so long to post, but I finally wrote about my Denver trip so far here. Our Denver party was incredibly fun, especially because we got to meet Mary T. Kelly and reconnect with the beloved Dave Cullen.

Please blog about the convention as it… Read full post »

I'm rewriting the top of this piece to reflect the day: Stephanie Tubbs Jones suffered a brain aneurysm, and after some confusion about her status this afternoon, she died Wednesday night.

She was, by far, my favorite Hillary Clinton surrogate, defending her candidate without trashing Barack Obama, a… Read full post »

I got War Room's Tom Schaller to post several times on the latest from the Saddleback fiasco. But I still couldn't give it up. I posted on it again tonight. But there is still more for me to say.

What Christian would use the term "sour grapes," as Warren did, to… Read full post »

I agree with pretty much everything in Liz Emrich's "People of faith." I consider myself a person of (sometimes wavering) faith. And yet I was uncomfortable with Barack Obama's decision to go to the Saddleback Values Forum -- and I also think John McCain won the advantage there.

You… Read full post »

I'm proud that Salon named Mad Men's Jon Hamm Salon's Sexiest Man Living, but I liked him even better after reading this interview in The Advocate. The topic was Mad Men's "Big Gay Following," and Hamm was charming dealing with the man-lust his character Don Draper inspires. He was… Read full post »

Lisa migrated over to Ye Olde Salon on Saturday to defend me in my letters thread, which I appreciated more than I probably should. She also wondered there why I bother to read and answer my comments, especially the obnoxious ones. I was thinking about how to answer her as I… Read full post »

Madame Bitch already posted about the playing of the "playing the race card." I posted about it on Salon, too. I think the craziest thing, to me, is the McCain camp's stated reasoning for picking Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. According to the Chicago Tribune's Jill Zuckman, her McCain sources told… Read full post »

I agreed with Time's Joe Klein that John McCain went off the rails when he said the other day that Barack Obama "would rather lose a war than lose an election." Awful. But Klein went one step beyond where I would, suggesting the statement was so outrageous, it raised questions about… Read full post »

I started to write a post calling out all the terrific posts that are up today and the list got too long, and then I started reaching back in the week to the calf-off and...well, every day has been great this week. Thanks to everyone for all your inspiring… Read full post »