A new bill in Washington formalises the power of the US military to abuct and imprison anyone, anywhere in the world.
Democrats
What game theory says about Labor’s woes
Faced with their opponents abandoning sound policy, what should Labor do? Maybe do the same, says one theory.
Did Google strike a deal with Obama?
Google have denied that the Democrats have been granted special access to a new advertising initiative despite claims of the contrary made by a company sales representative, reports Byron Tau and Ben Smith.
Huffington: It all came down to jobs and the economy
Now that the US midterm elections are over, the postmortems begin. There will be innumerable different opinions about what went wrong for the Democrats but it all boils down to one truth: they took a beating because of jobs and the economy, writes Arianna Huffington.
Crikey Says: Crikey says: how much trouble is Barack Obama in?
Fifty states, several territories, 35 Senate races, 435 House of Representatives Congress seats, 39 governorships, and innumerable state positions from judge to dog catcher to be voted on: it all comes down to today…
Keane essay: why Labor can’t communicate
Labor shares a basic problem with the Democrats - an apparent inability to resist the self-serving narratives of their opponents
The triumph of anger over facts
Anger is the most powerful political motivation and the reason why the GOP will trump the Democrats at this year’s US midterms. Americans are experiencing hard times and they’ll have no qualms about blaming the current administration, writes Peter Hartcher.
Republicans set to win the battle but risk losing the war
Democrats are praying for an 11th hour miracle to save them at the US midterms, but everybody knows the Republicans will win big. However, if the Republicans carry out the Tea Party mandate they risk losing a much more important contest: the long-term battle for public support, writes Peter Beinart.
Democrats’ shot at maintaining majority not looking rosy
The Democrats are facing serious losses this November due to a failing US economy and the limited policy success of the Obama Administration.
The Arizona homeless candidates controversy
Arizona is a state known for its hardball political environment, but tactics may have plummeted to new lows with allegations that a Republican has recruited homeless people to run for public office simply to stymie Democrat support. Candidates include a tarot card reader who is running for treasurer.
Democrats in disaster management mode
With the November senate elections fast approaching, the Democrats are preparing to redirect their resources to embolden their strongest incumbents with the overall hope of winning a slim majority, writes Jeff Zeleny and Carl Hulse.
US Democrats take on climate change, Rudd style
The ALP aren’t the only elected political party who can talk up climate change then spectacularly fail to deliver. Lacking widespread support, the Democrats have swapped a comprehensive energy bill for a much milder alternative.
Can Republicans take control of the senate?
Just two years after the Democrats held a commanding 60 seat majority, party members now concede that the Republicans have a shot at winning back the senate during this year’s elections.
It’s tough being a Democrat on Fox
Politico meets the token Democrats who appear on Fox News. “It sucks,” says one. So why do they do it? People watch Fox — and for these true believers, some of their souls can still be won.
Political snippets: How the papers deal with Newspoll figures they don’t like
The Oz and Fairfax mangle the polls for Labor and Liberals, while somewhere on the internets, the Australian Democrat corpse is attempting to rise from it’s grave.
Guy Rundle: Rundle08: The Dems’ need for catharsis? Oh God…
Never underestimate the ability of the Democrats to remove the as yet undigested remains of defeat from the sifted faeces of victory, writes Guy Rundle.
An attack on Mayne’s Democrats revisionism
Crikey didn’t kill the Democrats, writes Andrew Le Clercq. It was merely a loud eager-beaver Greek chorus thingy on the sidelines.
Stephen Mayne: How we killed the Democrats
Crikey wrote the obit for the Democrats before the last election. Stephen Mayne rakes over the coals of Crikey’s reportage on the demise of Don Chipp’s dream.
The Australian Democrats: the last of the honest bastards
The Australian Democrats have left the Senate chamber. Don’s Party is over, writes Nahum Ayliffe.
Whither the Democrats?
The inaugural meeting of the Australian Lobster Party…
We’re the party that ate itself: Democrat insiders tell
At thirty years of age, the Australian Democrats are terminally ill when they should be in their prime, write former staffers John Cherry and Vivienne Wynter.
Tips and rumours
Strong rumours coming out of Tassie talk about a local Liberal leadership spill – a complete top level cleanout apparently. Caroline Overington had a self serving defensive piece about the Wentworth emails on-line at 9am this morning, at 9.28am it has vanished. I can’t believe all the rubbish that has been peddled about the candidates […]
