Da Vinci math and other tales of innumeracy
06/06/2006
Referencing “The Da Vinci Code” in the title ought to guarantee some readership.And it is partly accurate, just like several of the “facts” examined here. We love to believe we…
Facts versus truth in reporting
05/30/2006
My first lesson about journalists’ vision of their responsibilities came in a congressional primary 20 years ago. Candidates had to secure support from convention delegates to get on the ballot.…
Altering the reality of failure
05/23/2006
Reality drives presidential approval. Much more than rhetoric, speech venues or staff shuffles, it is real events that determine a president’s public standing. President Bush got to 90 percent approval…
Bushs immigration politics
05/16/2006
As President Bush enters the immigration debate, keep several facts in mind. First, large majorities believe the president’s immigration policy is a failure – just like his Iraq policy,…
Its the GOP that has no agenda
05/09/2006
Many are asking the right question of the wrong people. Commentators regularly inquire as to whether Democrats have an “agenda.” That question is better directed to Republicans. Though fully in…
If things are so good, why are voters upset
05/02/2006
Economists and the administration seem perplexed. If the economy is so good, why are people feeling so bad? Leaving the war to the side for the moment, resolving this paradox…
Understanding whats wrong in Iraq
04/25/2006
At recent Passover Seders, Jews quoted an ancient rabbi who exclaimed, “Here I was a man of 70 years and did not understand why Passover should be celebrated at night…
Registration and turnout 1st things 1st
04/18/2006
Most campaigns relegate voter-registration efforts to second-class status. “Can’t afford it. Need to put the money into GOTV.” “New registrants don’t vote.” These are among the conversation-enders I’ve heard…
Credibility lost is hard to win back
04/11/2006
A commercial from my now-distant youth averred: “If you’ve got your health, you’ve got just about everything.” (Note to ad makers: recall and persuasion are not the same. I recall…
McEntee, Mom and mobilization
03/28/2006
I love Gerry McEntee. I also love my mother, but that does not mean she is always right either. McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal…