Dana Liebelson

Reporter

Dana Liebelson is a reporter in Mother Jones' Washington bureau. She contributes regularly to The Week. Previously, she worked for the Project On Government Oversight (POGO), covering defense and open government issues. Her work has also appeared on TIME's Battleland, Truthout, OtherWords and Yahoo! News. In her free time, she plays electric violin in an Indie rock band.

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2 Minutes With David Corn: The Foreign Policy Debate

—By Dana Liebelson and David Corn

| Mon Oct. 22, 2012 8:22 AM PDT

On Monday night, President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney will face off on foreign policy. Some pundits say that the election is so close, the outcome could very well pivot on this debate, where the candidates will grapple over issues like the terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya. But according to Mother Jones Washington Bureau Chief David Corn, Obama's strong advantage on foreign policy probably won't move voters one way or the other:

Here's an excerpt:

As we get closer to the election there are a lot fewer undecided voters. So there's less room to move [and] fewer people to persuade. This is now the third debate. In some ways you could see it as the rubber match. Mitt Romney did quite well in the first one, Barack Obama did better than Romney in the second one. But I don't think people are looking at this like a play-off series, 2 out of 3 wins the day. I think each candidate has given their supporters what they needed to give them in the first two debates, and [because] the third one is about foreign policy, supposedly exclusively, [it's] going to be something that may not move a lot of voters who have yet to be moved.

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Tegan and Sara vs. the Rock and Roll "Brodeo" (Video)

The Canadian duo talk about their male-dominated profession and what bugs them about American politics.

—By Dana Liebelson

| Mon Oct. 22, 2012 3:03 AM PDT

When Indie rock twins Tegan and Sara launch into the first single off their new record at Austin City Limits music festival, the audience gets quiet. Really quiet. Many of the fans sweltering under the Texas sun are here to see Tegan and Sara do what they do best: crank out angsty songs on acoustic guitar, with lyrics about jealousy, break-ups, and hating yourself.

But this new song, "Closer" (off their upcoming album, Heartthrob), has a beat that wouldn't be out of place on a Ke$ha chart-topper—fitting, given that one of the album's producers, Greg Kurstin, has also worked for the glittery pop star. Hearing "Closer" is a little like ordering hard cider and getting pink lemonade with whipped cream instead. The duo was advised by their producers to "not baby their old fans," and the single is proof that Tegan and Sara are taking that to heart.

[Read the full article]

Romney Tries to Woo Small Business Owners with Eau de George W. Bush

—By Dana Liebelson

| Thu Oct. 18, 2012 3:08 AM PDT

Judging by Tuesday night's debate, the 2012 election is all about wining, dining, and seducing small business owners. At the town hall event, President Obama and Mitt Romney said the phrase "small business" a collective 21 times. But when it comes to promises to small business owners, Romney is like that prom date you rejected senior year. He's showing up to your house again in a better suit, but trying to woo you with the same, sweaty cologne: Eau de George W. Bush.

Romney has promised to permanently extend Bush's 2001 and 2003 tax cuts for the rich, and the 2012 nominee's rhetoric is strikingly similar to Bush's. At a 2008 Small Business Summit, Bush told small business leaders:

"The last thing small business owners need is higher taxes. I believe strongly that to make sure this economy recovers and stays strong, there needs to be certainty in the tax code. And the best way for Congress to make sure there's certainty is to make the tax relief we passed permanent."

In last night's debate, Romney echoed Bush's words: "Why do I want to bring rates down and at the same time lower exemptions and deductions, particularly for people at the high end? Because if you bring rates down, it makes it easier for small business to keep more of their capital."

Like Bush, Romney is claiming these massive tax cuts can be offset, but hasn't demonstrated how he will do it.

"That's the unspecified part of the plan," says Joseph Rosenberg, research associate at the Urban Institute. "It's hard to know how it will play out."

VIDEO: The Most Cringe-Worthy Town Hall Debate Moments…of All Time

Town hall debates: Where your favorite presidential candidate either keeps a straight face through all of the wackiness…or succumbs.

—By Dana Liebelson

| Tue Oct. 16, 2012 3:08 AM PDT

Presidential debates are nerve-wracking enough when they take place in a moderator-controlled bubble. The town hall debate is a whole different animal. Here, candidates must contend with angry constituents, overenthusiastic kids, and questions that sound like they were composed after chugging three bottles of NyQuil. In honor of tonight's town hall debate between President Obama and Mitt Romney, here are some of the most cringe-worthy presidential town hall moments…ever.

the symbolic children

Setting: 1992, town hall debate among Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Ross Perot

Town-Haller (start time: 19:57): The focus of my work is domestic mediator, meeting the needs of the children that I work with by ways of their parents, and not the wants of their parents. I ask the three of you how can we as symbolically the children of the future president expect the two of you, the three of you, to meet our needs. The needs in housing, in crime, you name it, as opposed to the wants of your political spin doctors…can we focus on the issues and not the personalities and the mud?

Bill Clinton: I agree with him!

"Obama is an Arab"

Setting: 2008, John McCain town hall meeting in Minnesota

Town-Haller (00:00): He's not—he's not—He's a, he's an Arab.

John McCain: No ma'am. He's a decent family man citizen who I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues, and that's what this campaign is all about.

Feelings and touching

Setting: 1992, town hall debate among Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Ross Perot

Town-Haller (0:28): On a personal basis how has [the national debt] affected you.

George H.W. Bush: I'm sure it has, I love my grandchildren…

Town-Haller: How?

Town-Haller (1:05): …[Clarifying question] I have personal problems with national debt. But how has it affected you? If you have no experience in it, how can you help us, if you don't know what we're feeling?

George H.W. Bush: Well, listen, you ought to be in the White House for a day and hear what I hear, and see what I see, and read the mail I read, and touch the people that I touch from time to time.

[Read the full article]

Flowchart: Are You a Taker or a Maker?

Tonight, when Joe Biden and Paul Ryan face off, you better know whether you're a "taker" or a "maker."

—By Dana Liebelson and Jaeah Lee

| Thu Oct. 11, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

There is a lot riding on tonight's vice presidential debate. Tonight, when Paul "Randsplainer" Ryan and Joe "The Bulldog" Biden butt heads, it might be useful to know just which side of the fence you're on: The takers, or the makers? For that, we have this handy chart to help you figure it out. Good luck!