Tim Murphy

Tim Murphy

Reporter

Tim Murphy is a reporter in MoJo's DC bureau. Last summer he logged 22,000 miles while blogging about his cross-country road trip for Mother Jones. His writing has been featured in Slate and the Washington Monthly. Email him with tips and insights at tmurphy [at] motherjones [dot] com.

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Was Obama Right About Rick Warren?

—By

| Mon Dec. 14, 2009 11:17 AM PST

Sometimes a little public outrage goes a long way. On Wednesday, Rick Warren, the California mega-church pastor who delivered the invocation at President Obama's inauguration, ended his uncomfortable silence on anti-gay legislation in Uganda by condemning (via YouTube) a proposed measure that would make homosexuality punishable by death. (Warren's Twitter feed suggests he’d been a bit more active behind the scenes). That same day, citing pressure from Ugandan pastors—Warren is huge there—politicians temporarily dropped the proposal. Ugandan President Yoweri Musevini's spokesman issued a statement blaming outside activists for derailing the legislation:

"The Anti-Homosexual Bill 2009, yet to be tabled on the floor of parliament, has attracted unnecessary hullabaloo," said the spokesman. "Some Western countries, with their characteristic condescending attitude, are already threatening to cut aid if that bill is passed into law." (h/t Episcopal Cafe)

[Read more in the MoJo blog]

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Obama Challenges Charlie Brown, Christmas, For the Spotlight

—By

| Mon Dec. 7, 2009 6:38 PM PST

For many Americans, December 1 was a night to crowd around the fireplace, drink hot cider, and treat themselves to a once-a-year viewing of A Charlie Brown Christmas. But that very same night also featured a major policy speech by President Obama on the war in Afghanistan. Coincidence?

Arlington, Tenn. mayor Russell Wiseman doesn't think so. Taking out his channel-surfing frustrations on (where else?) Facebook, Wiseman saw the speech's timing as a carefully crafted ploy to blur the true meaning of Christmas:

"Ok, so, this is total crap, we sit the kids down to watch 'The Charlie Brown Christmas Special' and our muslim president is there, what a load.....try to convince me that wasn't done on purpose" [sic].

[Read more in the Riff blog]

Glenn Beck, Thespian

—By

| Fri Dec. 4, 2009 3:01 PM PST

If you skipped last night's Glenn Beck holiday special, The Christmas Sweater: A Return to Redemption, you had company. The live event, beamed into 475 movie theaters nationwide, sold 17 tickets apiece in Boston and New York, and 30 in Washington, DC. At the downtown cineplex in San Francisco, a brisk walk from Mother Jones headquarters and the only theater in the city to air the program, the crowd could be counted on just two fingers—three, if you include this reporter.

The program revolves around a pre-taped, one-man stage production of Beck's semi-autographical novel, The Christmas Sweater (now available in children's book form), in which a young boy, Eddie (played by Beck), rejects his mom's knitted gift, only to watch in horror as she dies in a horrific accident that evening. Eddie runs away from home and hits rock bottom—which a teary-eyed Beck illustrates by collapsing to the floor into a fetal postion—before finding finding salvation and discovering the true meaning of Christmas. It's a real heartwarmer.

[Read more in the Riff blog]

The Big GAO Report on Political Intel is Kind of Meh
Fri Apr. 5, 2013 9:02 AM PDT

The NRA Unveils Its School Safety Plan: More Guns
Tue Apr. 2, 2013 10:11 AM PDT

Fla. State Senator: We Need to "Vaccinate" Against Shariah
Fri Mar. 29, 2013 10:15 AM PDT

No Joke: North Dakota Named Freest State in the Country
Thu Mar. 28, 2013 7:18 AM PDT

Ashley Judd: I'm Not Running
Wed Mar. 27, 2013 2:49 PM PDT

Rick Perry Needs a Refresher on How Texas Feels About Marriage
Wed Mar. 27, 2013 8:29 AM PDT

The Anti-Marriage Equality Movement Meets on the Mall—and Tries to Think Happy Thoughts
Tue Mar. 26, 2013 12:09 PM PDT

GOP Sen. Wants to Require a Two-Thirds Majority for Gun Laws
Fri Mar. 22, 2013 12:30 PM PDT

Former Obama Official Compares Glenn Beck's Attacks to Orwell's "Two Minutes Hate"
Thu Mar. 21, 2013 8:17 AM PDT

Arizona One Step Closer to Using Gold Bullion as Currency
Wed Mar. 20, 2013 11:01 AM PDT

Quote of the Day: "How Is That a Woman?"
Mon Mar. 18, 2013 12:11 PM PDT

CPAC: Where Ashley Judd Rape Jokes Happen
Mon Mar. 18, 2013 7:37 AM PDT

VIDEO: At CPAC, Wayne LaPierre Channels Red Dawn
Fri Mar. 15, 2013 10:11 AM PDT

Climate Denier at CPAC: Trust Me, I'm an Astronaut
Fri Mar. 15, 2013 9:05 AM PDT

WATCH: Feinstein Smacks Down Cruz Over Gun Ban: "I Am Not a 6th-Grader"
Thu Mar. 14, 2013 2:37 PM PDT

9 CPAC Events We Initially Thought Were Parodies
Thu Mar. 14, 2013 9:55 AM PDT

Pope Francis I is Really, Really Opposed to Gay Adoption
Wed Mar. 13, 2013 1:36 PM PDT

Study: Blacks Twice as Likely as Whites to Get Death Penalty in This Texas County
Wed Mar. 13, 2013 9:39 AM PDT

GOP Congressman Still Wants to Ban "Obamaphones"
Tue Mar. 12, 2013 9:55 AM PDT

A Majority of Young Republicans Support Gay Marriage
Fri Mar. 8, 2013 10:09 AM PST

Texas Rep. Wants a George W. Bush National Park
Thu Mar. 7, 2013 8:37 AM PST

N.H. GOPers: Secret Constitutional Amendment Was Deleted in 1871
Mon Mar. 4, 2013 10:48 AM PST

Ashley Judd in DC: I'm a Three-Time Rape Survivor
Fri Mar. 1, 2013 4:21 PM PST

The Budding Rand Paul–Bob McDonnell Flame War
Thu Feb. 28, 2013 9:46 AM PST

Why Does the Capitol Still Whitewash White Supremacists?
Wed Feb. 27, 2013 11:49 AM PST

Ashley Judd Is Not the Next Todd Akin
Tue Feb. 26, 2013 8:26 AM PST

10 People You Didn't Realize Were Friends of Hamas
Wed Feb. 20, 2013 3:17 PM PST

Montana Still Trying to Legalize Gay Sex
Wed Feb. 20, 2013 2:26 PM PST

Georgia Man With IQ of 70 Granted Stay of Execution (UPDATED)
Tue Feb. 19, 2013 4:47 AM PST

Georgia Legislators Propose Ending Direct Election of Senators—Why Not Just Get Rid of the Senate?
Fri Feb. 15, 2013 10:45 AM PST

Even Tom Tancredo's Successor Endorses Path to Citizenship
Mon Feb. 11, 2013 10:40 AM PST

The Great Texas–California Flame War of 2013
Thu Feb. 7, 2013 8:16 AM PST

Here's a Potential GOP Senate Candidate Playing Beer Pong
Tue Feb. 5, 2013 11:49 AM PST

The 12 Most Threatening People on the NRA's Enemies List
Fri Feb. 1, 2013 10:52 AM PST

Mississippi Bill Would Ban Manimals, Mermen, and Minotaurs
Thu Jan. 31, 2013 8:38 AM PST

Ken Cuccinelli's Messy Relationship With Mental Health
Thu Jan. 31, 2013 4:01 AM PST

6 Things We Learned at the Senate's Big Guns Hearing
Wed Jan. 30, 2013 11:51 AM PST

Republicans Urge Party to Become More Open, Ignore Major Newspapers
Tue Jan. 29, 2013 8:53 AM PST

Sen. Ron Johnson: We're Living in Atlas Shrugged
Mon Jan. 28, 2013 12:45 PM PST

The Assault Weapons Ban Just Doesn't Have the Votes
Fri Jan. 25, 2013 12:53 PM PST

Dianne Feinstein Tries to Unsuck the Assault Weapons Ban
Thu Jan. 24, 2013 11:07 AM PST

Top Obama Organizer Wants to Turn Texas Blue
Thu Jan. 24, 2013 8:42 AM PST

Yup, Ashley Judd Sounds Like She's Running for Something
Sun Jan. 20, 2013 2:07 PM PST

New York Rep. Wants Ban on 3D-Printed Gun Magazines
Thu Jan. 17, 2013 7:56 AM PST

Gun Group: We're Giving Away a Free Assault Rifle for Freedom!
Mon Jan. 14, 2013 9:19 AM PST

Glenn Beck Building Ayn Rand-Inspired Utopia
Fri Jan. 11, 2013 2:29 PM PST

GOP Rep.'s Gold Standard for Gun Stores Was Sued for Negligence
Fri Jan. 11, 2013 11:47 AM PST

NRA's Armed Security Guard Proposal Kind Of Popular
Thu Jan. 10, 2013 8:23 AM PST

Donald Berwick: The Next Elizabeth Warren?
Wed Jan. 9, 2013 8:36 AM PST

Allen West's Crazy "Nuts" Letter Is Now on eBay
Tue Jan. 8, 2013 12:00 PM PST

Is Your Team's Owner a Major League Asshole?

MoJo's guide to the national pastime's deepest pockets and reviled personas.

Fri Apr. 5, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

The Tea Party’s Next Bogeyman: Obama's Common Core Conspiracy

The educational community is divided on new national curriculum standards. But conservative activists see something more sinister.

Thu Apr. 4, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

The Dark Side of Florida Gulf Coast University, March Madness Sweetheart

The university trampled over Florida panther habitat at the behest of a Big Ag benefactor. Cinderella who?

Fri Mar. 29, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

Which Politicians Supported Gay Marriage and When?

A timeline of the long, increasingly fast path to marriage equality.

Tue Mar. 26, 2013 5:28 AM PDT

The US Capitol Is Full of White Supremacists

The US Capitol's Statuary Hall honors some of the America's most notorious figures—and covers up their crimes.

Thu Mar. 21, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

Climate Change Denying Congressman to Head Subcommittee on Climate Change

Rep. Chris Stewart has written Glenn Beck-endorsed end times novels. Now he might be dealing with the real thing.

Tue Mar. 19, 2013 5:22 PM PDT

The Quest to Make This Lizard-Sniping Italian the Patron Saint of Handguns

An ex-gun-rights lobbyist wants the Catholic Church to recognize the miracle of standing your ground.

Wed Feb. 27, 2013 4:01 AM PST

Montana Bill Would Let Sheriffs Arrest FBI Agents for Arresting People

Gary Marbut says Waco would have been averted if his bill had been in place two decades ago.

Thu Feb. 21, 2013 4:01 AM PST

Want to Blow Up a Killer Asteroid? Talk to This Guy

Professor Bong Wie’s plan to save Earth from a future impact might work—if he can convince Washington to get behind it.

Fri Feb. 15, 2013 6:06 PM PST

The Big House That Wayne LaPierre Built

The NRA spent millions in the 1990s pushing the largest prison construction boom ever—and harsh sentencing to keep them full.

Fri Feb. 8, 2013 4:11 AM PST

Gun Enthusiasts' Hot New Idea: You Can't Regulate Guns We Make In-State

How one man’s pet project to manufacture a rifle for kids became a conservative rallying point.

Fri Feb. 1, 2013 4:06 AM PST

Bringing Home the Bacon—With an AR-15

Why semiautomatic rifles are the weapon of choice for helicopter hunting.

Thu Jan. 24, 2013 4:06 AM PST

Steve Stockman Is the Nuttiest Freshman in Congress—Again

The Texas Republican who wants to impeach President Obama is picking up where he left off—16 years ago.

Wed Jan. 23, 2013 4:01 AM PST

Flashback: How Republicans and the NRA Kneecapped the ATF

Thirty years ago, the National Rifle Association saved its biggest adversary from extinction. It got just what it wanted.

Thu Jan. 17, 2013 4:11 AM PST

Obama's Wrong: We Kind of Are a Nation of Deadbeats

Selling problematic debt and laughing about it is the story of America.

Tue Jan. 15, 2013 4:01 AM PST

14 Ways Obama Can Push Gun Control Without Congress

Forget the House of Representatives. Here’s what the White House can do right now.

Mon Jan. 14, 2013 4:06 AM PST

How Hollywood Made the Gunmakers' Day

VIDEO: Why does Clint pack a Smith & Wesson and Angelina fire a Glock? Branding.

Thu Jan. 10, 2013 4:06 AM PST

NRA Private Security Advocate Works for Private Security Company

Asa Hutchinson wants an armed guard in every school. That could help his former lobbying client Securitas Inc.

Tue Jan. 8, 2013 4:01 AM PST

Republicans Have a Habit of Blocking Disaster Relief for Americans

Rep. Peter King ripped his party for ignoring Hurricane Sandy victims, but it was business as usual for the GOP.

Thu Jan. 3, 2013 4:06 AM PST

The GOP's Anti-Muslim Wing Is in Retreat

Why Republicans finally seem to be distancing themselves from the Muslim-bashers in their midst.

Thu Jan. 3, 2013 4:06 AM PST

Congress’ Next Gun Battle: 3-D Printers

Rep. Steve Israel wants to take aim at "Star Trek" weapons.

Fri Dec. 21, 2012 4:01 AM PST

Watch: "A Lot of People Say: 'I'm Going to Buy Some Body Armor.'"

Preppers on how to survive the apocalypse—and Barack Obama's second term.

Thu Dec. 20, 2012 4:06 AM PST

Dr. Strangeloaf: A Survival-Food Taste Test

How I learned to stop worrying and love the Candwich.

Thu Dec. 20, 2012 4:06 AM PST

Preppers Are Getting Ready for the Barackalypse

Obama's second term is very bad news for survivalists. It's also very good news for the industry catering to their worst fears.

January/February 2013 Issue

America's 50 Worst State Legislatures

Because it's never good when your state's greatest legislative achievement is "WrestleMania Appreciation Week."

Wed Dec. 5, 2012 4:03 AM PST

Under the Hood of Team Obama's Tech Operation

How a bunch of data-obsessed geeks created the ultimate digital fundraising machine—and kept their guy in office.

Thu Nov. 15, 2012 4:03 AM PST

Inside Sheriff Joe's Weird, Wild Reelection Race

The bizarre election to take down America's most infamous sheriff, featuring a special guest appearance by Steven Seagal.

Thu Nov. 1, 2012 3:03 AM PDT

7 Electoral Scenarios Most Likely to Trigger Armed Rebellion

Or, you know, a total cable news freakout.

Tue Oct. 30, 2012 3:03 AM PDT

Meet Ted Cruz, "The Republican Barack Obama"

The tea party wonder boy is sweeping the GOP establishment off its feet. Come January, he could turn the Senate upside down.

November/December 2012 Issue

Is Romney Using Lyme Disease to Win Swing State Votes?

In Virginia's Loudoun County, the candidate waded into a contentious debate over Lyme disease. But in his bid to court voters, Romney may be playing politics with public health.

Mon Oct. 22, 2012 3:03 AM PDT

Sasha Issenberg on the Secret Science of Winning Elections

"The Victory Lab" author talks voter microtargeting and why voting PSAs are totally worthless.

Wed Oct. 3, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

Meet Obama's Digital Gurus

You won't see these Obama operatives on "Hardball." But they're building the 21st-century campaign.

September/October 2012 Issue

Stalk the Vote

How Obama for America gets to know Jane Q. Voter.

September/October 2012 Issue

Inside the Obama Campaign's Hard Drive

Obama's tech guru and his microtargeting whiz kids are building a new kind of Chicago machine. Can they help the president hold on to the Oval Office?

September/October 2012 Issue

Why This Man Won't Be the Next Nader

Meet Virgil Goode, the Koran-bashing, puppy-loving Virginian whose campaign was supposed to cost Mitt Romney the election.

Mon Oct. 1, 2012 3:00 AM PDT