MotherJones.com | News - Investigative News and Political Commentary

July 9, 2008

The GOP's December Surprise Is the GOP cooking the books to avoid recession till after Election Day? —By James K. Galbraith MORE FROM MOJO: Is the Economy a Casualty of War? Why Deficits Matter
Obama on Patriotism: Getting Past the '60s? In a speech on patriotism, Obama defends his own love of country and says dissent—the right kind of dissent—is patriotic. —By David Corn MoJo Convo: Iran Panic We asked an Israeli intel correspondent, an Iranian American activist, an arms expert, and a former peace negotiator: How likely is a scenario in which the US or Israel bombs Iran? Talk to them all week about their responses. A Citizen's Guide To the Post-Bush Globe Quaker and foreign policy wonk Helena Cobban cheers Bush's North Korea diplomacy, skewers "daddy-knows-bestism," and offers some worldly advice for Americans. —By Justin Elliott Supreme Court Shoots Down DC Gun Ban In the ruling—opposed by the Bush administration but supported by Cheney—Scalia says the issue is hunting, not gun violence. —By Stephanie Mencimer America, Over Big Oil's Barrel What's really driving up your gas prices? Oil companies say it's government regulators, foreign dictators, and those pesky polar bears. —By James Ridgeway Avoiding Torture's Taint Don't let the Red Cross find out—and other military advice on the use of harsh interrogation techniques. —By Brian Beutler, The Media Consortium GAO: U.S. Lacks Post-"Surge" Plan For Iraq Violence in Iraq has dropped precipitously since January 2007, but, a new report warns, the Bush administration has yet to formulate a strategy to keep the peace. —By Bruce Falconer Obama: Promise-Breaker or Reform-Shaker? The presumptive Democratic nominee opts out of the presidential public financing system. Is this good for small-d democracy or a blow to political reform? —By David Corn 'If the Detainee Dies, You're Doing it Wrong' A Senate investigation uncovers how torture entered the military's post-9/11 playbook. —By Brian Beutler, The Media Consortium McCain's Slippery History With Offshore Drilling The Republican nominee is taking a pointless and environmentally dangerous position in order to pander to voters hit by high gas prices. It may hurt him come November. —By Jonathan Stein A Right-to-Lifer and the GOP's Nursing Home Dilemma When Ken Connor was testifying on Capitol Hill, it was clear that people in his party deeply wish that he would go back to worrying about the unborn. —By Stephanie Mencimer Obama Hires A Fan of the Bush Tax Cuts? Adding new staff to his campaign, Obama fills a top slot with a party professional who once touted the Bush tax cuts as a major accomplishment. —By David Corn Operation American Dream What happened to a Baghdad refugee duo stranded in Casablanca-like limbo? —By David Case McCain's Favorite CEO Why does the presumptive GOP presidential nominee believe it's smart to use Carly Fiorina, the ex-Hewlett-Packard chief, as a top economic surrogate when she symbolizes so many corporate excesses? —By David Corn Abramoff's White House "Fruit" Excerpts from the new government report detailing why a man now behind bars once had serious pull in the Bush administration—and what he did with it. —By Nick Baumann Seeing Bobby Kennedy in Barack Obama Forty years after RFK's assassination, Barack picks up where Bobby left off. —By James Ridgeway Is KBR Defenseless? How the American and European contractors in Iraq stay above the law. —By Daphne Eviatar Foreclosure Phil Years before Phil Gramm was a McCain campaign adviser and a lobbyist for a Swiss bank at the center of the housing credit crisis, he pulled a sly maneuver in the Senate that helped create today's subprime meltdown. —By David Corn James Woolsey, Hybrid Hawk The former CIA director turned clean-energy enthusiast is part geek, part zealot—and all iconoclast. —By Laura Rozen Byron Dorgan's Contracting Fraud Crusade The North Dakota senator has made investigating contractor corruption his mission, but will he succeed in creating a congressional committee devoted to it? —By Brian Beutler, The Media Consortium And Now, the Honeymoon Four years after my moms exchanged vows in San Francisco, the state of CA finally decided they could get married. This time, I'll give them both away at their wedding. —By Celia Perry Environmental Espionage: Inside a Chemical Company's Louisiana Spy Op Facing lawsuits and activist outcry following a massive chemical spill, Condea Vista called in Beckett Brown International's for-hire spies to infiltrate its opposition. —By James Ridgeway Hillary's Consolation Prize Will Barack Obama entice Clinton out of the race with the promise of a Supreme Court nomination? Nah. Here's why. —By Stephanie Mencimer Office of Special Counsel's War On Whistleblowers OSC is investigating Karl Rove's political machine. But until recently OSC head Scott Bloch's policy was to ignore whistleblowers' tips on murder, espionage, and terrorism, while vigorously rooting out any signs of the "homosexual agenda." —By Daniel Schulman No Congress, No Peace in Iran If the United States spreads its Middle Eastern disaster into Iran, it won't be the fault of George W. Bush alone – a Democratic Congress will share some of the blame. Fortunately, the legislative branch has effective options for stopping war before it starts. —By Jonathan Schwarz Fight Different: Politics 2.0 The halls of power will belong to whoever can tap the passion of the online masses. That kid with a laptop has Karl Rove quaking in his boots. And if you believe that, we've got some leftover Pets.com stock to sell you. Mother Jones McCain Campaign Screening Questioners? What's John McCain's Technology Policy? It Doesn't Exist. The GOP's December Surprise The MoJo Interview: David Sedaris				From the Mother Jones D.C. Bureau McCain Campaign Screening Questioners? Political reporters are wondering if McCain aides are vetting the journalists who ask questions during campaign conference calls for the media. The evidence suggests they are; the campaign won't say. July 8, 2008 What's John McCain's Technology Policy? Surprise—he doesn't have one. And how does that compare to Barack Obama? July 7, 2008 What Family Leave? The nation's workplace policies are on par with those of some Third World countries. Does the Bush administration want to keep it that way? June 23, 2008 Investigation Update: Three Days In Rome Does an investigation of the Pentagon’s channel to an Iran Contra arms dealer continue? A Mother Jones intel scoop. June 20, 2008 Three Days in Rome Redux: The Cocktail Napkin Plan for an Iran Coup More on the covert meetings between Pentagon officials and shady Iranian expats, plus other intel details from a new Senate report. June 7, 2008 All You Need to Know About Obama's VP Options Now that Obama has nearly clinched the nomination, who's on tap to be his running mate? Your guide to the contenders. June 3, 2008 The John McCain School for Lobbyists While the Arizona senator was decrying Washington's "revolving door," his own staffers were zipping back and forth through it. May 27, 2008 Armed and Humanitarian Lately, the Pentagon has made relief work a military priority. So why are NGOs bracing for a disaster? May 19, 2008 The Big Farm Scam The President of the Environmental Working Group explains why the farm bill that just passed Congress represents a monumental opportunity lost. May 16, 2008 Jammed by the Justice Department The House Judiciary Committee's attempts to extract information from the DOJ on the New Hampshire phone-jamming scandal have been met with a dial tone. John Conyers is getting ready to reach out and touch them with a subpoena. May 16, 2008 Meet Big Business' Favorite Granny With congressional Democrats moving to ban one of corporate America's most useful tricks, industry is fighting back with a 63-year-old widow who squeezed $281 out of Sears. May 12, 2008 more... AP Politics Feed: 7/09/08 05:25 am (PST) Obama says kids won't be doing any more interviews Obama: Iranian missile tests call for more talks Analysis: Obama won't try for McCain's budget goal McCain, Obama pitch economic plans to Hispanics Obama denies shifting to reach political center McCain to talk pocketbook education issues McCain: US withdrawal in Iraq will come in time Obama ad attacks McCain on energy solutions Obama calls McCain part of problem with bankruptcy Poland avoids missile defense topic with Obama Biofuels & Biodiversity Don't Mix How Do You Keep Veterans Out of Jail? The Latest Twist On Storms: Bigger & Badder Film Review: Punk's Not Dead NPR "Best CD" Poll Causes Panic John McCain Thinks Social Security Is A "Disgrace" What Heat Waves Tell Us McCain Aides Screening Reporters? The Campaign Replies Hancock: Racist, a Metaphor for Racism, or Just Dumb? McCain Scores New Support Among Hispanics more...