New witnesses force media, Democrats to confront Biden allegations
The allegations against Joe Biden are finally breaking through a wall of media silence and political deflection.
MixedTimes - Howard Kurtz
Who won? Iowa caucus disaster highlights why the process is a mess
The Iowa caucuses essentially collapsed in confusion when state party officials were unable to report any results. It was a colossal failure on Monday night that will only fuel the criticism of the state’s first-in-the-nation role, with rules so complicated that journalists had trouble explaining them and the Democratic apparatus couldn’t even count the votes.
Who won? Iowa Caucuses disaster highlights why the process is a mess
The Iowa Caucuses essentially collapsed in confusion when state party officials were unable to report any results. It was a colossal failure on Monday night that will only fuel the criticism of the state’s first-in-the-nation role, with rules so complicated that journalists had trouble explaining them and the Democratic apparatus couldn’t even count the votes.
President plays with racial fire, unifying squabbling Democrats
I thought it was refreshing when President Trump defended Nancy Pelosi against insinuations of racism, even though he was doing it to criticize the four freshmen congresswomen who have been feuding with her.
Why Trump launched his love-it-or-leave-it attack on freshmen Dems
I thought it was refreshing when President Trump defended Nancy Pelosi against insinuations of racism, even though he was doing it to criticize the four freshmen congresswomen who have been feuding with her.
‘Fake’ charges fly as Trump rips social media for bias, dishonesty
It was obvious from the outset that the media didn’t think much of Donald Trump’s social media summit.
Trump moves into damage control mode (just like every other politician)
When the British ambassador to Washington was caught disparaging President Trump in cables back to London, everyone knew what happened next would be rather undiplomatic.
The Jeffrey Epstein charges are revolting, but let’s be careful about implicating others
The Jeffrey Epstein case is appalling, heartbreaking and downright nauseating. How this disgusting human being who preys on young girls got off without a long prison term a decade ago is a testament to a criminal justice system that favors the rich and powerful.
Trump showing new strength, even with some foes calling him ‘unpresidential’
So many Democrats, liberals and all-around detractors look at the last 2-1/2 years, and are convinced that he’ll never win reelection. They see chaos and confusion, they see endless Twitter rants, and they see a president who hasn’t cracked 50 percent in the major polls.
Trump showing new strength, even with some calling him ‘unpresidential’
So many Democrats, liberals and all-around detractors look at the last 2-1/2 years, and are convinced that he’ll never win reelection. They see chaos and confusion, they see endless Twitter rants, and they see a president who hasn’t cracked 50 percent in the major polls.
Trump team held back dirt on Kavanaugh accuser, new book says
A new book on the Kavanaugh confirmation fight describes a central conundrum for the judge and his advocates, which is that the team “understood that any criticism of Ford would be treated as a smear” and depicted as “victim shaming.
Media all but writing off Biden after one lousy poll
In the eyes of the pundits, Kamala Harris is practically accepting the Democratic nomination after one debate.
Lurching left: Are Democrats blowing their chance to beat Trump?
The Democrats are in danger of marching so far left that they go over a cliff.
Biden more than holds his own despite race-based slam from Harris
Joe Biden emerged largely unscathed during a high-decibel debate Thursday night, turning in a surprisingly passionate performance and fending off a racially charged attack by Kamala Harris.
Elizabeth Warren grabs spotlight, MSNBC barely challenges Dem candidates
The first Democratic debate was always destined to be about Elizabeth Warren, and she seized the initiative with the first question.
Democratic debates could be dull: A crowd in search of a breakthrough
Some Democrats and liberal activists are worried that the first round of presidential debates, could turn into a circular firing squad.
Winning ugly? Media hit Trump style over Iran, but sometimes it works
Does Trump preside over a messy and sometimes chaotic process? Of course. But sometimes that style gets results.
Why Biden hit a raw racial nerve on segregationist senators
Could Joe Biden be more tone-deaf?
Elizabeth Warren surges on flattering profiles, pundit praise
The Massachusetts senator is increasingly being touted as the main threat to Joe Biden.
Trump creates his own firestorm on foreign regimes peddling dirt
Why did President Trump respond at length to a hypothetical question from George Stephanopoulos?
How much do polls showing Dems trouncing Trump really mean?
The latest polls are more than ephemeral. They reflect a political landscape that may be radically changed once people start voting.
Biden caves after being battered on abortion media, liberal rivals
Biden's reversal on the Hyde Amendment represents his first defeat of the primaries.
Biden caves after being battered on abortion media by liberal rivals
Biden's reversal on the Hyde Amendment represents his first defeat of the primaries.
Iowa and New Hampshire overshadowed by cable hits, online campaigning
Thanks to technology and social media, the role of early states in presidential campaigns may be seriously undermined.
A Washington Post argument against impeachment: Trump is who he is
The paper owned by Jeff Bezos makes a strong case for not using the Constitution as a last resort to overturn an election.
Media flooded with impeachment stories, despite tepid backing on Capitol Hill
The possibility of impeachment is far more tantalizing than the mundane reality that it probably won't happen.
Pundits say Mueller handed Trump case to Congress, but did he?
What was the point of a probe that could not charge the president?
Too far? Trump invokes Kim in denigrating Biden
If Barack Obama had quoted Kim Jong Un to slap at a top Republican, the GOP would have gone haywire, and rightfully so.
How the media enabled Michael Avenatti, now accused of stealing from Stormy
The media that made Michael Avenatti famous led their viewers and readers astray.
Trump erupts, blows up meeting, as Pelosi pursues impeachment lite
What we’re left with is Impeachment in All But Name, as the president and his Democratic adversaries keep raising the stakes.
Trump drives media agenda, taunts Democrats, as Kibitzer-in-Chief
Donald Trump has many roles: cultural commentator, Twitter titan, reality show producer, kibitzer-in-chief, all intertwined with the job of running the country.
From abortion to immigration, endless battles that lead nowhere
Washington is now the home of gridlock on steroids.
Why Trump's constant attacks on Biden are helping the former VP
There may be 22 Democratic candidates, but the Republican candidate — and therefore the media — are increasingly focused on just one.
Tale of two Dems: Mayor Pete gets cover status, Biden gets whacked
While Biden is obviously a war horse, Buttigieg is the epitome of the kind of fresh face who fascinates the press.
Leaked Mueller letter leads to Barr grilling in hyperpartisan hearing
One of Mueller's allies clearly wanted to turn up the heat before Barr's testimony.
Media that dismissed Biden now see him as clear front-runner
After kicking around Joe Biden for weeks, the pundits are slapping their foreheads in amazement.
Democrats struggling for pocketbook message as roaring economy helps Trump
The economy is on fire right now, and that could be a major boost to President Trump's reelection chances.
Why the Mueller report, for all its meticulous detail, fell flat
More popgun than big-time bomb.
Media rip Barr in advance for holding a news conference
Even beforeWilliam Barr's appearance at the Justice Department this morning, he had been utterly vilified—for the sin of showing up to answer reporters’ questions.
How Trump is using furor over Ilhan Omar to bash Pelosi
With Democrats obsessed with knocking off Trump, keeping a façade of unity may well be impossible.
Bernie Sanders, angry at potshots, slams left-wing group
Sanders tries to send a message by going after ThinkProgress.
Julian Assange, arrested for damaging leaks, claims to be a journalist
The Wikileaks founder is using journalism as a fig leaf for his reckless conduct.
Black hole politics: Why no progress escapes DC's gravity
A whole lot of sound and fury dissipates inside the nation’s capital, leaving no discernable movement on virtually anything.
Trump's revolving door may not produce results, especially on immigration
The White House gate is turning into a revolving door.
Worst of both worlds: Trump ousts Kirstjen Nielsen, media hammer her
The Mexican border, an issue that helped get Donald Trump elected, continues to bedevil his presidency.
First Beto, then Pete: How the media are culling the Democratic contenders
The media's hot candidate of the moment, hands down, is Mayor Pete.
Biden defended by insiders, trashed by outsiders, depending on their politics
The Joe Biden imbroglio reveals a great deal about the media's subjective standards.
Why Trump abandoned his plan to replace ObamaCare
President Trump collided with political reality this week, and reality won.
Joe Biden's real problem: Lefty complaints he's not liberal enough
Barack Obama's vice president is not liberal enough for the liberal precincts of the media.
Joe Biden's real problem: Far-left complaints he's not liberal enough
Barack Obama's vice president is not liberal enough for the liberal precincts of the media.
Trump in a bubble? Media fault insular, red-state strategy
It’s faintly amusing to see the maestros of the mainstream media saying that Donald Trump is going about winning reelection the wrong way.
Jussie Smollett, who fooled the media and faced the backlash, beats the system
What happened in Chicago was an absolute travesty of justice.
Media mount counteroffensive against stinging criticism as probe ends
Forget the soul-searching. The media counterattack is underway.
Time's 'phenom': Is AOC using the media — or the other way around?
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the media are in a codependent relationship that benefits both sides.
Ted Koppel says 'the Establishment press is out to get' Trump
The former 'Nightline' host unloaded on The New York Times and Washington Post.
Why Democrats want to abolish Electoral College, pack Supreme Court
The 2020 contenders are trying to sell blatantly partisan moves as process reforms.
Brother of Jeff Bezos’ girlfriend admits a ‘deal’ with National Enquirer
Michael Sanchez, the brother of Jeff Bezos’ girlfriend, is acknowledging for the first time that he made a “deal with the devil”—meaning the National Enquirer.
Trump grounds Boeing plane, but can't move on from John McCain
President Trump is picking a whole lot of fights in recent days, including one with a dead senator.
Media Buzz: Media's Betomania boosts O'Rourke, magazine cover boy, for 2020
Vanity Fair describes Beto O'Rourke as undergoing "a near-mystical experience."
Media's Betomania boosts O'Rourke, magazine cover boy, for 2020
Vanity Fair describes Beto O'Rourke as undergoing "a near-mystical experience."
Tucker Carlson, under fire for past radio comments, blames the Left
Some of Carlson's comments to 'Bubba the Love Sponge' are offensive, troubling and can't be defended.
Why Pelosi is dissing impeachment despite her party's anti-Trump fervor
Nancy Pelosi is trying to shut down any talk of impeachment.
Rahm Emanuel says Democrats' hard left turn could reelect Trump
The Democrats are in a leftward lurch that could ruin their chances of retaking the White House.
Rahm Emanuel says Democrats' hard left turn could re-elect Trump
The Democrats are in a leftward lurch that could ruin their chances of retaking the White House.
Why DNC blew it in barring a Fox debate after New Yorker piece
Some of Fox News’ liberal rivals have been cheering the Democratic National Committee’s decision to exclude the network from the party’s primary debates.
Investigative avalanche: Are House Democrats overplaying their hand?
Now that Hillary’s not getting in the race—she was never running, despite hints from her keep-hope-alive surrogates—the spotlight has fallen squarely on the House Democrats.
Seeking security: Bezos mansion-hunting for new life before tabloid storm
The meticulous arrangements had all been made for Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez to tour their potential dream house in the Bel-Air section of southern California.
Democratic derby: Hickenlooper, Inslee and…Andrew Cuomo?
The Democratic stampede is under way, with candidates charging in who have little national name recognition.
Trump's personalized diplomacy fails as Korea talks collapse
By the time most Americans woke up Thursday, the North Korea summit was over — and had failed.
Under hyperpartisan questioning, did Michael Cohen damage Trump?
Trump's image was scuffed up, but by a guy who had soiled his own reputation.
Michael Cohen spectacle overshadows Korea summit
It was a classic split-screen moment for the media.
Democratic debate: Can an increasingly left-wing party win elections?
If you pulled a Rip Van Winkle last fall and woke up today, you'd be stunned by the new Democratic Party and its sudden embrace of uber-liberal ideas.
How some in the media embraced Jussie Smollett's discredited tale
Some in the media should take Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson's advice and apologize.
Trump revives 'enemy' rhetoric in denouncing NY Times, Washington Post
The president dusts off his "enemy of the people" phrase in the seemingly endless war with his two most aggressive newspaper adversaries.
Bernie's bombast now facing more rivals, more media scrutiny
Democratic voters have to decide whether they want a 77-year-old curmudgeon with a socialist agenda who's not even a Democrat.
How Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and the National Enquirer went to war
Jeff Bezos authorized negotiations that he hoped would lead to a legal settlement with the National Enquirer.
Billionaire backlash: Why it's hurting rich candidates and just plain rich
When even some billionaires are saying they have too much money, it’s clear the ground is shifting.
Feminist, bachelor, conciliator: How the media brand the 2020 Democrats
With so many Democrats joining the 2020 stampede, the media are trying to brand each one, often with help from the contenders and their strategists.
Bezos' girlfriend shared his texts, photos with friends before Enquirer leak
Jeff Bezos' girlfriend has privately acknowledged that she shared some photos and texts from the Amazon founder with several female friends, adding to the mystery of who leaked salacious material to the National Enquirer.
Blasts from the past wounding today's politicians as allegations resurface
We now live in an age of zero tolerance for any past mistake or indiscretion, no matter how many decades ago.
Trump urges bipartisan cooperation, but that may be a mirage
President Trump hit many of the right notes in his State of the Union, offering eloquent phrases about unity, bipartisanship and cooperation.
Northam clinging to office after botched presser, shifting story
It's hard to imagine how Virginia's governor could have handled this crisis more incompetently.
Trump, House Democrats already sparring over investigations
The opposition faces danger if they're seen as resorting to harassment and intimidation.
Trump at war with his own intel chiefs as divide deepens
Trump's appointees and congressional Republicans seem to be more openly challenging the president, at least on foreign policy.
Journalists now hate Twitter — because it exposes their excesses?
The Twitter bubble shines an unflattering light on our preexisting conditions: herd mentality, superficiality, uninformed opinion-slinging and not-so-subtle bias.
As Howard Schultz eyes 2020 run, Kamala Harris decries racial injustice
Howard Schultz may be consuming too much of his own caffeine if he thinks he has a shot at the presidency.
MAGA caps under fire as Trump-haters blame his supporters
People who despise Donald Trump are now aiming their anger at those who wear the red caps in support of the president.
Media use unnamed sources to trash Giuliani over missteps
The knives are out for the president's attorney.
Covington students, journalists mired in Twitter's toxic stew
Pondering the online culture in which warring tribes go for the jugular at a moment's notice.
Reckless media inflame BuzzFeed mess, slander Catholic students at protest
We live in the culture of the quick hit, the hot take, the hair-trigger tweet, and that often amounts to a rush to judgment.
Why the press praises Pelosi, hailing her 'badass' moves against Trump
Nancy Pelosi has been getting in the president's face and drawing plenty of cheers from the press.
Kirsten Gillibrand plays Colbert card but still gets little 2020 attention
The New York senator's exploratory committee didn't make the front page of The New York Times.
Aides leak tale of trying to stop Trump from leaving NATO
There is no longer any question that some of the top officials surrounding President Trump are trying to restrain him from certain dramatic decisions, especially on foreign policy.
Pundit says media should expose Trump in 2020 campaign
Frank Bruni is tortured. And he's got an elaborate plan to prevent Donald Trump from being re-elected.
Michael Cohen, seeking vindication, can’t use most ammunition against Trump
Some journalists are already touting Michael Cohen as the next John Dean, casting his upcoming congressional testimony as nothing short of historic. But they are probably jacking up expectations too high.
Trump calls media 'bonkers' as he pushes his own shutdown narrative
Not since the Nixon days has there been such a virulent and relentless battle over which picture is closer to the truth.
The speech that Trump didn't really want to give
Everyone is dug in. The only thing that changes is the number of days the government has been partially shut down.
Many pundits rip Trump's border speech — both before and after
President Trump used his much-disputed television time to portray the border as a humanitarian and law-enforcement crisis of the "heart" and "soul," but not before some media organizations preemptively accused him of spreading lies about the issue.
Trump's pivot on Syria: When final decisions aren't final
All the anguished hand-wringing by media and political figures, all the doom-and-gloom predictions about global instability, turn out to be overblown.
Why Speaker Pelosi and President Trump aren't making a deal
For the moment, at least, both sides would rather have the issue.