I started posting links to interesting articles and columns in September 2001, and this is my third archived batch. For the most recent article links click here. And please don't forget to check out my latest humor columns and Dubya's Dayly Diary.
April 25, 2002
Changes may follow Hughes’ exit This article explains Karen Hughes' White House role and presents some interesting speculation on what her departure will mean for the Bush administration. Dubya himself is so concerned about it he's been writing songs.
Life's a Stitch: The Best of Contemporary Women's Humor A terrific, new Random House humor anthology, whose contributors include Wendy Wasserstein, Delia Ephron, Anna Quindlen, Kathy Najimy, Christine Lavin, Erma Bombeck, Julie Gold, Cathy Guisewite, Merrill Markoe, Patricia Volk, Signe Wilkinson, Jane Wagner, Judith Viorst, Fran Capo, Molly Ivins, Lynn Johnston, Julie Haslton, Roz Chast, and many other terrific writers, cartoonists, and singer/songwriters. I'm proud to say that one of my humor columns is in the book too.
March 13, 2002
Suddenly, it's cool to be rude about Dubya again
And it's about time! This article presents an interesting survey of a Bush criticism come-back in books, film and stand-up. Of course, some of us think Bush bashing has always been cool. My Dubya's Dayly Diary hiatus lasted just six weeks, although to me it felt like forever. I'm glad to see films, books, and stand-up are starting to catch up. However, I won't be happy until major US media wakes up and begins doing its job.
Big John Wants Your Reading List Nat Hentoff's column about the USA Patriot Act and its impact on the privacy of our personal reading lists is a must-read.
The Progressive Duck-and-Cover Todd Gitlin thinks "Capitol Hill progressives are keeping unconscionably quiet" about Bush's expansion of the war on terrorism. He makes a very convincing case.
Feb. 2, 2002
Take The Money Enron A fine essay by S .M. McCord of SemiTrue.com about Enron's undue influence on the Bush administration.
Bush Antitrust Overhaul Collapses Was the Bush administration trying for political reasons to "reduce the level of antitrust scrutiny of media companies at the same time the Bush administration is moving to relax media ownership requirements?" It sure looks that way and if it weren't for Senator Ernest Hollings, it would have worked.
A White House Under Wraps This Chicago Tribune editorial decries Bush's obsession with secrecy and provides some excellent examples.
Probe Raises Stakes on Energy Task Force Records This Washington Post article is a fine backgrounder about the Congressional/White House fight over the release of records and what's at stake. According to the article, members of Congress and watchdog groups "are seeking to learn whether Enron, a major contributor to Bush's presidential campaign, influenced the administration in five areas: Enron's solicitations of government help in the weeks before its bankruptcy; the administration's energy policy, which includes expansion of energy production and transmission; last fall's economic stimulus package, which included a tax break sought by Enron; Enron's influence on the selection of administration personnel; and benefits Enron received from the Overseas Private Investment Corp. and the Export-Import Bank of the United States."
Jan. 16, 2002
Crony Capitalism, U.S.A. Reading Paul Krugman's columns is always an education. In this must-read commentary, he explains why the "real questions about Enron's relationship with the administration involve what happened before the energy trader hit the skids."
Daschle and Destiny Chris Mooney lays out in well-researched detail, a GOP character assasination campaign. It's aim? To demonize Tom Daschle and render him powerless.
Rep. Henry A. Waxman's Letter To Ashcroft Henry Waxman's my hero. Here's the letter he wrote that apparently inspired Ashcroft to recuse himself from the Enron investigation.
Bush's Stealthy Pursuit of a Partisan Agenda David Broder points out what the Bush administration is doing while holiday fun distracts most of the press. I, for one, am grateful that Broder's paying attention to Bush's stealth pursuits.
Justice Deformed: War and the Constitution This New York Times editorial offers an excellent summary of the Adminstration's troubling post-9/11 moves. It concludes: "We will be judged not by how we hold to our values when it is easy, but when it is difficult. The world is watching."
Saint George A fascinating commentary on George W. Bush by Michael Wolff.
Dec. 3, 2001
The Web Never Forgets Since 9/11 Web sites have been complying with government directives and removing material from the Web for security purposes. But is this material really gone? This article tells you where much of it can be found.
'Pin-Laden' Voo-Doo Doll This site sells an offbeat stress-reliever -- Osama 'Pin-Laden' Voo-Doo Dolls. If you want to "Stick it to him" these dolls may do the trick. Tasteless? Probably. But amusing nonetheless.
