Copyright 2008 The New York Sun Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:38:23 -0400 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Jim Geraghty :: Stories from The New York Sun http://www.nysun.com/authors/Jim+Geraghty istoll@nysun.com (Ira Stoll) webmaster@nysun.com en-us JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/national/edwards-let-the-irs-prepare-your-return/52605/ Tue, 17 Apr 2007 00:00:00 EST The first weeks of April are the traditional time for presidential candidates to offer their ideas on reforming the tax code, and this year is no different: John Edwards is suggesting that the Internal Revenue Service prepare tax returns for 50 million Americans who have simple tax circumstances. The former North Carolina senator laid out the idea in an audio podcast posted on his Web site April 7. For Americans whose employers and financial institutions send all of their relevant tax data to... JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/national/thompson-bid-may-fill-a-void-for-the-gop-base/51866/ Thu, 5 Apr 2007 00:00:00 EST When George Allen fell to Jim Webb in the Virginia Senate race, it opened up a slot in the upcoming Republican presidential primary: the role of the reliable longtime lawmaker who has no serious disagreements with the conservatives who make up the party's base. That slot is moving closer to being filled by a former senator of Tennessee, Fred Thompson. The potential candidate is about "50–50" on running "because the polls have caught his eye," a source close to Mr. Thompson told National Review... JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/arts/popular-charm-of-big-government/51629/ Mon, 2 Apr 2007 00:00:00 EST If you like calling Republicans fascists, then Joe Conason's "It Can Happen Here: Authoritarian Peril in the Age of Bush" (St. Martin's Press, 238 pages, $24.95) is the best book ever. How about when the GOP disagreed with President Franklin Roosevelt's domestic agenda? "In the time of crisis, when powerful figures in the corporate elite and the Republican party looked toward fascism for salvation, the American people chose democracy and the New Deal instead," Mr. Conason writes. And the... JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/national/fund-raisers-show-clintons-obama-strategy/51077/ Fri, 23 Mar 2007 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON — What does the Bill and Hillary Clinton Fund-Raising Tour, starting in New York this week, moving on to Washington on Tuesday, and concluding in Los Angeles this weekend, tell us about the New York senator's strategy in dealing with rising challenger Senator Obama? Size matters. Everything about this week's event in Washington screamed big. From the ballroom at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, designed to hold more than 3,000 people, to the Patton-esque flag backdrop, to 1,000-plus... JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/national/democratic-aide-strider-plays-political-hardball/47558/ Mon, 29 Jan 2007 00:00:00 EST When the presidential campaign of Senator Clinton announced that veteran Democratic aide Burns Strider had signed on last month, the new staffer's duties were widely described as "evangelical outreach." Mr. Strider had a similar role with Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina and the House Democratic Caucus, coordinating outreach to religious groups. But Mr. Strider also has recent experience helping a liberal female lawmaker quash the political aspirations of a young, up-and-coming African... JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/national/gop-strategists-keeping-a-close-eye-on-obamas/46802/ Wed, 17 Jan 2007 00:00:00 EST Never mind the primaries — Republican strategists are keeping a close eye on the just-announced presidential exploratory bid of Barack Obama, and already trying to figure out how they might deal with a general election campaign against the Illinois senator. The early buzz from campaign planners on the Republican side ranges from admiration and recognition of genuine political talent to a mild panic about the chances of success against him. "The enormous reaction to Obama tells you that somebody... JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/national/gilmore-ponders-joining-crowded-republican/45670/ Tue, 26 Dec 2006 00:00:00 EST When James Webb beat Senator Allen earlier this year, he was cheered by Virginia Democrats. But one Virginia Republican may also have been quietly smiling as he noted the opening of a previously occupied slot in the 2008 GOP presidential field. The field had, as of this fall, four major candidates, and a slew of lesser-knowns hoping to break into the first tier. There was Senator McCain of Arizona in the role of the Loyal Party Soldier on his Second Time Around (an often-winning role played by... JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/national/mccain-hints-minn-governor-may-be-his-running-mate/45086/ Wed, 13 Dec 2006 00:00:00 EST In 2002, White House strategist Karl Rove referred to Minnesota as the "Holy Grail." At the time, the state seemed well within the GOP's grasp. On the heels of a funeral for Senator Wellstone, a Democrat, that many believed had turned into a tasteless pep rally, Republicans enjoyed a wildly successful year. Governor Pawlenty was elected by an eight-point margin in a three-way race; Senator Coleman beat last-minute replacement candidate Walter Mondale. In 2004, Republicans dreamed of victory for... JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/national/bloomberg-bid-for-president-draws-attention/44883/ Fri, 8 Dec 2006 00:00:00 EST The 2004 presidential race lacked a feature present in every campaign since 1992: a significant showing by a third-party candidate. Today, however, political strategists are coming to recognize that the presidential race in 2008 may be a threesome again. Mayor Bloomberg may have repeatedly denied that he is running, but after two terms as New York mayor, what else would he do with his money? "Half a billion dollars? Not a problem," he was reported to have said earlier this year when asked what... JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/foreign/benedict-is-greeted-by-turkish-premier-upon/44289/ Wed, 29 Nov 2006 00:00:00 EST ANKARA, Turkey — Prime Minister Erdogan of Turkey greeted Pope Benedict XVI amid intense security upon his arrival here yesterday. The Turkish government deployed about 15,000 federal and local police throughout Ankara and its airport to protect the pope. A confluence of events suggested this papal visit is fraught with more danger than most. Last week, a man fired a gun into the air near the Italian Consulate in Istanbul while protesting the visit; this weekend, a smaller than expected but... JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/foreign/turks-in-suspense-as-erdogan-sets-welcome-of-pope/44180/ Tue, 28 Nov 2006 00:00:00 EST ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey held its collective breath on the eve of the first visit of Pope Benedict XVI last night, as the nation's prime minister suddenly changed plans and indicated that he would greet the pope when he arrives. At one point, it appeared that every prominent Turkish official was going to be out of the country during Benedict's visit, an unlikely scheduling snafu that suggested a deliberate snub by the Turkish government. Prime Minister Erdogan said he would be at a NATO... JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/national/proxy-battle-erupts-between-mccain-romney/44171/ Mon, 27 Nov 2006 00:00:00 EST It may seem early to see Republican presidential aspirants butting heads, but Senator McCain of Arizona and Governor Romney of Massachusetts are already fighting a proxy battle in the state that both see as pivotal to the 2008 GOP presidential nomination. Michigan plays a key role in both men's plans. Mr. McCain had a surprise victory there over George W. Bush in 2000. Mr. Romney's father, George, was a revered three-term governor of Michigan. As one Michigan consultant put it, "If there are... JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/opinion/detecting-a-pattern/37982/ Wed, 16 Aug 2006 00:00:00 EST "Our nation is stronger when we work with our friends and negotiate with our enemies." Ned Lamont, August 1, 2006 Consider the positions of the left side of the political aisle on some of the top foreign threats of the day. On American policy regarding North Korea, the argument from the left, and Democrats in general, is that the six party talks are a failure, and that the Bush administration ought to sit down and talk directly with Kim Jong Il. They urge the administration to begin with the... JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/opinion/fatal-flaws/35222/ Wed, 28 Jun 2006 00:00:00 EST ANKARA, Turkey - Odd as it may seem, the annual release of the survey results of the Pew Global Attitudes Project has evolved into the American equivalent of the bloody Shia ritual of Ashura. During Ashura, devout Shiites commemorate the suffering and martyrdom of the grandson of Mohammed, Husayn, by flagellating themselves bloody with bladed chains. For several consecutive years, the Pew study has disclosed that large majorities of foreign populations despise Americans, spurring international... JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/opinion/beyond-saving/33206/ Tue, 23 May 2006 00:00:00 EST The headline in the Economist declares the current French government as "beyond saving." Throughout France, the public senses that their government is in disarray and their elected officials are paralyzed. The Gallic nation has been through a tremendous amount of upheaval in the past year - the unexpected widespread rejection of the EU Constitution, the car torching ethnic violence of last fall, the huge strikes and protests by young people opposing economic liberalization earlier this year, a... JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/arts/devoid-of-authenticity/32290/ Mon, 8 May 2006 00:00:00 EST Say this for Joe KIein's latest work - you will rarely encounter a book that mixes so many funny and revealing stories of past presidential campaigns with such an utterly wrongheaded premise. Mr. Klein, a columnist for Time and once-anonymous author of the Clinton-era novel "Primary Colors," has soured on today's political scene, and he diagnoses political consultants as the malady in "Politics Lost : How American Democracy Was Trivialized By People Who Think You're Stupid" (Doubleday, 272... JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/opinion/united-93/30651/ Fri, 7 Apr 2006 00:00:00 EST Forget "Crash" and "Brokeback Mountain." Universal's upcoming film "United 93" might become the most talked-about movie in recent memory. The film, a no-glitz production of unknown actors reenacting the events of that day - in the airport, on the plane, in NORAD and air traffic control centers - is set to open April 28. The release of the trailer last week caused a stir. Newsweek reported that Hollywood audience members began calling out, "Too soon!" and New York City theatergoers complained... JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/opinion/unserious-plan/30274/ Mon, 3 Apr 2006 00:00:00 EST It's easy to despair at our current atmosphere of raging partisan fury. As the Bush administration has looked tired and unfocused, a frustrated hawk may start looking at what the opposition party has to offer. Democrats can't all be like Howard Dean, Nancy Pelosi, and John Murtha, right? There must be someone beyond Senator Lieberman with some serious proposals on terrorism and national security that could make a hawk exclaim, "Hey, that's not a bad idea. The Bush administration ought to... JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/opinion/intolerable-trial/29616/ Wed, 22 Mar 2006 00:00:00 EST ANKARA - Americans are generally tolerant people, and don't like judging a person as inherently dangerous or threatening because of his religious beliefs. But events since September 11,2001, have tested the ideals of Americans of non-Muslim faiths (or no faith, for that matter). We have seen the worst of Islam in the terrorist attacks in Bali, Madrid, Moscow, Istanbul, Beslan, Jakarta, London, Amman - all committed by those claiming to act in Islam's name. Beyond that, most Americans now know... JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/opinion/tipping-point/28453/ Thu, 2 Mar 2006 00:00:00 EST ANKARA, Turkey - What's the common thread running through the table-pounding outraged reaction to the UAE port deal, widespread disgust over the cartoon riots, fear and incredulity over Iran's saber rattling, and weariness with nation-building in Iraq? They're all signals that we've reached a tipping point in how the West - in particular, Americans - see the Muslim world. For much of the post-September 11 era, non-Muslim Americans tended to see Muslims as mostly good people, not terribly... JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/opinion/anti-american-trash/27250/ Wed, 8 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST ANKARA - Ironically, the recent controversy over the Danish cartoons depicting Muhammad is only the second-biggest catalyst for anti-Americanism in Turkey this week. The biggest would be the release of the widely-hyped new movie, "Kurtlar Vadisi Irak," or "Valley of the Wolves Iraq." The movie is a spin-off of "Valley of the Wolves," a cheesy television show about gangsters in which Sharon Stone taped a cameo a little while back, playing an American gangster. The movie itself is a bouillabaisse... JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/opinion/joys-of-low-expectations/25994/ Tue, 17 Jan 2006 00:00:00 EST AMMAN, Jordan - The newspapers here in the Hashemite Kingdom have updates on Prime Minister Sharon's grave condition, each datelined "Occupied Jerusalem." Jordanian Times columnist Ramzy Baroud laments that the media has been filled with "endearing commentaries, venerating news reports, and glorifying television programs" about Mr. Sharon, demonstrating that absolutely everyone in the world believes that the media is biased against their viewpoint. But by and large, reaction to Mr. Sharon's... JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/opinion/christmas-in-turkey/25116/ Thu, 29 Dec 2005 00:00:00 EST ANKARA - After a year of considerable gloom, let us consider two signs of hope this holiday season. In the post-September 11 world, few modern problems stir fears like the rising tide of Islamist religious intolerance - from the banning of Bibles in Saudi Arabia, to the beheading of "infidels" in Iraq, to the teaching of hate in mosques in Pakistan, to the Indonesian Sharia judge who blames last year's tsunami on women failing to wear headscarves. Many non-Muslims see an endless parade of... JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/opinion/total-pr-war/24441/ Wed, 14 Dec 2005 00:00:00 EST Wal-Mart's recent travails may be reverberating in the business world, but they're having just as big an impact on the political world. The Wal-Mart Wars, fought by two savvy sides armed with sophisticated arsenals of public relations weapons, offer a glimpse of how companies and their critics will duke it out for years to come. And politicians are taking note. On one side you have Wal-Mart Watch and Wake Up Wal-Mart - the former received start-up cash from the Service Employees International... JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/opinion/bushs-pushback/24231/ Fri, 9 Dec 2005 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - For a good long while, 2005 looked like a disastrous year for the Bush administration and the Republican Party. President Bush's approval rating had steadily declined all year long. The public appeared to be losing faith that anything could be accomplished in Iraq. Fiscal conservatives accelerated the tearing out of their own hair over out-of-control spending. Legal minds on the right launched a full revolt over the Supreme Court nomination of Harriet Miers. Scooter Libby was... JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/opinion/run-on-national-security/22864/ Thu, 10 Nov 2005 00:00:00 EST Election Day 2004 was one of the best for Republicans in years. Election Day 2005 - consisting of two governor's races, one mayoral race, and a slew of referenda in California - was one of the worst. You will see much hue and cry about these results, and what they mean for the 2006 elections, when all seats in the House of Representatives, about a third of the Senate, and a slew of gubernatorial races are on the ballot. This week Democrats are heartened; Republicans feel as if they've hard... JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/opinion/from-little-to-no-help-at-all/20222/ Mon, 19 Sep 2005 00:00:00 EST BERLIN - The muddy results of Sunday's German election left the nation without a chancellor for now. The country's next leader will be decided by negotiations among the five major parties, each with a frustratingly small slice of a diffused vote. But it's not too early to conclude that this year's German election was bad news for the Bush administration. In 2002, incumbent Chancellor Schroeder made a comeback by catering to anti-Americanism and portraying himself as a principled opponent of... JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/opinion/new-american-ally/19684/ Wed, 7 Sep 2005 00:00:00 EST The good news for Americans tired of being scapegoated as the source of all the world's problems by foreign politicians is that the German chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, still looks set for an involuntary retirement on September 18. The bad news is that his likely successor, the Christian Democrat Angela Merkel, is no Tony Blair. Nor is she a John Howard. Members of her party have indicated that they're more likely to agree with the Bush administration, and aim for smoother relations with... JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/opinion/anti-war-veteran/18131/ Fri, 5 Aug 2005 00:00:00 EST In an odd-numbered year, with the New York City mayor's race a snooze and the New Jersey and Virginia governors' races yet to heat up, political junkies focused their attention on the August 2 special election in the second district of Ohio. A congressional seat opened up when Republican Rep. Rob Portman departed office to become U.S. trade representative under President Bush. Jean Schmidt won a crowded Republican primary, and the Democrats had what appeared to be a surprisingly strong... JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/opinion/syrian-missiles-turkish-skies/15024/ Tue, 7 Jun 2005 00:00:00 EST ANKARA - The news, when it splashed across the New York Times' front page, had all the makings of a major diplomatic crisis: Syria test-fired three Scud missiles on May 27, including one that broke up over the Turkish province of Hatay and sent debris plummeting to earth near the villages of Golbas and Mahmutlu. Thankfully, there were no injuries or property damage. But the incident could easily, and justifiably, be interpreted by Turkish authorities as recklessness on the part of the Syrian... JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/opinion/europes-terrorism-priorities/14469/ Thu, 26 May 2005 00:00:00 EST ANKARA - Imagine a terrorist organization that over a span of two decades kills 10 times the death toll of September 11. Imagine that after years of hitting and hiding, the head of that organization is finally captured by law enforcement and extradited to the nation where he and his gang committed the attacks. Bowing to international ideals, the country of the victims waives the death penalty, but declares the mastermind guilty of "treason" and sentences him to life in prison on an isolated... JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/opinion/blowing-the-election/13268/ Wed, 4 May 2005 00:00:00 EST LONDON - American conservatives tend to grind their teeth extra hard at the thought of Gerald Ford's 1976 campaign, or George H.W. Bush's tired and lackluster 1992 campaign, or the never-really-had-a-prayer 1996 effort of loyal party man Bob Dole. It's one thing to lose when the tides of history are running against your party, and you make the most of a limited opportunity. It's another to blow a chance against a flawed rival like Jimmy Carter or Bill Clinton. Right now it appears British... Jim Geraghty http://www.nysun.com/opinion/let-them-grumble/12226/ Thu, 14 Apr 2005 00:00:00 EST ANKARA, Turkey - Back on March 18, Eric Edelman announced his resignation as American Ambassador to Turkey. Since then, there has been speculation floating around the capital city about the next U.S. ambassador. Among the expatriates here, a much-discussed possibility is the idea that the next ambassador will be a woman. And that speculation is usually followed by the conclusion that some voices in the Turkish government and press would be less than thrilled about that prospect. Compared to... JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/opinion/why-moore-deserves-an-oscar/8575/ Tue, 1 Feb 2005 00:00:00 EST So apparently, liberals aren't all that high on Michael Moore anymore. Really. Let me explain: Tuesday morning, the Oscar nominations came out, and Mr. Moore's "Fahrenheit: 9/11" didn't get a best picture nomination - or any nominations, for that matter. Mr. Moore made his work ineligible for the best documentary category by putting the film on pay-per-view television. The academy has a strict policy that disqualifies any documentary that airs on television within nine months after its... JIM GERAGHTY http://www.nysun.com/arts/skewering-the-do-gooders/8238/ Wed, 26 Jan 2005 00:00:00 EST With a cover featuring Michael Moore, Senator Clinton, Dan Rather, Rosie O'Donnell and Senator Kerry, it is easy to imagine that Mona Charen's "Do-Gooders: How Liberals Hurt Those They Claim To Help - And the Rest of Us," (Sentinel, 269 pages, $25.95) is the latest contribution to the lexicon of screaming political titles. But Ms. Charen isn't interested in the large print, angry name-calling style of the crank-'em-out polemicists. As in her previous book, "Useful Idiots: How Liberals Got It... Jim Geraghty http://www.nysun.com/opinion/broken-wing/6036/ Thu, 9 Dec 2004 00:00:00 EST Even those of us who are not Democrats have an interest in seeing that party become a healthy, rational, compelling opposition. Competition is a good thing, in politics as in sports or business. It would be nice for libertarians, centrists, moderate conservatives, and other persuadable folks on the right and in the center to feel at least a little conflicted at the ballot box. But to do that, the Democrats have to persuade a larger chunk of the electorate that they are as ruthless as the... Jim Geraghty http://www.nysun.com/opinion/left-with-nothing/4274/ Thu, 4 Nov 2004 00:00:00 EST Never mind the concession speech from John Kerry. I want a concession speech from Dan Rather. During this entire campaign, the mainstream press has fed us a steady diet of myths, lies, conventional wisdom, and liberal pipe dreams that have been thoroughly discredited. Time and time again, the networks and left-of-center pundits put their faith in ideas and theories that have now been as debunked as a CBS memo written by Bill Burkett. Among the worst: Young voters would turn out for Senator... Jim Geraghty http://www.nysun.com/opinion/ignore-the-polls/3277/ Fri, 15 Oct 2004 00:00:00 EST At the conclusion of the third debate, President Bush is in much better shape than the polls would suggest. This is not based on wishful thinking, outdated historical models, or a Magic Eight Ball. It is based on the clear fact that for the past two years, the major pollsters have been completely blindsided by the Republican Party's vastly enhanced turnout efforts. In 2000, the situation was reversed. Mr. Bush galloped into Election Day with a lead of four or five points in most polls. But a... Jim Geraghty http://www.nysun.com/opinion/maximizing-the-bounce/1289/ Fri, 3 Sep 2004 00:00:00 EST It would be tough to imagine how this week could have gone better for President Bush and his top political strategist, Karl Rove. Okay, maybe a group of protesters wearing John Kerry T-shirts could have burned some American flags and assaulted some National Guardsmen, and the Bush twins could have not made their national debut by making fun of grandma. Beyond that, everything has been coming up roses. Senator McCain, Mayor Giuliani, and Governor Schwarzenegger each hit home run speeches. First...