Author Archives: Timothy Burke

Come on, this is a great speech. I have no idea whether it’s a great speech tactically: clearly some people will hear or think what they want to hear. But this is one of the few speeches by an American … Continue reading →

Matthew Yglesias has an interesting piece in the April Atlantic that argues that intense partisan differences between the two major American political parties are a good thing, on balance, that they allow voters to make clear choices and decrease the … Continue reading →

Dear White Pennsylvanians: Barack Obama is a Negro. We think maybe you hadn’t noticed. Yours, Geraldine Ferraro Ed Rendell Bill Clinton and other to-be-disavowed supporters yet-to-be-named.

A rule of thumb: public virtue tends to reside most in elected officials who quietly go about the business of enforcing minimal standards of conduct and ethics on themselves and their colleagues, who make enemies reluctantly. Look for people who … Continue reading →

Richard Dawkins really annoys the crap out of me sometimes. I was just listening to a rebroadcast of his interview on NPR’s Fresh Air about his book The God Delusion, and I found myself as irritated with him as I’ve … Continue reading →