Andrew Sullivan's Blog, page 2600

"I'm Sorry" Ctd

by Chris Bodenner

A reader writes:

Jay Bakker (son of Jim and Tammy Faye) has been using the "I'm sorry" approach for much longer than Andrew Marin has.  What's more, he really means it.

Tammy Faye Messner - Jay Bakker - Jim Bakker - Tammy Faye - Business

Liberaltarianism Watch

by Patrick Appel

Massie looks abroad:

[Britain and Germany:] are currently governed
socially-liberal, economically-conservative coalitions. If you want
see whether "liberaltarianism" is possible then you might look to

Germany's Free Democrats and, to a lesser extent, some LiberalDemocrats in Britain would probably come within a US definition of"liberaltarian". Rock-ribbed libertarians can find plenty to be unhappywith in each instance but these governments are much, much...

The Salad Days Of A Culture Warrior

by Chris Bodenner

Bill O'Reilly used to review porn for the Boston Pheonix, the left-leaning alt weekly.

bill oreilly - Culture Warrior - Alternative newspaper - O'Reilly Factor -

Two Mobs, A Stabbing, and An Arson

by Conor Friedersdorf

On a recent evening my girlfriend and I tried a Burmese restaurant on Sepulveda Boulevard, arriving just before 9 pm, and hungry as two foxes. A sign on the door noted that during Ramadan, the establishment would be closing an hour early. Disappointed, we began to leave, but the owner rushed out, insisted that he'd cook for us anyway, and wouldn't take no for an answer. Inside we interacted with his warm family as they took our order, and exchanged friendly glances with o...

Fool's Gold

by Conor Friedersdorf

As I read the accounts of Glenn Beck's rally, its large crowds, and its message of redemption, I see that even some of the most intelligent libertarians are seduced by the television and radio host's popularity, and what he has done for Hayek sales. This despite the dubious information he puts out and the creepy, hard to miss warning signals he keeps giving everyone.

These apologists should be reminded that meaningful political change takes a long time to happen, that Mr. ...

Why Is No One Buying Houses?

by Patrck Appel

Felix Salmon thinks getting the housing market moving will require more landlords, which will require lower house prices. Adam Ozimek eyes the low-hanging fruit:

One way to encourage more landlords in some areas would be to removerent controls. Allowing landlords to raise prices increases the valueof the investment to them, and thus increases their willingness to pay. In most places in the country this has gone by the wayside, butaccording to the most recent American Housing...

A New Televangelist In Town

by Chris Bodenner

Peter at Right Wing Watch profiles the less-publicized part of Glenn Beck's revival weekend:

... America's Divine Destiny, theFriday night warm-up to Beck's Lincoln Memorial rally. The three-hourprogram at the Kennedy Center for the Arts combined gospel music,patriotic songs, and speeches about the need for spiritual renewal inAmerica. It is impossible to overstate Beck'sassessment of the importance of his events. Toward the beginning ofDivine Destiny, he stated, "this is...

"Body Parts On Their Window Sills"

by Chris Bodenner

Tim Heffernan winces at the dark rhetoric of Debra Burlingame, a September 11 activist - and now anti-Cordoba activist - who lost her brother in the Pentagon attack. (She and Liz Cheney co-founded Keep America Safe, perhaps the most powerful fear-mongering















Keep America Safe - Deborah Burlingame - September 11 attacks - Debra Burlingame - September 11 2001

Maintaining Some Honor

by Chris Bodenner

Efforts by liberal partisans to find displays of racism at the Beck rally come up short.

Politics - Chris Bodenner - Parties - Republican - Sharron Angle

Question of the Week

by Conor Friedersdorf

It's the final week before Andrew returns, and I'd like to begin it with another question for readers: What about your profession or field of expertise do most people not know or fail to understand or appreciate? Straightforward answers are fine, as are reflections on what the media gets wrong about your field, or what insights it gives you that others might find helpful as they try to understand the world. And yes, rants from service employees are also okay.

(Send to...