Campaign 2008

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chatterbox
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AstroTurf Watch
Introducing an occasional series spotlighting ersatz grass-roots lobbying by corporations.
Timothy Noah
posted July 24, 2008
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How the Serbian butcher's disguise gives aid and comfort to Liberal Fascism.
Timothy Noah
posted July 23, 2008
Health Care Reform: The Slugfest Begins
Meet the interest groups that will decide the fate of medical insurance.
Timothy Noah
posted July 22, 2008
Adam Bellow Agonistes
A culture warrior does battle with himself.
Timothy Noah
posted July 17, 2008
Hypocrisy in Flight
The airlines have some nerve complaining about "disclosure" and "transparency."
Timothy Noah
posted July 10, 2008
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chatterbox: Gossip, speculation, and scuttlebutt about politics.

Chatterbox Spans the Political Spectrum!

Mickey Kaus
Posted Tuesday, May 12, 1998, at 8:42 PM ET

Where's Gary Bauer? Seems like only a few months ago that Bauer, head of the Family Research Council, was making noises about running for president as the candidate of social conservatives--and people were taking him seriously. But now the socially-conservative face on television (Meet the Press, Larry King Live) and on the cover of U.S. News isn't that of Bauer, but of Bauer's patron, Dr. James Dobson. ... Somehow Chatterbox doesn't think Bauer is calling up Larry King and saying "would you put Dr. Dobson on TV." Bauer's been trumped by his own de facto boss. ... For Bauer to run for president now would be like Ralph Reed running for president when he was working for Pat Robertson. ... Plus Robertson himself is about to endorse Missouri Sen. John Ashcroft. ... For more on Dr. Dobson's doings, see Jacob Weisberg's analysis.

Some subway turnstiles are cheaper than others: It cost $25,000 a couple to see President and Mrs. Clinton at their fundraiser in Palo Alto, California, on May 1. But it cost only $5,000 a person to see the Clintons in Brookline, Massachusetts a few days later. One prominent California Democrat was recently heard to complain that for the $25,000 price of meeting Clinton in Palo Alto, she and her husband could have flown to Boston, stayed at the Ritz, chatted with the president, been entertained by James Taylor, visited a spa, flown back to Los Angeles and still had enough money left over to buy a small foreign car! ... Maybe there are the makings of a new profession here: "access arbitrage," in which highly-specialized entrepreneurs buy cheap Presidential face-time in Boston and sell it to eager, exploited moguls in Silicon Valley. ...

Too Good to Check Dept.: Speaking of Clinton's fundraising, Chatterbox hears that when a recent L.A. fundraising event was over, Clinton retired to the home of Ron Burkle, the Ralph's supermarket tycoon, where he was joined by actor Michael Douglas and former studio chief and trophy-wife spouse Mike Medavoy. ... Medavoy and Douglas are of course well known in Hollywood for their disinterest in sexual matters. Chatterbox bets they were talking p...p...p...policy! ... Somebody has to fill the void left by Vernon Jordan'... Burkle's chief of staff Darius Anderson confirms that Medavoy and Douglas were there, but makes a point of noting that each was there "with his wife." ... The only problem is that Douglas isn't married. ... Anderson also denies the salacious rumor that at about 2:00 or 3:00 AM, Burkle woke up to discover Clinton alone in Burkle's library, reading. ... Hey, but you just know that sort of thing goes on! ....