Author: Burt Likko

Can There Be Any Doubt?

The Supreme Court is in conference today, considering certiorari petitions for ten cases addressing the issue of same-sex marriage. Eight of them are challenges to the Defense of Marriage Act, one of them is...

Thinking in Shorthand

The culture wars over political correctness in academia never really went away, I suppose, although they only sometimes bubble up to the top of the simmering zeitgeist. One of those bubbles reaches up near...

A Few Words Of Thanks

I am grateful for my education and my admission into a profession which — though it frustrates and stresses me greatly at times — nevertheless also embodies many of my personal ideals, challenges me...

You Get It Here Firster And Better

McKay Coppins made memeorandum headlines this morning with a Buzzfeed article entitled “How The Conservative Media Lost The Election.” Good for him! But it seems to me…

Windows 8 Bleg

I just got a new laptop, which came with Windows 8 and Explorer 10. I am frustrated. Things are different now. I’ve managed to stumble into a desktop environment like I was used to...

Bookers: Fishing Strong Whiskey

Enough politics. Focus on what’s important, people! This month’s selection for our Bourbon club is Booker’s, a high-end, cask-strength product from Jim Beam. At 130 proof, this is among the stronger of spirits that you...

Foreign Policy: Twenty Questions

I saw at lunch that Bob Schieffer has made public the questions he intends to ask in tonight’s foreign policy debate. This makes it something of an exercised in prompted speechification, if you ask...

Electoral College Reversal

Most of the people I talk to about politics who like the idea of repealing the Electoral College and replacing it with a popular vote are Democrats. I think part of this is lingering...

Intermediate Scrutiny

The Federal Defense of Marriage Act has already been held unconstitutional by a Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. Today’s decision from the Second Circuit following suit and consciously anticipating SCOTUS review applies the “intermediate scrutiny” standard...

Unpacking The Binders

Legends are more interesting and more attractive than the reality underneath them. And sometimes, things are said that inadvertently reveal a great deal more than the speaker intends. So, quoth Mitt Romney in last night’s debate: …I...

Town Hall Debate: Ten Points

Why I bothered to watch I don’t know. I filled out my absentee ballot and mailed it in yesterday. But I resolved to offer ten points for discussion about the debate tonight, and here...

Week Five Wrapup

And we have a new leader! In what promises to be one of the last Monday night writeups I’ll be able to do, I can see that the three-way fight for first place has...

Friday Jukebox, James Bond Edition

This is the new James Bond song, “Skyfall,” by Adele, just released to the public today at 0:07, London time: Some of my favorite other James Bond theme music follows the jump:

Viewership Stats Bleg

Viewership Stats Bleg

Viewership statistics for the nation as a whole on the Presidential debates are not going to be that hard to find. But the number of people in Ohio and Florida and Virginia and Iowa and Colorado...

Presidential Debate LeagueCast

The League will have another video discussion tonight, almost immediately following the Presidential debate. For now, here’s the raw video of our chat. You’ll want to bear with us as the video starts while...

Week Four Roundup

The regular refs are back. They’re making bad calls just like the scabs did, but at least they aren’t deciding whole games. This, however, has not helped out my fantasy team one little bit....

The Insipid Campaign Cycle Of 2012

Is it just me, or is this not the dreariest Presidential election anyone can recall? An incumbent this weak shouldn’t be leading in the forecasts so consistently and so convincingly. Consider: a guy people can...