Al Gore’s new climate change campaign
Al Gore has just launched a $300 million, bipartisan campaign to try to push climate change higher on the nation’s political agenda. The […]
International
Canada’s shame
For those of you who saw the title and thought this post was about Celine Dion, sorry, it’s about the seal cull. Every […]
Lies, damned lies, and statistics
David Farrar appears to be throwing his weight in behind National Party’s “New Zealand Sucks” campaign with another misleading post on migration to […]
Obama faces challenging times
Some commentators have been drawing parallels between John Key and Barack Obama’s style of appeal. That was all very well when it appeared […]
Five years of hell
It is five years since the US and allies invaded Iraq, and the war is far from over. Every day, there is fighting […]
GDP up; parents’ time with kids plummets
One of the most interesting questions from the audience at the Stiglitz interview in Wellington last week was whether he thought we were […]
Obama vs Key
With Barack Obama doing so well in the Democrat primaries and being seen as the candidate of change, National wants to paint John […]
What the hell is the sub-prime crisis?
The sub-prime crisis is at the heart of the world’s current economic problems. It all boils down to financiers playing fast and loose […]
Join the great Sydney exodus
Has the prospect of a Kiwi winter made you think longingly of a move across the ditch? Well if Sydney was your destination […]
Family First to support “love vacation”?
Finnish MP Tommy Tabermann (SDP) has proposed granting all employees a paid 7-day “love vacation” once a year. According to Tabermann, the purpose […]
Reacting to the Tibet unrest
The clashes between rioters and police in Tibet that have left up to 100 dead are a particularly tough issue for New Zealand […]
Communists on the move in Germany
Here’s a lead line from a Washington Post article that will strike fear and horror into the heart of any self-respecting rightwinger: “Nineteen […]
Viva Obama
Following a_y_b’s post about the deliciously punny Yes, Pecan! ice cream, we’ve found some more Obama-flavoured silliness which is also, incidentally, the best […]
Yes, Pecan!
Ben and Jerry’s icecream endorsed Obama when Edwards pulled out. To celebrate Obama’s win in Vermont, Slate recently ran a competition to name […]
Clinton’s 3am ad
Hillary Clinton’s ad warning of a national emergency at 3am and featuring sleeping children has been considered highly politically effective. It’s spawned hundred […]
Flying the Standard in Spain
Congratulations to the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party for winning their second four-year term under Prime Minister José Zapatero. Zapatero’s surprise victory in 2004 […]
Free Osanloo
The International Transport Workers’ Federation is holding an international day of action tomorrow calling for the release of Mansour Osanloo, an Iranian trade […]
Foreigners think NZ is great, why doesn’t National?
One of National’s strategies is to constantly talk down New Zealand, arguing that other countries have it better, that to catch up we […]
Behind National’s emigration wailing
National likes to talk down New Zealand, to portray this great country as underperforming, to exaggerate our problems, and to cast our unique […]
Turnout suppression
Paul Weyrich, co-founder of the conservative US think tank The Heritage Foundation (which has links to our very own Maxim Institute) once famously […]
Nader standing
Last night Ralph Nader announced his candidacy for President of the United States on NBC’s Meet the Press. Many Democrats see Nader as […]
NSW Liberals want an Electoral Finance Act
In an ironic twist, the Sydney Morning Herald reports today that the New South Wales Liberal Party has called for reform of campaign […]
Fidel calls it a day
The BBC reports that Fidel Castro has retired as Cuban leader. Castro has survived a US-backed invasion, numerous assassination attempts and the fall […]
Claims of Aussie brain drain a myth
Refreshing to see the fourth estate challenging the political spin from time to time. The Independent Financial Review has this on the myth […]
Karl Rove on John McCain
Australia says sorry
Howard couldn’t bring himself to do it, instead expressing “regret”. Today, Labor’s Kevin Rudd said sorry in a formal statement to the stolen […]
Swan to build surplus as economic stabiliser
Australian Treasurer Wayne Swan has announced that he intends to lift the target for the budget surplus, so that fiscal policy can help […]
When politics and music video collide
From CNN earlier in the week – Jeanne Moos presents her very own Super Tuesday Political Video Awards. A good summary of some […]
MoveOn.org endorses Obama
MoveOn.org is a progressive political community, organised predominantly online, with over 3 million members. For the first time they’ve endorsed a Democratic candidate, […]
Is Barack Obama dull?
Armando Iannucci from The Observer wonders whether he’s the only person to find Barack Obama dull: Like Will Smith, who in the new […]
What you can do with this gadget is up to you
Spotted in the NY Times (6 Jan 2008) this new gadget looks like it takes the concept of open source one step further […]
The Politics of New Hampshire
For those of you following the presidential primaries this opinion piece by Dan Balz in the Washington Post (9 Jan) provides some interesting […]
Spain bans parents from smacking children
Yesterday we saw a report from Police Deputy Commissioner Rob Pope saying claims that the repeal of section 59 would lead to the […]
Leadership style & Clinton v Obama
Leadership is a quality that everyone can recognise but a whole suite of academic debate has emerged over its definition. For an example […]
What is the price of believing?
Oprah is a global brand, so when she went public with her campaign to support Barack Obama it was part of our news […]
Republican AdStravanganza
Talking Points Memo have put together a great compilation of Republican presidential candidates’ campaign ads stripped back to nothing but key lines. It’s […]