Originally published in Indy Week. VOLUNTEERS WEARING PLASTIC RAIN PONCHOS steered drivers into the sprawling parking lot of River Ministries International, a campus on the outskirts of Tampa that includes an evangelical church, a worship school, and a “Holy Ghost training center.” There were food trucks and merchandise tables, including one man selling “Anybody but Obama” […]
Expletive Deleter
As head of the FCC, alumnus Kevin Martin has tackled issues as controversial as when to allow dirty words on television and how much to rein in cable companies. But even though he has embraced Republican orthodoxy when it comes to indecency and media consolidation, FCC watchers have been fascinated by the frequency with which […]
The truth behind ‘Godless Americans’
Republican U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole’s attack ad features a retired Biblical-studies teacher. Originally published in Indy Week. IMAGINE RETIRED BIBLE TEACHER Rick Stone’s surprise to find himself depicted as a “Godless American.” This week, Republican U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole began running a statewide 30-second TV ad linking her opponent, Kay Hagan, to a political action […]
A Mean Machine
For all its combativeness, the Republican National Convention failed the address the country’s most fundamental issues. Scenes from a week in St. Paul. Originally published in Indy Week. THE VETERANS MARCHED IN LOCKSTEP as they approached the Minneapolis State Capitol, which sits on a hill overlooking downtown St. Paul. Some wore Army greens. Others wore camouflage […]
RNC Day 4: Palin, Creationism, and Other Red Meat
On the first day, God created pit bulls. On the second day, He created lipstick. Originally published in Indy Week. AS THE OWNER OF A FRIENDLY PIT-BULL MIX, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s off-script line last night at the Republican National Convention: “Do you know the difference between a hockey mom […]
RNC Day 3: Young, But Not for Obama
More than two years after his father died in Afghanistan, a North Carolina guest at the GOP convention reflects on the war. Originally published in Indy Week. THIS WEEK, AS NICK OCHSNER ATTENDS THE Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., the Elon University sophomore can’t listen to all the pro-military speeches without thinking about his father. Sgt. […]
RNC Day 2: Anti-War Protesters Descend
Observers from the National Lawyers Guild monitored the scene, watching for police misconduct. In the days before the march, police raided activists’ homes, along with the headquarters of several protest groups. Originally published in Indy Week. GROWING UP IN MOUNT AIRY, N.C., 26-year-old Jeremy Miller was a preacher’s son for whom “standing up for what is right” meant […]
RNC Day 1: Big Bash Despite Big Hurricane
N.C. GOP delegates: Veep nominee Palin an “inspired choice”; Bush’s handling of Katrina: “Thou shalt not judge.” Originally published in Indy Week. WITH HURRICANE GUSTAV POISED TO HIT the Gulf Coast today, Sen. John McCain has announced that this week’s Republican National Convention would be a scaled-back affair without the usual troop-rousing speeches or over-the-top parties. […]
Whitewash
In his new autobiography, Jesse Helms sees himself as a humanitarian—not a racist supporter of brutal right-wing regimes who turned obstructionism into a foreign policy. Originally published in Indy Week. I’VE ONLY MET JESSE HELMS ONCE. I was profiling him for two national magazines during his 1996 Senate race, and for two days I shadowed him […]
Fall of a True Believer
How Jack Abramoff gained the whole world and lost just about everything. Originally published in Mother Jones. ON THE FIRST MORNING of the Republican National Convention, the stocky former weightlifter waited nervously for his turn to speak. Just 25 years old, he was impeccably dressed in a dark gray suit and red tie. But he had slipped […]
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