Only in Washington can the pursuit of a conservative agenda, with centrist policies, be depicted as liberal reform.
— Ari Melber
The first-in-the-nation Iowa caucus is crucial for every presidential campaign.
The first rule of hip-hop is probably keep it real. And that can mean a lot of different things, but that's certainly important in reporting and storytelling.
In American politics, there's a recurring fantasy, nurtured by the press, about 'courageous' politicians who do the right thing against their political interest. But really, isn't it even more encouraging when the right thing has just become good politics?
TV ads are great for broadcasting, but voter turnout is about narrow-casting. And not all messengers are created equal.
In politics, your opponent can be far more important than your vision.
The Dream Act and the DISCLOSE Act, to name two, had majorities in both chambers during Obama's first term, but they were filibustered to death. They probably await a similar fate unless the filibuster is reformed.
News may not be very profitable anymore, but it sure is popular.
Only a few bloggers have the audience and credibility to effectively break stories, pressure the traditional media, incubate new ideas, or raise real money. These influential bloggers are usually sharp, opinionated, and focused on the world 'offline.' They refuse to view events through the solipsistic blinders of their own websites.
I think the challenge for anyone in a visible industry, whether it's media, government, or political organizing, is to take serious criticism seriously and not to live in the shadows of the noise and the concern trolls.
I think politics is always about dialogue. I think journalism ranges from dialogue to monologue, and there are times when different poles are necessary.
Rick Ross has good beats, if some more questionable content.
My favorite rappers are a lot of other people's favorite rappers. I love Jay Z, Kanye, 2Pac, Biggie, old Mos Def.
Younger viewers have a very strong detector for what's real and legit and what's phony or pandering.
TV can keep you honest because the viewers really do listen. People who have succeeded in this have shown the audience how hard they work and that their reporting is really worthwhile.
The Trump administration has struggled with ethics vetting for Cabinet nominees and faced criticism for the president's decision to remain invested in his business empire.
'House of Cards' is full of hypocrites, some ashamed, many proud. There is no silver lining here, no appeal to a just system that is temporarily thwarted by corrupting forces.
Large majorities of voters support taxing millionaires and protecting social security.
Iowa is especially critical for underdog and cash-strapped campaigns, because the caucus system relies on grassroots organizing, enabling candidates with time for retail politicking to beat better-funded rivals. So underdogs usually seize on the state.
The president's powers are always open to being questioned by the co-equal branches of government.
Companies like YouTube will continue to be tested on their commitment to the mission that made them such popular and profitable websites - providing an open platform to a wide range of ideas from around the world.
If you believe in democracy, you accept, by definition, the existence and triumph of opposing ideas. The people who believe deeply in the Internet's force as a commons operate on that kind of premise.
Politics has certainly changed a lot in an era of micro-targeting, Super PACs, and Twitter.
As every newspaper reader, liberal activist, or parliamentary junkie knows, the overarching barrier to most of Obama's agenda is the abuse of the filibuster in the Senate. In fact, several of Obama's second term priorities are not ideas in search of a majority - they are majorities in search of an up-or-down vote.
Progressive bloggers should not only write on behalf of the members of America's underclass but also empower them to join the discussion.
I feel like I'm totally me, and I feel like the show reflects my intensity, my vibe, and my search for evidence and answers.
When I get serious criticism - if I get serious criticism - it's about how I'm thinking and engaging in a topic. I can't think of an example of someone saying, 'You're too nice.'
Like any good lawyer, I'm going to maintain a confidentiality of advice offered in confidence.
I do listen to Drake.
I was more interested in journalism and fact-finding than other things, so I didn't plan to work 30 years as a lawyer.
There's a lot of hip-hop that's oriented toward a progressive view of America because it's oriented toward a civil rights progress and a critique of the power structure.
I've worked in government. I've worked in competitive New York litigation, I've worked as a writer and reporte..
Iowa has long been heralded as a bulwark against the money and media that dominate the modern presidential race. Its caucus requires voters in every precinct to actually gather in a room, at one time, and listen to neighbors pitch their chosen candidates, before they are allowed to vote.
Hypocrites are more enraging than extremists, as every campaign operative knows.
Many candidates use a political autobiography to sell their candidacy.
There's a great deal of enthusiasm about quality, serious journalism. And some of it relates to personalities because it's people who do the news. But I think it reflects a real desire for facts, real news and reporting.
President Obama does not usually accuse Republicans of being too hawkish.
The Obama campaign has adeptly used YouTube and social networks as a relatively thrifty way to do targeted messaging.
Navigating a battle between partisan, progressive organizing and decentralized petition drives is, at bottom, like trying to choose between the Democratic Party and democracy. The ideas are on different planes.
Barack Obama was first elected after a period of profound failure by elite and government institutions, from finance to foreign policy to Hurricane Katrina, and his first term immediately and unapologetically enacted a flurry of government solutions.
Here is one iron law of the Internet: a social network's emphasis on monetizing its product is directly proportional to its users' loss of privacy.
Democracy functions better when donors push politicians to win campaigns based on their defining issues instead of using financial pressure for policy changes, favors, or special access.
My hope is to be a trusted utensil for viewers. Like, literally, 'That thing works. I can rely on that thing.'
Good lawyering is usually cerebral and impersonally. You can convince a judge with a mastery of facts, detail, and precedent - not a story from the gut about how you feel a certain way.
I don't look at ratings when they come out in the afternoon before the show because I'm focused on that day's show, but I do see the overall numbers.
I think hip-hop has always been political because this is a community that doesn't have any other choice.
If you would have said, in law school, would it be more likely that I would be working on a book or on a TV show, I would have said book.
I remember buying The Fugees' 'The Score' my freshman year and feeling like this whole new world and this whole new conversation was opening up to me.
Honestly, anchoring the news on a nightly basis is the hardest job I've ever taken on.
While 'Django Unchained' presents a morally stark universe, where people do and say evil things with no remorse, it also luxuriates in the license that such evil provides.
