John Stoehr

John Stoehr is managing editor of The Washington Spectator. He teaches writing at Yale. His essays and journalism have appeared in The American Prospect, Reuters Opinion, the Guardian, and Dissent, among other publications. He blogs about politics for the New Statesman and The Washington Spectator, and he's a frequent contributor to Al Jazeera English. Follow him on twitter @johnastoehr.

The Case For The Downward Redistribution Of Wealth

(CONNECTICUT) – President Barack Obama wants to extend the Bush tax cuts for incomes up to $250,000 but let them expire for incomes above that. He also wants to raise the top marginal rate (which isn’t what people actually pay) back to 39 percent, where it was during the Clinton era. The last time Obama […]

John Stoehr
By John Stoehr
President Barack Obama speaks at a campaign event at the Century Village in West Palm Beach, Fla., Thursday, July 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

(CONNECTICUT) - President Barack Obama wants to extend the Bush tax cuts for incomes up to $250,000 but let them expire for incomes above that. He also wants to raise the top marginal rate (which isn’t what people actually pay) back to 39 percent, where it was during the Clinton era. The last time Obama picked this fight, Congressional

Read Full Article

It Doesn’t Matter When Romney Left Bain

(CONNECTICUT) – Republican Mitt Romney is expected to announce his choice for a running mate as early as this week. Given that the centerpiece of his presidential campaign nearly fell to pieces last week, the sooner he changes the subject, the better. Throughout the primary and general election, Romney has said that he left his […]

John Stoehr
By John Stoehr
In this June 19, 2012, file photo Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney campaigns in Holland, Mich. Romney privately raised millions of dollars from New York's elite on Sunday, July 8, 2012, as Democrats launched coordinated attacks against the likely Republican presidential contender, intensifying calls for him to explain offshore bank accounts and release several years of tax returns. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

(CONNECTICUT) - Republican Mitt Romney is expected to announce his choice for a running mate as early as this week. Given that the centerpiece of his presidential campaign nearly fell to pieces last week, the sooner he changes the subject, the better. Throughout the primary and general election, Romney has said that he left his Wall Street

Read Full Article

Mitt Romney Doesn’t Want To Follow In His Dad’s Footsteps

(CONNECTICUT) – When Mitt Romney was 16 years old in 1963, he watched as his father, George Romney, marched in an anti-segregation rally in the suburbs of Detroit. His dad had just been elected governor of Michigan by a slim margin and knew that by standing arm-in-arm with civil-rights leaders, he’d alienate some white supporters […]

John Stoehr
By John Stoehr
Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney pauses during a speech to the NAACP annual convention, Wednesday, July 11, 2012, in Houston, Texas. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

(CONNECTICUT) - When Mitt Romney was 16 years old in 1963, he watched as his father, George Romney, marched in an anti-segregation rally in the suburbs of Detroit. His dad had just been elected governor of Michigan by a slim margin and knew that by standing arm-in-arm with civil-rights leaders, he'd alienate some white supporters who helped him

Read Full Article

Why Progressives Should Stop Worrying And Learn To Love Obamacare

(CONNECTICUT) – Perhaps there was a time when the U.S. could have done what other rich countries did: provide universal health care through a nationalized single-payer system similar to our old-age insurance program, Medicare. But we didn’t, and there are at least two reasons why. One is obvious. Our power elite, the titans of finance […]

John Stoehr
By John Stoehr
In this June 28, 2012 file photo, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks about the Supreme Court ruling on health care in Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

(CONNECTICUT) - Perhaps there was a time when the U.S. could have done what other rich countries did: provide universal health care through a nationalized single-payer system similar to our old-age insurance program, Medicare. But we didn't, and there are at least two reasons why. One is obvious. Our power elite, the titans of finance and

Read Full Article

It’s All The Same To Americans – Socialism, Communism And Nazis

(CONNECTICUT) – When Mike Godwin, the attorney and free-speech activist, came up with Godwin’s Law, he didn’t have “socialists,” “communists” and the “Soviet Union” in mind, but he may as well have. Americans enjoy a proud history of making very little distinction between “Nazis” and “communists.” It’s all the same; all not American. Godwin’s Law, […]

John Stoehr
By John Stoehr
Grover Norquist speaking at CPAC FL in Orlando, Fla. (Photo by Gage Skidmore)

(CONNECTICUT) - When Mike Godwin, the attorney and free-speech activist, came up with Godwin's Law, he didn't have "socialists," "communists" and the "Soviet Union" in mind, but he may as well have. Americans enjoy a proud history of making very little distinction between "Nazis" and "communists." It's all the same; all not American. Godwin's Law,

Read Full Article

With A New Immigration Policy, Obama Divides Conservatives, Puts Romney In A Box

(CONNECTICUT) – President Barack Obama did an end-run around Congress late last week when he announced that his administration would stop deporting children brought to the U.S. illegally, provided they meet certain criteria. Citing the failures of Congress, the president used his executive power to push through what amounted to a miniature version of the DREAM […]

John Stoehr
By John Stoehr
In this June 15, 2012 file photo, President Barack Obama announces his administration's immigration plans, in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

(CONNECTICUT) - President Barack Obama did an end-run around Congress late last week when he announced that his administration would stop deporting children brought to the U.S. illegally, provided they meet certain criteria. Citing the failures of Congress, the president used his executive power to push through what amounted to a miniature version

Read Full Article

Campaign Strategies Shift As Election Day Nears

(CONNECTICUT) –  Yesterday’s address by the president was the culmination of weeks of fret, wailing and dread over Obama’s troubled “messaging.” With unemployment rising in May, Republicans victorious in Wisconsin and the media’s maddening focus on “gaffes,” many said that Obama appeared adrift. Meanwhile, Republican Mitt Romney has offered daily reminders that the economy is bad, […]

John Stoehr
By John Stoehr
President Barack Obama speaks at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Thursday, June 14, 2012. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

(CONNECTICUT) -  Yesterday's address by the president was the culmination of weeks of fret, wailing and dread over Obama's troubled "messaging." With unemployment rising in May, Republicans victorious in Wisconsin and the media's maddening focus on "gaffes," many said that Obama appeared adrift. Meanwhile, Republican Mitt Romney has offered daily

Read Full Article