Ken shares his thoughts on political news and history in his blog.
We’ve completed our first two rounds of competition during this year’s Political Junkie March Madness tournament! The votes and the predictions are in, and now we’re headed to the Quarterfinals! We received 133 votes during the three days of our Round of 16, and we had a few more interesting upsets. But now we’re getting …
We asked you to cast your votes, and you did! With 124 ballots cast over three days, half of the 32 challengers in our GOP March Madness bracket pool have been sent back home. But we still have four more rounds in our tournament, and now it’s time for you to determine who our Elite …
Read morePolitical Junkie March Madness Goes to the Sweet 16
Five years ago, we asked you, our wonderful Political Junkie fans, to participate in a great celebration of democracy and timely sports metaphors. Our first Political Junkie March Madness pool in 2009 gave you the chance to predict the GOP’s nominee for 2012. Well, we are excited to announce that Political Junkie March Madness has …
The identities of several more of those “C” unknown campaign buttons have been ascertained (see Feb. 22 PJ). Here’s the latest: (1) Louis Collins, a Republican, was elected lt. gov. of Minnesota in 1920. He got the “little corporal” nickname for his bravery in World War I. (2) Thomas Carmody, a Democrat, was elected …
The Russian advance into Crimea, Sen. John McCain says, “has exposed the disturbing lack of realism that has characterized our foreign policy under President Obama.” Mitt Romney says Obama’s failure to act “has diminished respect for the U.S. and made troubles worse,” that the president’s “tough talk about a red line in Syria” sent a …
Read moreWill Crimea Become A 2014 Campaign Issue? A Look Back At Earlier U.S.-Russia Crises
We are very pleased to announce that the Political Junkie podcast has finally been added to the iTunes Store podcast directory! This has been heavily-requested by our fans, and it now means that it’s easier than ever to subscribe to the podcast on your Mac, PC, or mobile device. Subscribing to the podcast ensures that …
Reubin Askew, whose election as governor of Florida in 1970 heralded the beginning of the “New South” — but whose belated presidential run 14 years later went nowhere — died Thursday morning. He was 85 years old and had been suffering from pneumonia. Askew was a little-known state legislator from Pensacola when he decided to …
Read moreReubin Askew, Ex-Florida Governor & 1984 Prez Hopeful, Dies
The chances of the Republicans winning control of the Senate this year got a big boost this week with the announcement that Rep. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) changed his mind and will take on Sen. Mark Udall (D). Gardner, the most popular Republican in the state who has been seen as an up-and-comer since he knocked …
Read moreGardner Running In Colorado Helps, But GOP Still Has Hill To Climb To Take Senate
Once, he was the most powerful and perhaps the most feared member of the House. Now, at 87 and more mellow, and five years removed as chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. John Dingell has announced he will not seek another term to the seat he was first elected in 1955. Nearing 60 …
Read moreJohn Dingell, History’s Longest Serving Member Of Congress, Will Retire
In using illustrations of campaign buttons to accompany these political postings, we have often come across buttons whose origins have escaped us. Thus, every now and then we’re going to post some of these unknown items, in the hope that you can identify some of them. Here’s another selection of campaign items of candidates whose …