Stories by Joe Conason

Joe Conason is the editor in chief of NationalMemo.com. To find out more about Joe Conason, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com. subscribe to Joe Conason's feed

Meet the Senate's Powerful and Progressive Policy Wonk, Ron Wyden

Posted on: May 16, 2013, Source: AlterNet

His habitual reaching across the partisan chasm has generated controversy, notably when he floated a Medicare reform plan with House Budget chair Paul Ryan.

Surprise! Surprise! Twenty Years of the Family and Medical Leave Act Helps Families ...and Business

Posted on: Feb 6, 2013, Source: AlterNet

But will far right and Clarence Thomas' wife believe the Department of Labor's Study?

What Is Romney Hiding in His Tax Records?

Posted on: Aug 8, 2012, Source: AlterNet

Harry Reid has provoked outrage by talking about Mitt Romney's taxes, but it's Romney who deserves the criticisms.

Sorry Romney, Obama Does Not Have Some "Personal Beef" With Bill Clinton

Posted on: May 23, 2012, Source: AlterNet

GOP Hypocrisy: Rick Perry Consultant Outed as Gay, Even As Perry Keeps Gay-Bashing

Posted on: Dec 16, 2011, Source: AlterNet

The swinging closet door of the Republican Party has been flung open again. Who else will be found inside?

Taboo in Today's GOP? Realism and Compassion

Posted on: Nov 24, 2011, Source: AlterNet

A Republican who dares to utter a few words of compassion or realism is likely to prove unacceptable to the base of that party.

Should We Worry About Mitt Romney's Mormon Faith?

Posted on: Oct 21, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Baptist conservatives and atheists like Bill Maher are slamming Mormons and their faith. But is there any real reason to be troubled by Romney's religion?

The GOP: Preserving Life (Except the Uninsured)

Posted on: Sep 16, 2011, Source: Creators.com

How Rick Perry's Attempt to Privatize Medicaid Wasted Millions While Enriching Lobbyists and Hedge Funds

Posted on: Sep 8, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Perry's plan to let private firms run Medicaid wasted more than money and time, as paperwork vanished and patients suffered.

Meet the Shady Dallas Mega-Billionaire Industrialist Pouring Money into Rick Perry's Coffers

Posted on: Aug 29, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Most Americans have never heard of Harold Simmons, despite his fantastic wealth, because he wisely keeps his head low.

What Obama Should Learn From Wisconsin

Posted on: Aug 18, 2011, Source: AlterNet

With Wisconsin's epic state senate recall battle now over, the results carry a clear message that ought to resonate all the way to Washington.

Why China is Laughing All the Way to the Bank At Our Debt Ceiling Drama

Posted on: Jul 28, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Will Obama Finally Play Hardball In Debt Ceiling Standoff?

Posted on: Jul 14, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Reports say that President Obama is finally losing patience with Republican games over the debt ceiling--even while Republicans fight among themselves.

The Ruinous Rant of John McCain

Posted on: Jun 24, 2011, Source: Creators.com

Washington's Got Much Deeper Moral Problems Than Anthony Weiner

Posted on: Jun 17, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Playing With Default: Republicans Are Risking Economic Disaster by Bickering Over the Debt Ceiling

Posted on: Jun 8, 2011, Source: AlterNet

A default on U.S. debt could drive the global economy into a recession worse than that from which we have been slowly emerging.

Government Shutdown: Will Reckless GOP Minority Get Its Way?

Posted on: Apr 1, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Republicans' demands clearly have so little to do with real fiscal and economic responsibility -- and so much to do with satisfying the most extreme elements in their base.

Rep. Peter King's Anti-Muslim Hearings Revealed Just One Thing -- He's Bad at His Job

Posted on: Mar 10, 2011, Source: AlterNet

The hearings had been anything more than a gross waste of taxpayers' money and public attention, and a strategic blunder in the nation's counter-terrorist effort.

Why Are Some Pundits and Politicans Hell-Bent on Underminig Social Security, in Spite of Its Success and Strength?

Posted on: Feb 17, 2011, Source: AlterNet

A rhetorical deception -- confusing Medicare/ Medicaid with Social Security, which is far more solvent -- is perpetrated countless times every day in nearly every media outlet.

The Right Won't Stop Smearing ElBaradei with Lies

Posted on: Feb 3, 2011, Source: Truthdig

Corporate Campaign Contributions Make Us All Sick - Literally!

Posted on: Jun 27, 2009, Source: Truthdig

Whenever Democratic politicians are confronted with this conflict between the public interest and their private fund-raising, they choose the latter.

The Illusion of Progress in Iraq

Posted on: Sep 17, 2007, Source: Truthdig

Despite the big charts and the blustering fanfare, neither Petraeus nor Ambassador Crocker could convincingly claim that the military escalation in Iraq is achieving its goals.

It Can Happen Here

Posted on: Feb 22, 2007, Source: Thomas Dunne Books

In light of the series of laws passed in Congress and precedents set by the Bush administration, people have good reason to doubt the future of democracy and the rule of law in America.

Ashcroft’s Failures Deserve a Hearing

Posted on: Jun 12, 2002, Source: New York Observer

Ashcroft has rewarded his own errors with greatly expanded power to conduct surveillance on the rest of us. (Visit the <a href="http://www.extremeashcroft.com" target="_alternet">Extreme Ashcroft</a> Web site and let your feelings be known!)

The Rigged Missile Defense Test

Posted on: Jul 30, 2001, Source: Salon

The target destroyed in the "successful" defense shield test contained a satellite beacon that made it easier to detect. Why has the media mostly ignored the story?