Inquirer Columnist - Dick Polman

The American Debate: GOP changed tune on health-care mandate

Perhaps you've long believed that extremist Islamic terrorism poses the greatest danger to America. Well, the Republicans wish to disabuse you of that notion.

The American Debate: Obama has Fox; Truman had Time

Harry Truman could've taught Barack Obama a thing or two about how to deal with a hostile press - basically, by ignoring it.

The American Debate: Some Republicans are taking on the fringe

Ever so slowly, sane Republicans and conservatives are finally marshaling the courage to confront the unhinged broadcasters in their midst - and not a moment too soon, given the fact that these loons now seem to be running the asylum.

The American Debate: If economic recovery doesn't feel real, Democrats will pay

Pass the word, the Great Recession is over. What, you haven't heard? Various economic gurus are talking about a strong third-quarter rebound, the Dow continues its upward creep toward 10,000, and a former Reagan economics whiz named Michael Muzza declares that America has already commenced a "moderately vigorous recovery."

The American Debate: Suddenly, they're czar-struck

The latest fit of conservative paranoia is that Barack Obama, the alien in our midst, seeks to transform America into Mother Russia, crafting a new totalitarian state that will be run by his own private army of policy "czars." The lunacy never ends.

The American Debate: Why we have to leave . . . unless it's better to stay

My head hurts. At first I thought it was a sinus thing, or perhaps the start of a head cold. But it's actually the pain of thinking about Afghanistan.

Take these candidates, please!

Six weeks of bowling and Bittergate and Pastorgate and nonexistent Bosnian snipers....and for what? The Pennsylvania results have essentially changed nothing. There is seemingly no cure for the chronic Democratic migraine.

Polman, Dick

Cited by the Columbia Journalism Review as one of the nation's top political reporters, and lauded by the ABC News political website as "one of the finest political journalists of his generation," Dick Polman is a national political columnist at the Philadelphia Inquirer. He is on the full-time faculty at the University of Pennsylvania, as "writer in residence." Dick has been a frequent guest on C-Span, MSNBC, CNN, NPR and the BBC. He covered the 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004 presidential campaigns.

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All commentaries posted before April 18, 2008, can be accessed at www.dickpolman.blogspot.com.