The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Deadline Hell in South Carolina

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley spins for Mitt Romney after the CNN debate, Jan. 19, 2012 CHARLESTON, S.C. Last night was one of those deadline nightmares that occasionally occurs when I’m exhausted, trying to make sense of a complex situation with a brain numbed by fatigue. I only got about four hours sleep after my […]

Some Things Never Change

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. During tonight’s debate, Mitt Romney started talking about his father, George Romney, the former governor of Michigan who ran unsuccessfully for president in 1968 and subsequently served in Nixon’s cabinet. When I heard that, I reached into my computer bag and retrieved a book I carry with me everywhere on the campaign […]

Perry Campaign Post Mortem:
Doomed From the Start

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. Several years ago I picked up a book called The Black Box: All-New Cockpit Voice Recorder Accounts Of In-flight Accidents, which is a major reason why, whenever I travel by air, I always pray before takeoff. Because what you will learn from studying air disasters is that takeoff is the most dangerous […]

Fear & Loathing: Breakfast of Champions UPDATE: Rick Santorum Wins Iowa; Perry Will Quit and Endorse Gingrich

The National Affairs Desk at McDonald’s in Greenville, S.C., 11:10 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2012 NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. My 13-year-old son Jefferson and I got back here at 2:30 a.m, and woke up Ali Akbar, in whose hotel room we’re crashing through Saturday. The topics of discussion were (a) the Republican primary and (b) why […]

Newt Gingrich Mysteriously Cancels Press Conference at S.C. State Capitol

COLUMBIA, S.C. This morning’s schedule showed that Newt Gingrich would have an 11:30 a.m. press conference here at the Statehouse, and I drove nearly 100 miles from Charleston to cover it but Newt was a no-show, and no one seems to know why. I’ll add more information as soon as I can find out what […]

Who the Hell Does Newt Think He Is?

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. Monday night in the spin room after the Fox News debate in Myrtle Beach, I had the opportunity to score a brief interview with Rick Santorum’s campaign manager Mike Biundo, which included this exchange: RSM: A lot of people in the media are trying to play this up as Mitt versus Newt. […]

Greetings from Charleston!

CHARLESTON, S.C. Thirteen-year-old Jefferson and I were rolling leisurely south from Myrtle Beach on U.S. 17 — past pines and palmettos and live oaks draped in Spanish moss — when a black SUV passed us and I did a double take. I’d gotten just a quick glimpse at the driver as he passed, but my […]

Is Fox News the Problem?

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. After the debate last night, I talked to several people about the situation that we find ourselves in: Four days away from the crucial South Carolina primary and still we have three “not Romney” candidates — Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Rick Perry — dividing up the conservative vote. Another 10 to 15 percent of […]

« go back — keep looking »