John Nichols

Washington Correspondent

John Nichols, a pioneering political blogger, has written the Online Beat since 1999. His posts have been circulated internationally, quoted in numerous books and mentioned in debates on the floor of Congress.

Nichols writes about politics for The Nation magazine as its Washington correspondent. He is a contributing writer for The Progressive and In These Times and the associate editor of the Capital Times, the daily newspaper in Madison, Wisconsin. His articles have appeared in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune and dozens of other newspapers.

Nichols is a frequent guest on radio and television programs as a commentator on politics and media issues. He was featured in Robert Greenwald's documentary, "Outfoxed," and in the documentaries Joan Sekler's "Unprecedented," Matt Kohn's "Call It Democracy" and Robert Pappas's "Orwell Rolls in his Grave." The keynote speaker at the 2004 Congress of the International Federation of Journalists in Athens, Nichols has been a featured presenter at conventions, conferences and public forums on media issues sponsored by the Federal Communications Commission, the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Consumers International, the Future of Music Coalition, the AFL-CIO, the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, the Newspaper Guild [CWA] and dozens of other organizations.

Nichols is the author of The Genius of Impeachment (The New Press); a critically acclaimed analysis of the Florida recount fight of 2000, Jews for Buchanan (The New Press); and a best-selling biography of Vice President Dick Cheney, Dick: The Man Who is President (The New Press), which has recently been published in French and Arabi. He edited Against the Beast: A Documentary History of American Opposition to Empire (Nation Books), of which historian Howard Zinn said: "At exactly the time when we need it most, John Nichols gives us a special gift--a collection of writings, speeches, poems, and songs from throughout American history--that reminds us that our revulsion to war and empire has a long and noble tradition in this country."

With Robert W. McChesney, Nichols has co-authored the books It's the Media, Stupid! (Seven Stories), Our Media, Not Theirs (Seven Stories), Tragedy and Farce: How the American Media Sell Wars, Spin Elections, and Destroy Democracy (The New Press) and, most recently, The Death and Life of American Journalism (Nation Books). McChesney and Nichols are the co-founders of Free Press, the nation's media-reform network, which organized the 2003 and 2005 National Conferences on Media Reform.

Of Nichols, author Gore Vidal says: "Of all the giant slayers now afoot in the great American desert, John Nichols’s sword is the sharpest."

Currently

2009

  • MVPs of 2009

    December 22, 2009

    The author's list of the most valuable political and cultural activists and activist groups of the year.

  • The Spirit of Seattle Lives On

    November 30, 2009

    In dozens of recent Congressional contests, fair traders have replaced free traders.

  • How to Save Journalism

    November 24, 2009

    To save news media, stop blaming the Internet and start thinking about how subsidies could revive a public good.

  • Election Tea Leaves

    November 4, 2009 Subscribe

    What did we learn from the off-year elections?

  • Left Turn in Jersey

    October 14, 2009

    By embracing the left instead of running to the center, New Jersey's Democratic Governor Jon Corzine has revitalized his once-troubled re-election campaign.

  • The World and Pittsburgh

    September 16, 2009 Subscribe

    At the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh, activists will push the United States to back proposals to regulate CEO compensation and require corporate responsibility.

  • For Competitive Primaries

    September 9, 2009 Subscribe

    Yes, primaries can be divisive and expensive. But the Democratic Party is usually at its best when it trusts grassroots activists and voters to make choices.

  • Food Without Fear

    September 2, 2009 Subscribe

    Bad peanuts and killer spinach: that's the food story of 2009. But in the coming months we may see a huge turning point in the fight for safety.

  • Auden's Love Poem for Humanity

    September 1, 2009

    The poet's "September 1, 1939" saw the start of World War II and declared: "We must love one another or die."

  • The Complicated Legacy of Robert Novak

    August 18, 2009

    He could be infuriating, crude and wrong. But the late journalist could also leap across ideological, partisan and personal boundaries.

  • Dire States

    July 29, 2009

    Banks and financial institutions were never "too big to fail." State and local governments are.

  • The Balance Begins to Tip Against Cheney

    July 13, 2009

    With new revelations about the former veep ordering the CIA to lie to Congress, Democrats finally start talking about an investigation that could hold him to account.

  • Lovelorn SC Governor Admits to Just About Everything

    June 24, 2009

    Mark Sanford today took the apology press conference to a whole new level, removing yet another name from the ever-shortening list of 2012 GOP presidential contenders.

  • Obama's Iran Response Should be Bolder

    June 18, 2009

    This president does not need to make threats to champion democracy.

  • The Age of Paine

    June 3, 2009

    It was Tom Paine, ink-stained wretch and citizen of the world, who first roused American patriots to action.

  • A Killing in Kansas

    May 31, 2009

    Prochoice groups declared Monday a national day of mourning following the murder of Dr. George Tiller, a provider of late-term abortions who was long a target of antiabortion zealots.

  • The Case for Kenosha

    May 13, 2009

    Bailouts may protect the automakers. But what about the autoworkers?

  • David Simon, Arianna Huffington and the Future of Journalism

    May 11, 2009

    Fools look for a fight between newspapers and the net. The challenge is to defend print and digital journalism, in an age of big-media myopia.

  • Jack Kemp vs. the Party of No

    May 3, 2009

    The former HUD Secretary imagined a radical Republican Party that reached out to all Americans with ideas. Too bad it didn't come to pass.

  • Accountability for Torture

    April 22, 2009

    Congress must act to remove from positions of trust those who sanctioned torture and dial down the imperial presidency that has evolved on its watch.

  • Seat Senator Franken

    April 15, 2009 Subscribe

    It's time for the GOP to end this charade.

  • The Death and Life of Great American Newspapers

    March 18, 2009

    The collapse of journalism threatens democracy itself--that's why we need a government rescue.

  • Populists in the House

    March 11, 2009

    If the new Populist Caucus is to make a difference in Congress, its members must channel popular fury at Wall Street's amen corner on Capitol Hill.

  • Tom Geoghegan's Run

    March 4, 2009 Subscribe

    Tom Geoghegan may not have prevailed at the polls, but he won the ideas primary.

  • Save the Solis Nomination

    February 9, 2009

    Labor secretary-designee Hilda Solis is not a toxic asset in the Obama personnel portfolio. The GOP is wrong to equate her husband's tax dispute with the infractions of high rollers like Geithner and Daschle.

  • Senate Selection Scam

    January 28, 2009 Subscribe

    Russ Feingold is leading the charge to close the constitutional loophole that allows governors to appoint senators.

  • For Progressive Patriotism

    January 15, 2009

    Love of country is expressed not just by civic virtue, but economic rights, rule of law and fair distribution of the nation's resources.

  • The Big Lie on Franken

    January 7, 2009

    There is no one Republicans are more determined to keep out of the Senate than Al Franken. Republicans are poised to use the power of the filibuster to thwart him--and the Democratic agenda.

2008

  • Sit-Down in Chicago

    December 11, 2008 Subscribe

    The plight of striking electrical workers underscores the flaws in Paulson's bailout--and tests Obama's mettle.

  • Trading Partners

    December 3, 2008

    Xavier Becerra, Obama's pick for US trade representative, could bring the change working people here and abroad can believe in.

  • Hands Off the UAW

    November 25, 2008

    If he keeps his promises to autoworkers, Obama has the chance to renew the ability of organzed labor to improve the lot of union and non-union workers in the twenty-first century.

  • Peach State Promises

    November 19, 2008 Subscribe

    Obama should make a serious campaign swing through Georgia to get out the vote for Senate hopeful Jim Martin.

  • The Big Sweep

    November 6, 2008 Subscribe

    Obama's appeal helped the Democrats secure wide gains in the House and Senate.

  • Rahm Emanuel: Face of Change?

    November 5, 2008

    Clinton's NAFTA-backing insider is in the running for Obama chief of staff.

  • Vermont v. Bush

    October 29, 2008

    Charlotte Dennett is running for Vermont attorney general on a platform that includes not letting George W. Bush get away with murder.

  • The Raucous Caucus

    October 22, 2008 Subscribe

    A wave of progressive women candidates could help steer the next Congress in new directions on war and peace, fair trade and civil liberties.

  • The New Senate Majority?

    October 8, 2008

    Democratic candidates are gaining in key Senate races and could tip the balance in the next Congress.

  • McCain's Troopergate Scandal

    September 24, 2008

    Palin claims she wants more accountability in Washington. So why is the McCain campaign stonewalling the Troopergate investigation?

  • Twin Cities Values

    August 28, 2008

    Minnesota's message to the GOP: we're all better off when we look after one another.

  • From Fannie Lou Hamer to Barack Obama

    August 15, 2008

    Democrats have come a long way from the first Denver convention a century ago.

  • Rethinking the Veepstakes

    July 30, 2008 Subscribe

    The process of picking a Vice President needn't be the craven political exercise it is today. Do we even need one?

  • The Antiwar Plank

    June 5, 2008

    Democratic Party leaders should listen to the House members who want a strong antiwar message on the platform.

  • Who'll Unplug Big Media? Stay Tuned

    May 29, 2008

    The media reform movement has made a few inroads, but there's still a long way to go.

  • The Fight of His Life

    May 20, 2008

    Senator Edward M. Kennedy, diagnosed today with a malignant brain tumor, is sidelined at the moment his party is poised to realize the causes and ideals he has promoted for so long.

  • Obama's GOP Base

    May 15, 2008 Subscribe

    Judging by their voting patterns in the primaries, crossover Republicans may swing the presidential election for Barack Obama.

  • The World Food Crisis

    April 24, 2008

    We must rein in the global food giants who reap profits at the expense of the planet and the poor.

  • Phil Donahue's War

    April 9, 2008

    His new documentary is breaking the taboo that says Americans cannot stomach the reality of the Iraq War.

  • Dems Flunking Trade 101

    April 3, 2008

    As Clinton rewrites the history of her support for NAFTA, Obama needs to prove he understands what's wrong with global trade pacts.

  • Time for a Revote

    March 13, 2008

    Holding Democratic primaries in Florida and Michigan a second time would send the message that Americans do not need to accept illegitimate elections.

  • Rough Trade Debate

    February 28, 2008 Subscribe

    It's not enough for candidates to talk tough about the impact of NAFTA. Workers need realistic remedies.

  • Donna Edwards Wins in Maryland!

    February 14, 2008 Subscribe

  • Candidate in a Corner

    February 14, 2008

    After the losses of February, Hillary Clinton must start March with wins that restore her delegate lead.

  • McCain vs. GOP Taliban

    February 7, 2008 Subscribe

    McCain's march toward the Republican nomination is the year's most improbable journey.

  • Exit Edwards, Stage Left

    January 31, 2008 Subscribe

    His candidacy is ended, but John Edwards should continue his campaign to make economic justice in America the Democrats' core message.

  • Progressive Democratic Challengers

    January 24, 2008

    With the Congressional race under way, the essential question is: will the Democrats be more progressive post-Bush?

  • GOP Dilemmas

    January 10, 2008 Subscribe

    John McCain is just enough of an outsider to keep the GOP competitive in a "change" election.

  • The Mad-Money Primary Race

    January 3, 2008

    If we don't fix the nominating process this year, it will be even worse in 2012.

2007

  • Playing the God Card

    December 13, 2007 Subscribe

    It's not Romney's Mormon faith that threatens the core values of a secular nation. It's Huckabee's messianic candidacy.

  • Carter Speaks His Mind

    November 15, 2007

    A conversation with the former President on Jonathan Demme's new film, Jimmy Carter Man From Plains, and the difficulty of talking about Israel and Palestine.

  • Joseph Biden, Fighter

    November 8, 2007

    At a time when too many Democrats are prone to pulling punches, he knows how to throw them. And he has the bruises to show it.

  • Al Franken Seeks the Wellstone Seat

    October 18, 2007

    Minnesota Senate candidate Al Franken has won wide support among voters--and conservatives are getting scared.

  • Her McGovern Moment

    October 11, 2007 Subscribe

    Hillary Clinton has recognized the value of courting antiwar voters.

  • The Richardson Surge

    September 20, 2007

    Bill Richardson's edgy, opinionated and sometimes risky campaign is clicking because of his exit-now strategy from Iraq.

  • Farm Bill Showdown

    August 9, 2007

    As he shapes the Senate farm bill, Tom Harkin should heed progressives and forge legislation that ends subsidies and gives a fair shake to family farmers.

  • Impeachable Offenses

    July 26, 2007 Subscribe

    The burgeoning movement to impeach Bush and Cheney is a rational response at a time when 80 percent of Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction.

  • Murdoch & the Journal

    July 12, 2007 Subscribe

    Under Rupert Murdoch, the paper of record for the global economy won't survive as an independent voice.

  • Curing the Rot at Justice

    June 14, 2007

    Congress has thus far failed to hold Alberto Gonzales accountable for politicizing the Justice Department. Polite words must now give way to bold actions.

  • Neoconned Again

    June 7, 2007

    Expect no changes as Bush Administration hit man Robert Zoellick takes the helm of the World Bank.

  • Cindy Sheehan's Farewell

    May 31, 2007

    Her unscripted activism was characterized by an element so often missing from politics: genuineness. But we haven't seen the last of Cindy Sheehan.

  • Impeachment Fever Rises

    April 20, 2007

    An "impeachment from below" movement is gathering steam, and Congress needs to pay attention to it.

  • Protecting the Vote

    April 10, 2007 Subscribe

    Resolving a disputed Congressional election in Florida is key to setting the stage for a fair nationwide election in 2008.

  • Pushing the Iraq Debate

    January 29, 2007 Subscribe

    Beyond merely opposing escalation, lawmakers are pushing tough measures to withdraw troops and defund the war.

  • Obama's Challenge

    January 21, 2007 Subscribe

    If Barack Obama is to secure critical grassroots support for his presidential bid, he must be less about celebrity and more about policy.

  • The Fair Trade Democrats

    January 18, 2007

    In an interview with Senator Sherrod Brown, Nichols shows that the new Democrats are pursuing a new trade agenda.

  • Newspapers...and After?

    January 12, 2007

    Newspapers may be dinosaurs in the age of new media, but they have enough life to guide--and even define--our politics.

  • Oversight Returns

    January 4, 2007 Subscribe

    A Congress that takes the Constitution seriously can force the White House to do the same.

  • A Democratic Anomaly

    January 4, 2007 Subscribe

    When senators leave office, voters should choose their replacements.

2006

  • Kucinich Tries Again

    December 14, 2006

    Yep, the Congressman from Cleveland's running for President again--but first, he wants to fix the Democratic Party.

  • The 'Seattle Senators'

    December 4, 2006 Subscribe

    Newly elected advocates of fair trade in the House and Senate could reverse the free-trade absolutism of the Clinton and Bush years.

  • Power Shifts in the States

    November 21, 2006

    Democratic gains in Statehouses around the country validated Howard Dean's "50-state strategy" and set the stage for a long process of party renewal.

  • Measuring the Mandate

    November 9, 2006

    Democrats will claim their electoral mandate by understanding how they won: by fielding activist candidates with a clear antiwar message and by defending civil liberties.

  • The 'Off-Year Primary'

    November 6, 2006 Subscribe

    As presidential hopefuls from both parties press their advantage on the platform of the 2006 midterm election, the winners are...

  • Repainting Statehouses Blue

    October 9, 2006

    If current trends hold, Democratic governors will soon be popping up all over the country, and with them comes a greater opportunity to challenge the Bush Administration.

  • State Cops

    October 5, 2006

    At a time when the federal government has failed to do its job, state attorneys general are asserting their authority to protect the public interest.

  • The FCC Scandal

    September 28, 2006

    It's official: Revelations that the FCC suppressed reports on the danger of media consolidation prove the agency is overwhelmingly biased in favor of big media.

  • What Can Sherrod Brown Do for the Democrats?

    September 15, 2006

    The road to the Democrats' renewal runs through Ohio, and Sherrod Brown is on it, looking for the towns his party forgot and the voters who got away.

  • No Clear Antiwar Signal

    September 14, 2006

    Anyone looking for a signal from the primaries that Democrats will be a clear antiwar party didn't get it.

  • Antiwar Primaries

    September 6, 2006

    Key primary races in Maryland, Rhode Island and even New York are making the Iraq War what it should be in every 2006 political contest: the central issue.

  • A Fight for the Party's Soul

    July 27, 2006

    The Lamont/Lieberman Democratic primary race is a referendum not only on the Iraq War but on a new vision for the Democratic Party.

  • Fighting for a Fair Vote

    June 8, 2006 Subscribe

    Voting debacles in Florida and Ohio have inspired a new crop of Democratic candidates to run for Secretary of State, transforming an oft-neglected post into a platform for activism.

  • 'Tester Time' in Montana

    June 1, 2006 Subscribe

    John Tester's populist politics and country style make him the perfect candidate to unseat Senator Conrad Burns. Next step is for the progressive Montana farmer to win the June 6 primary.

  • No to Prowar Democrats

    April 20, 2006

    Upcoming primary challenges are forcing Democratic incumbents in Congress to be more critical of Bush and to press for a plan to bring the troops home.

  • What DeLay Left Behind

    April 6, 2006

    To repair the damage Tom DeLay left in his wake, the November elections must be a referendum on the political machine he created, which continues to drive this Congress.

  • How to Free the Press

    March 30, 2006

    The demise of Knight Ridder newspapers could result in some new media models--as the Newspaper Guild teams up with private investors to purchase twelve high-integrity newspapers now being spun off from the chain.

  • Censoring Censure

    March 23, 2006

    By failing to support Russ Feingold's motion to censure the President for illegal domestic spying, Democrats are taking the same path of overly calculated caution that cost them elections in 2002 and 2004.

  • Bringing the War Home

    March 9, 2006

    The antiwar messages most likely to be heard and acted upon by Congressional Democrats and wavering Republicans will come from their hometowns, where a growing number of activists are organizing with an eye toward communicating to Congress.

  • The Better Choice in Ohio

    February 23, 2006

    Sherrod Brown is the right candidate to be the Democratic Senate nominee in Ohio because he has the support of grassroots voters whose energy is essential to win.

  • Democratic Alarms in PA

    February 9, 2006

    Robert Casey Jr.'s endorsement of Samuel Alito could cost him the support of Pennsylvania Democrats and illustrates the perils of early intervention by DC Democrats in Senate races.

2005

  • The Abramoff Effect

    December 1, 2005 Subscribe

    The controversy surrounding conservative lobbyist Jack Abramoff is creating headaches for red-state and swing-state Republicans and opportunities for Democrats to turn a national bribery and influence-peddling scandal into political paydirt.

  • Bush's War on the Press

    November 17, 2005

    Until the Bush Administration is held accountable by Congress for its propaganda, manipulation of the truth and assaults on journalism, freedom of the press will exist in name only.

  • Yes, Virginia...

    November 10, 2005 Subscribe

    Democratic gubernatorial wins in Virginia and New Jersey gave the lie to the GOP contention that "conservatism is on the march." But infighting among Dems doomed electoral reform in Ohio, gay marriage is still illegal in Texas and there's a long way to go to mid-year elections.

  • Rise of an Opposition?

    November 2, 2005 Subscribe

  • Senate Democrats Show Some Spine

    November 1, 2005

    Senate minority leader Harry Reid forced Republicans into a closed-door session Tuesday to examine the Administration's use and misuse of intelligence on Iraq. Could Democrats finally be acting like an opposition party?

  • Sweeping Up Ohio

    October 20, 2005 Subscribe

    There's a way to cure Ohio's dysfunctional electoral system: an election-reform referendum that allows creation of "swing districts."

  • Kaine Country

    October 20, 2005 Subscribe

    It's a tight race, but if Tim Kaine becomes the next governor of Virginia, Democrats gain what they desperately need to win back Congress: a big win in a Southern state.

  • Winning the Peace

    September 15, 2005

    Antiwar Democrats in Washington are facing a moment of truth: Now is the time to raise the volume on the previously taboo discussion of a real exit strategy from Iraq.

  • Being Like Bernie

    July 28, 2005

    Socialist Bernie Sanders seems set to win one of the few US Senate seats next year where no incumbent is running.

  • Progressive City Leaders

    June 2, 2005 Subscribe

    Some progressive municipal officials have jumped beyond the boundaries of their communities to address state and national issues.

  • Urban Archipelago

    June 2, 2005

    Progressive cities in a conservative sea.

  • Moyers Fights Back

    May 19, 2005 Subscribe

    Republican aides and allies must not be allowed to control PBS.

  • Congress Tunes In

    May 5, 2005

    Chastened by voter response to their earlier errors, many legislators push reform.

  • Now He Has the Power

    February 17, 2005

    What will Dean do with the DNC?

  • The Boxer Rebellion

    February 10, 2005 Subscribe

    Her votes thrilled supporters and put some backbone into Senate Democrats.

  • FCC: It Could Get Worse

    February 3, 2005

  • Dick Durbin: Bush Fighter

    January 27, 2005

    He can help mount an effective opposition.

  • Big-League Radio

    January 13, 2005 Subscribe

  • A Fight We Can Win

    January 13, 2005

  • Dr. Dean Calling

    January 12, 2005

  • An Appropriate Objection

    January 6, 2005 Subscribe

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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Blogs

» The Beat

Facing Bipartisan Criticism, RNC's Steele Asks If Race Is Factor | "Why? Is it because Michael Steele is the chairman, or is it because a black man is chairman?” he wonders. Maybe he could compare notes with Obama.
John Nichols
Posted at 8:46 PM ET

» Editor's Cut

New Web Column at The Washington Post | Every Tuesday, I'll be featuring progressive thinking about politics and challenging the Right in my new web column for The Washington Post. Read my first one here.
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31 Comments

» The Notion

When Snow Melts: Vancouver’s Olympic Crackdown | Anger is growing in Vancouver in advance of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Like Olympic clockwork, here comes the media crackdown.
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42 Comments

» The Dreyfuss Report

The Mind-Boggling Stupidity of Michael Rubin | How an AEI apparatchik's love affair for Ahmed Chalabi blinds him to Chalabi's pro-Iran treachery.
Robert Dreyfuss
27 Comments

» Act Now!

Demand Question Time | Join the call for the President and Congress to implement regular Question Time sessions.
Peter Rothberg
56 Comments

» And Another Thing

How to Counterbalance Focus on the Family on Superbowl Sunday | Give to help low income girls and women.
Katha Pollitt
54 Comments

» Altercation

Slacker Friday | James O'Keefe and Alter-reviews.
Eric Alterman