Nation Topics - Matt Bai | The Nation

Everyone knows that Obama wants to whack Social Security benefits to lure Republicans into a deal on raising taxes. In that case, keep Alan Simpson on the commission on reducing the federal deficit—his tasteless zingers are doing more harm than good.

Without the courage of the forgotten black legislators of the Reconstruction era, it would be impossible for a black man today to run for president.

What was it about the New Deal and Roosevelt that make the man and the era relevant today?

A netroots political convention in Chicago aims to transcend the horse race and let the people, not the media, frame the questions put to candidates.

The Yearly Kos Convention revealed a blogosphere whose media critique
is hampered by its political ambitions. Why can't progressives repair
the press, not dismantle it?

With Bush's popularity dropping and Iraq in chaos, Democrats must provide clear leadership without making themselves targets of political assassination by the right. How can they do that when the master story in the media depicts a party in disarray?