Taint

In the best of times, South Asia rarely gets interjected in presidential debates. Pakistan gets all the attention because its border is teeming with Al Qaeda and its leaders come with hands outstretched. China gets vaguely mentioned as an economic threat, and sometimes India alongside, the new hyphenated relationship.
So when a presidential debate comes off […]

Sakina Jaffrey (Masala) has a bit part as a schoolteacher in Definitely, Maybe, an excellent political rom-com about the Clinton ‘92 campaign starring Ryan Reynolds (Van Wilder), Kevin Kline, Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine), Isla Fisher, Rachel Weisz and Elizabeth Banks. This flick’s manipulative, treacly and undistinguished trailer put me off my lunch.
But like campaigns […]

At tonight’s Dem debate, Obama made the obvious point that Dubya has already pivoted toward his policy of targeted terrorist assassinations in Pakistan:

Clinton: … last summer [Obama] basically threatened to bomb Pakistan, which I don’t think was a particularly wise position to take. I have long advocated a much tougher approach to Musharraf and to […]

At tonight’s Dem debate, Hillary Clinton was questioned about Russian president Vladimir Putin’s successor Dmitry Medvedev:

Tim Russert: Do you know his name?
Clinton: [Nonplussed] Med… Med…
Russert: Medvedev.
Clinton: Med-ve-duh-vuh. Whatever.
Dubya in ‘99:

“Can you name the general who is in charge of Pakistan?” Hiller asked, inquiring about Gen. Pervaiz Musharraf, who seized control of the country October 12.
“Wait, […]

The Dem presidential candidates briefly mentioned Pakistan at tonight’s debate. Obama reiterated that backing Musharraf has been a colossal mistake:

Obama: [About a U.S. soldier he spoke with] They were capturing Taliban weapons, because it was easier for them to get Taliban weapons than it was for them to get properly equipped by our current commander-in-chief… […]

Barack Obama’s lead econ adviser, young Chicago b-school prof Austan Goolsbee, apparently picket-fenced an entire extemp season. I’ve never even heard of that before, because individual excellence is easily waylaid by random variations in judging. It requires someone who’s so self-evidently in a different league that even the mythical Bubba the Bus Driver lay judge […]

Obama finally made race a factor in the the Dem debate tonight — as laugh lines:

Question: Was Bill Clinton the first black president?
Obama: ‘I’d have to investigate Bill’s dancing abilities to judge whether he’s a brotha…’

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Obama: ‘In a race where you have an African-American, a woman, and John…’ [Edwards looks […]