Politics Aug 30

Glenn Beck had a good Saturday. Depending on whose crowd estimate you want to believe -- always a tricky game -- somewhere between 87,000 and 500,000 people came to the National Mall for the TV and radio personality's…

Economy Aug 26

When you are down long enough it can be hard to recognize the start of a turnaround. That's actually been the story of the U.S. economy over the past eight months - a touch of good news, followed by set…

Nation Aug 23

Amid all the headlines of U.S. soldiers coming home from Iraq, it's tempting to think of military communities filled with happily reunited families preparing to pick up where they left off. That's been a dominant story of the past…

Politics Aug 20

When Barack Obama won the White House, a running theme among the press was how tactically smart the Obama team was in everything from their use of the Web to their ability to see the long-term and not sweat the…

Politics Aug 05

As this blog has noted in many posts, despite the media coverage of the political movement known as the tea party, it is difficult to tell what its impact is or will be in the…

Politics Aug 02

As August arrives and people begin thinking in earnest about the midterm elections, there is a growing discussion of the impact of President Obama on November. Last week the president told a group of Democratic congressmen he may offer help,…

Politics Jul 28

Barack Obama's victory in the 2008 presidential election was broad-based, but when you look closely, it was mostly about the 'burbs. President Obama's margin of victory in the suburban counties Patchwork Nation calls the Monied 'Burbs was 12 percent.

Economy Jul 22

Detroit skyline. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images DETROIT | It's long been said that when the U.S. economy gets a cold, this city, with its reliance on the auto industry, gets pneumonia. The last few years have raised the…

Politics Jul 14

In a country as complex as diverse as the United States, there aren't many issues that cut the same way everywhere. Some places may be strongly opposed, say to free trade, while others tend to be more supportive. Patchwork…

Economy Jul 12

In a country full of surly voters, Nevada holds claim to some of the surliest. Sky-high unemployment and foreclosure rates have created a volatile atmosphere and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid appears to be in for a major fight…