WATER COOLER
The Water Cooler is written by Washington Times staffers.
Latest Blog Entries
Tea party brews up a 2016 presidential straw poll - and Cruz is in the lead
It's never too early for a nice juicy straw poll, particularly if it’s of the presidential variety. The Tea Party Patriots have already drawn 250,000 voters to a survey listing potential 2016 hopefuls of interest to liberty-minded folk. The grass-roots group intends to drawn a million votes by March.
Americans just say yes: members of Congress should be subject to random drug testing
Should our lawmakers be exempt from random drug tests? Guess not. A hefty majority of Americans — 78 percent — say members of Congress should be subject to such monitoring; 86 percent of Republicans and 77 percent of Democrats agree.
70 percent of Americans say U.S. has lost world respect; 80 percent of GOP, 56 percent of Democrats agree
It's complicated: The public is weary of the U.S. role as the world's policeman, but it also frets about the nation's declining prestige on the global stage and disapproves of both President's foreign policy practices and any attempts at nation building overseas. Yet Americans approve of aggressive participation in the world economy and favor drones in the military arsenal.
For the gift givers arsenal: politically incorrect guides that praise America
What? A book that lauds the heroism of Vietnam-era warriors, the Founding Fathers and American history with not a trace of touch-up from liberal academes? Regnery Publishing is now offering 25 "Politically Incorrect Guides" on a variety of pivotal subjects which have born the brunt of much revisionist or progressive interpretation over the years.
70 percent of Americans fear another government shutdown in January when the money runs out
The public is poised for the worst: 70 percent of Americans now believe it is "likely" that the government will shut down again, according to a Harris poll. Republicans are more apt than Democrats to agree with this, 79 percent to 64 percent, respectively.
Are you the parent of a girl? Then you're likely a conservative Republican study says
The new findings published in the Sociological Forum suggest that parents with daughters are more likely to be Republicans. The research disputes previous studies that found parents of daughters tended to be Democrats.
President Obama lands on the "25 Least Influential People of 2013" with Snowden and GaGa
President Obama is on the list. So is Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Edward Snowden and the wee royal infant Prince George. This is not the list to be on, though. They are among the "25 Least Influential People of 2013," according to GQ magazine.
Irked news organizations challenge White House taxpayer funded ‘monopolistic propaganda’
Oh, the acrimony. Close to 40 major new organizations are protesting an increasingly insular White House which exercises control over its brand and image with the finesse of a Madison Avenue PR shop.
An official cover-up of the truth' in the JFK assassination? Even political rivals agree on it
The 50th anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy has drawn enormous press coverage, official recognitions, endless investigations and dramatic re-enactments. But the nation, perhaps, is not yet satisfied with any of the answers or revelations.
"Miss me yet?' Renewed voter interest shows the phrase now applies to Mitt Romney
"Smaller, simpler, smarter. Believe in America." That was the official motto of "Office of the President-Elect," a website launched by Mitt Romney's campaign in late October 2012. It was publicly visible for a time, but quickly deactivated after Mr. Romney lost the election. Now the public appears to have had a Romney renaissance of sorts. They just might miss him, or the president he could have been.
61 percent of Americans still insist the JFK assassination was a conspiracy
The assassination of John F. Kennedy continues to draw the attention of Americans for myriad reasons five decades later. One factor persists: the majority of the public continue to believe that there was a conspiracy at work, and most have notions about who was behind it. A Gallup poll has the numbers.
A predicted scenario: 'Obamacare expanded into Hillarycare'
He has been called one of the toughest law men in the nation. That would be Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who has become concerned about the 2016 presidential election, and the changes that could arise if Hillary Clinton wins the White House.
Rock bottom: Congress gets the lowest approval ratings in Gallup history
A moment of dread, disquiet and despondency? This must be it: "Americans' approval of the way Congress is handling its job has dropped to 9 percent, the lowest in Gallup's 39-year history of asking the question," reports Frank Newport, director at the pollster.
Want to help the economy? Get married
Go on ahead and get hitched. The economy will benefit - at least according to one major pollster which has tabulated the numbers.
A conservative asks: When did 'white trash' become the new normal?
Has America become hopelessly tacky thanks to reality TV, celebrity gossip, baby daddies, tattoos and trailer parks? Someone has at last sounded a tasteful alarm about a trend that has permeated just about everything, including politics.
