Jennifer Harper
Articles by Jennifer Harper
Inside the Beltway: Asian-Female-Gay-Latino-Tribal Obama
After being declared our first "Asian American," "female," "gay" and "Latino" president, President Obama has yet another title. Published December 5, 2012
Inside the Beltway: No Oscar for ‘2016: Obama’s America’
"Sugar Man," "Detopia" and "Ethel" were among the 15 documentaries deemed eligible for an Oscar by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science on Tuesday. But not "2016: Obama's America." Published December 4, 2012
As a target for terrorists, U.S. ranks No. 41 in world
The United States is not the biggest terrorist target on the planet, ranking 41st on a new index tracking global terrorism trends released Wednesday that ranks 158 nations according to the severity of terrorist activity within their borders, plus the death, destruction and economic damage that accompanies it. Published December 4, 2012
Inside the Beltway: Looming, plunging, dreaded
No wonder the American public gets jittery. The phrase "fall off the fiscal cliff" has appeared in news coverage more than 184,000 times since early November, according to a casual Goggle News search. The press likes nothing more than a cliffhanger story that alarms the American public but allows journalists to weigh in with much drama and authority, even when there's little to report. Published December 3, 2012
Inside the Beltway: Drones for journalists
Here comes the fly-by media. Preliminary use of diminutive drones is under way among those who see the potential of drones in news gathering, not to mention invasive "gotcha"-style journalism. Published December 2, 2012
Inside the Beltway: Campaign still bustling
All those cheeky, annoying, occasionally profane emails sent out by the Obama for America campaign are going nowhere. Published November 29, 2012
Inside the Beltway: Bill and the hoodie
Two decades have passed since nightclub entertainer and blond bombshell Gennifer Flowers stepped before cameras and announced she had a 12-year affair with then-Gov. Bill Clinton, joining a roster of attractive women who reported similar dalliances, wanted and unwanted. Miss Flowers has stepped forward once again to reveal that in 2005, Mr. Clinton offered to come visit her once again. Published November 28, 2012
Inside the Beltway: Fluke, PSY and the Rover
Brace for impact: Time magazine's annual search for the Person of the Year is under way, seeking the person, idea or entity that most influenced the news in 2012. Published November 27, 2012
Party’s over for would-be U.S. rock diplomat
Forget talk of ambassadors and national security. The State Department had a glittering flirtation with the Office of Party Hearty. It was brief. It was sensational. It failed. Published November 27, 2012
Inside the Beltway: Vilifying Norquist
Looks like it's Grover Norquist's turn to ride the insult wagon. The founder of Americans for Tax Reform is under scrutiny after seven lawmakers revealed they are not so keen about his long-standing "Taxpayer Protection Pledge," currently signed by 279 members of Congress, including three Democrats. Published November 26, 2012
Inside the Beltway: The RG3 playbook
It was inevitable that a heroic quarterback in the nation's capital gets politicized: some now say President Obama could take a few political pointers from Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III. Published November 25, 2012
Inside the Beltway: Normal guy Romney
It is the ultimate political irony: Mitt Romney has been out and about in public after his defeat in the presidential election, doing all the normal stuff that appeals to voters. Mr. Romney filled his own car with gas, wore jeans and a plaid shirt, and went with his wife, Ann, to see "Breaking Dawn Part 2," the big finale of the "Twilight" vampire movie series. He went to Disneyland, drank chocolate milk, had pizza and chatted casually with nearby customers. He grinned. His hair was tousled. Published November 22, 2012
Inside the Beltway: The pies have it
"Oysters on half shell, cream of chicken soup, fried smelts, sauce tartare, roast turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, baked squash, boiled onion, parsnip fritters, olives, chicken salad, venison pastry, pumpkin pie, mince pie, Charlotte russe, almond ice cream, lemon jelly, hickory nut cake, cheese, fruits, coffee." And so dictates the 1899 presidential Thanksgiving Day menu. Published November 21, 2012
Inside the Beltway: Vegetarians have a squawk
Vegetarians could very well join President Obama's circle of special interest groups. Published November 20, 2012
Inside the Beltway: Shalom, America
"In the Middle East, are your sympathies more with the Israelis or more with the Palestinians?" asks a CNN survey released Monday. The simple question has multiple answers. Overall, 59 percent of Americans side with the Israelis, 13 precent with the Palestinians. Three percent sympathize with both, 11 percent with neither, and 13 percent have no opinion. Published November 19, 2012
Inside the Beltway: Beware the bargain bin
While politicians dream of a blockbuster holiday shopping season that could blunt public fear of the "fiscal cliff," some creative rivalry is brewing among competitive retailers. "Violent shopping tactics" could await eager consumers in major cities, such as Los Angeles, New York and Chicago, warns Buy.com, a major online retail site. Published November 18, 2012
Inside the Beltway: Staying conservative
Though the mainstream media and certain elected officials are advising the Republican Party to gut itself and re-emerge as a spiffy, contemporary, compliant, agreeable and infinitely more charming new political entity, the majority of Republican voters essentially reject that idea. They're at home with the Grand Old Party as it is. Published November 15, 2012
Inside the Beltway: Herding Republicans
The liberal media are "shamelessly" using President Obama's re-election to steer the Republican Party away from the conservative mindset, says a pithy new Media Research Center study on recent national news coverage. Indeed, conservatives have been painted as a moldering, deranged bunch in the last week. Published November 14, 2012
Inside the Beltway: General quarters
"Too many generals are taking orders from their privates," summarizes Rush Limbaugh regarding the ever-mutating news about former CIA Director David H. Petraeus. Alas, there is collateral damage from all the bombshells, however. Published November 13, 2012
Inside the Beltway: Fifty shades of bimbo
The mutating "Petraeus affair" has conveniently filled the media vacuum left after the presidential election ended, providing press, pundits and assorted officials a veritable gold mine of material. Published November 12, 2012
