By Rex Reed 10/05/11 10:21am

movies

Gosling.

The Ides of March is Manufacturing Ascent

If the flaws in the American character are reflected in the politicians Americans vote for, then The Ides of March provides not only food for thought, but the analytical raw material for election-year nightmares as well. This behind-the-scenes political blowtorch hits the screen like the fire from a high-tech Uzi and forces both the right and left sides of a polarized country to rethink the electoral process. A cynical, polished and deeply disturbing look at the kind of camera-ready liberal dreamboy who gets elected in 60-second sound bites, it is one of the most important films of the year.

George Clooney is the director, co-writer and star of this biting back-room exposé of twisted ambition, betrayal and ideological disillusionment in the tradition of The Candidate and The Best Man, set during a Democratic primary debate in Ohio. Read More

By The Editors 10/05/11 9:57am

opinion

City Council Speaker Quinn and Her Leadership Test

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn wants to be mayor in two years. The man who holds that job now, Michael Bloomberg, has made it clear that he thinks Ms. Quinn would be a suitable successor.

That’s all very nice, but ambition and endorsements alone do not make a credible candidate. Leadership matters, as two successive mayors have demonstrated. Ms. Quinn is about to get a chance to show whether or not she is a leader. Read More

By Steve Cohen 10/23/08 7:35pm

Joe the Plumber is the Symbol for What’s Wrong

If you read the transcript of the now famous exchange between Senator Obama and Joe the Plumber, you learn that Obama was making the point that rich people like him and those that make more than $250,000 a year should pay more taxes so that people who make less can pay fewer taxes – and Read More