By Nina Burleigh 4/09 6:57pm

The Bombshell

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Cad in Chief: Why The President Should Not Call Female Leaders ‘Goodlooking’

Ever since Seth MacFarlane sang that silly song about seeing actresses’ boobs and everyone got mad, I’ve been of two minds about whether it’s worth our time, as women, to keep fighting this particular battle.
One the one hand, we seem to have time-traveled back to the Mad Men era. Across the land, from Hollywood to Fargo, nostalgia for twinsets, garish lipstick and back-alley abortions is in vogue.

On the other hand, I too want to laugh at boob jokes, and of course, I want to be able to welcome a compliment from a president of the United States.
But O got himself a Saturday Night Live skit and a million blog posts last week when, besides praising her brilliance, dedication and toughness, he added of California Attorney General Kamala Harris: “She also happens to be by far the best-looking attorney general in the country … it’s true … come on.” Read More

By Jim Newell 12/04/12 7:43pm

Morning Boehner

U.S. President Obama meets with a bipartisan group of congressional leaders - DC

Cliff Hanger: Fiscal Fight Makes for Lousy Politics But Killer TV

For three consecutive days last week, I woke up before 9 a.m. without the use of an alarm. This has never happened before. It’s not because I’m bright-eyed and looking to seize a brand-new day’s worth of opportunities, but because I’m an addict. A filthy, filthy blood-eyed, rot-tooth addict, and the new shipment just came in. CSPAN’s coverage of Congress comically attempting to do something important begins at the crack of dawn, and I hate to miss even a second of it.  Read More

By The Editors 12/04/12 7:26pm

Editorials

A Real Cliffhanger

Republicans have acknowledged that the federal government needs new revenue to avoid a fiscal calamity in the new future. True, their recently unveiled proposal to avoid the looming fiscal cliff did not include higher tax rates for anybody. In fact, it calls for lower rates. But the plan does include $800 billion in new revenue Read More

By Matt Chaban 9/24/12 11:17am

Road Rage

None shall pass.

Obama, Ahmadinejad and Jay-Z Will Create Carmageddon in New York This Week

As is his want, Gridlock Sam Schwartz is out trying to warn people about troubling traffic conditions. As Mr. Schwartz explained in a profile earlier this year in The Observer, you tell people about how terrible the roads will be, and they have a remarkable habit to stay out of their cars. After all, everybody hates traffic.

So when Mr. Schwartz says this will be the worst traffic week of the year, we are want to give the former traffic commission his due. Here’s what we have to look forward to in the coming “Carmageddon” (his term, not ours, and we think it’s a technical one at that). Read More

By Benjamin-Emile Le Hay 4:07pm

First Lady Style Watch

Lady Obama and the girls. Photo Courtesy of AP/WWD.

Is L.A.-Based Designer Barbara Tfank Michelle Obama’s New Designer of Choice?

Word has gotten out from publicists and fashion news authority Women’s Wear Daily that first lady Michelle Obama has endorsed yet another one of Barbara Tfank’s ladylike designs for a heavily monitored public appearance. It is said to be the fifth time that the first lady has donned a Barbara Tfank frock. She wore the ravishing outfit at a meet-and-greet in Gainesville, Fla., for a young girls’ after-school program called Girls’ Place on September 17.

“A friend, who Tfank had shown the unusual fabric to, spotted the dress on C-SPAN and called the designer to tell her the news,” reported WWD.

According to our perhaps inaccurate tally, this means that Ms. Obama has worn Tfank to more public appearances than any other high-end American fashion designer, which leads us to ask: Is Barbara Tfank Ms. Obama’s new designer of choice? Has Ms. Tfank overtaken the feminine and playful aesthetic of Jason Wu? Read More

By The Editors 6/20/12 9:58am

opinion

Obama’s Good Call

As a magnet for immigrants, New York City has a vested interest in the nation’s ongoing and long-standing debate about immigration reform. So President Obama’s recent decision to stop the deportation of illegal immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children cannot but help thousands of New Yorkers who currently live in the shadows, fearful that one false move might lead to a one-way ticket to their place of birth.

Mr. Obama’s decision will directly affect the lives of about 800,000 young people nationwide. Read More

By The Editors 6/20/12 9:51am

opinion

Stop Charles Barron, Now

The prospect of Charles Barron on Capitol Hill ought to send a shiver down the spine of every decent New Yorker. The man is a hater and a bigot whose only redeeming quality is his candor: The man makes no attempt to hide his loathing of white people, Israel, his colleagues and anybody else who doesn’t share his demented views. Read More

By Matt Chaban 6/15/12 10:45am

The Neverending Story

8 Photos

We remember. We rebuild we come back stronger!

‘We Remember. We Rebuild. We Come Back Stronger!’ Obama Visits the World Trade Center [Pics]

Those were the words the president inscribed on a One World Trade Center-branded beam that will top the tower some time in the coming weeks. Port Authority officials gave the president a tour of the building, along with development partner and left-leaner Douglas Durst. In addition to work on the site, the president marveled at the residential boom downtown. “We couldn’t be prouder of you guys,” President Obama told WTC workers. “This is what the American spirit is all about.” Read More

By The Editors 6/13/12 11:18am

History in Wisconsin

If you think the failed recall of Gov. Scott Walker in Wisconsin has nothing to do with New York, well, you’re simply not paying attention. As Wisconsin goes, so goes the nation. Or so we should hope. Read More