lying in ponds
The absurdity of partisanship
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Molly Ivins
Creators Syndicate

Columns 86
Words 83504
Normalized Median Partisanship Index 77.37
Normalized Total Partisanship Index 70.64
Normalized Combined Partisanship Index 74.01
Democratic Index 48.67
Republican Index -75.89
Positive Index 11.73
Negative Index 70.64
Neutral Index 17.64



Partisan References

Type Number All References
Positive Democratic 91 Democrats(14), Byrd(9), Democratic(7), D-(4), Ronnie Earle(4), Clinton administration(3), Earle(3), Murtha(3), Clinton(2), Robert Byrd(2), Barney Frank(2), John F. Kennedy(2), John Murtha(2), Bob Bullock(2), Jack Murtha(2), Pete Laney, Bill Clinton, Paul Sarbanes, Bill Richardson, Nunn, George Soros, David Obey, Hillary Clinton, John Conyers, Carl Levin, Sheila Jackson Lee, Robert Wexler, Wexler, Henry Cisneros, Jimmy Carter, Ted Kennedy, Ronnie Earle, Hubert Humphrey, Clintonites, Bill C., John Breaux, Henry Waxman, R-, Harry Reid, John Kerry, President Clinton, Bill Hobby, Frank Church, Edward Kennedy, Russ Feingold
Negative Democratic 18 Democrats(6), Earle(2), Clinton administration, FDR, Dems, Democratic House, Democratic, Democratic Party, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Murtha, William J. Jefferson, D
Neutral Democratic 41Democrats(13), Clinton(5), Bill Clinton(3), Democratic(2), Ronnie Earle(2), Clinton administration, John Kennedy, George Soros, Hillary Clinton, James Carville, Democrat, Barbara Lee, Earle, Democratic Leadership Council, Al From, Bruce Reed, DLC, From, Reed, Robb, Democratic Party
Positive Republican 38 Republican(8), Bush(4), John McCain(2), McCain(2), Colin Powell, Christine Todd Whitman, Tom Ridge, Whitman, Alberto Gonzales, Lugar, Powell, John Danforth, Alan Simpson, Richard Lugar, the president, Paul O'Neill, O'Neill, Chuck Hagel, Hutchison, Dick Lugar, Republicans, R-, Sherwood Boehlert, R's, Jean Schmidt, Barry Goldwater
Negative Republican 759 Bush(136), administration(79), Republicans(48), DeLay(38), Bolton(35), Bush administration(29), Republican(28), Tom DeLay(25), George W. Bush(24), the president(23), President Bush(19), White House(19), Bushies(14), Karl Rove(14), Abramoff(14), Republican Party(13), Cheney(12), Rove(9), Cunningham(9), John Bolton(8), Norquist(8), Nixon(6), president(6), George Bush(6), Cox(6), Donald Rumsfeld(5), Dubya(4), Jack Abramoff(4), Grover Norquist(3), Newt Gingrich(3), Dick Cheney(3), George W. (3), GOP(3), Blunt(2), Nixon administration(2), Gonzales(2), Chris Cox(2), president of the United States(2), Vice President Dick Cheney(2), Rice(2), W(2), Frank Luntz(2), Luntz(2), vice president(2), Republican Congress(2), Bill Frist(2), R's(2), Rush Limbaugh(2), Duke Cunningham(2), Vice President Cheney(2), Joe Allbaugh(2), Allbaugh(2), Dennis Hastert, Al Gonzales, Bush Administration II, Condoleezza Rice, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, W. Bush, Trent Lott, Paul Wolfowitz, Norm Coleman, George Bushes, President George W. Bush, Majority Whip Tom DeLay, President, Patricia Harrison, Republican National Committee, Harrison, Jeb Bush, Ted Olson, Bush I, Rumsfeld, Reagan administration, Dan Bartlett, Joe Barton, veep, Limbaugh, Randy Cunningham, W. , Richard Nixon, Barbara Bush, Goodhair Perry, Bush Administration, Ronald Reagan, Republican administration, Bushie, Roy Blunt, Wolfowitz, executive branch, House Republicans, Scooter Libby, Cabinet, John Cornyn, Maurice Stans, Tommy Thompson, Don Evans, Haley Barbour, Fred Thompson, Colin Powell, Stephen Hadley, Cornyn, White, Delay, Scott McClellan, "Duke" Cunningham, Duke, Bob Ney, Richard Pombo, Dana Rohrabacher, John Doolittle, Conrad Burns, The president, Alberto Gonzales, Dan Burton, Richard Milhous Nixon, John Poindexter, Ralph Reed
Neutral Republican 153Bush(27), Republicans(17), administration(10), the president(7), President Bush(6), DeLay(4), Republican(4), Bolton(4), Rove(4), Colin Powell(3), Luntz(3), Cox(2), Richard Nixon(2), Norquist(2), Abramoff(2), Bush administration(2), R's(2), Karl Rove(2), Cunningham(2), White House(2), Dick Cheney(2), Phil Gramm, Jesse Helms, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Dole, Condoleezza Rice, Rice, Richard Armitage, George Voinovich, W., Goodhair Perry, Richard Perle, vice president, The president, Chris Cox, Reagan administration, the President, Rumsfeld, Randy "Duke" Cunningham, Charles Grassley, White House, GOP, Mehlman, Republican National Committee, R-, Oliver North, Reagan, Treasury Secretary John Snow, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Hutchison, Tom DeLay, Frank Luntz, president of the United States, Bill Bennett, president, George W. Bush, Scott McClellan, Richard Baker, Cheney, George W. , Nixon, Bill Frist, Barbara Bush, Rick Perry



List of Columns

Lines in yellow indicate a substantive crossover column, meaning that the column is of opposite sign to the pundit's Normalized Total PI for the season, and contains at least five non-neutral partisan references.
Title/
Date
words Norm
PI
Partisan References
Stupidity, survived
29 December 2005
873 62 4D+: Edward Kennedy, Democrats, Russ Feingold, John Murtha
6R-: Republicans, Republicans, Cheney, Jack Abramoff, Tom DeLay, Ralph Reed
1D=, 6R=
Big Brother Bush
28 December 2005
1043 95 1D+: Frank Church
18R-: Bush, Richard Milhous Nixon, Nixon, president, the president, Nixon, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Nixon, Cheney, Republican, Republicans, John Poindexter, administration, administration, administration, Bush, the president
1R=
Following in Saddam's footsteps
22 December 2005
1049 100 10R-: Republican, the president, Dick Cheney, Nixon administration, administration, Bush, Cheney, Bush, George W. Bush, George W. Bush
The Constitution does not apply
21 December 2005
854 77 1R+: Barry Goldwater
11R-: the president, president of the United States, Alberto Gonzales, Bush, Nixon, Dan Burton, Bush, administration, administration, Bush, Bush
1R=
Another mission accomplished
16 December 2005
991 74 1D+: Jack Murtha
10R-: the president, vice president, Bush, White House, administration, Bush, administration, Bush, Bush, Bush
4R=
Procrastination central
13 December 2005
848 0
Impersonating the Lord
1 December 2005
978 68 2D-: William J. Jefferson, D
18R-: "Duke" Cunningham, Cunningham, Duke, Tom DeLay, DeLay, DeLay, Tom DeLay, Duke Cunningham, Bob Ney, Richard Pombo, Dana Rohrabacher, John Doolittle, Bill Frist, Conrad Burns, Bush, The president, Bush, the president
1R=
Feeling thankful
29 November 2005
874 79 3D+: John F. Kennedy, Jack Murtha, D-
1R+: Republican
8R-: Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Cheney, Cheney, Bush administration, Bill Frist, Delay, Scott McClellan
1R=
An old, ugly, mean trick
21 November 2005
1043 55 6D+: Democratic, Harry Reid, John Murtha, Murtha, Murtha, Murtha
1D-: Murtha
2R+: Bush, Jean Schmidt
14R-: Bush, President Bush, administration, Republicans, Bush, Colin Powell, Donald Rumsfeld, administration, Bush, Stephen Hadley, Donald Rumsfeld, Bush, Cheney, vice president
2D=, 6R=
Tootling merrily along
17 November 2005
975 100 2D+: Henry Waxman, R-
14R-: Bush administration, Tommy Thompson, president, Bush, the president, Don Evans, Bush administration, administration, Bush, Republicans, Cheney, Haley Barbour, Republican, Vice President Dick Cheney
Stupid or lying?
15 November 2005
991 90 2D+: Democrats, John Breaux
6R-: Republican, Republicans, Bush, Republican, Republicans, Republicans
1R=
Some kind of manly
10 November 2005
914 43 1R+: John McCain
4R-: administration, Vice President Cheney, George W. Bush, George W. Bush
2R=
Bush administration gives management a bad name
8 November 2005
975 78 9R-: Bush administration, President Bush, administration, Cabinet, administration, Nixon administration, Maurice Stans, Nixon, Bushies
1D=, 1R=
How to fix this mess
3 November 2005
1052 80 1R+: Bush
9R-: Bush, Bush administration, George W. , Bush, Bush, Bush, administration, John Bolton, Bush administration
Escape from the pickle factory
1 November 2005
945 75 3R-: White House, president, administration
1R=
Blessed stubbornness
25 October 2005
1027 0 1R=
Let's fix this mess
20 October 2005
1043 29 4D+: Clintonites, Bill C., Democratic, Democrats
1D-: Democrats
1R+: R's
5R-: Bush, Bushies, Bushies, Republican, Republicans
7D=, 5R=
Naked and helpless
13 October 2005
981 100 5R-: Tom DeLay, Scooter Libby, Karl Rove, Bush administration, Bush administration
The outrage of the week
11 October 2005
1014 47 1D+: Democrats
5R+: John McCain, Republicans, McCain, McCain, Sherwood Boehlert
14R-: Bush administration, Bushies, President Bush, George W. Bush, House Republicans, Tom DeLay, DeLay, Republican, Bush, George Bush, Bush administration, Bush, John Bolton, George W. Bush
2R=
Flim-flam and hoo-hah
6 October 2005
1049 100 35R-: Bush administration, Bush, Bush, Republican, Jack Abramoff, Bush, Tom DeLay, Republican Party, Abramoff, Grover Norquist, Abramoff, Karl Rove, Bush, White House, Abramoff, Abramoff, DeLay, Karl Rove, Bush, Bush, Abramoff, Bush, administration, White House, Norquist, Abramoff, Roy Blunt, Republicans, DeLay, Blunt, Blunt, DeLay, Republicans, DeLay, executive branch
The unification of church and state
4 October 2005
962 58 1D+: John F. Kennedy
2R-: White House, George W. Bush
1D=, 1R=
The DeLay defense
30 September 2005
1086 48 8D+: Ronnie Earle, Ronnie Earle, Ronnie Earle, Earle, Ronnie Earle, Earle, Earle, Ronnie Earle
3D-: Democrats, Earle, Earle
1R+: Hutchison
14R-: DeLay, Tom DeLay, Tom DeLay, DeLay, Republicans, Republican, DeLay, DeLay, DeLay, DeLay, DeLay, DeLay, DeLay, Tom DeLay
5D=, 4R=
Bush breaks first commandment of governing
27 September 2005
974 91 1D+: Henry Cisneros
13R-: Bush, George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, Newt Gingrich, Bush administration, Republican Congress, Republican administration, Joe Allbaugh, Bushie, Jack Abramoff, Tom DeLay, administration, Allbaugh
1D=
Government by temper tantrum
22 September 2005
1009 100 1D+: Democratic
9R-: George W. Bush, Bush, Bush, Bush, Bush, Bush, administration, Bush, Republican
Happy Media Accountability Day!
20 September 2005
968 100 2R-: Bush Administration, administration
You know me, Dubya
15 September 2005
905 100 1D+: Democrats
8R-: Dubya, Dubya, Barbara Bush, Dubya, Republicans, Republican Party, Dubya, Goodhair Perry
The graft goes on
13 September 2005
1012 83 3D+: Sheila Jackson Lee, Robert Wexler, Wexler
1D-: Democrats
12R-: Republican, Vice President Cheney, veep, Cheney, Joe Allbaugh, Bush, Republican Party, Allbaugh, the president, George W. , W. , president
George Bush investigates!
8 September 2005
1044 89 1D+: Clinton administration
15R-: George Bush, George W. Bush, George W. , Bush, president, Bush, Bush, Bush, Republicans, Reagan administration, Bush administration, Karl Rove, Dan Bartlett, White House, White House
2R=
Happy Labor Day
6 September 2005
982 71 5R-: George W. Bush, Bush, administration, Republicans, Bush
2R=
New Orleans: It's about us
1 September 2005
1092 73 1D+: Clinton administration
8R-: Bush administration, Bush administration, Bush, Bush administration, Bush, Newt Gingrich, Republican, the president
1D=, 2R=
Check back in
30 August 2005
888 64 2R+: Chuck Hagel, Republican
9R-: George W. Bush, President Bush, John Bolton, Bolton, Bolton, Bush, Bolton, Bolton, Bolton
Manners and morons
28 July 2005
1053 100 1D+: Clinton administration
13R-: White House, John Cornyn, Fred Thompson, Bolton, Cornyn, White, White House, Jeb Bush, Ted Olson, Bush, White House, Bush I, White House
Solidarity later
26 July 2005
934 21 2D-: Democratic Party, Democrats
5R-: administration, administration, Republicans, Bush administration, Republicans
1D=
Big time trouble
21 July 2005
842 100 2R-: George W. Bush, Bush
You can't not care
19 July 2005
981 55 2R+: Paul O'Neill, O'Neill
10R-: Republican Party, Karl Rove, Rove, Rove, Republicans, administration, Bush, administration, Bushies, Bush administration
1D=, 1R=
Enough to make your head spin
15 July 2005
1024 45 12R-: Karl Rove, Bush, Rove, Rove, Bush, Rove, White House, administration, Rove, Rove, Rove, Karl Rove
1D=, 13R=
There goes the electrical grid
12 July 2005
912 0
Pigging out on pork
7 July 2005
976 77 10R-: Duke Cunningham, Republican, Cunningham, Cunningham, Cunningham, Cunningham, Cunningham, Cunningham, Cunningham, Cunningham
3R=
Eminent development
30 June 2005
905 100 2R-: George W. Bush, George Bush
Batten down the hatches
28 June 2005
1077 60 3D+: Democrats, Democratic, Democrats
2R+: the president, Republican
12R-: Rush Limbaugh, Karl Rove, Limbaugh, Karl Rove, George Bush, George Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, administration, Karl Rove, administration, President Bush, administration
3D=, 1R=
Super Senate sweep?
23 June 2005
954 91 10R-: administration, Randy Cunningham, Bush administration, Republicans, administration, administration, R's, White House, Tom DeLay, Joe Barton
1R=
Dismissing Downing Street
21 June 2005
994 86 3D+: John Conyers, Democratic, Democratic
11R-: administration, administration, White House, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Cheney, George Bush, administration, administration, Republicans, R's
1D=, 1R=
Destroying PBS
16 June 2005
1023 28 1D+: Hillary Clinton
6R+: Republican, Republican, Republican, John Danforth, Alan Simpson, Richard Lugar
11R-: Bush, Bush administration, Bush, Patricia Harrison, Republican, Republican National Committee, Harrison, Bush administration, Richard Nixon, Republican, Republicans
2D=, 2R=
The definition of insanity
14 June 2005
977 72 18R-: Bush, administration, George W. Bush, Chris Cox, Cox, Republican, Cox, Cox, Cox, Cox, Cox, John Bolton, Bolton, Bolton, Bolton, Bolton, Bolton, Chris Cox
7R=
Guess who's paying for dinner?
9 June 2005
846 100 3D+: George Soros, David Obey, D-
8R-: Bush, Bush, Bush, Bush, Republican, Bush, Republicans, Republicans
Turning up the sleaze
7 June 2005
1096 75 1D+: Barney Frank
25R-: Jack Abramoff, Grover Norquist, President George W. Bush, Abramoff, Norquist, Abramoff, Abramoff, Majority Whip Tom DeLay, Norquist, Norquist, DeLay, Abramoff, Republican Party, President, Republican, Abramoff, Norquist, Norquist, Abramoff, Norquist, Abramoff, Norquist, the president, Abramoff, Tom DeLay
9R=
The view from the 'Owner's Box'
2 June 2005
927 64 1D+: Bob Bullock
2R-: Republican, Republicans
2R=
Catapulting the propaganda
31 May 2005
921 83 5R-: George Bushes, Bush, Bush, Bush, Bush
1R=
Irony overflowing
26 May 2005
1037 100 3R-: Republicans, Gonzales, Norm Coleman
Duck and cover time
24 May 2005
885 100 1R-: Republicans
Don't blame Newsweek
17 May 2005
903 100 2R-: Bush administration, White House
They lied to us
10 May 2005
914 80 4R-: Bush, Bush, Bush, Paul Wolfowitz
1R=
So stupid, it's painful
5 May 2005
846 100 3R-: administration, Rush Limbaugh, administration
Bush's new math
4 May 2005
984 77 1R+: Bush
11R-: Bush, President Bush, the president, Bush, Bush, Bush, George W. Bush, Bush, Bush, Bush, Bush
1R=
Dumb Dems let GOP run wild
28 April 2005
1002 3 5D-: Dems, Democrats, Democratic House, Democratic, Democrats
7R-: GOP, Republicans, Bush, administration, President Bush, Bush, Tom DeLay
2R=
Christian right goes nuclear
26 April 2005
952 88 3D+: Democrats, Robert Byrd, Byrd
10R-: President Bush, Republican Party, Republicans, Republican Party, Trent Lott, Republicans, Republican Party, Bush, Bush, Republicans
2R=
The abysmal ambassador
21 April 2005
1091 64 4D+: Bill Richardson, Nunn, Democrats, Democrats
3R+: Lugar, Republican, Powell
22R-: Bush, John Bolton, Bolton, Bolton, Bolton, Bolton, Bolton, Bolton, Bolton, Bolton, the president, administration, Bolton, Bolton, Bolton, John Bolton, Bolton, Tom DeLay, Bolton, Bush administration, White House, George W. Bush
8R=
Manners, by Tom DeLay
19 April 2005
1034 56 2D+: Democrats, Democratic
1R+: Republican
14R-: Tom DeLay, Tom DeLay, Tom DeLay, Tom DeLay, Newt Gingrich, DeLay, DeLay, DeLay, DeLay, DeLay, DeLay, DeLay, DeLay, DeLay
3D=, 6R=
April 15th: You're getting screwed
14 April 2005
948 66 6R-: Republican Party, Republicans, Republicans, President Bush, W. Bush, Republicans
2D=
Bush's political pickle
12 April 2005
905 91 2D+: Bill Clinton, Paul Sarbanes
7R-: Bush, administration, Bushies, administration, Bush administration, Republican Party, Republican
1R=
Oil-for-food is small potatoes
31 March 2005
858 71 5R-: administration, administration, Bush, the president, Bush
2R=
Energy insanity
29 March 2005
1000 79 15R-: Bush, Dick Cheney, Cheney, administration, Cheney, administration, Bush, administration, Frank Luntz, Republican, Bush, Luntz, Bush, Bushies, Bush
4R=
Mercury rising
25 March 2005
878 100 2R-: Bush administration, administration
Pull the plug on pandering
22 March 2005
1015 71 2D+: Barney Frank, D-
1D-: FDR
6R-: the president, George W. Bush, George W. Bush, Bush, Republicans, Tom DeLay
The stench of rotting ethics
17 March 2005
1025 85 3D+: Bill Hobby, Bob Bullock, Pete Laney
15R-: Tom DeLay, Tom DeLay, DeLay, DeLay, DeLay, DeLay, DeLay, DeLay, DeLay, Tom DeLay, DeLay, DeLay, DeLay, DeLay, DeLay
1D=, 2R=
Calling all conservatives
15 March 2005
1024 21 1D-: Clinton administration
4R-: administration, Bush administration, Karl Rove, administration
1D=, 5R=
Move up the date for Armageddon
10 March 2005
967 81 22R-: Bush administration, John Bolton, Bolton, President Bush, Bolton, Bolton, Bolton, President Bush, Bolton, Bush, W, Bolton, John Bolton, Bolton, Bolton, Bolton, Bolton, Bolton, Bush, Bush, Bush, administration
5R=
Giving Bush's renominees the Byrd
8 March 2005
951 78 12D+: Byrd, Robert Byrd, Byrd, Byrd, Byrd, Byrd, Byrd, Byrd, Democrats, Clinton, President Clinton, Byrd
1D-: Franklin D. Roosevelt
1R+: Alberto Gonzales
9R-: Bush, Republicans, Republican, George W. Bush, Bush, Republicans, Bush, administration, administration
2R=
Bad to worse
3 March 2005
914 64 1D+: Democrats
2R-: Republican Congress, Republicans
2R=
The return of the Swift Boat Veterans
1 March 2005
967 84 1D+: John Kerry
9R-: Republican, Republican, President Bush, Republican Party, the president, Bush, Bush, George W. Bush, Bush
2R=
Horror stories
24 February 2005
918 0
The $200 million disinformation campaign
22 February 2005
969 71 1D+: Clinton
6R-: Republican Party, GOP, Bush, Republican, Bush, Republican
3R=
Screw the children
17 February 2005
934 100 5R-: President Bush, George W. Bush, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, Republican, Bush
Tort deform
15 February 2005
1096 87 1D+: Democrats
5R-: President Bush, administration, Republicans, Republicans, Karl Rove
1R=
On Bush's budget
12 February 2005
979 75 2D+: Ted Kennedy, Hubert Humphrey
1R+: Bush
7R-: Bush, George W. Bush, administration, Bush, Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, Bush
1R=
Private accounts: a no-brainer
8 February 2005
1030 93 13R-: President Bush, White House, Bush, Bush, the president, administration, Bush, Republicans, Bush, Bush, Bush, Bush, administration
1R=
Noble ideals, nasty actions
3 February 2005
965 46 3R+: Christine Todd Whitman, Tom Ridge, Whitman
12R-: administration, the president, Bush, administration, administration, Grover Norquist, Bushies, administration, White House, Bush, administration, administration
1D=, 3R=
Election déjà vu
1 February 2005
814 100 3R-: administration, administration, Bush
Team Bush flip-flops on Social Security linguistics
27 January 2005
1009 55 14R-: Bush, administration, Republicans, Republicans, the president, administration, Karl Rove, Frank Luntz, Republicans, Luntz, the president, Nixon, Rove, Republicans
3D=, 7R=
'From the day of our founding'
25 January 2005
975 65 1D+: Jimmy Carter
4R-: Bush, George W. Bush, Bush, Bush
3R=
Henhouses overstaffed with foxes
20 January 2005
906 100 12R-: Condoleezza Rice, president, the president, Rice, Rice, President Bush, Bush, Republican Party, W, Bush, Bush administration, administration
The science of comedy
18 January 2005
1124 40 1R-: President Bush
1D=
As a matter of fact
13 January 2005
972 85 1R+: Colin Powell
12R-: president of the United States, the president, the president, Karl Rove, administration, Bush administration, Bushies, administration, administration, Bush, administration, administration
Leading by misleading
11 January 2005
967 100 10R-: administration, Bush, Cheney, President Bush, Bush, Bush, Bush, Bushies, Bushies, Bushies
Lynching Social Security
6 January 2005
921 92 11R-: Bush Administration II, Bushies, President Bush, administration, administration, Republicans, GOP, White House, Bush, Bush, the president
1R=
Three days down, 362 to go
4 January 2005
942 62 2D+: Carl Levin, D-
2R+: Dick Lugar, R-
13R-: Republicans, Republican, Tom DeLay, Dennis Hastert, Republicans, Tom DeLay, Republicans, Tom DeLay, administration, Bushies, Al Gonzales, Gonzales, administration
1D=, 3R=