Mark Shields
Mark Shields
Mark Shieldsis an American political columnist and commentator...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionJournalist
Date of Birth25 May 1937
CountryUnited States of America
giving president dues
Let's give the president some due.
crush party thinking
For many years, we have had these campaign finance reforms, and they have been failures. Money is more coursing through our system than ever before. Incumbents have used the laws to advantage themselves. And one of the reasons I think they have been failures is we have tried to crush down the money in places like the political parties, and it has squished out into opaque super PACs and sort of hidden channels.
country believe trying
Sometimes, you just let the country have its way, and you don't try to determine the shape of the country. You sort of modestly step back and let the country figure out what it believes.
past order iowa
In the past, in order to continue as a candidate, a serious candidate, you had to be in the top three finishes in Iowa. You had to be in the top two out of New Hampshire. All our presidents elected in the past half-century finished either first or second in New Hampshire and in the top three in Iowa. That changed with the Citizens United, when we gave unlimited amounts of money.
thinking scandal shame
The failure to invest in our public transportation and public life, I think, is a scandal and a shame, and it should be a national embarrassment.
cities flood
Washington is a city of money. It's a flood of money.
people tragedy human-trafficking
Human trafficking is a human tragedy. It's an outrage against any decent people.
feet speak stirrups
He who speaks the truth must keep one foot in the stirrup.
thinking tradition american-values
I think Guantanamo, has been synonymous with the staining of American values and American legal tradition.
running presidential campaign-finance
From 1976, Judy to 1996, we had six presidential elections. And it was run under the Campaign Finance Reform Act of 1974. In all six of them, every candidate agreed to limits of what he could collect in contributions and what he could spend in seeking a nomination. And they all abided by it.
country mistake two
Clinton's major problem, and the two aren't separable really because there is hope in the country, the hope - - optimism has slipped dramatically, make no mistake about every measurement shows that. But the hope is still there. Hope is with him. People want change. They see him as the best chance for change.
interesting use levels
At a time when the public is sour on politicians, have no use for them, Bill Clinton has risen to a different level. Bill Clinton is endlessly interesting.
thinking israel support
I don't think he should make foreign policy on the basis of peak,but I don't think it can be overstated that Israel has been an embattled democracy that has enjoyed the bipartisan and overwhelming support of Americans. It has been a moral force.
party office republican
Now Republicans are a more interventionist party than they have been at any time since George W. Bush left office.