I don't like populists. First of all, they seem a lot more popular than I am. Second, they derive their popularity from exploiting our base fears — Joe McCarthy's fear of communist takeover, George Wallace's fear of black people, Lou Dobbs' fear of other cultures, Joe the Plumber's fear of working. Whereas I derive my popularity from ending paragraphs with middling jokes. But CNBC reporter Rick Santelli's now famous rant against President Barack Obama's Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan ...

Tapped by the Republican party to deliver the GOP's response to President Barack Obama's congressional address Tuesday night, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal plans to take on the massive stimulus package and emphasize that the U.S. economy can recover. "To solve our current problems, Washington must lead," Jindal will say, according to excerpts of his speech released by the Republican National Committee. "But the way to lead is not to raise taxes and put more money and power in the hands ...

Sure, it was a tad hokey and staged. After members of Congress and assorted good government-types participated in the "fiscal responsibility" summit at the White House, President Obama took their questions. Calling first on Sen. John McCain, the new president was almost scolded and told his new fleet of helicopters will cost "as much as Air Force One." Obama, however, was quick to agree: "My helicopter now seems perfectly adequate to me." Of course, he added, "I've never ...

Italians are normally not good at waiting in line. During the weekly trip to the bank or post office it helps to have sharp elbows and a sense of entitlement. Getting on a bus or train can be more like packing down in a rugby scrum. But when those big moments in life arrive — the next step in your career, a business idea to launch, moving out of your parent's home — Italy is afflicted by a troubling surplus ...

In a Facebook video, the screen is filled with a sea of 20-something men and women cruising on sleek black motorbikes, all of them Harley-Davidson's Sportster Iron 883. It's part of marketing campaign to generate buzz around the newest Sportster. "That's hot!" one woman declares on Harley-Davidson's Facebook page, where other mini-documentaries promoting the bike are posted. Back at Harley's Milwaukee headquarters, one can only hope for heat. At roughly $8,000, the Sportster is positioned to ...

Under fire from tens of thousands of users, the social networking site Facebook said early Wednesday it is reverting to its old policy on user information -- for now. The site posted a brief message on users' home pages that said it was returning to its previous "Terms of Use" policy "while we resolve the issues that people have raised." The "Terms of Use" is the legalese tacked on to the bottom of most Web sites that details what the ...

On an otherwise placid holiday weekend, one blog's commentary on a change to Facebook's terms of service created a firestorm of banter on the Web: does the social network claim ownership to any user content on the site, even if the user deletes it? Facebook reorganized its terms of service last Wednesday. In a blog post, company legal representative Suzie White provided an explanation. "We used to have several different documents that outlined what people could and could not do ...

Singer Chris Brown broke his silence Sunday, a week after allegedly attacking his girlfriend, fellow performer Rihanna, on a street in Los Angeles, California. "Words cannot begin to express how sorry and saddened I am over what transpired," the 19-year-old said in a statement released by his spokesman. "I am seeking the counseling of my pastor, my mother and other loved ones and I am committed, with God's help, to emerging a better person." He added, "Much of what has ...

If White House etiquette is any indication, you should be getting a random hug soon. The Obama family was always cuddly on the campaign trail, and last month the President bestowed no fewer than nine hugs on senior male staffers at a single meeting. The Hugger in Chief didn't start the trend. At work and at school, even on first introductions--at least among the latest inhabitants of The Real World--the hug is gaining ground on the handshake. There are ...

And it came to pass that Her Majesty the Queen of England decided her website needed a little juice-up. Thus, on the 13th day of February in the Year of our Lord 2009, she stood before her subjects and held aloft the royal remote control and behold, there appeared on a screen behind her what nobles and seers would come to call QE2.0, the new and improved official website of the British Monarchy. No bottles of champagne were broken over ...