TheBakersfieldCalifornian.com

Recent Stories

1. 

   Forced contrition from all sides

   By DANA MILBANK

   Monday, Feb 20 2012 11:00 PM

   When I set out to cover the confirmation of an obscure Hispanic jurist last week, I had no idea I would spark the Great Tex-Mex Takedown of the 2012 presidential race.

   "Line of the day from WAPO's Dana Milbank," President Barack Obama's campaign manager Jim Messina tweeted the morning the column appeared. "'The chimichanga? It may be the only thing Republicans have left to offer Latinos.'"

   The conservative Twitterverse ignited in condemnation of Messina's dissemination of this "racist" and "insensitive" remark made by, um, me. The Republican National Committee and the conservative Hispanic Leadership Network demanded he apologize.

   Holy mole sauce! The flap spread, to CNN, the Drudge Report, The New York Times, Comedy Central. "Chimichanga is the new macaca," determined Michelle Malkin. Eventually, calls came from the blogosphere that "both Jim Messina and Dana Milbank should apologize."

   To those demanding my apology, I say: That's nacho place. I flauta your demands. In the chimichanga wars, I will taco no prisoners -- and that's for churro.

   Read More
2. 

   Mitt Romney: A campaigner without a cause

   The central narrative of the Republican nomination contest is easy to summarize: Any candidate who is perceived as the main opponent to Mitt Romney immediately ties or leads Mitt Romney.
3. 

   ESTHER CEPEDA: The new Lego 'women'

   My sons are aghast at what we call the new "Lady Legos." So am I.
4. 

   ESTHER CEPEDA: Fear of American Muslims is greatly overblown

   It seems that every week, some really important news fails to get enough headlines. A story that crept by amid last week's bloated political coverage was a study that showed how few American Muslims are involved in terrorist activities.
5. 

   MICHAEL GERSON: Obama's epic blunder on birth control mandate

   Before Barack Obama can defeat his opponents, he must first be rescued from his friends.
6. 

   ESTHER CEPEDA: Fixing a crooked smile

   This column is for all the crooked-toothed adults out there: Tell me if you can relate to this story.
7. 

   MICHAEL GERSON: Playing the anti-American card in Egypt

   Recent provocations by Egypt are both serious and mysterious. In December, its government conducted a series of armed raids on respected human rights and democracy organizations. Egyptian courts are pursuing transparently fraudulent prosecutions against several dozen employees of those groups, including 19 Americans. Six American citizens are being kept in Egypt against their will. One is Sam LaHood, the son of the secretary of transportation.
9. 

   ESTHER CEPEDA: Fear of federal college loans

   If you're not intimately familiar with the terrifying phrase "February is FAFSA time," then you don't have college-age kids. Or you're wealthy enough to be unencumbered by the gut-wrenching process of filling out the dreaded Free Application for Federal Student Aid, the gateway to federal and state student grants, work-study and loans for college.
10. 

    MICHAEL GERSON: The poor pay a price for Obama's politics

    Some issues fade; others fester. The Obama administration's contraceptive mandate on religious charities, hospitals and universities is the festering kind.
11. 

    MICHAEL GERSON: Examining the Obama-Romney matchup

    The granting of Secret Service protection following Mitt Romney's decisive Florida victory did not prevent him from immediately shooting himself in the foot. "I'm not concerned about the very poor," he explained. "My campaign is focused on middle-income Americans."
12. 

    ESTHER CEPEDA: Why America needs to be a bilingual nation

    Does your blood boil at the idea that a candidate for political office can be denied a spot on a ballot because of the inability to speak perfect English? Or does the boiling commence when someone suggests that elected officials don't need to be proficient in the English language to carry on the business of American government?
13. 

    DANA MILBANK: Gingrich's biggest fans

    Dear Newt:
14. 

    DANA MILBANK: Is the end near for Newt?

    It was approaching 11 p.m. at the Hyatt hotel bar here in Jacksonville, Fla., on Sunday, and reporters covering Newt Gingrich's campaign were enjoying a few drinks when a familiar figure approached.