/comment/columnists/jurekmartinhttp://www.ft.com/rss/comment/columnists/jurekmartinFT.com - Jurek Martinen© Copyright The Financial Times Ltd 2009. "FT" and "Financial Times" are trademarks of the Financial Times. See http://www.ft.com/servicestools/help/terms#legal1 for the terms and conditions of reuse.client.support@ft.com (Client Support)Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:42:38 +0000Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:27:23 +0000Newspapers15http://news.ft.com/cms/d1f3ce1a-6bbe-11da-bb53-0000779e2340.gif/comment/columnists/jurekmartin(PICS-1.1 "http://www.classify.org/safesurf/" L gen true for "http://www.ft.com/" r (SS~~000 1))http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/92eae52e-d2d4-11de-af63-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fjurekmartinhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/92eae52e-d2d4-11de-af63-00144feabdc0.htmlLou Dobbs, who resigned as America's chief prime-time xenophobe last week, is hinting that public office beckons. Perhaps Sarah Palin should take note, writes Jurek Martin Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:42:38 +0000http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/e1760250-c7df-11de-8ba8-00144feab49a.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fjurekmartinhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e1760250-c7df-11de-8ba8-00144feab49a.htmlForthcoming US elections, including two governorships, one House seat and a handful of mayoralties and referendums, will be scrutinised for what they imply for mid-term congressional elections a year from now. But beware the 'narrative', says Jurek Martin Mon, 2 Nov 2009 22:35:41 +0000http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/596252e8-c586-11de-9b3b-00144feab49a.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fjurekmartinhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/596252e8-c586-11de-9b3b-00144feab49a.htmlNone of America's 44 presidents has been an only child; and many siblings have proved thorns in the flesh, writes Jurek Martin Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:08:00 +0000http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/599ccd9c-bd84-11de-9f6a-00144feab49a.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fjurekmartinhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/599ccd9c-bd84-11de-9f6a-00144feab49a.htmlIn the land of the free, there is no prima facie reason why anybody should not own a sporting team, but it is pretty obvious that Rush Limbaugh was black-balled because of his politics, writes Jurek Martin Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:25:13 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/9b4a3fd8-b427-11de-bec8-00144feab49a.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fjurekmartinhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9b4a3fd8-b427-11de-bec8-00144feab49a.htmlThere is a lot of conditioning in America these days – from the laughter of the Letterman audience to the politicians on Capitol Hill, writes Jurek Martin Thu, 8 Oct 2009 19:16:48 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/46511c60-a9b7-11de-a3ce-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fjurekmartinhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/46511c60-a9b7-11de-a3ce-00144feabdc0.htmlOutspoken peddlers of socialist-and-worse conspiracy theories on US television and radio are stealing a veneer of unearned respectability, says Jurek Martin Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:23:07 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/19b8345c-a47d-11de-92d4-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fjurekmartinhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/19b8345c-a47d-11de-92d4-00144feabdc0.htmlOn Sunday morning, Barack Obama goes on five TV shows, probably a record, and on Monday he is on David Letterman's late-night show, where gentle evisceration occasionally occurs. The US president's calculation is that healthcare reform demands no less, writes Jurek Martin Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:14:02 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/7de1cea4-9206-11de-b63b-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fjurekmartinhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7de1cea4-9206-11de-b63b-00144feabdc0.htmlEdward Kennedy did not fulfil the ambitions of his dynastic family by becoming president of the United States, but he became a lion of the US Senate, liked and admired by friend and foe alikeWed, 26 Aug 2009 07:13:22 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/206ad2b4-9190-11de-879d-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fjurekmartinhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/206ad2b4-9190-11de-879d-00144feabdc0.htmlI'm a political not an economics junkie. But I know that if an American president takes an economic hit early in his first term, he will be re-elected; if he takes it late he is a goner after four years, writes Jurek Martin Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:51:06 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/2/921280e8-8861-11de-82e4-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fjurekmartinhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/921280e8-8861-11de-82e4-00144feabdc0.htmlA study that traces the origins of the Mafia in New York provides texture to and fills in the gaps in the popular knowledge about the organisation, says Jurek Martin Mon, 17 Aug 2009 07:02:02 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/468c2fb4-8372-11de-a24e-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fjurekmartinhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/468c2fb4-8372-11de-a24e-00144feabdc0.htmlIt is arguably better to let all this rubbish out because the oxygen of publicity will reveal to anybody with half a brain who the nut cases are, writes Jurek Martin Fri, 7 Aug 2009 18:51:29 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/c3207258-7b73-11de-9772-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fjurekmartinhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c3207258-7b73-11de-9772-00144feabdc0.htmlA few injudicious words aside, the president's reflections on the arrest of an eminent black Harvard professor in his own home were spot-on, writes Jurek Martin Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:34:54 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/d740cf42-6fc7-11de-b835-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fjurekmartinhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d740cf42-6fc7-11de-b835-00144feabdc0.htmlJudge Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearings began on Monday but she has little to fear if she keeps her head, writes Jurek Martin Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:30:50 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/cd115496-6d84-11de-8b19-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fjurekmartinhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/cd115496-6d84-11de-8b19-00144feabdc0.htmlSecond acts are very much the American way, particularly in politics. What does Sarah Palin, who unexpectedly resigned as governor of Alaska last week, have in store for us, asks Jurek Martin Fri, 10 Jul 2009 21:43:12 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/b59e0d60-627e-11de-b1c9-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fjurekmartinhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b59e0d60-627e-11de-b1c9-00144feabdc0.htmlBarack Obama is forever sneaking away from the White House to play golf, the latest in a long line of US presidents and vice-presidents to have pursued this singular passion, writes Jurek Martin Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:29:14 +0100