Ari Melber

“I think politics is always about dialogue. I think journalism ranges from dialogue to monologue, and there are times when different poles are necessary.”

“My favorite rappers are a lot of other people's favorite rappers. I love Jay Z, Kanye, 2Pac, Biggie, old Mos Def.”

“Of course, no one doubts McCain's personal tenacity, from braving torture to overcoming cancer. Yet plenty of nonpartisan observers doubt his credibility.”

“Obstruction takes time.”

“There's a lot of hip-hop that's oriented toward a progressive view of America because it's oriented toward a civil rights progress and a critique of the power structure.”

“From the Fourth Amendment to post-Watergate reforms to the national outcry when Bush's warrantless surveillance was revealed in 2005, the United States has a strong tradition of overseeing t...”

“The 'FISA Amendments Act' would gut the oversight system established by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, which subjected domestic spying to review by a special intelligence...”

“Like any extraordinary power, surveillance provides temptations for abuse, such as tracking political opponents and journalists.”

“A precedent provides legal authority for an action precisely because it occurred before.”

“Obama's openness is a welcome change from his predecessor, who went all the way to the Supreme Court to hide the RSVP list for a single policy meeting. And transparency is intrinsically good...”

“Here is one iron law of the Internet: a social network's emphasis on monetizing its product is directly proportional to its users' loss of privacy.”

“Anyone with a cursory knowledge of American history knows that unchecked spying undermines democracy and public trust.”

“It's hard to be a national punch line unless lots of voters have soured on you.”

“Rick Ross has good beats, if some more questionable content.”

“In American politics, there's a recurring fantasy, nurtured by the press, about 'courageous' politicians who do the right thing against their political interest. But really, isn't it even mo...”

“While 'Django Unchained' presents a morally stark universe, where people do and say evil things with no remorse, it also luxuriates in the license that such evil provides.”

“When controversy calls, corporations can be far more responsive than politicians. The market votes every day, after all.”

“A healthy corporation acts on the interests of its stakeholders and customers.”

“Thieves don't usually make good therapists.”

“TV ads are great for broadcasting, but voter turnout is about narrow-casting. And not all messengers are created equal.”