Archive

Mudline Archive

STICKS, STONES, BROKEN BONES

During the 2000 Bush-Gore presidential race, we began collecting negative soundbites and posting them weekly on a MUDLINE ticker, as a temporary election feature. But in the aftermath of that tumultuous contest we realized that the tone of public discourse was unlikely to improve, and elected to continue the feature. Unfortunately, we were right; two decades later, incivility is hotter than ever. If you just can’t get enough snark on social media, this mud’s for you.

  • July 3, 2013

    Texas Gov. Rick Perry on state Sen. Wendy Davis: "Hijacking of the democratic process."....Davis on Perry: "Small words that reflect a dark and negative point of view."....Texas state Sen. Bill Zedler on Davis and supporters: "Terrorists."....Westboro Baptist Church on Taylor Swift: "The poster child for the young whores of doomed America."....Bill Maher: "These Supreme Court dudes, they don't live in the real world."....Ann Coulter on Chris Christie: "Dead to me."....London Daily Mail on Rolling Stones performance: "Night of the living dead."....
  • June 26, 2013

    Justice Scalia on majority reasoning in DOMA case: "Legalistic argle-bargle."....Al Sharpton on VRA ruling: "Reprehensible...Has virtually canceled Dr. King's dream."....Rep. John Lewis: "Stuck a dagger into the heart of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, one of the most effective pieces of legislation Congress has passed in the last 50 years."....John Oliver: "The VRA...has a hole in it the exact shape of John Roberts' middle finger."....President Obama on climate change skeptics: "We don't have time for a meeting of the Flat Earth Society."....Jeb Bush on Obama: "An utter and complete failure."....Oliver North: "Everybody knows that Barack Obama doesn't mean anything he says...Jimmy Carter on steroids."....Paula Deen: "There is someone evil out there that saw what I worked for, and they wanted it."....
  • June 21, 2013

    Gov. Bobby Jindal on the GOP: "It's time to stop the bedwetting...Put on your big boy pants."....Edward Snowden: "Being called a traitor by Dick Cheney is the highest honor you can give an American...If they had taught a class on how to be the kind of citizen Dick Cheney worries about, I would have finished high school."....Bill Ayers: "Every president in this century should be put on trial. Every one of them goes into office dripping with blood and then adds to it."....
  • June 17, 2013

    Rep. Peter King on Edward Snowden: "A traitor. He betrayed his country."....Bob Schieffer on Snowden: "Just a narcissistic young man who has decided he is smarter than the rest of us."....Dick Cheney on Snowden: "Traitor."....Laura Ingraham on the morning-after pill: "It's a good deal for pedophiles, a good deal for people who commit statutory rape against young girls."....Alex Pareene on Sen. John McCain: "An old crank obsessed with war and unable to grasp the possible negative effects of conflict."....Joan Rivers on the Kardashians: "What an inspiration for everybody who's got a stupid pretty daughter."....
  • June 11, 2013

    Jeffrey Toobin on Edward Snowden: "A grandiose narcissist who deserves to be in prison."....Fox News analyst Ralph Peters on Snowden: "Wants to the the national security Kim Kardashian."....New York Times on Obama Administration: "Has now lost all credibility."....Nancy Pelosi on Congress: "Rigged."....Rep. Elijah Cummings on Obama: "Needs to go back and read his own speeches."....Roger Ailes on Jonathan Alter: "Needs to check into a first year journalism program at Columbia or a rage counseling center immediately."....Radio host Michael Savage on Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's testimony on military sexual assault: "Sounds like a college chick at a dorm."....BBC host Andrew Neil on Alex Jones: "The worst person I have ever interviewed."....