For years, the very idea of gay soldiers serving their country in the U.S. military was an insane suggestion to conservatives. It’s bad for morale, we were told. It undermines discipline, they said. It damages unit cohesiveness, it was argued. But when push comes to shove, and the military is desperate for volunteers, suddenly those […]
Josh Marshall noted that James Woolsey, the former director of the CIA and an enthusiastic supporter of Bush’s alleged anti-terrorism efforts, was on CNN last night sharing some highly unusual (read: false) ideas. Marshall hadn’t seen the transcript, so I checked it out for myself. Not surprisingly, it’s just as bad as advertised. Keep in […]
Without getting into the merit of the Israeli attacks on Hamas this week, I wanted to note that President Bush seems a little confused — again — about the administration’s line. After some initial hesitation, the Bush administration criticized Israel’s action as counterproductive towards establishing a lasting peace in the region. “We’re deeply troubled by […]
It’s hard to know if one should be happy it’s over or sad that it dragged on interminably for a full decade. Yesterday, a full 10 years after getting started, the most expensive waste of time in U.S. history — the Independent Counsel’s Office investigation into Whitewater — officially ended operations. I consider myself fairly […]
In light of the Supreme Court case about the Pledge of Allegiance, which will be heard today, I have a question. Yes, it’s a smart-alecky question. As most of you know, our parents and grandparents didn’t recite the same Pledge as we do today. It used to be entirely secular, and somehow patriotism and religiosity […]
Michael Kinsley is one of those writers whose columns are so good, you actually miss them when he’s on hiatus. He hasn’t had a Slate column for the last six weeks, but fortunately, he’s back and in fine form. Today Kinsley takes on the myth that John Kerry voted for higher taxes 350 times in […]
I realize that criticizing David Brooks’ New York Times columns has become something of a parlor game among blog writers, one which I usually ignore, but today will be an exception. Brooks’ column was so bizarre today, I just can’t help myself. The column notes that the Supreme Court will hear arguments tomorrow over the […]
I guess we should be glad that Richard Clarke’s wife is not an undercover CIA agent. The smear machine is in full gear and there’s no telling what Bush’s lackeys might do next. The fact that the White House has to defend itself from criticism from former aides is not unpredecented, but the reaction this […]
Is it me or has Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) been unusually good lately? While Joe Lieberman was dismissing the charges brought against the White House by Richard Clarke, Hagel had the good sense (and non-partisan courage) to state the obvious. Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) said he believes the White House has to respond directly to […]
I just got an email from Hillary Clinton on behalf of John Kerry. It sure sounds like she’s supporting Kerry’s campaign enthusiastically. I appreciate having this opportunity to talk with you about something that’s important to both of us — the 2004 presidential election. You and I share a strong desire to put John Kerry […]