For anyone who’s ever wondered why it seems administration employees are inept, there appears to be a perfectly logical explanation: too many of these officials were never educated in their respective fields. Instead of getting degrees in their alleged areas of expertise, they were buying them diploma mills. They are safety engineers at nuclear power […]
Kudos to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) for admitting publicly what has become painfully obvious. Several senior Republicans and Democrats say Congress has failed to carry out its critical role in overseeing the vast federal bureaucracy, falling particularly short since Republicans captured the White House in 2000. The members say the problem of congressional neglect extends […]
I can appreciate that people will react differently to different images. But it seems like there should be some values that lead to unanimity in the face of horror. Initially, it seemed as if lawmakers who saw unreleased photos of Americans torturing Iraqi detainees had identical reactions, regardless of party. Everyone, it seemed, was repulsed. […]
There was an interesting AP item yesterday about one of the most dangerous terrorists in the world. It just left out one small detail. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the terrorist leader allegedly claiming responsibility for the graphic beheading of a U.S. civilian in Iraq, is adopting an increasingly public and influential role in the decentralized world […]
The religious right has so many targets for their hatred, it’s hard to count them all. But over the years, public schools have always been near the top of the movement’s hit list. There’s something about a secular learning environment in which kids learn objective history and quality science that really seems to bug them. […]
The polls are effectively showing Bush in freefall right now. I’m almost surprised the extent to which the bottom has fallen out. If only it were October. A new CBS News poll, for example, has nothing but bad news for the incumbent. President Bush’s overall approval rating has fallen to the lowest level of his […]
I’m beginning to notice a pattern here. If you’re seeking public office in a foreign democracy, enjoying “strong ties” to the Bush administration will not exactly put you on a path to success. Around the world, a relationship with Bush has proven to be a liability, not a strength. In Germany, the Schroeder government managed […]
Several alert readers have pointed me to a very interesting article in today’s Baltimore Sun (which Atrios also linked to) that suggests Bush knew about the systematic prison abuses before the White House had previously admitted. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said yesterday that he and other top officials kept President Bush “fully informed […]
In case you hadn’t heard, the Federal Election Commission has been considering new regulations that would crack down on 527 groups, which have been going after Bush and helping reconcile the huge financial advantages the GOP enjoys over the Dems. Yesterday, the FEC’s lawyers announced their desire to push back any new limits until at […]
Bloomberg seems to think it knows who’s on the very short list of Kerry’s potential running mates, based on word from “campaign and Democratic party officials familiar with Kerry’s deliberations.” None of these names will surprise you, assuming it’s legit. Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry is focusing on five potential running mates who may help […]