I thought it’d be nice to end the week with some good news — the latest poll results from the American Research Group. First, the results on Bush’s job performance. Overall, Bush’s approval rating stands at 45%, the smallest support he’s garnered in an ARG poll since taking office. Likewise, 48% disapprove, the highest this […]
Earlier this week, Slate’s Fred Kaplan thoroughly debunked the Bush charge that John Kerry tried to “gut” the intelligence budget in 1995. As Kaplan noted, Kerry’s proposal had nothing to do with cutting the nation’s intelligence-gathering capabilities. The Kerrey-Specter bill proposed to cut the NRO’s budget “to reflect the availability of funds … that have […]
Slate’s Tim Noah, who seems about as fascinated with Roy Moore’s potential presidential campaign as I am, actually talked to the theocrat yesterday. At the outset, Noah identifies himself as someone who, like me, doesn’t actually want to see Moore win, just run to offer a counter balance to a certain former consumer advocate who […]
At first blush, I really like this strategy. House Democratic leaders are honing an election strategy to taint the entire Republican caucus by demonizing Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas). By running against DeLay, much as they ran against Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) in 1996 and 1998, the Democrats believe they can damage centrist GOP members in […]
Forget NASCAR Dads, soccer moms, office-park dads, and just about every other targeted political sub-group you’ve heard about. The trend I’m watching this fall is the military vote. This has been simmering for months, but it’s becoming a full-blown phenomenon. Consider the USA Today op-ed from James Webb, secretary of the Navy during the Reagan […]
When Bush’s Medicare bill was working its way through Congress, the cost of the bill was a major sticking point. Don’t worry, the White House said, we know exactly what it will cost and the nation can afford it. At the time, Bush insisted that the overall price tag for the legislation would be no […]
Jesse Berney at the DNC blog had a great post yesterday about Education Secretary Rod “Teachers are Terrorists” Paige’s clumsy appearance at a high school in St. Louis. In all likelihood, Paige probably thought these were just public school kids who would let him off easy with a few generic questions about school funding. Instead, […]
Just a month ago, Bush committed himself to a positive, constructive agenda, free of negative campaigning. “I’ll continue to work hard to unite the country. I don’t speak ill of anybody in the process here. I think if you went back and looked at my comments, you’ll see I don’t attack.” [emphasis added] One month […]
Well, it probably didn’t mean to, but that’s what happened. Bush swung though Ohio (20 electoral votes) yesterday for his 15th trip since taking office in 2001. The purpose of his speech in Cleveland was clear: tout the strength of the economy. You can read the speech yourself and see how unpersuasive it is, but […]
For some reason, I never tire of updates on Republicans trying to undermine the independence of the federal judiciary. It’s just fascinating to me how so-called conservatives take such a radical approach to constitutional principles like the separation of powers. I’ve already written at some length about the GOP’s penchant for court-stripping measures, but now […]