The Washington Post had an interesting item today about developments in Congress regarding the so-called Federal Marriage Amendment. In particular, I was struck by a vague description of a counter-proposal Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) might bring forward. The Post noted that the Senate Judiciary Committee held a “contentious” hearing yesterday on the general question of […]
Now that Kerry’s secured the nomination, everyone is running potential VP picks for the Dem ticket. At this point, it seems clear that Wesley Clark is, at a minimum, in the running. I’ve noticed, however, that Clark may have taken some steps recently that will improve his chances. I don’t want to read too much […]
In a recent episode of The Simpsons, Homer finds himself, albeit temporarily, as a used car salesman. While taking his first customers for a test drive, Homer tries to cover up the odor of his flatulence by turning up the radio. Obviously, one had nothing to do with the other; that’s what made it funny. […]
You may not have realized it when you were picking up some Girl Scout cookies from the innocent-looking youngsters who came to your door, but you were inadvertently contributing to a radical leftist agenda — or so you should believe if you listen to some religious right activists. The AP had an it-would-be-funny-if-it-weren’t-so-sad article yesterday […]
Yesterday, I more or less concluded that a NYT op-ed by Stephen Gillers about Bill Clinton’s eligibility for the vice presidency was mistaken because of the 12th Amendment. Eugene Oregon (whose work at Demagogue I highly recommend), however, got me re-thinking some of the details. I still stand behind my original position, but I can […]
Another fun Bushism from Jacob Weisburg: “More Muslims have died at the hands of killers than — I say more Muslims — a lot of Muslims have died — I don’t know the exact count — at Istanbul. Look at these different places around the world where there’s been tremendous death and destruction because killers […]
The chances for the Dems to win back the Senate just improved a bit. Incumbent Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colo.) announced today that he will not run for a third term. Rumors had circulated for months that Campbell may not run, but his staff insisted that he would. In recent weeks, however, Campbell has suffered […]
The White House’s lack of cooperation with the independent 9/11 commission has been ridiculous for months. First, the administration fought against the panel’s very existence. Second, the White House limited the commission’s access to information it needs, handpicking which documents the members can see and not even allowing them to bring their own notes about […]
Stephen Gillers, a law professor at New York University, has an unconventional suggestion for John Kerry — name Bill Clinton as his running mate. In a New York Times op-ed published today, Gillers responds to the constitutional concerns, but misses a key point. Gillers makes a compelling case for Clinton, touting the former president’s experience […]
As has been reported frequently in recent months, sitting senators rarely do well in presidential campaigns. Not only do they rarely win the White House, they rarely even secure their party’s nomination. How rare? I was curious, so I put together a list. Presidents elected directly from the U.S. Senate: 1888 — Benjamin Harrison (GOP) […]