Last June, Howard Dean was on Meet the Press when Tim Russert asked exactly how many troops the U.S. has on active duty. Dean didn’t know the exact number and Russert scoffed. In fact, the two had an animated debate over its significance. Russert: [H]ow many men and women do we now have on active […]
I’ve noticed a few stories are popping up about the lack of diversity among John Kerry’s top campaign staff. It’s a legitimate area of discussion, but the stories I’ve seen are missing a critically important part. The AP has a story on the wires today suggesting that a “lack of minority representation at the upper […]
Rebecca Traister had a disturbing item in Salon yesterday on how the Bush administration has quietly hid information on women’s issues from public view. Salon didn’t give it the high-profile, “above the fold” placement, so it was easy to miss, but it’s definitely worth reading. If you’d logged onto the Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau […]
Chronicling Wal-Mart’s countless abuses and abusive policies could easily provide enough content for a whole blog. Apparently (and thankfully), Andy Stern and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) agree. As my friend Oliver at The Liquid List told me this week, the SEIU has launched a new “Justice at Work” initiative, including a new blog […]
It’s far too easy to overreact to the national polls as they’re released. Just 10 days ago, Dems were inconsolable and Karl Rove was renewing his DC lease for another four years after an ABC/Washington Post poll showed Bush’s approval rating holding steady at 51%, despite weeks of news that should have sent the number […]
The Washington Post’s Richard Leiby has seen an advance copy of Joseph Wilson’s new book, “The Politics of Truth.” In it, as promised, Wilson shares his thoughts on who he believes was responsible for outing his undercover CIA agent wife. Wilson doesn’t know for sure, of course, but he has some theories. The names will […]
The Washington Post’s Dan Froomkin noticed a CBS News report yesterday on the White House — once again — lying by way of omission. What the White House said: “The White House today claimed that commission interviews with Bill Clinton and Al Gore were not transcribed.” What the White House didn’t say: “But in fact, […]
Once in a while, I come across a quote that is so ridiculous, I have to assume it was wrenched from context. Or that maybe the person was kidding. Or perhaps that the person to whom the quote is attributed is somehow mentally unbalanced. For certain, at least two of these qualifiers weren’t the case […]
Let’s give our friend John Edwards the award for Quote of the Day. From this morning’s Imus: “I want you to notice that I’m here by myself. Unlike somebody else who is going to be talking later this morning.” Update: And while I’m at it, let’s give the estimable Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), a WWII […]
Slate ran a fascinating item by Ann Louise Bardach this week on one of my favorite topics: Cuban-American voters and presidential campaigns. I was born and raised in Miami, so I’ve had a personal connection to the issue. Bardach’s article is definitely worth reading. I agree with every word of it — except it’s ultimate […]