Other than all the info we’ve received from the Justice Department, we don’t know anything

White House Press Secretary Scott McClellen 48 hours ago, responding to a question about the investigation into Sandy Berger: “What we’ve seen is, and what we know is what has been reported in the news media. It is apparently an investigation that is underway, and the questions are best directed at Department of Justice.” White […]

The GOP’s bizarre standards for what requires oversight

The timing couldn’t be more amusing. Two weeks after Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) took House GOP leaders to task for failing to even consider exercising their oversight responsibilities over the Bush administration, House Government Reform Committee Chairman Tom Davis (R-Va.) decided to respond with a vigorous defense. Where abuses have been found, they are being […]

Restoring democracy to the Hill

And speaking of holding floor votes open until the GOP gets the results Tom DeLay wants, Mary Lynn F. Jones had a great item this week for the American Prospect about some reform proposals that deserve bi-partisan support, but won’t get any. It’s a sad state of affairs when a lawmaker has to introduce a […]

DeLay helps remind voters which party really stands up for the military

It seemed like such a no-brainer. The existing budget for military housing is poised to run out of money and without a new infusion of funds, new housing for 50,000 military families would be delayed. Dems pushed a provision yesterday that would add the necessary funds to offset the shortfall. It’s an easy one, right? […]

The Pentagon’s impeccable timing

The Senate Armed Services committee has been waiting for several weeks for the Pentagon to provide its inspector general’s report on prisoner abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan. Miraculously, it made it to the Committee this morning. The U.S. military has found a total of 94 cases of confirmed or alleged abuse of prisoners by U.S. […]

Hispanic vote still looking very strong for Kerry

Way back in March, the Wall Street Journal ran an item about the White House’s aggressive new strategy to win over Hispanic voters nationwide. Bush knew he didn’t have to actually win the Latino Vote in November, but if he could close the gap considerably, his chances for a second term would greatly improve. All […]

In Texas, you can stop STDs by getting plenty of rest

The mind-numbingly painful fights over textbooks has become contentious nationwide, but there’s something unique over the lunacy in Texas. High-profile fights over biology texts have been going on for years, as have debates over ecology. And while the fight over sex-ed in Texas is also not out of the blue, it is deeply twisted. A […]

We’re running out of money for the war

Before getting into the details of our current financial status in funding the war in Iraq, let’s take a moment to highlight what the Bush administration told us before we launched the invasion. * Deputy Secretary of Defense Wolfowitz, Paul said, “The oil revenues of Iraq could bring between $50 and $100 billion over the […]

We may not have to boycott the Aladdin after all

Just to bring the Linda Ronstadt story to a close, my friend Poppy alerted me to a story about the Aladdin that should add a happy ending to this absurd tale. As it turns out, the Aladdin is for sale and the new owners not only want to lift the lifetime ban on Ronstadt, but […]

Fight over judicial nominees heating up again

There was relative peace on the Hill over judicial nominees after Bush and Daschle struck a deal over 25 jurists a couple of months ago. The peace was intentionally broken yesterday and it looks like tensions are about to get considerably worse. Democrats yesterday blocked the appeals court nomination of former Interior Department solicitor William […]