Bush White House goes after O’Neill for alleged leak

I knew the White House would go after former Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill for sharing some of Bush’s embarrassing secrets, but I didn’t expect this. I figured they’d call him a disgruntled ex-employee, or maybe a bitter man looking for attention, etc. But to accuse him of criminal activity? C’mon. The big news of the […]

Is Jeb Bush applying religious tests to judges in Florida? Apparently so

Article VI of the Constitution makes things pretty clear: “No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.” Unambiguous, right? Not to Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R). Talkleft and Demagogue are bringing valuable attention to an article in the Miami Daily Business Review detailing […]

I’m all for DC voting rights, but today’s primary is pretty weak

You may have heard that the first voters to cast ballots in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination won’t be in Iowa or New Hampshire, but rather, in the District of Columbia. Technically, that’s true. But practically, it’s a waste of time and resources. The Democratic National Committee mandates that in the nominating process, […]

Norquist profile in Post is great, but it left out a couple of things

Be sure to read the terrific profile of the right wing’s most powerful lobbyist/activist, Grover Norquist, that appeared on the front page of the Washington Post yesterday. Fascinating stuff. The article did a particularly good job of demonstrating Norquist’s unparalleled influence in conservative circles. DC’s other most powerful conservative was even singing his praises. “He […]

New Hampshire and Arizona polls

Iowa’s caucuses are still all-the-rage — they should be, they’re only a week away — but there’s some interesting polling data out of New Hampshire and Arizona I thought I’d share. In the Granite State, American Research Group’s tracking poll shows the Dean-Clark race tightening a bit more. The poll out this morning shows: Dean […]

More rumors about Wesley Clark’s support from the Clintons

The New York Post, a tabloid-style newspaper with little credibility, caused a bit of a stir yesterday by quoting an unnamed NY Dem activist saying Bill and Hillary Clinton are beginning to work more aggressively to support Wesley Clark’s presidential campaign. I’m not sure if I buy it. The Post article claimed the Clintons support […]

‘No President has ever done more for human rights than I have’

I realize that George W. Bush does not have a towering intellect, and chances are, he’s not a student of history. But even with appreciation for Bush’s limited knowledge, some things are beyond the pale. From yesterday’s Llyod Grove’s column in the NY Daily News: He didn’t free the slaves. He didn’t rid the world […]

The story behind Clark’s endorsement from Vermont’s Abenaki Nation

Wesley Clark’s campaign has done well in recent weeks picking up endorsements from American Indian groups, including support from the Native American Times, the nation’s largest independent newspaper focused on issues of concern to American Indians and Alaska natives. Today, however, Clark’s team seemed particularly excited to announce the endorsement of the Abenaki Nation at […]

Nick Smith changes his story about bribe offer — again

In case you’ve been wondering what the latest is on the Nick Smith bribery story, Slate’s Tim Noah discovered late last week that Smith has changed his story — again — about the promise of financial support for his son in exchange for his vote on Bush’s Medicare bill. (If you’re new to this controversy […]

Howard Dean’s speaking fees flap raises troubling questions

Regular readers may have noticed that I’ve been a lot less, shall we say, relentless when it comes to Howard Dean lately. It’s not that I like him any better or are warming to his campaign; in fact, just the opposite is true. I am, however, trying to go a little easier on Dean, just […]