Tommy Thompson, Bush’s Secretary of Health and Human Services, sought to deflect criticism of the administration’s stem-cell research policies with an op-ed yesterday in USA Today. Unfortunately, Michael Kinsley had already debunked all of Thompson’s points the day before in the Washington Post. Thompson got the ball rolling by arguing that Bush deserves credit for […]
There are two equal-size parts to political outreach — seeking support and actually getting it. So far, Bush’s gang has done a little work on the first part, but is still failing when it comes to the second. Ryan Lizza had an item in The New Republic yesterday on Bush’s inability to make inroads within […]
Public schools don’t get good news all of the time, so when it happens, it’s cause for celebration. First up, Jeb Bush’s drive to use public funds to pay for private school tuition was dealt a serious set back yesterday when a state appeals court ruled Bush’s voucher scheme is unconstitutional. The 2-1 decision by […]
A drive in Colorado to change the way the state’s electoral votes are allocated is not only one of the most interesting ballot initiatives in the country, it also has the potential to have an immediate impact on this year’s presidential election. Here’s the deal in a nutshell: right now, Colorado, like every state except […]
If you didn’t already know better, you’d think Bush doesn’t want to talk about debating John Kerry. In March, Kerry proposed monthly “issue” debates. Bush balked. Kerry tried again in April, to no avail. In July, the Commission on Presidential Debates released a schedule of four debates (three presidential, one vice presidential), their dates, and […]
The Washington Post’s final piece of its series of Bush’s regulatory changes is just as important as the previous items and really is a must-read. Today’s article highlights how much damage the administration can do just by changing a single word (and its meaning) in federal regulations. “Mountaintop removal” in West Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky […]
Yesterday, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) went after Dick “Go F— Yourself” Cheney for his absurd “sensitivity” attack against Kerry last week. To hear Harkin tell it, the vice president was acting “cowardly.” He said of Cheney, “What he is doing and what he is saying is cowardly. The actions are cowardly. “When I hear this […]
The NYT’s Elisabeth Bumiller had an item the other day about the Bush campaign’s policy on only meeting adoring fans and answering questions exclusively from pre-arranged, fawning audiences. The item, however, had an interesting tidbit. As of this coming Wednesday in Wisconsin, Mr. Bush will have had 12 such campaign forums, which is one less […]
The Rep. Rodney “Turncoat” Alexander story continues to add delightful tidbits. It’s truly the gift that keeps on giving. As you’ll no doubt recall, Alexander’s entire Capitol Hill staff resigned en masse immediately after his under-handed, last-minute party switch. The funny part, however, is what happened when staffers went in to turn in their keys […]
Just what Florida needs, another example to prove that it’s the place where democracy goes to die. Bob Herbert’s column is generating a lot of buzz today and with good cause. The New York Times columnist shared the kind of story that should infuriate anyone with a conscience. State police officers have gone into the […]