Bush, to Congress, on September 20, 2001: “Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.” Bush, in his second inaugural, last week: “The moral choice between oppression, which is always wrong, and freedom, which is eternally right. America will not pretend […]
The president has made it clear that he’s not a big fan of questions. In his public events, Bush only considers inquiries from pre-screened, hand-picked sycophants who will challenge him with hardballs like, “How do you maintain your youthful good looks, Mr. President?” White House press conferences, which Bush holds with record infrequency, therefore become […]
Stop me if you’ve heard this one: a high-ranking Bush administration official is involved in a massive mistake, gets caught, and finds himself promoted. I’ve lost count on how many times this scenario has played out with the Bush gang, but the latest example is Doug Badger. President Bush has named his top health care […]
It’s not like we need another reason to reject Alberto Gonzales’ nomination to be attorney general. There’s the torture policies he approves of, his evasiveness in response to legitimate and straightforward Senate questions, his dismissal of the Geneva Conventions, his questionable conduct in dealing with the president’s criminal record, the list goes on. But if […]
I hesitate to criticize anyone for their choice of clothing, and I’m hardly a fashion maven myself, but I have to wonder what Dick “Go F— Yourself” Cheney was thinking yesterday in Poland yesterday. At yesterday’s gathering of world leaders in southern Poland to mark the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the United […]
When we last heard from the venerable House Ethics Committee, it was being stripped of some of its power and losing its independent-minded chairman. Unfortunately, nothing — neither good nor bad — has happened since. Earlier this month, House Republicans voted to require a majority in the committee, instead of an even split between the […]
I have to admit that I may have been wrong about Arlen Specter (R-Pa.). In the weeks immediately following the election, when the right was apoplectic about him becoming chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Specter jumped through all the conservative hoops and made all the appropriate promises that allowed to him to get the […]
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) is relatively popular, but state Republicans are already gearing up for a tough race in 2006. Guess who has eyes on the campaign… Rumble is former Republican U.S. Senate candidate/nightmare Alan Keyes is eyeing a bid for governor. Let us pray for deliverance. Keyes, whose religious and political views give […]
Since Republicans made gains on Election Day, GOP leaders have insisted that their success came as a result of voters’ frustration with Dems’ obstructionism. The message of the election, we’re told, is that Dems would be foolish to stand in Bush’s way. As Bob Stevenson, Bill Frist’s communications director told Roll Call this week, “The […]
The poor Republican National Committee reportedly needs an infusion of cash because that “liberal media” — which accepted the White House’s Iraq pitch without question, has ignored a series of administration scandals, repeated ridiculous smears against John Kerry without hesitation, accepts federal funding, etc. — is an impenetrable fortress that Bush needs to circumvent. The […]