It’s not unusual for talk-show guests to get prepped on how best to answer questions before going on the air. Lawmakers and political figures often even sit down with staffers to do “role play” interviews, getting coached along the way, as practice before a show. But leave it to Fox News’ Sean Hannity to do […]
The only upside to the Armstrong Williams fiasco was the fact that his $241,000 payment was under investigation. Or so we thought. The Bush administration is impeding an investigation into the Education Department’s hiring of commentator Armstrong Williams by refusing to allow key White House officials to be interviewed, a Democratic lawmaker briefed on the […]
Four states have laws that allow pharmacists to withhold medication to patients with a prescription, if the pharmacist has a moral objection. Eleven states are considering similar initiatives. One report indicated there have been 180 instances in which pharmacies have refused to fill prescriptions on “moral” grounds in just six months. It was refreshing, therefore, […]
This seems like an easy one. A Senate measure was under consideration to ensure federal employees serving in the National Guard and Reserve don’t lose pay when they are activated. The provision was sponsored by a Dem — Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois — but it’s the kind of effort that no one would vote […]
Senate Dems are moving ahead with their judicial-nominee plans, working under the assumption that Bill Frist & Co. will try to execute the “nuclear option” as early as next week. Republicans, meanwhile, are slowly coming to an unwelcome realization: they’re losing. Senate Republican leaders were due to meet last night amid rising concern that they […]
Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers: * Deval Patrick, the top civil rights enforcer in the Clinton administration, announced this morning he will run for the Dem nomination for Massachusetts governor. It will be his first run for elective […]
Josh Marshall wondered earlier this week when House Speaker Dennis Hastert would do the inevitable: make a clear show of support for the embattled Tom DeLay. So far, it hasn’t happened. We heard a rather bland endorsement of support from the White House yesterday, the Senate GOP has been dealing with its own problems, and […]
As expected, a House Dem plan to set up a special bipartisan task force to study ethics rules was blocked by House Republicans, meaning the logjam that prevents the House Ethics Committee from conducting business continues. There is, however, some indication that the GOP is willing to give a little on Dems’ demands. A very […]
As part of his aggressive new defense strategy, Tom DeLay sat down with the conservative Washington Times yesterday for an exclusive interview yesterday, knowing that the Sun Myung Moon-owned paper would treat him with kid gloves. There was one exchange that kind of summed up DeLay’s approach to ethics problems perfectly. Times Reporter Charles Hurt: […]
Tom DeLay’s strategy in handling the scandals swirling around him took a new turn yesterday: The Hammer tried contrition. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) apologized yesterday for heated comments he made about possible retribution against federal judges for their handling of the Terri Schiavo case, but declined to say whether he favors impeaching those […]