Guest Post by Morbo In 1453 A.D., Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks. This did not happen because the Turks just woke up one day and decided to attack. Muslim armies had been chipping away at the Byzantine Empire for hundreds of years and conquering its lands. By 1453, Constantinople was all that was left […]
One of the more common arguments in the political discourse is the idea that the Dems are putting up an adequate fight against the GOP agenda, but they’re failing to present an agenda of their own. Dems are against Bush’s proposals, but, the conventional wisdom tells us, they’re not for anything. I’ve never really bought […]
National Journal’s Insider Poll, which, as the name implies, questions political insiders for their opinions, has an important question this week for Republican lawmakers: “Would you like House Majority Leader Tom DeLay to campaign for you?” A total of 36 GOP House members responded (anonymously) — and 22 said they didn’t want DeLay’s “help” in […]
As part of my continuing fascination with the divisions and intra-party squabbles that are dominating Republican circles these days, I found this editorial particularly interesting. Americans have learned to expect little from Congress, and by that standard the 109th version controlled by Republicans has met expectations. On the other hand, anyone who hoped that the […]
I’ve noticed, on too many occasions, some Dems look to John McCain as a left-leaning moderate who’ll stand with Dems on some of the biggest political fights. It’s a myth. Consider McCain’s efforts on behalf of John Bolton, Bush’s nominee to be U.N. ambassador. First, take a look at the context, including the fact that […]
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: * According to a new Gallup poll, for the first time, a majority of Americans say they are likely to vote for Hillary Clinton if she runs for president in 2008. She remains, […]
The Dem filibuster that blocked John Bolton’s nomination to be U.N. ambassador on the Senate floor yesterday offers some interesting subtexts. The media seems particularly interested in the fight upsetting the comity that resulted from the Gang of 14’s compromise earlier this week. But let’s not lose sight of the fact that Bill Frist took […]
About a month ago, there was a mini-controversy surrounding Sen. Rick “Man on Dog” Santorum and his effort to go after the National Weather Service. In a nutshell, Santorum’s legislation would prohibit federal meteorologists at the National Weather Service from competing with companies such as AccuWeather and The Weather Channel. A free government service, available […]
I’ve had several posts noting the problems the Air Force has had with its academy in Colorado Springs permitting — and in some cases, encouraging — religious intolerance and harassment against minorities. It’s only fair, therefore, to note that the Air Force seems to be making a concerted effort to make things right. The Air […]
I didn’t see the episode, but it sounds like pretty entertaining dialog. On a recent episode of NBC’s “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” officers were searching for the fictional killer of two judges. Police believed right-wing extremists were involved. Frustrated by a lack of clues, one officer joked, “Maybe we should put out an APB […]