(Editor’s Note: The Carpetbagger Report, as regular readers know, has joined the Coalition for Darfur, a bi-partisan online initiative created to raise awareness and resources to address the crisis. This is the latest in a series of posts from the Coalition.) For more than two years, the international community has done little to stop the […]
Semi-retired New York Times columnist William Safire makes a guest appearance today with a column ostensibly in defense of Judith Miller and Matthew Cooper. Instead, we’re treated to the kind of distortions that readers have come to expect from Safire. Indeed, instead of making the case for journalists protecting anonymous sources, Safire explains his unusual […]
Now that it’s passed the House, a constitutional amendment to ban “desecration” of the American flag is making progress in the Senate. The newest supporters, it saddens me to report, are vulnerable Dem incumbents who don’t want to see “Senator backs flag burning” ads next year. Sens. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and Debbie […]
I thought this was funny. [Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist] began his analogy routine earlier in the day with a speech at the Heritage Foundation, saying, “Some might compare the filibuster to constipation; the cloture vote to a colonoscopy; and confirmation to, well, you get the point.” […] Democrats have their guesses [about what confirmation […]
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: * A new statewide poll in Florida show Sen. Bill Nelson (D) with modest re-election support, but enough to hold considerable leads over his likely challengers. A Quinnipiac poll out today shows Nelson […]
The bad news came last week when we learned that Bush’s Department of Veterans Affairs came up at least $1 billion short in meeting the current health care needs for veterans. The worse news came when we learned the shortfall was actually over $2 billion. The good news is, thanks to Senate Dems, Congress is […]
The Republican coalition of wealthy corporate donors and evangelical Christian activists is usually not on the same page. The factions want different things and have significantly different visions for America. Sure, they’ll smile at one another at parties, but theirs is a marriage of convenience. Once in a while, they’ll act like competitive siblings, with […]
Kudos to Rep. Jim Matheson (D-Utah) for his valliant effort to stop an automatic pay raise for members of Congress. Alas, it didn’t work. The House on Tuesday agreed to a $3,100 pay raise for Congress next year to $165,200 after defeating an effort to roll it back. In a 263-152 vote, the House blocked […]
Perhaps the strangest part of Bush’s speech on Iraq last night wasn’t the address but the reaction. The nearly 800 troops on hand at Fort Bragg, N.C. were eerily silent for nearly the entire event. For a president who thrives on sycophants cheering his every word at carefully-scripted rallies, it must have been unnerving. There […]
Polls taken immediately after a political event (campaign debate, State of the Union, etc.) tend to be a little unreliable. These events need a little time to sink in, and the public’s perceptions are influenced by further reflection, news coverage, and water-cooler conversations. Having said that, a poll taken last night of people who watched […]