After a lengthy break, DC’s political world begins anew tomorrow when Congress goes back into session. What’s on the agenda? Believe it or not, a vote in the Senate on repealing the estate tax. Over the weekend, Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, asked, “How do you do […]
Because Northern Command oversees all active-duty military operations inside the United States, it’s also responsible for organizing the relief operations on the Gulf Coast. There are early indications, however, that NorthCom officials aren’t entirely pleased with the orders they’ve received of late from the president. There’s an interesting BBC World News report (brought to my […]
Over the last week, we’ve seen some stunning remarks in response to Hurricane Katrina, not the least of which includes the president’s claim, “I don’t think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees.” But for sheer callousness, consider Linda Chavez’s twisted observation. In New Orleans, “you are dealing with the permanently poor — people who […]
I realize that polls are hardly the most important thing to consider right now, but survey data does offer us some insight into the perceptions of the public and their concerns over how the Katrina disaster has been handled by their government. In light of the overwhelming and bipartisan criticism of the federal government’s response, […]
In the unlikely event you haven’t heard, John Roberts is no longer Bush’s nominee to replace Sandra Day O’Connor — now he’s Bush’s nominee to replace William Rehnquist. President Bush on Monday nominated Judge John Roberts to succeed the late William H. Rehnquist as chief justice of the United States. “It is fitting that a […]
On Friday, the president thanked FEMA director Michael Brown — whom he affectionately calls “Brownie” — and told the world that Brown is “doing a heck of a job.” The president, of course, seems to be the only one who thinks so. So, who is the man responsible for running FEMA during the worst natural […]
Yesterday, as part of a new White House strategy of shifting blame for the Katrina fiasco onto state and local officials, a “senior Bush administration official” told the Washington Post that “as of Saturday, [Louisiana Gov. Kathleen] Blanco still had not declared a state of emergency.” The claim, of course, was completely untrue. And yet, […]
At the end of the day, the Bush gang only knows how to run one play: shun responsibility and blame someone else. It’s about the only thing the administration seems to do well. Initially, the blame for the crisis in New Orleans was placed on the local citizens who didn’t have the resources to leave. […]
Kevin Drum, citing Laura Rozen, pointed yesterday to a potentially stunning observation. There was a striking discrepancy between the CNN International report on the Bush visit to the New Orleans disaster zone, yesterday, and reports of the same event by German TV. ZDF News reported that the president’s visit was a completely staged event. Their […]
Chief Justice William Rehnquist died last night. William Hubbs Rehnquist, the 16th chief justice of the United States, died last night at his home in Arlington. He was 80. Rehnquist, who had been suffering from thyroid cancer since last October, had managed to lead the court through its last term, which ended in June. But […]