When Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) unveiled his redeployment plan for Iraq, Dems were quick to offer him support in the face of far-right condemnations, but were less enthusiastic about his plan. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, in particular, told reporters, “Mr. Murtha speaks for himself.” That was two weeks ago. Murtha’s plan apparently improves with […]
Maybe my standards have dropped, but I thought today’s Bush speech was slightly better than most of his recent “clap louder” speeches, at least with regard to rhetoric. For example, I was pleased to hear — I believe for the first time — Bush describe what he means by “victory” in Iraq. “In World War […]
I’ll have more soon on Bush’s latest “major speech” on Iraq, but this line from the AP feed is of particular interest: Bush’s speech did not break new ground or present a new strategy. Well, of course not. It’s the exact same description that applies to every other “major” presidential address on Iraq. We’ve seen […]
It’s probably not necessary to pile on to Duke Cunningham’s already-obvious disgrace, but the question about whether he’ll receive his congressional pension is a matter of broader significance. Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham (R-Calif.) will soon relinquish many of his properties and his freedom after pleading guilty to charges of fraud and conspiracy, but he will […]
Perhaps you’ve asked yourself how the Bush administration could make so many decisions with no apparent regard for ethical standards. Well, wonder no more. …President Bush earlier this month ordered refresher lectures on general ethics rules, including those governing the protection — and leaking — of classified information. Not that there was any problem, but […]
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: * Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman may have been the first Dem to enter Ohio’s gubernatorial race, but he’s also the first to drop out. Yesterday, Coleman announced that the toll of the campaign […]
There are supposed to be a few bedrock beliefs that dominate conservative political thought. The corporate and theocratic wings of the GOP may not agree on everything, but at an absolute minimum, they’re supposed to love tax cuts at all times. But a funny thing happened on the way to passing sweeping tax cuts for […]
I can appreciate the fact that professional sports is a popular, lucrative entertainment industry that captures the attention of most Americans. But the fact that Congress finds it so interesting is a little disconcerting. In March, for example, the House Government Reform Committee held very high-profile hearings on the use of steroids in major league […]
Given that the administration believes it can buy positive spin in the American media, I suppose it’s not a huge surprise that the Bush gang has taken their approach overseas. As part of an information offensive in Iraq, the U.S. military is secretly paying Iraqi newspapers to publish stories written by American troops in an […]
Over four years after the attacks of Sept. 11, and after about as many years of combat in the Middle East, one would like to think the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff would be on the same page when it comes to torture. Unfortunately, they’re not. When UPI’s […]