It was pretty embarrassing a month ago when Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Peter Pace publicly, and awkwardly, contradicted Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld over whether American troops have a responsibility to intervene if they witness torture by Iraqi authorities. Indeed, the two were standing side by side at a Pentagon press briefing when they […]
At face value, the Supplemental Terrorist Activity Relief Act (or STAR Act), passed shortly after Sept. 11, 2001, was a good idea. Countless businesses were badly hurt by the terrorist attacks, and the STAR Act was a federal loan program designed to help businesses avoid bankruptcy and recover. The problem seems to have been in […]
For an embarrassingly long time, large numbers of Americans believed a series of bogus claims about Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, including non-existent connections to 9/11. The good news is the percentages have fallen considerably since the war began. The bad news is we still have a ways to go. According to a new poll published today […]
While the war in Iraq is controversial enough, there’s been a peripheral debate over the policy on photographs of coffins. Usually, questions have centered around Bush’s policy, attempts to change it, and the pictures that have come to the public’s attention through a Freedom of Information Act request. But there’s an interesting First Amendment debate […]
The LA Times ran a pretty good front-page story this week on Canadian gray wolves, which have made a comeback thanks to protection under the Endangered Species Act, and difficulties they face from hunters in western states. In particular, the article quoted Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal declaring that the Endangered Species Act is no longer […]
For years, disgruntled football fans have taken some pleasure in mocking their team when it’s losing. Fans have worn paper bags over their heads, held up signs calling for a new coach, and generally shouted rude things at anyone on the field who’d listen. But in Buffalo, where the Bills are nearly finished with their […]
I was catching up on the New York Times Magazine last night, and the current issue offers brief biographies of some of the high-profile figures who passed away in 2005. The piece on James Stockdale stood out. For political observers, Stockdale is a Trivial Pursuit answer, or maybe an amusing lesson on how not to […]
It seemed like a big deal for Tom DeLay in his never-ending drive to reclaim his House leadership post. In an email to reporters, DeLay’s office said, “The state Court of Criminal Appeals has agreed to hear Mr. DeLay’s habeas motion that was filed at the end of last week.” The message added that the […]
In the unlikely event you haven’t seen this information elsewhere, Rasmussen Reports released a poll yesterday afternoon on the story we’ve all been watching closely: Bush’s warrantless-search program. Well, that’s sort of what the poll was about. Sixty-four percent (64%) of Americans believe the National Security Agency (NSA) should be allowed to intercept telephone conversations […]
As some of you have already noticed, we finally have a preview feature for the comments section. (You guys sure are persistent.) Many thanks to Mrs. Carpetbagger, who did all the work. There’s one small quirk that we noticed last night. It seems the process now asks the commenter for the color of an orange […]