Yesterday’s White House press briefing was largely predictable, though the press corps seemed a little feistier than usual in response to news that the U.S. is no longer even looking for WMD in Iraq. Scott McClellan was apparently expecting the questions, but when reporters weren’t buying the spin, he pulled out his big gun. See […]
Considering the merit of Bush’s idea, the opposition he’s likely to face, and the enormous political risks involved, it’s only natural for many to wonder if the president has completely lost his mind by launching a campaign to privatize Social Security. Mark Schmitt, however, raised a compelling point (via Wampum) that some in the White […]
Love him or hate him (I’m in the latter camp), Newt Gingrich reigned over the House with a clear vision for change. Because Tom DeLay followed in Newt’s footsteps as the chamber’s most powerful member, the conventional wisdom tells us that DeLay is carrying on the Gingrich/Contract with America tradition. In this case, however, the […]
I’m dreading Bush’s inauguration as much as the next guy, but I’m afraid this doesn’t make any sense. It’s called “Not One Damn Dime Day,” and it means just that. Proponents urge Americans not to spend any money on Jan. 20, Inauguration Day, to protest President Bush’s policies in Iraq and the estimated $30 million […]
In light of revelations that the Bush administration gave Armstrong Williams $241,000 to plug Bush’s education policies, the White House insisted that this instance of using public to influence media figures was an isolated incident. That turns out not to be true. Has Bush paid off other American pundits? Maybe. Williams himself insists “there are […]
One of the stranger post-election developments anywhere — outside of the Washington governor’s race, that is — centers on a candidate for the Kentucky State Senate. I don’t know if this is of interest to those outside of Kentucky, but I found it incredible. Dana Seum Stephenson, a Republican, ran for the Senate seat despite […]
With the 2004 election having just wrapped up, and with Bush not yet inaugurated for a second term, few would-be presidents are prepared to admit that they’re considering running in 2008 (Chuck Hagel is, at this point, the exception). But if you’re anxious to see which Dems are weighing a White House bid, look no […]
The all-important annual Koufax Awards are moving right along and the nominees for the blogs “Most Deserving of Wider Recognition” are out. If my count is right, there are 157 blogs in this category, and fortunately, I’m one of them. If you were so inclined, head over and let your voice be heard. I should […]
Like Michael Froomkin, I’ve often wondered why Congress hasn’t done more to place legal limits on American torture policies. Now we know, however, that Congress was prepared to do more, but ran into opposition from the pro-torture crowd at the Bush White House. At the urging of the White House, Congressional leaders scrapped a legislative […]
Kevin Drum brought up a point this afternoon that’s been bugging me all day. It turns out that today offers a perfect case study in the media’s inability to tell Americans when their president is lying. Bush, in addressing the alleged “crisis” in Social Security, told his hand-picked audience yesterday: “As a matter of fact, […]