The Washington Monthly ran an article a few years ago about the Bush White House and the lengths it went to a) use polling; and b) pretend it didn’t. Josh Green’s piece included an amusing anecdote from late 2001 in which the press secretaries from every recent administration gathered at the White House for a […]
Listening to most of the political rhetoric in the Senate, you’d think Dems are solely responsible for blocking qualified Bush nominees for a variety of posts. This conveniently overlooks the fact that Sens. Richard C. Shelby and Jeff Sessions, both Republicans from Alabama, blocked confirmation of a top Army official; Trent Lott blocked a Senate […]
With ethical transgressions in the House piling up, people keep looking to the House Ethics Committee to get to work. But for recent months, the panel hasn’t been able to operate or even hold a hearing because it’s chairman, Rep. Doc Hastings (R-Wash.), insists on hiring his political aides to oversee committee operations, despite an […]
Way back in 2003, Dick Cheney, using the kind of rhetorical slight of hand that’s made his mendacity famous, said that “it’s not surprising that people make” the “connection” between Saddam Hussein and the attacks of Sept. 11. Unfortunately, considering the ridiculous claims that Republicans continue to make, it’s still not surprising. A Republican congressman […]
Stop me if you’ve heard this one … the Bush administration hires independent experts to conduct objective research, the researchers rely on facts and evidence to prepare a report, and because the reality-based information conflicts with the White House political agenda, the research is suppressed. Yep, it’s happened again. The Labor Department worked for more […]
(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 […]