Chances are, everyone with internet access has seen this a hundred times, but a reader sent this in and I was reminded of how amusing it was. From the January 21, 2001, edition of The Onion: Mere days from assuming the presidency and closing the door on eight years of Bill Clinton, president-elect George W. […]
I thought it was outrageous when Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) started popping off about using nuclear weapons on Mecca. It was almost as bad to see Tancredo urge GOP leaders not to let Louisiana officials have any direct access to federal disaster relief dollars after Hurricane Katrina. And Tancredo showed his true colors when he […]
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: * In New York’s mayoral primary yesterday, Former Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer came this close to avoiding a run-off race, ending up with 39.95% of the vote — and he needed 40%. […]
We’ve all heard rumors that conservatism, as a governing philosophy, was on life support. Under Bush, as the federal government embraced massive deficits, a stronger federal role in education, an expansion of Medicare, a stronger federal role in law enforcement (the Patriot Act), and the most bloated, pork-laden transportation bill anyone’s ever seen, “conservatism” was […]
The political world did an understandable double-take yesterday when Bush sort-of accepted responsibility for failures the federal government made in responding to Hurricane Katrina. But it’s worth noting that Bush was responding to a question that sought entirely different information. Q: Mr. President, given what happened with Katrina, shouldn’t Americans be concerned if their government […]
High-profile hearings on Capitol Hill, such as John Roberts’ confirmation hearings, become national spectacles. In turn, they offer opportunities to some political figures to stand out, be noticed, and be remembered. During the 9/11 Commission hearings, Richard Ben-Veniste took on a noticeable role. During John Bolton’s hearings earlier this year, it was George Voinovich who […]
If you haven’t already, be sure to check out this very interesting item from the Hattiesburg (Miss.) American. Dan Froomkin got the ball rolling with it yesterday, and it’s been making the rounds ever since, but the questions the article raises are in need of answers. Shortly after Hurricane Katrina roared through South Mississippi knocking […]
It seemed clear by last Wednesday that the long knives were out for FEMA’s Mike Brown. It wasn’t just the universal, bi-partisan criticism; it was the fact that top administration officials were leaking damaging documents to the AP, including evidence that Brown waited several hours after Hurricane Katrina had already struck the Gulf Coast before […]
If he were so inclined, Tom DeLay could very easily give up this career as a politician and open shop as a bail-bondsman. After all, it seems everyone the guy knows is currently under indictment. A Texas grand jury added new indictments yesterday to criminal charges against U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay’s top political […]
This week’s polling data looks a lot like last week’s numbers. But it’s worth remembering that this is more than just an academic exercise. * Washington Post/ABC News poll has Bush’s approval rating at 42%, the lowest of his presidency. * Newsweek has Bush’s approval rating at 38%, the lowest of his presidency. * Time […]