Conservative critics of Harriet Miers have questioned her reliability on bringing a right-wing worldview to the Supreme Court. Yesterday, those same conservatives learned that Miers publicly pledged in 1989 to “actively support” a constitutional amendment to ban abortion. Has this improved her standing in the conservative community? That depends entirely on whom you ask. Some […]
Republicans in Georgia went way too far earlier this year with a new “voter-identification law” that forces Georgians without driver’s licenses (disproportionately poor, black and elderly) to pay up to $35 for a state ID card. The city of Atlanta, with a large African-American population, did not have a single facility where the cards are […]
If you’ve been waiting patiently for a genuine what-did-Bush-know-and-when-did-he-know-it moment, it’s arrived. The New York Daily News reports today that the president has known for two years that the man he affectionately calls “Turd Blossom” was very much involved with the Plame leak. An angry President Bush rebuked chief political guru Karl Rove two years […]
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: * According to Strategic Vision, a Republican polling firm, Bob Casey’s lead over Rick Santorum in Pennsylvania just keeps growing. According to the survey, conducted over the weekend, Casey leads by 16 points, […]
What’s that old saying? Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, three times is a trend? It’s a saying that may have significance when considering Karl Rove’s recent political appearances — or in this case, lack thereof. Over the weekend, for example, the WaPo noted that Rove was scheduled to appear in Northern Virginia […]
When John Roberts was under consideration for the Supreme Court, the White House subjected him to a rigorous vetting process. Roberts, like every other high court nominee of the last quarter century, met with nearly every possible White House official who would have input into selection. In his case, that meant lengthy discussions with Karl […]
The last we heard from Congress on the bi-partisan legislation on federally-funded stem-cell research, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist had flip-flopped his way into taking a firm stand against the White House policy. It was an indication that this popular bill was going to sail through the chamber, possibly with a veto-proof majority. Right up […]
Bruce Fein, with whom I rarely agree, recently said, “The tipping point in Washington is when you go from being a subject of caricature to the subject of laughter. [Harriet Miers is] in danger of becoming the subject of laughter.” Not only do I think this is true, I’m also wondering how much more it […]
A new national SurveyUSA poll has Bush’s overall approval rating at 38%, making it the fifth national poll released in the last week or so showing Bush’s support below 40% (following along the same lines as Gallup, NBC, AP, and CBS). SurveyUSA, however, as it is wont to do, breaks down the numbers state-by-state. The […]
Unlike the last few days, the major dailies were not filled with Plame-related updates today, but the New York Times offered an interesting item with a few interesting tidbits. For example, there’s been widespread discussion about a possible report from Patrick Fitzgerald’s office, summarizing his findings. The NYT said that’s not likely to happen — […]