There’s been ample speculation of late about Donald Rumsfeld’s job security at the Pentagon and yesterday, on Fox News, the president got the chance to state his support for the embattled Defense Secretary once and for all. Brit Hume: Secretary Rumsfeld, how does he stand with you? Bush: Good. He’s done a heck of a […]
The WaPo had a must-read item highlighting the religious right movement’s highly-selective attention span. It helps further underscore the value differences between the religious right and religious left. When hundreds of religious activists try to get arrested today to protest cutting programs for the poor, prominent conservatives such as James Dobson, Pat Robertson and Jerry […]
It seemed like odd timing. The president, just two days before Iraqis go the polls and a day after he delivered his fourth major address on the war, traveled to suburban Virginia for a “roundtable discussion” with hand-picked, pre-screened seniors to talk about Medicare. Of all the topics to schedule an event like this one, […]
CNN’s Jeff Greenfield wrote a good item today about the contrast between LBJ’s frequent visit to military bases during Vietnam and Bush’s now. As Greenfield put it, it’s a “compelling, new, and entirely mistaken comparison.” The point has been coming up quite a bit lately. Greenfield noted that a series of writers at a number […]
I don’t usually agree with Bob Novak, but I think he’s definitely on the right track here. Newspaper columnist Robert Novak is still not naming his source in the Valerie Plame affair, but he says he is pretty sure the name is no mystery to President Bush. “I’m confident the president knows who the source […]
Several alert readers have brought my attention to this report on Bush’s speech on Iraq this morning, but I’m not sure that it really breaks new ground. Bush also accepted responsibility for invading Iraq based on faulty intelligence. “It is true that much of the intelligence turned out to be wrong. As president I am […]
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: * SurveyUSA has published its latest 50-state poll, this time gauging support for each member of the Senate. Five of the top seven senators with the highest approval ratings are Dems, though Maine’s […]
I guess Bill Frist’s office never heard the expression, “Never let them see you sweat.” Because at this point, they seem to be in a state of near-panic. Tired of questions about their boss’s stock dealings, aides to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) angrily confronted an Associated Press reporter in the Senate chamber and […]
It hasn’t generated big news, but there’s been a bizarre spat between two House Republicans over the last week that just got even stranger. One side we have Energy and Commerce Chairman Joe Barton (R-Texas) sponsoring a measure to require car manufacturers to publish detailed information on how to diagnose, service, and repair a vehicle […]
It’s been a few days since we last checked in with Bill O’Reilly and his clearly unhealthy Christmas fixation, but there were a few developments that warrant attention. And probably some professional help for poor Bill. O’Reilly, for example, told his radio audience a few days ago that there are no “spiritual” Christmas stamps available […]