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 fairly serious “difference of opinion” between national Dems and Vermont Dems has emerged over how best to deal with Bernie Sanders’ Senate campaign. National Dems, anxious to keep Jim Jeffords’ seat […]
It seems like just yesterday Roll Call was reporting that we’re “very close” to a major breakthrough on judicial nominations. Oh wait, that was yesterday. A deal crafted in large part by conservative Dem Ben Nelson (Neb.) and very conservative Republican Trent Lott (Miss.) had created a framework that would bypass the nuclear option and […]
The only reason the government has a restrictive and ineffective stem-cell policy is the influence of some far-right elements of the Republican base. But, more and more, it appears that these factions are outnumbered, even within the GOP circle. The embryonic stem cell issue flared during the 2004 presidential campaign and may soon come before […]
Almost a month ago, Tom DeLay, as part of his tireless crusade against the federal judiciary, instructed the House Judiciary Committee to investigate federal court decisions in the Terri Schiavo case and to recommend possible legislation. It was, to be sure, a fairly radical request. Yesterday, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee largely rejected […]
I hesitate to criticize Hugh Hewitt’s Weekly Standard articles, not because they’re awful on the merits, but because it’s practically a blogging cliché. It’s almost too predictable to bother. Hewitt’s latest, however, was too offensive to ignore. You may recall recent reports on the systemic and widespread religious discrimination that has become common at the […]
Harry Reid seems to have a penchant for offering Bill Frist really sweet deals that he knows Frist won’t accept. It happened two weeks ago and it happened again yesterday. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid on Monday offered the Democrats’ support for one of President Bush’s judicial nominees, former Senate lawyer Thomas Griffith, as a […]
The New Yorker has an excellent article this month on Undersecretary of Defense Douglas Feith, which I strongly recommend reading. Feith is, to be sure, a fascinating character. It was Feith, for example, who led the Pentagon’s Orwellian Office of Strategic Influence, which was responsible for planting false stories in the foreign press and running […]
Roll Call reported today that several Senate centrists — from both parties — are near a deal that would end the stalemate over judicial nominees, at least until 2007. A bipartisan coalition of Senators believe it is close to a deal that would avert the looming showdown between Republicans and Democrats over judicial filibusters. The […]
After having worked for years for an organization that covers religion, government, and politics, I thought I’d seen just about every combination of bizarre circumstances. The Rev. Chan Chandler has proved me wrong. Some in Pastor Chan Chandler’s flock wish he had a little less zeal for the GOP. Members of the small East Waynesville […]
Word has clearly gone out to the conservative machine, because this is everywhere. As the Senate returns from a week-long recess, Republicans are reminding everyone that four years ago today, President Bush nominated Priscilla R. Owen and Miguel A. Estrada to federal appellate courts. Neither received a Senate confirmation vote, Republicans note, because of Democratic […]