It’s become something of a political parlor game the last few days. Everyone wants to know whether Karl Rove is in the clear and has dodged an indictment or if he’s still very much in Patrick Fitzgerald’s crosshairs. As recently as yesterday, the LA Times reported that Rove has maintained his “uncanny pattern of surviving […]
A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned Virginia’s Republican gubernatorial candidate, Jerry Kilgore, had put together a new TV ad effectively accusing his Dem opponent, Lt. Gov. Tim Kaine, of being soft on Hitler as part of a general smear against Kaine’s opposition to the death penalty. A Washington Post editorial described it as “a […]
Back in February, we learned about Wal-Mart agreeing to pay a fine as part of a federal investigation into a series of child-labor law violations. It was a ridiculously good deal for the corporate behemoth — Wal-Mart had allegedly run afoul of 24 violations in several states, including having minors operating dangerous heavy machinery The […]
It’s probably the Alito nomination, but Matt Cooper’s comments on Good Morning America about the Plame leak sound pretty significant (via C&L and Kleiman). One of the reporters at the center of the investigation into the leak of the identity of an undercover CIA officer, says he first learned the agent’s name from President Bush’s […]
While Harriet Miers’ nomination was falling apart, Arlen Specter seemed annoyed. He was clearly irritated by Miers’ inability to deal with his question about privacy rights; he didn’t like the fact that the White House gave James Dobson more information than it did the Senate; and Specter just didn’t seem happy in general with Miers’ […]
Last week, just as the White House press corps was near-desperate for Plame-related information, Scott McClellan announced there would be no full-length briefing on Friday. Fortunately, reporters made up for lost time yesterday afternoon. If the White House hoped the Alito nomination would help distract attention away from its criminal scandal, Bush aides must have […]
Just two weeks ago, a handful of people — including the First Lady and White House adviser Ed Gillespie — suggested opposition to Harriet Miers nomination had a whiff of sexism. Even I didn’t believe the charges were accurate, but it was nevertheless amusing to watch from afar as conservatives found themselves on the end […]
When Bush nominated John Roberts to the Supreme Court, he said Roberts “will strictly apply the Constitution and laws, not legislate from the bench.” When Bush nominated Harriet Miers, he said she “will strictly interpret our Constitution and laws. She will not legislation [sic] from the bench.” Today, Bush nominated Samuel Alito to the high […]
With Bush nominating Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court this morning, I have to assume it’s only a matter of hours before conservatives start trying to the move the goalposts they helped reposition over the last two weeks. Before it gets out of hand, let’s remember where the newly-adopted standards for the confirmation process begin. […]
Let’s not forget that, as bad as October has been for Republicans, it’s not likely to get much better anytime soon. Roll Call reports today that the party’s “headaches are set to multiply.” On Tuesday, Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas) will be back in court in Austin, Texas, to contest felony money laundering and conspiracy charges […]