The latest developments… * The story appears to be rattling the Republican establishment. The Washington Post reported that “several prominent” party leaders have expressed concern that Cheney’s “slow and unapologetic public response” is turning the controversy into “a political liability for the Bush administration.” The Wall Street Journal reported similar concern, and quoted a veteran […]
There’s a fascinating point in the trajectory of every presidential scandal — and there sure have been a lot of them — in which Scott McClellan decides he just doesn’t want to talk about it anymore. It’s like the scene in Monty Python’s Holy Grail in which King Arthur argues with a French guard. After […]
Just a couple of weeks ago, I turned on Meet the Press and found a familiar sight: a journalist panel that was pretty clearly titled in one direction. Viewers saw two conservatives (Roger Simon, Byron York), a neutral White House reporter (Kelly O’Donnell), and a pox-on-both-houses moderate (David Broder). It’s a familiar sight. There was […]
So, what caused the unexplainable delay in releasing information about Dick Cheney’s shooting accident? According to Time, Cheney crafted the stalling strategy personally. The article explained that Scott McClellan began “pushing to get the information out” once he learned of the shooting, 12 hours after it occurred. The VP ignored the suggestion. Cheney insisted on […]
The Bush administration’s penchant for publicly-financed advertising is well known, but I had no idea it was this expensive. …Rep. Henry A. Waxman, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Rep. George Miller, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, and other senior Democrats released a new Government Accountability Office report finding that the Bush Administration spent more than $1.6 billion […]
The latest USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll includes many of the usual questions and responses, but the poll added a question that stood out. As for the routine matter of the president’s approval rating, Bush is down to just 39% support. That’s down four points since before the State of the Union and is the lowest approval […]
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 addition to the big news in Ohio’s Senate race, Ohio’s gubernatorial race was also shaken up yesterday when state Sen. Eric Fingerhut (D) ended his campaign. Fingerhut’s announcement helps further clear […]
Currently, despite the difficulties the military faces in recruiting, the Armed Forces believes it’s wise to throw well-trained, dedicated volunteers out of the military if they’re gay. It’s better not to put their skills and qualifications to good use than to have these troops in uniform in a time of war. As it happens, it’s […]
By one count, the White House has praised the judgment of the American Bar Association 43 times in recent years, frequently reminding reporters and the public that the ABA’s ratings are the professional “gold standard.” Of course, the White House loves the ABA when the lawyers approve of the president’s judicial nominees. The Bush gang […]
For months, Dem leaders in Ohio and DC have fretted over what to do in Ohio’s Senate race. Incumbent Sen. Mike DeWine (R) is considered one of the more vulnerable Republicans in the country this year, and Dems had two great candidates — Rep. Sherrod Brown and Iraq war veteran Paul Hackett — who were […]