The most amazing thing about yesterday’s White House press briefing was not the fact that reporters were in near revolt; it was the fact that Scott McClellan basically hung Dick Cheney out to dry. McClellan didn’t literally say, “Hey Dick, you’re on your own” — but he came close. Slate’s John Dickerson noted that McClellan […]
So, what have we learned about Dick Cheney’s shooting incident over the last half-day or so? A few things of interest. * Though it’s hardly an impeachable offense, Cheney technically didn’t have the proper $7 stamp on his hunting license to shoot quail in Texas. (As Think Progress put it, “Cheney was hunting illegally.”) The […]
I should probably admit something: when I first heard that Dick Cheney had accidentally shot someone while hunting, I thought, as long as no one was seriously hurt, it’d be an amusing little story for The Daily Show, we’d all have a little fun at the Vice President’s expense, and we’d move to more important […]
I don’t necessarily believe that the controversy surrounding Dick Cheney’s hunting incident will prove to be a lasting and serious political scandal, but it’s a big story today and the White House has to realize that there are some perfectly legitimate questions about how the matter was handled. So far, Scott McClellan has no idea […]
If there’s one thing all political observers know for sure, it’s that Bush opposes any and all tax increases, right? Well, it depends on what the meaning of “tax” is. President Bush hates new taxes, that’s for sure. But tell that to airline passengers, higher-income veterans and owners of freighters using the St. Lawrence Seaway. […]
I haven’t mentioned any of TV preacher Pat Robertson’s recent insanity — I was tempted last week, when Robertson talked about Europe committing “racial suicide” — because I don’t want to overdo it, but I’m compelled, again, to point out just how unhinged the man really is. Marvin Olasky profiled Robertson in the latest issue […]
Last week, we learned that Scooter Libby told a grand jury that he was authorized by his “superiors” to disclose classified information to reporters about Iraq’s weapons capability in June and July 2003. Obviously, it’s a pretty startling revelation if accurate — for all the recent complaints about the scourge of classified leaks, Libby’s account […]
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: * The latest Quinnipiac poll in Pennsylvania continues to show Treasurer Bob Casey (D) with a big lead over Sen. Rick Santorum, this time by a 15-point margin — 51% to 36%. Moreover, […]
I don’t mean to belabor the Cheney-shooting-incident story, but there’s one more angle to mention. As you may have heard, this weekend’s accident was the first time a sitting vice president has shot someone since Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel on July 11, 1804. With this in mind, I found this to […]
In some conservative circles, the idea that tax cuts can pay for themselves through stronger economic growth is popular, despite having been discredited. Intellectually-honest Republicans will acknowledge that the idea is bizarre, and has even been rejected by the president’s own economic advisors. But that, of course, won’t stop Dick Cheney. Consider, for example, the […]