It’s been nearly a year since the [tag]Senate[/tag] nearly tore itself apart over Bush’s most conservative judicial nominees and the “[tag]Gang of 14[/tag]” got together to help the chamber avoid the [tag]nuclear option[/tag]. Now, it seems we’re poised to see the sequel. Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats on Thursday quietly blocked consideration of President Bush’s three-year-old […]
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: * Ohio’s primary day included several key races, but few big surprises. In the gubernatorial race, Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth [tag]Blackwell[/tag] won the GOP nod, while Rep. [tag]Ted Strickland[/tag] (D) easily […]
It’s almost amusing to see Republicans walk the tightrope. They’ve insisted for years that all decisions about U.S. [tag]troop[/tag] deployment in [tag]Iraq[/tag] have to be dictated by conditions on the ground and the judgment of military leaders in Iraq. They also admit, usually behind the scenes, that a serious drawdown in forces might give [tag]Republicans[/tag] […]
I’m not sure how the [tag]White House[/tag] will manage to dismiss these results as trivial and/or inconclusive, but I’m sure they’ll think of something. A scientific study commissioned by the Bush administration concluded yesterday that the lower atmosphere was indeed growing warmer and that there was “clear evidence of human influences on the [tag]climate[/tag] system.” […]
How is parody even possible when real life is this ironic? In the irony-on-steroids category, guess who was defending his graduate thesis on Congressional ethics Monday? Cover your eyes and guess, then sit down for the answer. It was Michael Scanlon. Yes, that Michael Scanlon, the one who has pleaded guilty to conspiracy in the […]
Over the weekend, the [tag]Boston Globe[/tag] ran a deeply disturbing item, highlighting the fact that [tag]Bush[/tag] has “claimed the authority to [tag]disobey[/tag] more than [tag]750[/tag] [tag]laws[/tag] enacted since he took office.” [tag]Congress[/tag] has passed the bills, and the [tag]president[/tag] has signed them into law, but Bush keeps issuing “[tag]signing statements[/tag]” explaining his dubious authority to […]
The [tag]Republican Party[/tag] is lacking in sensible elder statesman who can share words of wisdom when the party strays too far into nuttiness. Thankfully, former Sen. [tag]John Danforth[/tag] seems to be auditioning for the role. Former Sen. John Danforth says a conservative push to ban [tag]gay marriage[/tag] through a constitutional [tag]amendment[/tag] is silly, calling it […]
[tag]Siena College[/tag]’s Research Institute conducted a poll of 744 domestic history and political science college professors to get a sense of [tag]Bush[/tag]’s place in [tag]history[/tag]. He didn’t fare very well. If his presidency ended now, Republican George W. Bush would go down in history as a [tag]failure[/tag], according to a majority of college history and […]
I find it hard to believe [tag]Stephen Colbert[/tag]’s stand-up routine at the White House Correspondents’ Association [tag]Dinner[/tag] over the weekend is still making headlines, but apparently, the president’s aides are still letting reporters know how unhappy they are. Comedy Central star Stephen Colbert’s biting routine at the White House Correspondents Association dinner won a rare […]
This is just sad. Despite the wall-to-wall coverage of the damage from Hurricane Katrina, nearly one-third of young Americans recently polled couldn’t locate [tag]Louisiana[/tag] on a [tag]map[/tag] and nearly half were unable to identify Mississippi. Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 fared even worse with foreign locations: six in 10 couldn’t find Iraq, […]