Liberal hawk [tag]Peter Beinart[/tag] has a fascinating item in the upcoming issue of The New Republic in which he notes what many of us have recognized for a very long time: the [tag]Bush[/tag] [tag]White House[/tag] will always put political gain above everything else. Even winning a [tag]war[/tag]. As Beinart sees it, conditions in [tag]Iraq[/tag] are […]
[tag]Warren Buffett[/tag] is poised, through tens of [tag]billions[/tag] in charitable donations, to literally change the face of international [tag]philanthropy[/tag] and relief efforts. The ability to ease suffering, combat disease, and reduce poverty received an unprecedented boost. It is, by any reasonable definition, a development to celebrate. Naturally, everyone around the world is impressed and inspired […]
I know I should be accustomed to a high degree of administration incompetence, especially when it comes to [tag]domestic security[/tag], but this is just stunning. Nearly five years after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, [tag]law-enforcement[/tag] authorities around the country say Washington’s efforts to share vital security information with them are in shambles. While […]
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 Florida, state Attorney General [tag]Charlie Crist[/tag] (R) is not only leading comfortably in the Republican gubernatorial primary, he’s also building a big general-election lead. In a new Rasmussen poll, Crist now […]
This is more of a local story involving the [tag]Senate[/tag] race in [tag]New Jersey[/tag], but it also speaks to how [tag]Republicans[/tag] in general choose to seek power in the 21st century. The Republican candidate for the United States Senate in New Jersey, Thomas H. [tag]Kean[/tag] Jr., intends to make a campaign film that accuses his […]
It’s been over a year, and I think we’re all probably a little tired of waiting. Thirteen months ago, the [tag]House[/tag] easily passed [tag]bi-partisan[/tag] legislation that would remove restrictions on embryonic [tag]stem cell research[/tag]. The companion measure in the [tag]Senate[/tag] had a filibuster-proof majority, [tag]Bill Frist[/tag] endorsed the bill and vowed to bring it to […]
Years ago, I was having a conversation with a jazz pianist who told me, “When I hit a wrong note, I keep hitting it — so the audience will think it’s intentional.” To move away from the wrong note would be a subtle admission of a mistake. I think House Intelligence Committee Chairman [tag]Peter Hoekstra[/tag] […]
It was an 11th hour shake-up for a close presidential race — [tag]Osama bin Laden[/tag] released one of his [tag]video[/tag] speeches in late October, blasting Bush. Conservatives and the media immediately created a narrative that insisted that the video was proof that bin Laden wanted the president to lose — which in turn meant the […]
I’m having a hard time understanding exactly what yesterday’s floor debate in the House hoped to accomplish, other than making congressional [tag]Republicans[/tag] feel better. The [tag]House[/tag] of Representatives on Thursday condemned the recent disclosure of a [tag]classified[/tag] program to track [tag]financial[/tag] transactions and called on the media to cooperate in keeping such efforts secret. Lawmakers […]
You’ve no doubt heard about the trendy demographic sub-groups that political scientists get excited about. We’ve seen NASCAR Dads, soccer moms, office-park dads, security moms, wired workers, freelance evangelicals, and others. [tag]Ryan Sager[/tag], who is a conservative Republican, wrote a fascinating item this week about a sub-group I hadn’t heard much about: “[tag]Wal-Mart[/tag] [tag]Voters[/tag].” I’ve […]