Paul Kiel raises a point that’s been bothering me all day. Over the last two days, the Senate has been considering a bill that, just about everyone can agree, is of singular importance. The Senate has allotted itself ten hours of debate to consider the bill and five amendments offered for it. Compare that to […]
Listening to today’s floor debate in the Senate on Bush’s detainee bill, and reading various commentaries and analyses, I keep hoping to find that one summary that will magically help the nation understand that the legislation under consideration isn’t just another piece of right-wing nonsense, it’s an assault on our democracy. It’s literally offensive. It’s […]
We learned over the weekend that the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) confirmed many of our worst fears about the effects of the war in Iraq. The president’s rhetoric notwithstanding, the war is making the terrorist threat worse, not better. Almost as soon as the NIE revelations were splashed across front-pages, Glenn Greenwald, among others, argued […]
In 2004, the Coalition Provisional Authority (run by unqualified Bush lackeys) hired Parsons Corp., the U.S. construction giant, to rebuild and revitalize the Baghdad Police College. The WaPo described the old academy as “a ramshackle collection of 1930s buildings,” which Parsons would transform into a functioning, modern facility, equipped to train thousands of Iraqi police […]
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: * A new Quinnipiac poll in Connecticut shows Sen. Joe Lieberman (I) leading Ned Lamont (D) by 10 points, 49% to 39%. Alan Schlesinger (R) trails with only 5% support, including just 12% […]
We have Godwin’s Law to address political debates that invariably lead to Hitler comparisons, but I think we may soon need a new law to deal with comparisons to Satan. Last week, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez equated George W. Bush with Satan in an address before the United Nations General Assembly. (Speaking from the same […]
Last week, senior American officials leaked word to the New York Times that they’re no longer confident that Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki has what it takes to hold the country together. Patience, the NYT reported, is “wearing thin.” A week later, U.S. officials are still getting the word out. Senior U.S. military commanders […]
Confusion among the electorate about Iraq’s non-existent role in 9/11, and Saddam Hussein’s non-existent weapons of mass destruction, is disappointing, but we should be able to expect better from our House Majority Leader. We should, but we can’t. On MSNBC’s Hardball yesterday, Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), Tom DeLay’s replacement as the Republicans’ leader in the […]
In June, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said, with a straight face, that a constitutional amendment on “flag desecration” was the single most important issue facing the nation. He wasn’t kidding. Of course, not all Republicans agree with Hatch — some think a constitutional amendment to ban gays from getting married should be at the top […]
In a vote that surprised absolutely no one, the House easily approved rubber-stamped [tag]Bush[/tag]’s legislation on interrogation and prosecution of terrorism suspects. The final vote was 253 to 168 — 34 Dems voted with the GOP majority, while seven Republicans broke ranks to vote against it. The [tag]Senate[/tag] is expected to put its stamp of […]