Denial is such a sad emotional state for a presidential administration to be in. Bush says we’re “absolutely” winning in Iraq; Cheney says the general situation in Iraq is going “remarkably well“; and Condoleezza Rice is “very proud” to have been a part of this mission. “I’m sure there are many, many things that we […]
In May, Time magazine reported that [tag]Al Gore[/tag] has been “quietly telephoning some of his biggest fund raisers and telling them to feel free to sign on with other potential candidates.” Gore asked these donors to get the word out, instructing, “Tell everybody I’m not running.” A week later, [tag]Gore[/tag] told the NYT’s Adam Nagourney, […]
The president is in the midst of his “carefully choreographed” meetings on Iraq policy with experts who apparently are already inclined to agree with him. In the Bush White House, it’s what passes for “listening mode.” At yesterday’s White House press briefing, a reporter raised an interesting question about how the president interacts with those […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * Over the weekend, outgoing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld made what will presumably be his last “surprise trip” to Iraq, this time to say goodbye to the troops and thankthem for their service. One odd twist — instead of his usual complement of reporters, Rumsfeld brought only one media personality […]
Like a villain in a horror movie, [tag]Tom DeLay[/tag] refuses to fade away quietly. Former Republican Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) announced the launch of an Internet-based grassroots organization aimed at raising money and uniting Republican activists to take back and hold the GOP majority in Congress, according to a release today. The new organization, […]
As far as the Bush White House is concerned, the two words of the day are “listen” and “advice.” Given what we know, and what we’re hearing, both appear disingenuous. President Bush on Monday opened three days of intensive consultations on Iraq, saying the United States and countries across the Middle East have a vital […]
Like Salon’s Tim Grieve, I noticed that one can peruse the last day or so of Think Progress posts and discover some fascinating insights into the minds of Republican lawmakers. For example, there’s Sen. Sam Brownback’s (R-Kan.) solution for the crisis in Iraq. One of the key recommendations of the Iraq Study Group was direct, […]
Rep. William “Cash in the Freezer” Jefferson (D-La.), much to the Democrats’ dismay, won re-election fairly easily over the weekend, beating State. Rep. Karen Carter (D) in a closely-watched run-off election. Jefferson, who is under a federal criminal investigation and seems likely to get indicted, managed to parlay disgust with Bush administration into a defense […]
Some days, the Bush administration more closely resembles a bad Saturday Night Live sketch than anything close to an effective branch of the federal government. Consider this jaw-dropper, for example. When the State Department recently asked the CIA for names of Iranians who could be sanctioned for their involvement in a clandestine nuclear weapons program, […]
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: * One of the three undecided House races from this year’s midterm elections appears to have wrapped up. The AP reported this morning that Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce has narrowly defeated Democrat Mary […]