Might Bloomberg switch parties (again)?

Usually I don’t cover mayoral issues very closely, but because New York Mayor [tag]Michael Bloomberg[/tag] (R) is something of a national figure, I think it’s interesting that he seems to be straying further and further from his [tag]Republican[/tag] Party. Mayor [tag]Bloomberg[/tag] lashed out against [tag]conservatives[/tag] yesterday for ignoring science and common sense on issues like […]

‘Sound of Gunfire’ on Hill

Obviously, anytime there are reports of [tag]gunfire[/tag] in or around Congress, there’s reason to be concerned. Given what we know now, however, this morning’s incident was, fortunately, not a big deal. [tag]Capitol Police[/tag] said Friday they were investigating reports of sounds of gunfire in the garage of the Rayburn Office Building, where members of the […]

Friday’s political round-up

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 Pennsylvania, Gov. [tag]Ed Rendell[/tag] (D), who appeared increasingly vulnerable a couple of months ago after former football player [tag]Lynn Swann[/tag] (R) secured the GOP nomination, looks significantly stronger now. A new […]

The lights are on, but…

Where, exactly, does Sen. [tag]Rick Santorum[/tag] (R-Pa.) live? The answer isn’t quite as clear as it should be. One thing’s for sure, his status as a [tag]Pennsylvania[/tag] [tag]resident[/tag] is very much in doubt. State Treasurer [tag]Bob Casey[/tag], Santorum’s Dem opponent, has been making hay of this for months, prompting a series of denials and accusations […]

New WH aide embraces ‘creative editing’

[tag]Karl Zinsmeister[/tag], the new White House domestic policy advisor, has every reason to be embarrassed by some of the over-the-top comments he’s made in recent years, but to go back and quietly [tag]change[/tag] [tag]embarrassing[/tag] published remarks when he hopes no one’s looking is a problem. A magazine editor named to a top White House policy […]

Another ‘dark moment in the Bush era’? We should be so lucky

Newsweek’s [tag]Howard Fineman[/tag] argued that [tag]Ken Lay[/tag]’s conviction “marks another dark moment in the Bush era.” Oh, how I wish that were true. If you want a date to mark the beginning of the end of the [tag]Bush[/tag] era in American life, you may as well make it this one: May 25, 2006. The Enron […]

Bush admits mistake with ‘bring it on’ rhetoric — sort of

The man who has trouble remembering making any mistakes in office now regrets some of his “[tag]tough talk[/tag]” regarding the war in [tag]Iraq[/tag]. Sort of. [I]n an unusual admission of a personal mistake, Mr. [tag]Bush[/tag] said he [tag]regret[/tag]ted challenging insurgents in Iraq to “[tag]bring it on[/tag]” in 2003, and said the same about his statement […]

Novak, Rove, and a furtive promise about ‘not getting burned’

Bob [tag]Novak[/tag]’s account of how he came to publish the name of undercover [tag]CIA[/tag] agent [tag]Valerie Plame[/tag] has never really held together. His explanation(s) have included odd denials and contradictions, such as his claim that his [tag]White House[/tag] sources thought Plame’s identity was “significant,” and “they gave me the name,” followed by Novak’s claim that […]

Meet the new guy at the White House

When [tag]Claude Allen[/tag] was forced to resign from the White House after getting caught in some unfortunate shoplifting incidents, the West Wing was temporarily without a chief domestic [tag]policy[/tag] advisor. It probably didn’t matter too much — the Bush gang shows about as much interest in policy as the president shows in sightseeing in France […]

The wrong guy for the CBC to defend

The [tag]William Jefferson[/tag] controversy is clearly a mess, especially for Dems, but I think [tag]Nancy Pelosi[/tag] has handled it pretty well so far. Unlike GOP leaders who have rallied to the defense of Cunningham, DeLay, and others, Pelosi has had the good sense to distance herself and the party from Jefferson’s problems. In fact, yesterday, […]