It sounded like progress. The House passed a measure yesterday that purports to improve transparency and accountability in federal spending by requiring lawmakers to attach their name to “[tag]earmarks[/tag]” contained in major [tag]spending[/tag] bills. Of all the Republican ethics-reform proposals unveiled earlier this year, this was the only measure to actually get a vote. It […]
The president’s Rose Garden press conference today featured a different Bush than we’re used to seeing. As Ezra noted, “Whereas Bush is generally petulant and unhappy at these events, he’s now snapping at reporters, straightforwardly insulting them, yelling from the podium, losing control, and generally evincing a combativeness and barely suppressed rage that I’ve never […]
I’m still skeptical that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) would launch a presidential campaign in 2008, and the senator himself has expressed no interest in the race at all, but if you listen to the Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza, a new “Obama ’08” boomlet is about to begin. After watching Illinois Sen. Barack Obama (D) closely […]
To follow up on yesterday’s item about the anthrax letters for a moment, Jonathan Schwarz emailed me a terrific tip from Hubris on this very subject: In October 2001, [Wayne] Downing, [Paul] Wolfowitz, and other proponents of a war with Iraq thought they had yet more ammunition for the case against Saddam. A series of […]
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 Missouri’s closely-watched Senate race, the near-constant back and forth has swung once again, this time towards the challenger. In a new Rasmussen poll, state Auditor [tag]Claire McCaskill[/tag] (D) has now taken […]
For a White House communications machine that emphasizes strict message discipline, Atrios is right, the Bush gang’s approach to Osama bin Laden is lacking a certain rhetorical coherence. (It’s also lacking as a policy matter, but that’s another story for another post.) For example, last week, the president insisted that bin Laden is Hitler, bent […]
A number of Republican House members, who by their own admission are conservatives, are leaving Congress this year, only to find a new brand of even-more-conservative lawmakers anxious to take their place. Oddly enough, it seems the old guard isn’t at all happy about it. Consider Arizona’s 8th congressional district, for example. Dems pleased about […]
I appreciate the fact that congressional Dems believe the old adage that you “can’t beat something with nothing.” I also think, on balance, Dems were probably right to unveil a legislative agenda in advance of the elections, letting voters know what they can expect from Congress if Republicans lose their majority. But to hear that […]
I have to admit, I expected the Republican lawmakers to collapse like a house of cards. They were saying all the right things about the Geneva Conventions, torture, and the rights of all detainees, but I assumed the White House would give them the hard sell, the leadership would offer some kind of “incentives,” and […]
My favorite thought piece of the day comes by way of the National Review’s Byron York, who wrote a column for The Hill noting, “So we’re divided — is that George Bush’s fault?” I think the answer’s clearly “yes,” but consider York’s case. Ask yourself this question: What actions, or series of actions, could President […]