In the wake of the “compromise” on torture between the White House and Senate Republicans, the media coverage has been a bit of a mixed bag. The WaPo and the NYT ran helpful, illuminating op-eds that everyone should read, but a lot of the coverage has been, sadly, more about the politics than the policy. […]
According to press accounts this morning, the Bush administration threatened to bomb Pakistan “back to the stone age” in 2001 unless it cooperated in the US-led war on terror. We know this, apparently, because President Pervez Musharraf says so. According to a wire story, the Pakistani leader said former deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage […]
I noted last week that VoteVets.org unveiled one of the campaign season’s most effective ads in Virginia, criticizing Sen. George Allen (R) for his vote against body armor funding in 2003. The ad drew such a positive response, and garnered so much support, VoteVets.org brought its ad to Pennsylvania to take on Sen. Rick Santorum […]
Following up on an item from a few days ago, the Family Research Council, DC’s most powerful religious right lobbying group, is hosting a major conference, starting today, called the “2006 Values Voter Summit.” For a mere $95, attendees can hear three days worth of far-right, theocratic rhetoric from nearly all of the movement’s most […]
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, two new Rasmussen polls offer Dems good news and very good news. In the Senate race, after Rick Santorum (R) closed the gap recently against Bob Casey (D), the Democrat […]
Following up on yesterday’s item about Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson and his apparent penchant for letting politics dictate the grant process, it looks like Bush’s cabinet secretary has a real problem on his hands. Yesterday, an initial news report indicated that HUD’s inspector general found that Jackson “urged top aides to take […]
Bush was in Florida yesterday to hammer home the GOP’s message and attack Democrats. With torture, tribunals, warrantless searches, the war in Iraq, and discussions of terrorism dominating the discourse, it stood to reason that the president would go after the opposition party on … taxes. President [tag]Bush[/tag] began a blistering new political offensive on […]
One of my all-time favorite Stephen Colbert quips came a couple of weeks ago when he delivered a stinging rebuke to Geraldo Rivera and Bill O’Reilly, after the two criticized the Comedy Central hosts. Colbert told Jon Stewart: “What are you implying, John? That Geraldo and O’Reilly are narcissists that enthralled by their overblown egos? […]
I realize the GOP is anxious to try to win Maryland’s competitive open Senate race, but this is truly ridiculous. (thanks to PWalker for the tip) Black Republican groups emerged from the political margins yesterday, launching a campaign to persuade African American voters to support Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele’s bid for the U.S. […]
I feel like I need to go to a chalkboard and write, 100 times, “I will not count on congressional Republicans to do the right thing.” For all the talk about the GOP “mavericks” who showed great courage and conviction standing up to a White House bent on torture, in the end, it didn’t amount […]