I suppose there’s a temptation to think this is good news, but I’m having a hard time feeling encouraged. President Bush promised to “take to heart” suggestions on Iraq he heard Thursday from former secretaries of defense and state who have disagreed — sometimes sharply in the past but apparently only mildly in person — […]
Wow. The Rev. Pat Robertson said Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is being punished by God for dividing the Land of Israel. Robertson, speaking on the “700 Club” on Thursday, suggested Sharon, who is currently in an induced coma, and former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, assassinated by an Israeli extremist in 1995, were being […]
On Monday, I noted an unusual church-state showdown in the Indiana legislature. Yesterday, state lawmakers managed to figure out that they could pray without violating the First Amendment and without ignoring a court order. To briefly summarize for those just joining us, the Indiana legislature has been hosting official, evangelistic prayer sessions “in Jesus’ name” […]
The New Republic’s Peter Beinart wrote a provocative piece this week on the Dem Senator that seems to drive liberal activists more nuts than most Republicans: Connecticut’s Joe Lieberman. As Beinart explains, the left is letting Lieberman’s position on the war obscure what is an otherwise progressive record. Why are MoveOn, Daily Kos, and so […]
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: * Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) seemed on track for a big win in November, with polls showing him with a big lead over Jack Carter (D), but Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman (D) […]
When “Justice Sunday III” is held this weekend, and religious right activists from across the country gather for the national broadcast, the message will be familiar, but the setting may not. One might assume that the far-right, neo-theocratic rally would be held in the Bible Belt at a fundamentalist church. Instead, Dobson, Falwell, Santorum & […]
Presidential recess powers are supposed to be reserved for filling urgent vacancies when the Senate is in recess, which is why it’s so frustrating to see Bush abuse this power to an unprecedented extent. As far as the White House is concerned, the notion of Senate confirmation might as well cease to exist. The president […]
Earlier this week, the administration explained that the president put his signature on a congressional measure banning torture, but Bush still believes he can ignore the law whenever he feels it’s necessary. Yesterday, three key senators who fought to pass the provision responded. Needless to say, they’re not happy. John W. Warner Jr., a Virginia […]
Over the last week or so, many supporters of the administration have pointed to Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, as a defender of Bush’s warrantless-search program. It’s a notion that has, unfortunately, been picked up by a variety of news outlets, including Fox News, CBS, and Time — […]
I’m a little behind on this one, but it’s a story that deserves all the attention it’s been getting. “Bizarre” doesn’t quite do the controversy justice. NBC’s Andrea Mitchell was interviewing New York Times reporter James Risen yesterday, discussing Bush’s warrantless-search program, which Risen helped expose. Mitchell, mid-way through the interview, asked, “You don’t have […]