It’s encouraging, to an extent, to see Republicans scramble to distance themselves from Jack Abramoff. It’s even more heartening to see Tom DeLay’s chances of regaining his leadership post diminish in light of the scandal. But I’d feel a lot better about the GOP’s strategy if it wasn’t framed in such cold, calculating terms. President […]
At last count, there were five Senate Republicans who, to varying degrees, criticized the White House for its warrantless-search program and argued that hearings to explore this controversy are necessary: Specter (Pa.), Graham (S.C.), Hagel (Neb.), Snowe (Maine), and Lugar (Ind.). Unfortunately, there aren’t any real fire-breathers in the bunch — Specter and Snowe are […]
I don’t intend to belabor the point of TV preacher Pat Robertson’s latest lunacy, but the Washington Post’s Alan Cooperman touched on a good point today that warrants additional attention. The television evangelist Pat Robertson and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may not agree on much, but both suggested yesterday that the severe illness of Israeli […]
The surprise isn’t that the Florida Supreme Court struck down Jeb Bush’s statewide voucher program; the surprise is that Bush ever thought he could win in the first place. The Florida Supreme Court struck down the state’s voucher system that allows some children to attend private schools at taxpayer expense, saying it violates the state […]
Around mid-November, the White House shifted into campaign mode and began issuing “Setting the Record Straight” talking points, all the time, as official White House statements. In the preceding 12 months, the Bush gang issued one of these campaign-style releases. Since Nov. 11, they’ve done nine. The latest is the Bush gang’s effort to take […]
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) […]