A letter, written in Spanish, was sent to about 14,000 of Hispanic families in Orange County, Calif., recently, warning them that they may be ineligible to vote, and risk facing jail or deportation if they do. “You are advised that if your residence in this country is illegal or you are an immigrant, voting in […]
TNR’s Michael Crowley noted today that Republicans are already trying to preemptively spin Democratic election victories, insisting that the Dems’ success will come without a mandate. From the far-right Washington Times: “If the Democrats win, it will have all the elements of a Forrest Gump victory. In other words, things swirling around them over which […]
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: * We can just about close the book on Pennsylvania’s gubernatorial race. A new Rasmussen poll shows incumbent Gov. Ed Rendell (D) well ahead of retired football player Lynn Swann (R), 57% to […]
I’ve barely mentioned Mark Foley lately — there just hasn’t been much to report — but today’s as good a time as any for an update. First, (subscription-only) Roll Call notes today that the House Ethics Committee, which has already heard testimony from a number of key sources, is going to have a chat today […]
The Republicans, with some justification, are getting a little panicky in Ohio. Statewide polls show them losing, well, pretty much every major race this year. Desperate to do something to slow Dems down, the Republican National Committee launched a new ad this week against Rep. Sherrod Brown (D), who is now favored to beat incumbent […]
For months, it seemed as if Republicans, gearing up for the campaign season, were living in some kind of bizarro world in which they wanted to run on, instead of away from, the war in Iraq. I never quite understood the logic of emphasizing a disastrous war that Americans have grown to deeply resent, but […]
I’m a little behind on this one, but the New York Times ran an item the other day that deserves a closer look. The Times notes that the Bush White House held a quiet meeting with five right-wing talk-radio hosts — an event that was not announced on the president’s public schedule — as part […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * Keith Olbermann did a good piece on habeas corpus on Countdown last night; it’s worth watching. As long as we’re on the topic, I’d add that rumor has it that Olbermann will tackle the subject in more detail tonight. Get your Tivos ready. * In Maryland, Lt. Gov. Michael […]
If you’ve been to any conservative blogs today, you know that the story of the day is the controversy over Sen. Larry Craig’s (R-Idaho) sexual orientation. I just don’t know what to make of this. Mike Rogers, who calls himself “the nation’s leading gay activist blogger” has just finished a nationally-broadcast interview on the Ed […]
Now that the White House torture bill is law, it was only a matter of time before the vaunted Bush political machine decided exactly how they’d use this new power — not against detainees, but against Democrats. Karl Rove got the ball rolling in an interview with the far-right Washington Times: “It is useful to […]