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: * Three years after having been ousted from his leadership post for praising a segregationist’s presidential campaign, Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) made a comeback today, getting elected Senate Minority Whip. He defeated Sen. […]
When Karl Rove and his cohorts unilaterally tapped Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) as the new chairman of the [tag]Republican National Committee[/tag], several key political figures were thrilled. Unfortunately for the GOP, they were all Dems. Gone are the days when the [tag]Bush[/tag] [tag]White House[/tag] can make a political decision and have it embraced by the […]
It’s mid-November, so I suppose it’s foolish to be surprised, but I’ve been quietly hoping that this year’s non-existent “[tag]war on Christmas[/tag]” would be more of a subdued skirmish. As it turns out, I just might get my wish, not because conservatives have accepted “Happy Holidays” as a perfectly acceptable expression, but because retailers are […]
Back in April, the [tag]Center for Media and Democracy[/tag] released a report showing that corporations are producing [tag]fake-news[/tag] [tag]segments[/tag] — which amount to little more than mini-informercials masquerading as actual news — and TV stations are running them as if they were actual news reports, never disclosing the corporate role to viewers. The Center found […]
At a certain point, the debate just appears silly. We know that that Fox News Channel is an extension of the Republican machine. The network’s viewers know it, their competitors know it, their staff knows it, the politicians know it. Occasionally we’ll run across an activist or two who’ll go through the motions and insist […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * It amuses me to no end that Tom DeLay has been reduced to selling off campaign furniture and office supplies to raise funds for his legal defense. * You probably didn’t know this, but gay people not only threaten the future of civilization, they also “threaten your very survival.” […]
It’s one of the more enduring political myths of recent years: if conservatives can get an anti-gay marriage initiative on the ballot in a state, Republicans will win. The argument gained serious traction in 2004 when anti-gay ballot measures appeared to help Bush win a second term, particularly in states like Ohio. At first glance, […]
There are nine unresolved House races remaining, but none are quite as interesting — or likely to be as contentious — as the fight over Florida’s 13th. Not incidentally, it’s the open-seat contest created after Katherine Harris (R) ran for the Senate. Though Republican Vern Buchanan was favored to win, Democrat Christine Jennings surprised a […]
Remember the habeas-stripping measure recently approved by Congress? The president is already putting it to use. Immigrants arrested in the United States may be held indefinitely on suspicion of terrorism and may not challenge their imprisonment in civilian courts, the Bush administration said Monday, opening a new legal front in the fight over the rights […]
About a year ago, the New York Times hired John Tierney for its op-ed page, one of the most coveted jobs in opinion journalism. Tierney, a proud libertarian, was going to have the freedom to skewer everyone. “He thinks outside the box, has a very distinct worldview, and I think he’ll be a lot of […]