Dennis Hastert may be impressed by some electricity in Baghdad at 4 am, but conditions in the city are growing increasingly horrifying. In [tag]Baghdad[/tag], leaving home to work, shop or visit family has become an increasingly dangerous proposition. [tag]Violence[/tag] rears up without warning; residents navigate a citywide obstacle course of roadside [tag]bombs[/tag], shootouts and security […]
In terms of the criminal trial, it’s important that [tag]David Safavian[/tag], the Bush administration’s former top procurement official, acknowledged yesterday that he provided “a lot of insight and advice,” including government information not available to the public, to [tag]Jack Abramoff[/tag]. Since [tag]Safavian[/tag] was arrested last September for doing secret favors for [tag]Abramoff[/tag], his former employer, […]
As far as the political debate goes, [tag]Republicans[/tag] seem to have a little trouble offering a compelling explanation for why the [tag]Federal Marriage Amendment[/tag] is necessary now. Senate Democrats are effectively sidestepping the issue itself by asking, “Aren’t there better things we can do with our time right now?” So, what’s the right’s response to […]
It’s going back a few years, but in 2000, the reality-based community got a good look at what grassroots conservative activists wanted in the way of government action when the [tag]Texas Republican Party[/tag] published a party platform. Among other things, it called for a return to the gold standard; the abolishment of the Federal Reserve, […]
One of the first lessons they teach at right-wing talking-points school is to never equate [tag]gay rights[/tag] and [tag]civil rights[/tag]. It drives the base crazy and makes it harder to justify intolerance. Apparently, [tag]White House[/tag] [tag]press secretary[/tag] [tag]Tony Snow[/tag] missed the lesson entirely. Consider, for example, this exchange from today’s press briefing (via John Byrne): […]
If you ask Americans if they support [tag]gay marriage[/tag], a slim majority will say they don’t (in fact, a new ABC News [tag]poll[/tag] will be released in a couple of hours saying just that). But the far more important question is where this issue ranks on the nation’s moral radar. Despite the hype, culture-war issues […]
I find it hard to believe Dems would get this lucky, but these results are encouraging anyway (via Stakeholder). Former House Speaker [tag]Newt Gingrich[/tag] was the easy winner of a straw poll Friday night that tested [tag]2008[/tag] presidential candidate support at the Minnesota Republican Party state convention. Gingrich got about 40 percent of the 540 […]
When TV preacher [tag]Pat Robertson[/tag] claimed a miraculous ability to [tag]leg-press[/tag] 2,000 pounds, he didn’t attribute his dubious abilities to a divine blessing; he credited his “age-defying [tag]protein shake[/tag]s.” In fact, Robertson never tired of telling 700 Club viewers how they could purchase said shake at [tag]GNC[/tag] stores nationwide. Pat may keep making audacious claims […]
House [tag]Speaker[/tag] [tag]Dennis Hastert[/tag], at the request of the president, made a surprise visit to [tag]Baghdad[/tag] over the weekend. Arriving at 4 am, Hastert said he was impressed with the number of lights he saw. The speaker and his party saw it as a sign of progress, of how much power had been restored in […]
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 what will probably be the last poll before tomorrow’s special election, SurveyUSA reports that [tag]Brian Bilbray[/tag] (R) narrowly leads [tag]Francine Busby[/tag] (D), 47% to 45%. The pollsters noted that Busby leads […]