Obviously, in the wake of the attacks of Sept. 11, it stands to reason that an administration that wasn’t taking the terrorist threat seriously would have to undergo a serious transformation. Particularly at an agency like the FBI, agents would have to be reassigned and be given new priorities to address the new national focus. […]
Last week’s recess appointments seem to have struck a chord among Senate Dems. Sure, they’re used to the president’s offensive behavior, but these appointments, especially Swiftboat Financier Sam Fox’s, were just so brazen. Dems seem to have gone from frustrated to insulted. The problem, of course, is that the Dems don’t appear to have a […]
If there’s anywhere in the United States where Dick Cheney should be able to count on a warm welcome, it’s Utah. It’s the most solidly “red” state in the Union, with Republicans outnumbering Dems by nearly a three-to-one margin. Bush won Utah in 2004 with 71% support, easily the highest in the country. Similarly, if […]
A couple of weeks ago, the faculty Senate at the University of Florida voted to reject a proposal to give former Gov. Jeb Bush (R) an honorary degree, citing, in part, Bush’s education initiatives. The UF professors seemed to be sending a message. Yesterday, Republicans in the legislature sent one of their own. Upset by […]
Roll Call reported this week on one of my very favorite pet issues: oversight through the House Government Reform Committee. Apparently, Republicans on the committee are pursuing careers in comedy, because they’re worried about Democrats taking their responsibilities too seriously. Rep. Dan Burton — the Indiana Republican who showered subpoenas on the Clinton White House […]
There are some interesting insights in the new LA Times poll published this morning, but I think Greg Sargent is right that the newspaper may have buried the lede. This question from the poll seems to have been largely unnoticed. Q: If George W. [tag]Bush[/tag] [tag]veto[/tag]es the legislation, do you think Congress should pass another […]
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: * They may have lost their top three candidates, but the Fox News/Congressional Black Caucus Institute debate is moving forward according to plan. The CBC release a statement last night “announcing that it […]
Last week, NBC reported rumors that several Republican senators are prepared to “pull the plug” on the war in August unless there’s “real progress.” This week, House Republicans are looking kind of antsy, too. A diverse collection of House Republicans has formed an ad hoc group to negotiate with the White House on a compromise […]
When it comes to politics, former Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca is generally not much of a player. When he has dabbled in politics, Iacocca is generally known for being a Republican — he was close with Reagan, he endorsed Bush in 2000, and backed Dick DeVos’ gubernatorial campaign in Michigan last year. But if Iacocca’s […]
A panel of government experts prepared a detailed report examining instances of voter fraud in the U.S. and found, not surprisingly, that there is no systemic national problem. Bush administration officials didn’t care for those results — so they changed the report. A federal panel responsible for conducting election research played down the findings of […]