Sure, I realize that some Supreme Court justices are going to be less curious than others, and some prefer delving into briefs to quizzing counsel, but Clarence Thomas’ reticence is unnerving. Justice Clarence Thomas sat through 68 hours of oral arguments in the Supreme Court’s current term without uttering a word. In nearly 16 years […]
Political scientist Pete Moore wrote a fascinating item for Salon about his endeavor digging through the massive archive of Coalition Provisional Authority documents. As Moore acknowledged, he didn’t expect to find too many hidden gems — insightful personal letters may occasionally fall out of dusty old volumes in libraries, but the CPA’s archives are paperless. […]
As Eric Kleefeld noted, there’s a real gem towards the end of the latest Fox News poll (.pdf). “Recently Democratic Leader of the Senate Harry Reid said that the war ‘is lost’ in Iraq. Do you feel this was an acceptable thing or an unacceptable thing for Reid to say while U.S. troops are still […]
It’s something of an open secret on the Hill, but Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) temper can be so explosive, it tends to alienate friend and foe alike. Consider yesterday’s brouhaha over the new immigration-reform package. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) hasn’t spent much time in the Capitol this year as he seeks the GOP presidential nomination. […]
First up from The God Machine this week is a disconcerting story about what happens when religious ministries have to compete for access to the federal treasury: they start acting like every other interest group. St. Vincent College, a small Benedictine college southeast of Pittsburgh, wanted to realign a two-lane state road serving the campus. […]
Guest Post by Morbo Now that World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz has resigned, it’s time to examine an overlooked issue from the sorry affair: Why did the Religious Right support this embattled neocon? What did this issue have to do with religion, abortion, gay rights or any of the other obsessions of the neo-Puritan brigade? […]
Guest Post by Morbo Recently, I was struck by a photograph that ran on the front page of The New York Times. The archival photo from 1957 depicts Elizabeth Eckford, a young African-American woman, walking toward Central High School in Little Rock. She is surrounded by a crowd of people. (See it here.) Eckford carries […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * In the face of a presidential veto threat over defense appropriations, House Dems are taking Bush on over raises for the troops:”Mr. President, you have consistently called on Congress and the American people to support our troops. Considering the sacrifices that our military families make, the Democratic proposal to […]
By late last night, it appeared that a compromise between congressional Dems and the White House on war funding was very close. Predictably, it looked like Dems were going to give up far too much in exchange for very little, and then hope to find more success the next time around. But as it turns […]
Yesterday, a reporter confronted the president with a straightforward request for information: “Sir, did you send your then Chief of Staff and White House Counsel to the bedside of John Ashcroft while he was ill to get him to approve that program? And do you believe that kind of conduct from White House officials is […]