The White House Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board has always been something of a joke. The panel was created on the recommendation of the 9/11 Commission, which encouraged the administration to have an internal panel to watch for civil liberties violations. Grudgingly, the White House agreed to establish the board, but then waited a […]
Just for a moment, put aside all the usual concerns about Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.). Forget about his inexplicable position on the war, his triangulation, his right-wing talking points, his politics of fear, and his inability to stick to basic principles he claims to hold dear. Forget all of that, at least for a moment, […]
Since the early days of the Clinton administration, the Democratic Leadership Council’s “National Conversation,” the group’s major annual event, has been a key stop for Democrats who hoped to be party leaders, and in many cases, president. It was a place to be seen, to impress possible donors, and to solidify one’s place as a […]
The prosecutor purge scandal claimed its fourth resignation late yesterday when Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty stepped down, citing the financial burden of having two children in college. Of course, given the circumstances, we know there’s a lot more to it than that. The NYT reports that McNulty, who’d been rumored to have one foot […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * This ought to be interesting: “Harry Reid just spoke on the Senate floor, revealing that he’ll allow a vote this week on the Feingold-Reid amendment, which would cut off funding for the war by March 31, 2008. This is a big deal for war opponents — it’s the first […]
Given news accounts of this incident in Murfreesboro, Tenn., it sounds like an awful incident that terrorized some young kids. But part of me can’t help but wonder how much worse it could have been. Staff members of an elementary school staged a fictitious gun attack on students during a class trip, telling them it […]
Last week, in an interview with the Albuquerque Tribune, purged U.S. Attorney David Iglesias said, “I think all roads lead to Rove. I think that’s why the president is circling some pretty major wagons around him to keep him from testifying under oath, which subjects him to criminal prosecution.” Iglesias appears to be onto something. […]
As Dick Cheney’s Middle East tour got underway, he sat down with Fox News’ Bret Baier to talk about the region. Today, as his tour wraps up, Cheney discussed his overseas meetings with … Fox News’ Bret Baier. If I didn’t know better, I might think the Vice President is playing favorites among the media. […]
I saw “Brokeback Mountain” a while ago and thought it was excellent. It hardly seemed like the kind of film that could cause “psychological distress.” A suit was filed on behalf of a 12-year-old girl who claims she suffered psychological distress when a teacher showed in class the gay-themed movie “Brokeback Mountain.” The girl, Jessica […]
Bob Novak tried to explain the broader dynamic of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales staying on in his job over the weekend, but I’m at a loss to understand what Novak was trying to say. ThinkProgress has the whole, fascinating video, but here’s Novak’s argument: “Margaret, the president can get rid of him any time he […]