Dick Cheney sat down with Fox News’ Bret Baier yesterday for a fairly lengthy interview, focused almost exclusively on the Middle East and the war in Iraq. There were a few interesting exchanges, but this was my favorite: QUESTION: You are portrayed by your opponents and some in the media as this sinister figure, as […]
Yesterday, we learned that the 11 House Republicans met with the president and his senior aides at the White House this week for an “unvarnished” conversation about the administration’s war policy in Iraq. Various media accounts of the 90-minute meeting suggested that the GOP lawmakers are nervous about what the war is going to do […]
When Don Imus called the Rutgers’ women’s basketball team “nappy-headed hos,” it took two weeks and a national uproar before CBS decided to fire him. In contrast, Major Gen John Batiste (Ret.), former commanding general of the first infantry division in Iraq, appears in a new television ad criticizing the president’s war policy. Just 48 […]
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: * Bush was the featured speaker for the national Republican Party at its annual gala last night, helping the party raise $10.5 million. The AP noted that it was a paltry sum, compared […]
When it comes the administration’s approach to the war in Iraq, there’s obviously no clear sense of what Bush’s “Plan B” might look like, but moreover, it’s never been clear whether the president’s team even thinks a backup strategy is necessary. In January, Condoleezza Rice told senators that it would irresponsible to even consider the […]
Rudy Giuliani’s presidential campaign, disorganized and off-message for a few too many weeks, didn’t need another controversy that makes the candidate look ridiculous. It got one anyway. In advance of a campaign swing through Iowa, a Giuliani aide contacted Deb and Jerry VonSprecken, farmers who had recently donated to Giuliani’s campaign. The staffer asked if […]
No matter what the circumstances, in politics or out, an employee who believes his or her job is on the line is going to behave a certain way. He or she will be on their best behavior, doing everything possible to impress those who might help decide his or her fate. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales […]
As you’ve no doubt heard by now, the House held two big votes on war funding last night, one on partial funding for two months and another on a near-total withdrawal of U.S. forces within nine months. The prior passed, despite a presidential veto threat, and the latter fell short, but the votes are worth […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced his retirement today after 10 years in office. He will stand down as PM on June 27 and is expected to endorse Gordon Brown as his successor. * There were a variety of fascinating moments during today’s House Judiciary Committee hearing with Attorney […]
Randall Tobias’ tenure as administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) turned out to be rather embarrassing for the president. Tobias not only pushed an ineffective “abstinence-only” policy, drawing the ire of public health officials around the world, but he also had an unfortunate association with a DC “escort service,” which he used […]