‘Maybe it’s time for a deadline’

National Review’s Byron York isn’t exactly a “maverick” when it comes to bucking the traditional GOP line on issues like the war. It’s exactly why I was encouraged to see his latest missive about the Dems’ war policy. It’s an article of faith in Republican circles that Congress should not impose deadlines on the U.S. […]

A side of Rice in the oil-for-food scandal?

For many conservatives, the U.N.’s oil-for-food scandal was an assault on all that is good and holy. In a nutshell, Saddam Hussein took advantage of a U.N. program in which Iraq would sell oil and use the revenue for food, medicine, and humanitarian goods, as exceptions to a trade embargo imposed after the first Gulf […]

Tuesday’s Mini-Report

Today’s edition of quick hits. * AP: “The Pentagon has notified more than 35,000 Army soldiers to be prepared to deploy to Iraq beginning this fall, a move that would allow commanders to maintain the ongoing buildup of troops through the end of the year if needed.” The administration said this is not related to […]

Morris sees troops as bait

Add this gem to the list of examples of what the far-right means when it talks about “supporting the troops.” President Bush has repeatedly argued that the United States needs to “eliminate terrorist threats abroad, so we do not have to face them here at home.” Last night on Hannity and Colmes, right-wing pundit Dick […]

Sebelius blames war, White House blames Sebelius

In the wake of the tornado disaster that razed most of Greensburg, Kansas, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) had the temerity to note that much of the state’s National Guard equipment is being used in Iraq, which in turn has hampered the recovery effort. Today, the White House hit back. (thanks to W.B. for the tip) […]

Impeachment polls surprisingly well

I’m quite certain that neither Bush nor Cheney are going to be removed from office before January 2009. Even if the House Dem leadership dramatically switched gears and pursued articles of impeachment, and even if the House somehow decided to pass impeachment resolutions, I can’t imagine a scenario in which two-thirds of a narrowly-divided Senate […]

Giuliani’s six donations to Planned Parenthood

Rudy Giuliani’s abortion problem keeps getting worse. At last week’s debate, Chris Matthews asked the GOP candidates, “Would the day that Roe v. Wade is repealed be a good day for Americans?” Nine of the 10 said yes, with varying degrees of intensity (Brownback said it would be “a glorious day of human liberty and […]

The plot at Fort Dix

I try not to be a cynical person. When mainstream news outlets report on disrupted terrorist plots, my first instinct isn’t to question the timing or doubt the validity of the report, but rather to cheer. But when it comes to disrupted plots, the Bush administration’s track record is discouraging. Too often, threats have been […]

Tuesday’s political round-up

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: * Following a series of staffing changes in April, John McCain’s presidential campaign continues to change the players at various positions. Yesterday, Michael P. Dennehy, McCain’s national political director, stepped down from his […]

GOP base still wants creationist answers

Who knew a question about evolutionary biology would end up being the most important part of last week’s Republican presidential debate? Thursday night, John McCain was asked, simply, “Do you believe in evolution?” After pausing briefly, the senator answered, “Yes.” The Politico’s Jim VandeHei then opened it up to the whole GOP field: “I’m curious, […]