Just last week, we learned that Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) believes openly gay soldiers represent an “intolerable risk” to the United States armed forces. Apparently, the Navy doesn’t agree. The Navy returned an openly gay sailor to active duty last year in what gay rights advocates say is an example of how some military commanders […]
Roll Call reports today that a House Republican delivered a foreign policy speech yesterday in which he quoted Nathan Bedford Forrest, founder of the KKK. On Monday, Rep. Ted Poe took to the House floor to discuss foreign policy matters. To make a point, the Texas Republican invoked the words of Civil War Confederate Gen. […]
After hearing “just a few more months” repeatedly for years, it looks increasingly likely that September may very well be the end of the president’s Iraq policy. Congressional leaders from both political parties are giving President Bush a matter of months to prove that the Iraq war effort has turned a corner, with September looking […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * Paul Wolfowitz’s position atop the World Bank grew significantly less stable this afternoon when one of his top aides resigned, saying the current leadership crisis made progress impossible. “Given the current environment surrounding the leadership of the World Bank Group, it is very difficult to be effective in helping […]
Matthew Dowd, the chief strategist for the Bush-Cheney 2004 campaign, recently broke ranks with his White House buddies and denounced Bush’s leadership. He said he sees a president who only hears what he wants to hear, from those who know not to challenge him with competing ideas. “I think he’s become more, in my view, […]
The editorial board of the Los Angeles Times has hardly been reliable when it comes to the war in Iraq. This is not to say the paper has been consistently wrong — as far back as October 2002, the Times’ editorial board showed impressive foresight in denouncing Congress’ resolution authorizing Bush to pursue a confrontation […]
When we think about the enormous costs associated with the war in Iraq, we generally consider the deaths, injuries, hundreds of billions of dollars, the increased threat of terrorism, and the weakened international standing. But once in a while, it’s important to remember some of the underreported consequences — such as the ability to respond […]
The [tag]AP[/tag] ran an important piece over the weekend about the media generally and MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann specifically that deserves to be read. I describe the article as important because it captures the broader political dynamic in exactly the wrong way. In an angry commentary on April 25, MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann accused Rudolph Giuliani of […]
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: * Fred Thompson, the Republican lobbyist/senator/actor weighing a possible presidential bid, appeared at the Lincoln Club of Orange County Dinner on Friday night, with high expectations. A packed crowd thought Thompson might even […]
The politicization of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is not entirely new. Far-right attorneys suddenly were given employment priority. Career staffers were pressured out of their jobs. Cases without merit would be pushed by political appointees. All of a sudden, a department that existed to protect the integrity of the 1965 Voting Rights Act […]