Earlier this week, Mitt Romney equated working for his presidential campaign with military service during a war. It was one of the dumber things I’ve heard a presidential candidate say in a while. Rudy Giuliani is apparently of the belief that this presidential race is a contest to see which top-tier candidate can appear more […]
About a month ago, for the first time in the history of the U.S. Senate, a Hindu clergyman was invited to deliver an invocation as a guest chaplain. Regrettably, three Christian fundamentalists disrupted the proceedings by heckling the morning prayer. It was an embarrasing spectacle that made the United States look awful on the international […]
I’m afraid I wasn’t able to watch last night’s candidate forum devoted to gay rights issues, but I’ve read quite a bit of the news coverage and the event seemed to go really well. Before we get into the particulars, let’s not brush too quickly past the significance of the forum itself. We’ve reached a […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * Bush may be unconcerned about the real estate market’s effect on the economy, but investors seem to have a different attitude: “The Dow suffered its second worst session of the year Thursday as worries about the global credit market sparked a broad selloff in stocks, following a three-session rally…. […]
Last week, Barack Obama caused an unexpected (and largely unwarranted) stir when he said he wouldn’t use nuclear weapons to attack terrorists in Pakistan and Afghanistan. His critics (from both parties) didn’t disagree with his policy position, but they blasted him for making the comments publicly. It was irresponsible, critics said, for a would-be president […]
Yesterday, Anne-Marie Slaughter, the dean of Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, and one of the most serious and centrist foreign policy players in the country, suggested it is entirely possible that the Bush administration will invade Iran in order to help the Republican Party win an election. The same day, Sen. […]
Last week, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) may have inadvertently leaked classified information during a Fox News interview, disclosing an aspect of a FISA court’s decision regarding warrantless wiretapping. Today, Rep. Peter Hoekstra, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, may have unintentionally done the same thing. This time, the forum wasn’t Rupert […]
Last month, congressional Dems and the Bush White House fought over whether to give U.S. troops a pay increase for 2008. Dems fought for a 3.5% raise, Bush insisted that was too generous. The “pro-military” president thought the troops could get by with less. This month, congressional Dems and the Bush White House are at […]
If there’s one thing the president has made clear over the last six years, it’s that he doesn’t believe in the notion of accountability. At this morning’s surprise press conference, a reporter challenged Bush on this point rather directly. Q: Mr. President, I wanted to ask you about accountability. You’re a big believer in it, […]
Less than a month ago, with his campaign in free-fall, John McCain’s presidential campaign circulated talking points to supporters, explaining the skeleton of the senator’s comeback plan. In a nutshell, the strategy was premised on McCain excelling in three early-voting states: Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. Success in these three states would get McCain […]