This week, a Senate Republican aide said of the White House, “We just hope they leave without doing any more damage.” If the aide was referring to damage to the Republican Party, it’s too late. Public allegiance to the Republican Party has plunged during George W. Bush’s presidency, as attitudes have edged away from some […]
With the House and Senate Judiciary Committees already having authorized subpoenas for White House officials in the prosecutor purge scandal, it’s worth noting that we’re not quite at the brink yet. [M]embers of Congress said they would not issue any subpoenas for at least a week, a move that allows time for negotiations in what […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * AP: “A Senate committee approved a $122 billion measure Thursday financing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan but also defies President Bush by calling on him to pull combat troops out of Iraq by next spring. The bill, approved by a voice vote, is similar to one the House began […]
Yesterday, the House [tag]Judiciary Committee[/tag] empowered Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) to subpoena White House aides in the [tag]prosecutor[/tag] [tag]purge[/tag] [tag]scandal[/tag]. Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee followed suit, but this time, Dems picked up a Republican vote. A Senate panel, following the House’s lead, authorized subpoenas Thursday for White House political adviser Karl Rove and other […]
Forgive the redundancy after having just mentioned this, but it’s worth paying special attention to the new White House talking point. Tony Snow on ABC: “The executive branch is under no compulsion to testify to Congress, because Congress in fact doesn’t have oversight ability.” Snow on CBS: “The legislative branch has no oversight responsibility over […]
The White House appears to be trying to seize the offensive today, hitting the airwaves to push back against the prosecutor purge scandal. There’s just one minor problem: the Bush gang can’t answer the basic questions they’ve had eight weeks to prepare for. This morning, for example, Tony Snow appeared on ABC. Asked whether White […]
It’s a shame it’s only available online to subscribers, but Roll Call has a fascinating item today about congressional Republicans and their growing frustration with the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue. Apparently, GOP lawmakers are anxious to advance their own agenda (pushing conservative bills, prodding Dems, presenting new ideas), but something keeps getting in the […]
I can appreciate the fact that [tag]Attorney General[/tag] [tag]Alberto Gonzales[/tag] is struggling to keep his job, but he’ll have to do better than this. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announced this morning: “I’m not going to resign. I’m going to stay focused on protecting our kids.” Speaking before a Project Safe Childhood event, Gonzales told reporters […]
In politics, it’s inevitable that public figures will have supporters and detractors. It’s just the nature of political interaction — people will react to high-profile figures in different ways. Elizabeth Edwards doesn’t fit into this mold at all. Everyone — literally, everyone — who knows her, speaks with her, or has any kind of interaction […]
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: * John and Elizabeth Edwards are expected to make an important announcement about the former senator’s presidential campaign in just a couple of minutes. I don’t want to engage in baseless speculation, but […]