We’ve been waiting for the Senate Intelligence Committee to report on the misuse of pre-war intelligence for so long, it’s easy to forget what a debacle the endeavor really is. Here’s a quick review. The Intelligence Committee began a comprehensive investigation towards the end of 2003. Initially, the committee was prepared to release one authoritative […]
For about a year, it’s seemed as if White House officials were irritated that chaos and bloodshed in Iraq dominated the news, and prevented them from garnering publicity for other stories they much preferred to talk about. When it comes to Scooter Libby’s criminal trial, I have a hunch the Bush gang is calling up […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * Carl Bernstein, of Watergate fame, said yesterday that the American system “worked” with Nixon, because a corrupt president was driven from office, the same system has “failed tragically” when it comes to Bush. “Nixon and his men lied and abused the constitution to horrible effect, but they were stopped,” […]
We already know that Senate Republicans launched a filibuster rather than let the Senate approve the first increase to the minimum wage in 12 years. What went largely unnoticed, however, was an amendment from Sen. Wayne Allard (R-Colo.) that would have undermined the very idea of a federal minimum wage. The AFL-CIO’s blog had a […]
For the last few years, congressional Republicans would cry “obstructionism!” at the drop of a hat. Any effort to stand in the way of the president’s agenda in Congress was outrageous, offensive, and possibly even unconstitutional. What mattered, more than anything, was preserving the notion of majority rule. To filibuster was to be un-American. That […]
If you haven’t already seen it, the conservative side of the blogosphere is all atwitter with “The Pledge,” which was apparently crafted by Hugh Hewitt, in response to the growing Republican support for a non-binding congressional resolution in opposition to Bush’s latest escalation policy in Iraq. The Pledge is as follows: “If the United States […]
The day after the November elections, the White House announced that Donald Rumsfeld was finally stepping down as Secretary of Defense. Soon after, we learned that Rumsfeld wasn’t vacating the premises immediately, because someone thought it would be cool if he became the longest serving Pentagon chief in U.S. history. That meant staying on through […]
When Bush announced his latest escalation policy for Iraq in a televised address a couple of weeks ago, he also mentioned that he’d like Congress to create a “new, bipartisan working group that will help us come together across party lines to win the war on terror.” Bush said it was a good idea — […]
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: * Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), the former chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, formally declared this morning that he’s running for president. The 14-term conservative set up a presidential exploratory committee earlier […]
For the president’s critics, the State of the Union was a boring disappointment, filled with half-truths and missed opportunities. He defended an indefensible policy in Iraq; he made ridiculous budget claims, he ignored Katrina reconstruction, and he unveiled awful (and largely rehashed) health care and energy policies. There wasn’t much to like. But as it […]