Following up on the earlier item about Monica Goodling’s testimony, I wanted to add a point that’s probably obvious, but worth mentioning anyway: House Judiciary Committee Republicans really embarrassed themselves yesterday. Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick explained, “One Republican congressman after another tenderly thanks her for enduring today’s hearing — as if she’s one of Jerry’s Kids […]
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: * A staffer for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign prepared a memo, which was leaked yesterday, suggesting the senator skip the Iowa caucuses and concentrate on other early primary states. Clinton and top campaign […]
The president delivered the commencement address at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy — a speech the White House has apparently been playing up with reporters for a while — in which Bush, as the WaPo put it, “ratcheted up his campaign to link the violence in Iraq to actions by al-Qaeda.” “I’ve often warned that […]
Look, I know NewsMax is a conservative political magazine. I don’t expect hard-hitting investigative journalism, and I don’t expect anything but flattering coverage of Republican candidates and officials. But Ben Smith noted yesterday that NewsMax wrote a profile about Ann Romney, Mitt’s wife, that is so remarkably over-the-top, one almost wonders if it’s a joke. […]
I realize that when a prominent national figure passes away, many will want to paint his or her life in as positive a light as possible. It just seems polite. That said, the praise showered on TV preacher Jerry Falwell this week on the House floor was galling, even by the embarrassingly low standards of […]
The latest in a series of moments-we’ve-all-been-waiting-for in the purge scandal wrapped up yesterday afternoon, when former Justice Department official Monica Goodling testified before the House Judiciary Committee. Was the hearing informative? Did Goodling give up the goods? Did her testimony help or hurt Alberto Gonzales? There’s quite a bit of new information here, so […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * TPMM: “Monica Goodling admitted ‘crossing the line’ earlier in her testimony with regard to hiring assistant U.S. attorneys based on their political affiliations. That’s against the law. Assistant U.S. attorneys are the prosecutors in the U.S. attorney offices across the country that actually prosecute the cases. But how many […]
Ready to laugh out loud? The Bush gang — you know, the flailing failures operating the executive branch like the Keystone Kops — believe Bush’s presidency is back on track. Apparently, a widely panned immigration bill is, in the minds of those in the West Wing, what got the White House over the hump. Relieved […]
TP ran a copy of Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy’s (D-Vt.) statement in response to Monica Goodling’s testimony today. It’s actually kind of funny. “It is curious that yet another senior Justice Department official claims to have limited involvement in compiling the list that led to the firings of several well-performing federal prosecutors. What […]
Now, which White House scandal is Susan Ralston attached to again? There are so many it’s sometimes difficult to keep up. Oh right, the Abramoff scandal. A former top aide to presidential adviser Karl Rove told Congress she will invoke her right against self-incrimination unless granted immunity to answer investigators’ questions about lobbyist Jack Abramoff’s […]