Leahy moves forward with contempt citations for Bush aides

If you’d given up following the Senate Judiciary Committee weighing its next move against White House aides who blew off its subpoena, you’re not alone. There was some sporadic movement on this over the summer, and then a few other issues — namely the confirmation process for a new Attorney General — put the matter […]

Giuliani gave his mistress taxpayer-financed security detail

While criticizing the apparent improprieties associated with the “Shag Fund” scandal, for New York City Mayor Ed Koch alluded to a point that hasn’t drawn much attention. “I found it strange that his lady friend was given protection,” said the long-time New York politico. “That was bizarre. She’s not the city’s responsibility. Rudy is the […]

GOP is fine with some immigration

John Edwards will no doubt draw the intense ire of the Republican Party and its base after announcing yesterday that he believes as many Mexican immigrants who want to come to the United States should be welcome. As Edwards explained it, Mexican Americans are exemplary citizens who have brought “great vitality, skills and energy to […]

Giuliani and the ‘Shag Fund’ controversy

Following up on an item from yesterday, Ben Smith had a blockbuster when he reported, “As New York mayor, Rudy Giuliani billed obscure city agencies for tens of thousands of dollars in security expenses amassed during the time when he was beginning an extramarital relationship with future wife Judith Nathan in the Hamptons, according to […]

Thursday’s political round-up

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: * The Democratic presidential race is starting to get very interesting in South Carolina. A new Clemson University Palmetto Poll shows Hillary Clinton holding onto her lead, but by a small margin — […]

WaPo lends credence to ridiculous Obama-Muslim nonsense

As the presidential campaign has unfolded, there have been a handful of Washington Post articles about Democratic candidates that were so awful, I felt genuinely sorry for the newspaper. An odd front-page piece on John Edwards selling his house, a bizarre front-page expose on Hillary Clinton’s charitable donations, and the 1,300-word hit-job on the “controversy” […]

Gay veteran puts Republicans on the spot — gets booed

In last night’s CNN/YouTube debate for Republican presidential candidates, perhaps the most memorable, gripping moment came towards the end, when the face on an elderly gentleman appeared on the screen. “My name is Keith Kerr, from Santa Rosa, California. I’m retired brigadier general with 43 years of service, and I’m a graduate of the Special […]

Ron Paul confronted: ‘Do you really believe in all this?’

Depending on one’s tolerance and affinity for Ron Paul, one question from last night’s CNN/YouTube debate was either brilliant or offensive. A young man in Arlington, Texas, specifically asked the Texas lawmaker to clear something up for him. “Now, I’ve met a lot of your supporters online, but I’ve noticed that a good number of […]

I watch the debates, so you don’t have to

It’s almost impossible to pick a winner from last night Republican presidential candidate debate in St. Petersburg, Fla., except maybe the entire Democratic field — for more than two hours, the GOP hopefuls made it abundantly clear that none of them should be the president. With the campaign clearly in “crunch time,” and the Iowa […]

Wednesday’s Mini-Report

Today’s edition of quick hits. * CNN: “President Bush on Wednesday told CNN he would personally ‘facilitate’ peace negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis but dismissed the idea that he would travel to the region to engage in talks.” The president prefers a kind of hands-off, long-distance style of engagement. That ought to work, right? […]