I realize that the Bush White House looked at the Iraq Study Group with some disdain. So-called “elder statesman,” mostly friends of Bush’s dad, weren’t going to come in and tell the president how to wage his war, no siree. Within a few minutes of Bush thanking ISG members for their work, Bush made the […]
For about six years now, it’s looked as if Fox News received its on-air scripts directly from the White House communications staff. Apparently, as of this morning, Fox News is even a little too shrill for the Bush gang. This morning on Fox News, anchor Gretchen Carlson called Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) a “hostile enemy” […]
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 McCain isn’t the only GOP presidential hopeful backing troop escalation. Former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-Mass.), who’s been reluctant to comment either way on Bush’s so-called “surge,” told reporters this morning, “In […]
There is no shortage of ideas for how best Congress can take on the White House over the war in Iraq, but according to the New York Times, Dem leaders in both chambers seem to believe a non-binding resolution is the way to go. Democratic leaders said Tuesday that they intended to hold symbolic votes […]
The fact that the president and military leaders are divided on how best to proceed in Iraq would be noteworthy under any circumstances, but it’s particularly striking given that Bush has sworn for years that he would not second guess the top military brass. “It’s important to trust the judgment of the military when they’re […]
Just to follow up briefly on the previous post, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow also had a gem yesterday about one of the more ridiculous photo-ops of recent memory. Q: Tony, this goes to your previous acknowledgment that the President is aware of public anxiety about the situation in Iraq. What would your guidance […]
White House Press Secretary Tony Snow made a comment yesterday — a series of comments, actually — that spoke volumes about how the Bush gang approach discourse on the war. Oddly enough, I’m thrilled to hear him make the remarks, because they help clarify the broader dynamic. The context came in response to a question […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * Guess which annual blog awards are now accepting nominations? * A whole lot of people spent a whole lot of time trying to track down a picture of George W. Bush and Jack Abramoff together. One finally came out. As CREW put it, “The White House did not want […]
Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) gave a tremendous speech today in Washington, highlighting his new legislation that would require the president to get congressional authority before escalating the war in Iraq. He also offered a few White House quotes that bear repeating. Here’s a good one: “It became clear that if we were prepared to stay […]
Last week we learned that the White House issued another one of its infamous “signing statements,” this time asserting the power to open postal mail without a warrant or court approval. There hasn’t been too much response on the Hill just yet — though hearings hardly seem out of the question — but I was […]