Today’s bombings in Iraq are serious enough to question whether the country’s civil war will spiral towards an even deeper chaos, but if recent history is any guide, viewers probably won’t see much about it on Fox News. Yesterday, Bill O’Reilly explained why. Keep in mind, the Republicans’ network has been doing its best to […]
Iraq’s civil war had been reaching a boiling point for quite a while, but last year’s attack on the Askariya Shrine was, as Ezra noted, widely perceived as “the moment the country took its decisive turn towards civil war.” Today, what’s left of the shrine was hit again. Saboteurs blew up the two minarets of […]
Following up on an earlier item about Rudy Giuliani’s newly-unveiled “12 Commitments,” Greg Sargent notes that the word “Iraq” didn’t appear once on the former mayor’s list. Given that the document is supposed to be a look at what Giuliani’s top priorities would be if elected, it seems a tad odd that a leading GOP […]
Yesterday, Hot Air, a leading far-right site, posted a YouTube clip from 1992 in which Al Gore blasted the Bush/Quayle team for its Iraq policy. The right was instantly giddy over the video because, as Hot Air perceived it, the clip proves that Gore is a “craven opportunist.” (via Too Sense) The thesis of the […]
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: * Bush used to be an unstoppable fundraising machine for the GOP. Not anymore: “Financial projections for the President’s Dinner tonight confirm that Republican confidence in the president is in a state of […]
Apparently, the emails released last night convinced congressional Dems that it’s time for the White House to stop playing games, end the delay tactics, and start answering questions. Two congressional committees are issuing subpoenas for testimony from former White House counsel Harriet Miers and former political director Sara Taylor on their roles in the firings […]
At yesterday’s White House press briefing, a reporter mentioned to Tony Snow that the White House has “taken a few legal hits recently on the treatment of prisoners,” particularly when it comes to detention at Guantanamo Bay. Snow hailed the terrific treatment Gitmo detainees receive, right before explaining how anxious the president is to shut […]
One of the (many) problems with Rudy Giuliani’s presidential campaign is it’s not entirely clear why he thinks he should be president. For months, his platform has consisted of reminding people of the press conferences he hosted on 9/11. It’s not much of a rationale. Yesterday, however, the former mayor hoped to show that he […]
I’ve lost count of exactly how many document dumps there have been in the U.S. Attorney purge scandal — five? six? — but with each passing revelation, the White House’s connection to the controversy grows stronger. The White House’s former political director was furious at Justice Department officials for disclosing to Congress that the administration […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * Salon: “Word just in from the House Judiciary Committee: The Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law will hold a hearing next week related to ‘The Continuing Investigation Into the U.S. Attorney Controversy and Related Matters.’ The witness: Paul McNulty, who has announced his resignation as deputy attorney general and […]