After months of steering clear of substantive controversies, Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign has hit a few speed bumps in recent weeks. Some of the flaps are silly (the alleged missed gratuity at an Iowa diner), some are rhetorical (the senator’s hedging on driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants), and some are just sloppy (planted questions at […]
From time to time, some high-ranking Republican official in Congress or at the White House will insist that tax cuts can pay for themselves. The idea, basically, is that the government can cut taxes, which will in turn create economic growth, which in turn create more wealth. When people and businesses have to pay taxes […]
The good news is, the House narrowly passed an Iraq funding bill with some key provisions that many Americans have been demanding for quite a while now, including a withdrawal timeline. The bad news is, the chances of the measure becoming law are almost zero. The House yesterday approved a war funding bill that directs […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * An awful scene in Chile: “A major earthquake struck northern Chile on Wednesday, toppling power lines, closing roads and sending terrified residents into the streets. Authorities reported some injuries but no deaths from the quake, which was felt in the capital as well as neighboring Peru and Bolivia. The […]
This week, John McCain hosted a campaign event in South Carolina, in which one charming elderly voter stood up to ask, “How do we beat the bitch?” McCain, assuming the voter was referring to Hillary Clinton, responded, “That’s an excellent question.” No one really expected the senator to upbraid his supporter for her obvious lack […]
This week, Bush’s media operation is branching out. The normally media-averse president is sitting down for two fairly lengthy television interviews — one with Fox News Channel, and the other with the Fox Business Channel. It led Dan Froomkin to label Bush the “Fox News President,” which seems wholly appropriate under the circumstances. Any why, […]
Especially among the netroots, I’ve noticed there’s been some fully-justified complaints that Obama has been afraid of taking bold policy positions, and has struggled to articulate new ideas that are both progressive and a break with political orthodoxy. The senator has complicated matters with a post-partisan style, which has at times seemed out of step […]
Howard Krongard, the State Department’s Inspector General, has developed quite a reputation. Ostensibly, Krongard is responsible for being an internal watchdog, using his office as a check against fraud, abuse, and mismanagement. As it turns out, Krongard has been an Inspector General in need of a general inspection. Instead of a watchdog that prevents and […]
Given the president’s poor public standing, it stands to reason that people would be pretty used to public criticism of Bush. It’s about as common as breathing, and it’s the natural consequence of a president with Nixon-like approval ratings. And yet, for some reason, this story about a hand-written sign at the World Bridge Championships […]
By now, most of us have heard quite enough about the non-existent “War on Christmas.” And the alleged “War on Easter.” Sean Hannity has tried to launch a “War on Halloween” — the Fox News blowhard said it’s a “liberal” holiday that teaches kids “to beg for a handout” — but it hasn’t caught on […]