I realize there’s very little utility in fact-checking the president’s press conferences. Bush has only a passing familiarity with the truth, and rarely has his facts straight, so Q&As with reporters, such as the one held this morning on the White House south lawn, are inevitably exercises in frustration. And yet, I’m a glutton for […]
Last week, The Hill caused quite a stir when it reported that [tag]John McCain[/tag], in 2001, was close to switching parties, and members of his team had actually initiated discussions about the Arizona senator becoming a Dem. Several leading conservative blogs noted that, if true, the report would likely end McCain’s chances in the Republican […]
Over the weekend, NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell appeared to have quite a scoop — she noted on the Chris Matthews Show that Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, recently sat down for an exclusive chat with Senate Republicans, who told him that they’ll end their support for the war in August unless […]
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: * Following up on yesterday’s Q1 fundraising reports, John McCain’s campaign announced yesterday that it had collected $12.5 million in the first quarter of 2007, giving him the third best tally among the […]
There’s just something amazing to me about hearing a wealthy, Christian, white guy Republican whine incessantly about his place in American society. On the April 2 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Glenn Beck claimed that “[c]onservatives get no respect” and asserted that he “can’t win” because he is “American[],” “white,” “Christian,” and “conservative.” […]
Bill Kristol made a comment on Fox News the other day that foreshadows what may eventually drive the GOP presidential primaries. “I think [the personal lives of Republican presidential candidates are] not a big problem,” Kristol said. “Generally speaking, the American people discount private lives quite rigorously, actually, and they try to pick someone who […]
I’ve long believed that the high-profile Bush administration officials who amaze and disturb us — Rumsfeld, Gonzales, Ashcroft, et al — are matched by lower-profile officials who are just as outrageous. Take, for example, Wade Horn, who is finally on his way out of government service. [tag]Wade Horn[/tag], the Bush Administration’s point man for welfare […]
When it comes to John McCain’s assessment of conditions in Baghdad, the military knows he’s wrong, reporters in Iraq know he’s wrong, and now Iraqis themselves want to tell us that they know he’s wrong, too. It was bad enough last week when McCain said parts of Baghdad are safe for Americans to go for […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * Good news from the Supreme Court today: “The Supreme Court ordered the federal government on Monday to take a fresh look at regulating carbon dioxide emissions from cars, a rebuke to Bush administration policy on global warming. In a 5-4 decision, the court said the Clean Air Act gives […]
Following up on a couple of earlier items, we knew the Bush White House would respond to Matthew Dowd’s epiphany by undermining his name and credibility, we just didn’t know how. Call him “disgruntled”? Accuse him of partisanship? Start spreading rumors about him personally? The Rove Playbook is thick; Bush aides have a lot of […]