In addition to the confusion about congressional powers mentioned earlier, there seems to be a general idea that Congress simply does not interfere with presidential war authority. For lawmakers to use the power of the purse to intercede on military operations is so unusual, the theory goes, that the very idea is to be considered […]
Newsweek’s Tom Curry speculates about an idea for a presidential ticket that’s almost too scary for words. Will McCain, now a leading contender for the 2008 GOP nomination, borrow Kerry’s idea and offer the vice presidency to Sen. Joe Lieberman, Connecticut’s self-styled “independent Democrat”? The McCain-Lieberman duo showed a warm camaraderie Friday during their joint […]
I have a very hard time understanding why in the world former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore (R) is running for president. Jim Gilmore, Virginia’s former tax-slashing Republican governor, on Tuesday took the first step in a long-shot bid for the presidency. Gilmore filed papers with the Federal Election Commission in Washington to form the Jim […]
Considering how very little work Congress did in 2005 and 2006, I was a little surprised to see so many people raise a fuss about the House not working yesterday. The official reason the chamber was in recess was that freshman lawmakers needed more time to return from an orientation retreat. The real reason was […]
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 Tampa Tribune, citing “GOP insiders,” reports that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) has sought to recruit former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) as his running mate, in part because of […]
There seems to be some lingering confusion at the White House about public opinion, so for Tony Snow’s benefit, let’s take a moment to consider the extent to which Bush has lost the public. President Bush will outline his “new way forward” in Iraq on Wednesday to a nation that overwhelmingly opposes sending more U.S. […]
Every weeknight, MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann names a “Worst Person In The World.” It’s obviously satirical — Olbermann uses the segment to poke fun at some high-profile political personality, usually on the right, who’s said or done something offensive. It’s not to be taken literally; Olbermann does not actually believe this person is factually the worst […]
During Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) metamorphosis from independent-minded rebel to right-wing hack, the GOP presidential hopeful has said and done a lot of offensive things. This may be the worst. In an interview with Bloomberg Television, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) was asked by Al Hunt whether he would support raising taxes on the very wealthy […]
There seems to be no shortage of confusion about what Congress can and should do about the president’s intention to escalate the war in Iraq. Dems being Dems, there are no shortages of opinions, most of them contradictory, and plenty of internal squabbling over just how much power the new congressional majority really has. The […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * Nancy Pelosi seems supportive of a “special committee in the House to deal with climate change and global warming.” Sounds like a good idea to me. * The White House was reluctant to cooperate with a congressional review of the Hurricane Katrina panel last year, but Dems are prepared […]