For reasons that I’ve never entirely understood, the media establishment decided a few years ago that Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is a “serious” lawmaker whose opinions on Iraq necessarily have merit. It’s not clear why — Graham has been wrong about Iraq policy every step of the way for five years. A few weeks ago, […]
At this point, it’s tempting to disregard national political polls about the policy agenda in DC. All of the recent data is exactly the same — Bush is unpopular, the war is unpopular, and the public backs Dems over the GOP — so there’s no real point in getting worked up about this week’s numbers […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * Less than a week after Rush Limbaugh attacked U.S. troops who disagree with him on the war in Iraq, Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) introduced a House resolution to commend the right-wing blowhard for “supporting” the troops. Do you ever get the feeling House Republicans just aren’t very bright? * […]
Actor/lobbyist/politician Fred Thompson has been away from politics for a few years, so it probably didn’t surprise too many that he came across as confused and uninformed shortly after he kicked off his odd presidential campaign. He was a little rusty, and needed some time to clear the cobwebs, read some white papers, and listen […]
The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will hold a hearing tomorrow on Blackwater’s activities in Iraq, and by all indications, lawmakers will have plenty to talk about. Guards working in Iraq for Blackwater USA have shot innocent Iraqi civilians and have sought to cover up the incidents, sometimes with the help of the […]
Following up on last week’s reporting, Rush Limbaugh’s decision to blast troops who disagree with him about Iraq as “phony soldiers” continues to reverberate. At last count, two major Republican presidential candidates (McCain and Romney) have criticized the far-right blowhard for his remarks; Rep. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) was scheduled to introduce a House resolution condemning […]
The Supreme Court announced this morning that it will not hear a case about religious organizations paying for workers’ birth-control health insurance benefits. That’s a very positive development. The case, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany v. Dinallo, is the result of a New York law that requires social service agencies, including religious groups, […]
The last time we saw former Sen. Rick Santorum (R), his 16-year congressional career was coming to an abrupt and embarrassing end. Bob Casey Jr. beat him statewide by 18 points, 59% to 41%, giving the conservative more time to work with Fox News, and work on Hollywood movie projects. It appears, however, that the […]
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has never been known as a particularly religious politician, and his relationship with the GOP’s religious-right base has varied between awkward and chilly. Anxious to make up ground with this key Republican constituency, McCain probably thought it’d be a great idea to sit down for a brief chat with BeliefNet, a […]
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: * In an interview with the AP, Barack Obama threw a relatively sharp elbow in the direction of the Democratic frontrunner. “They want to make the argument that Senator Clinton is just an […]