Dems win FEC fight; von Spakovsky withdraws nomination

Hans von Spakovsky, as a top political appointee in Bush’s Justice Department, was a leading player in what McClatchy straightforwardly calls the administration’s “vote-suppression agenda.” When it came to voter disenfranchisement, von Spakovsky was a reliable member of Team Bush. As a reward, Bush has tried to promote von Spakovsky to a six-year term on […]

This Week in God

First up from the God machine this week is an unexpected story about Albert Einstein and a previously unknown letter in which the scientist detailed his theological perspective. A letter the physicist wrote in 1954 to the philosopher Eric Gutkind, in which he described the Bible as “pretty childish” and scoffed at the notion that […]

Space aliens are welcome at the Vatican

Guest Post by Morbo An official at the Vatican got some ink this week by announcing that it’s OK to believe in space aliens. The Rev. Jose Gabriel Funes, a Jesuit priest who directs the Vatican Observatory, told the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano that life on other planets could be part of God’s plan. Funes […]

It’s my church and I’ll marry whom I want

Guest Post by Morbo The Carpetbagger’s post on the California Supreme Court’s gay-marriage ruling is pretty comprehensive. There is one aspect of the decision, however, that is important and should not be overlooked: Religious Right groups have argued that if same-sex marriage becomes legal, conservative churches will be forced to perform the ceremonies. This is […]

Beyond golf: Unreported Bush sacrifices

Guest Post by Morbo The Carpetbagger on Wednesday mentioned President George W. Bush’s recent confession that he has given up golf as a way of sacrificing for the troops in Iraq. I was touched. What a bold leader we have! Bush is so courageous he’s willing to give up leisure activities to support the war […]

Friday’s Mini-Report

Today’s edition of quick hits. * Tragic: “The official death toll from Cyclone Nargis has nearly doubled to almost 78,000 and another 56,000 people remain missing two weeks after the storm, Myanmar state television reported Friday. The United Nations, meanwhile, said that severe restrictions by Myanmar’s military junta have left aid agencies largely in the […]

Lieberman defends radical McCain ally John Hagee

I can appreciate the fact that Joe Lieberman has finished off the McCain Kool Aid. I also realize Lieberman is completely on board with everything McCain says, does, and believes, and will defend the Republican presidential campaign against any charge, regardless of merit. But I’m a little surprised Lieberman is willing to go so far […]

McCain supported talks with Syria, too

To hear John McCain tell it, Barack Obama is irresponsible for his willingness to engage a state sponsor of terror like Iran. McCain’s attacks have all kinds of substantive flaws, but more importantly, McCain seems to keep running into trouble due to comments he’s made before. Earlier, for example, we talked about McCain’s 2006 position […]

McCain’s meandering mendacity

Following up on the last item, Barack Obama hit back quite aggressively this afternoon in response to George Bush’s “appeasement” smear, and John McCain’s applause for it. Shortly thereafter, the McCain campaign responded to the response. “It was remarkable to see Barack Obama’s hysterical diatribe in response to a speech in which his name wasn’t […]

‘They’re trying to fool you; they’re trying to scare you; and they’re not telling you the truth’

Yesterday, the president, with not-so-subtle language, suggested to the Israeli Knesset that Barack Democrats are Chamberlain-like appeasers because Obama is willing to talk to Iran (just as Bush’s own Defense Secretary and Secretary of State have recommended). As it turns out, Obama had taken the day off from the campaign trail, but the entire party […]