Once in a while, it’s hard to keep a good bill down — especially when it involves expanded benefits for the troops, during a war, in an election year. The Senate has overwhelmingly passed a new GI bill and billions in new domestic spending as part of the $165 billion Iraq war funding bill pending […]
John McCain chatted with Ellen DeGeneres this morning in an interview recorded yesterday, and the lesbian talk show host pressed the Republican nominee on same-sex marriage. He didn’t seem especially happy to deal with the subject, though in light of last week’s California Supreme Court ruling, he had to know this was coming. McCain said […]
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: * It’s been fairly quiet on the superdelegate front, with both Clinton and Obama picking up one each over the last 24 hours. Mississippi Democratic Party Chairman Wayne Dowdy endorsed Obama, while Guam […]
From time to time, we’ve seen reports about John McCain’s heartfelt intention to run an honorable, above-board campaign, focused on substance. McCain, we’re told, has no appetite for ugly campaigning, nasty attacks, guilt by association, and all of the untoward tactics that have come to dominate every election cycle. It’s curious, then, that McCain has […]
The next big step in the general-election phase of the campaign is poised to get underway. The Obama campaign indicated this morning that it has begun the search for a running mate, and Jim Johnson, a former top aide to John Kerry, will lead the process. John McCain, meanwhile, is going to have some possible […]
Long-time readers may recall that I’ve been following the efforts of Air Force Maj. Margaret Witt, a poster woman for the Air Force’s flight nurse recruiting program, who excelled during a 19-year military career. In 2003, Witt was awarded the Air Medal for her Middle East deployment and, later, the Air Force Commendation Medal, for […]
Karl Rove’s main contribution to the strategic lexicon is the notion that candidates should identify their big weakness, and their rival’s big strength, and then go barreling head-first in that direction. It’s counter-intuitive, I know. And yet, some candidates seem to like it. Yesterday, for example, John McCain argued that he’s shown better judgment on […]
Just yesterday, I defended Hillary Clinton and her rationale for prolonging the Democratic nominating fight. Given that her own campaign chairman recently said the race would wrap up in early June, and Clinton seemed to honoring a relative cease-fire, there was no real urgency about her withdrawing. As Jay Jacobs, a New York superdelegate and […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * The Fed isn’t optimistic: “The Federal Reserve on Wednesday sharply lowered its projection for the U.S. economic growth this year, citing blows from the housing and credit debacles along with zooming energy prices. It also expects higher unemployment and inflation. Even with the more downbeat outlook, Fed officials left […]
Last week, John Hagee, a televangelist sought out by John McCain for political support, expressed regret to Catholics for his attacks on the Roman Catholic Church (he’s called the church, among other things, “the great whore” and “a false cult system”). This week, it looks like it’s time for yet another apology. John Hagee, the […]