Once again, House Republicans are on Capitol Hill during the August recess, and once again, they are holding something of a sit-in, giving spirited speeches about coastal drilling for tourists and congressional staffers who happen to pass by the charade. Today, however, there was a bit of a twist in the Republican rhetoric. Far-right lawmakers […]
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: * Encouraging registration shift: “Well before Senators Barack Obama and John McCain rose to the top of their parties, a partisan shift was under way at the local and state level. For more […]
Yesterday, the Obama campaign unveiled its first “contrast” ad of the general election, highlighting the very generous support John McCain has enjoyed from Big Oil, and the lavish tax breaks McCain would extend to the oil industry. “After one president in the pocket of big oil, we can’t afford another,” the ad explained. Today, we […]
Ron Suskind, a Pulitzer Prize winning author/journalist, has been a thorn in the side of the Bush White House for a few years now, but this might be the most damning revelation yet: Suskind reports in his new book that White House officials ordered the CIA to forge a “back-dated, handwritten letter from the head […]
The first major general-election “contrast” ad from the Obama campaign emphasized a fairly straightforward tagline: “After one president in the pocket of big oil, we can’t afford another.” As if on cue, we’re learning quite a bit about John McCain’s generous benefactors from the oil industry. Senator John McCain received a burst of donations in […]
After yesterday’s mind-numbing inanity about tire gauges — yes, in the midst of the most critical presidential election in a generation, Republicans have made tire gauges a central focus of a presidential race — I’m hoping we can begin to move on to something at least resembling substance. But before we do, it’s worth noting […]
The more offensive John McCain becomes as a candidate, the more leading media personalities will come up with rationalizations to defend his bizarre conduct. It’s like being graded on a very generous curve. This segment on MSNBC’s “Hardball” yesterday was a classic example. NBC’s Andrea Mitchell, who did an exceptional job last week of debunking […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * Novak retires: “Robert Novak has announced his immediate retirement following the diagnosis of a brain tumor, a prognosis the Sun-Times’ political columnist describes as ‘dire.’ ‘The details are being worked out with the doctors this week, but the tentative plan is for radiation and chemotherapy,’ Novak said.” I’ve been […]
How do you know for sure when House Republicans have gone completely over the edge? When the Bush White House looks responsible and mature by comparison. Republican Study Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) and Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) sent the president a letter on Friday, asking Bush to use his authority to convene a special […]
After a week in which the Republican presidential campaign was panned for being “immature,” “juvenile,” and “childish,” John McCain’s team has responded this week by literally acting like children with a new toy. A practically giddy Mark Salter, the senior aide to John McCain best known for his gruffness, told the traveling press corps before […]