In the midst of a likely recession, and instability in the global markets, the president devoted 149 words of his State of the Union address to the economic downturn and what he wants to do about it. Conversely, he gave almost exactly the same amount of attention to decrying congressional budget earmarks. “The people’s trust […]
After watching the president’s 53-minute address to Congress last night, I feel pretty comfortable saying the state of the Union is … listless, frustrated, and ready to move on. That applies equally to Bush and his audience. The funny thing is the Bush White House has been offering something of a mixed message for the […]
I’m afraid I’ll be away from my desk during tonight’s address, but we’ll offer full team coverage* on the president’s State of the Union address in the morning. Instead, I thought we’d mark the big occasion with a SOTU open thread. Well, maybe “big occasion” is a little strong under the circumstances. My friends at […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * The news we were hoping for: “The fight goes on. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) cloture vote failed 48-45 just now, well short of the 60 votes necessary. In the end, four Dems crossed over to vote with the Republicans: Sens. Mark Pryor (D-AR), Ben Nelson (D-NE), Blanche […]
John Cole noted this morning, “I honestly cannot recall a State of the Union address which has received less hype.” Neither can I. Usually, even for lame-duck presidents, the SOTU is a pretty significant moment of political theater. I remember the last addresses for Reagan and Clinton drew quite a bit of attention, but going […]
I keep looking for the issue that will drive Republicans away from John McCain for good. Today, in the WSJ, John Fund brings up yet another problem for the senator: judicial nominations, which is at or near the top of priorities for conservatives. Nothing would improve Mr. McCain’s standing with conservatives more than a forthright […]
In about an hour or so, after several starts and stops, the Senate will take up the Bush’s administration’s surveillance bill — inappropriately named the “Protect America Act” — which is set to expire on Feb. 1 (Friday). Obviously, the looming deadline is hardly conducive to a reasoned debate, and the likelihood of the House […]
I’ve been urging the Romney campaign to pick up on this for a while, and I’m delighted they’re taking the hint, first with a fun new video, and now on the campaign stump. Republican Mitt Romney took aim at John McCain Monday over reports he once considered signing on to John Kerry’s presidential ticket, the […]
Following up on yesterday’s discussion, Sen. Edward Kennedy endorsed Barack Obama at an event in DC about an hour ago. It was apparently a well-attended event — Salon’s Tim Grieve reported, “After standing outdoors for more than two hours in a line that stretched along several blocks — and eventually getting within 20 feet of […]
It hasn’t generated a lot of headlines, but in the world of religion and politics, it’s a pretty big deal. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, recently asked six high-profile, hyper-wealthy Pentecostal televangelists for their financial records, under the suspicion that they’re using their ministries for personal gain. (Imagine […]