White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan at today’s gaggle: “You know, I had seen some of [John Kerry’s] comments yesterday before I briefed, and then, when I saw him last night on TV, he just appeared to be angry and lose his cool.” Vice President Dick Cheney on the Senate floor in June, after Sen. […]
If you’re a Carpetbagger regular, you know the deal. It’s time for my weekly round-up of statewide presidential polls released over the last seven days. This week includes a pretty long list, but there’s plenty of encouraging data worth checking out. Pay particular attention to “red” states that are surprisingly competitive (Colorado, Missouri, North Carolina) […]
Though it didn’t generate significant fanfare, last week was the 20th anniversary of the creation of an indefensible public policy: Reagan’s “global gag rule.” It’s often called the “Mexico City policy” because it was developed at an international family planning conference in Mexico City in August 1984. Naturally, its biggest fan is occupying the Oval […]
The LA Times’ Peter Wallsten had an interesting report today on what some claim to be one of the president’s favorite issues. The article highlights the obvious, but since it’s a good point that most of the media ignores, it deserves some attention. Even as President Bush has started telling voters that overhauling Social Security […]
Bush continues to attack Kerry for missing Senate votes and skipping committee hearings, but, ironically, takes more time off than any president in recent memory. CBS News tally shows that President Bush is now making his 38th visit to his Prairie Chapel ranch since taking office. Add up the number of full or partial days […]
The Center for Security Policy’s Frank Gaffney had an item in today’s LA Times on the importance of investing in pension plans that steer clear of terrorist states. Gaffney may be a conservative, but his points are hard to disagree with. Unfortunately, he left out a pretty important detail from his argument. Millions of people […]
The AP mentioned last month that Don Rumsfeld has kept a noticably low profile lately, leading many to wonder if the controversial Defense Secretary with low approval ratings had been locked up in an undisclosed location until after the election. That was true, of course, but I can’t help but notice that another even more […]
John Kerry’s Republican foes wanted the Swiftboat Veterans for Bush to get widespread media attention. They wanted the group’s attacks to be taken seriously. They insisted that these were voices that deserve to be heard. Well, if this doesn’t prove “be careful what you wish for,” then nothing will. As the SBVfT became more aggressive, […]
Bush may be an awful president, but the guy knows how to do two things really well: raise and spend a lot of money. The Bush campaign raised $14 million in July, about as much as it has been taking in each month since it stopped holding fund-raising events in April and continued accepting donations […]
There’s a certain understood etiquette to network green rooms. You’re bound to run into high-profile guests from both sides, but no one actually argues in there. Everyone tends to be civil and professional. Indeed, the charming thing about green rooms is that they’re a great equalizer — all guests have to wait, get makeup, and […]