Earlier this week, University of Chicago law professor Geoffrey R. Stone noted what many of us have known for quite a while: the word “liberal” has taken such a beating for so long, people who consider themselves liberals “have failed to define themselves and to state clearly what they believe.” In that light, I thought […]
Tony Snow is breaking new ground this year, becoming the first White House press secretary to step out from behind the podium and hit the campaign trail. Yesterday, this week, Snow shared some interesting insights at a fundraiser in Wisconsin. Unfortunately for Snow, his comments reflected the soft bigotry of low expectations. President Bush is […]
Because “loyalty” is among the most important traits the president looks for in personnel decisions, it’s relatively rare to have White House aides and administration officials dish the dirt after they return to the private sector. It’s not that they didn’t see potentially damaging things during their service; it’s that they a) don’t want to […]
There’s some debate as to whether anti-gay amendments on 11 state ballots helped Bush beat Kerry in 2004, but I think it’s clear that the issue struck a chord with far-right activists. Playing the hate card effectively, proponents of these amendments got what they wanted — millions of mobilized conservatives. This year, eight more states […]
Rep. [tag]Curt Weldon[/tag] (R-Pa.) has been something of a laughing stock for a while. We learned a few months ago, for example, that Weldon plotted a secret mission — for himself — in which he’d personally go to Iraq, shovel in hand, and find the elusive stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction. Seriously. As Kevin […]
First up from the God machine is a story about a local government realizing the inherent problem in asking people to vote in a house of worship. Orthodox Jews in a Cleveland suburb unhappy they had to vote in a Christian church were relieved the polling place has been moved. The Cuyahoga County elections board […]
Guest Post by Morbo Remember the days when conservatives were clear-eyed realists and liberals were tagged as naïve folks prone to wear rose-colored glasses? That stereotype of progressives was never accurate, of course, but the right wingers sure loved sticking it in our faces and waving that straw man before the American people. Sadly, they […]
Guest Post by Morbo Walking to work the other day, I passed by a row of newspaper boxes. Two headlines caught my eye. The Washington Post carried a story headlined, “[tag]Bush[/tag] Stands Firm on Policies.” Next to it, USA Today blared, “All-Time High in Baghdad Violence: Sectarian Killings More Than Triple.” I could only sigh. […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * Grover Norquist? Crooked? You don’t say. * In hoping to provide a defense against the Mark Foley scandal, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) has said congressional Republicans didn’t investigate because they didn’t want to appear homophobic. Poor Orrin; that argument was so last week. * Speaking of Foley, House Majority […]
Sometimes, it’s helpful to take a step back and see the forest for the trees. Consider, for example, what we’ve seen from Republican members of Congress today. Rep. [tag]Bob Ney[/tag] (R-Ohio) pleaded guilty today to corruption charges stemming from his role in the Jack Abramoff scandal. In a written statement, Ney said, “I never acted […]