James Comey’s startling testimony earlier this week stunned much of the political world, but for many of us on the left, there was one point that was particularly hard to digest: in this dramatic tale, John Ashcroft was (gulp) something of a hero. Peter Baker and Susan Schmidt report today that the revelations are leading […]
Less than a week after Jerry Falwell’s death, Newt Gingrich appeared at Falwell’s college, Liberty University, yesterday to address the school’s 2007 graduating class. The former House Speaker and likely presidential candidate denounced the “growing culture of radical secularism.” In a speech heavy with religious allusions but devoid of hints about his presidential ambitions, Gingrich […]
In March, we started hearing about the panic and paralysis that had taken over the Justice Department in the wake of the prosecutor purge scandal. “You have no idea,” said one Justice official, “how bad it is here.” By one account, top DoJ officials — the ones who haven’t resigned — were turning on each […]
Rick Hasen alerted me to this Houston Chronicle piece from the other day, about legislation in Texas that would — in the interest of preventing non-existent “voter fraud” — require that registered voters present photo IDs proving their citizenship before voting. The measure is championed by Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst (R) and GOP lawmakers in […]
Sure, I realize that some Supreme Court justices are going to be less curious than others, and some prefer delving into briefs to quizzing counsel, but Clarence Thomas’ reticence is unnerving. Justice Clarence Thomas sat through 68 hours of oral arguments in the Supreme Court’s current term without uttering a word. In nearly 16 years […]
Political scientist Pete Moore wrote a fascinating item for Salon about his endeavor digging through the massive archive of Coalition Provisional Authority documents. As Moore acknowledged, he didn’t expect to find too many hidden gems — insightful personal letters may occasionally fall out of dusty old volumes in libraries, but the CPA’s archives are paperless. […]
As Eric Kleefeld noted, there’s a real gem towards the end of the latest Fox News poll (.pdf). “Recently Democratic Leader of the Senate Harry Reid said that the war ‘is lost’ in Iraq. Do you feel this was an acceptable thing or an unacceptable thing for Reid to say while U.S. troops are still […]
It’s something of an open secret on the Hill, but Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) temper can be so explosive, it tends to alienate friend and foe alike. Consider yesterday’s brouhaha over the new immigration-reform package. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) hasn’t spent much time in the Capitol this year as he seeks the GOP presidential nomination. […]
First up from The God Machine this week is a disconcerting story about what happens when religious ministries have to compete for access to the federal treasury: they start acting like every other interest group. St. Vincent College, a small Benedictine college southeast of Pittsburgh, wanted to realign a two-lane state road serving the campus. […]
Guest Post by Morbo Now that World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz has resigned, it’s time to examine an overlooked issue from the sorry affair: Why did the Religious Right support this embattled neocon? What did this issue have to do with religion, abortion, gay rights or any of the other obsessions of the neo-Puritan brigade? […]