When Mike Brown resigned from FEMA, he kept an important streak alive among Bush staffers: no one is ever shown the door for incompetence. As near as I can tell, there have been four high-profile dismissals since Bush took five years ago: * Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill was forced out in December 2002 when Bush […]
The Washington Post had an interesting item today on the burdens placed on those who have to testify before federal grand juries. With the White House in the midst of a criminal investigation, just about everyone on the president’s staff seems to have been called, at least once, to tell the grand jury what they […]
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: * Arizona real estate developer Jim Pederson (D) will announce today that he is launching a Senate campaign against incumbent Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), whom many Dems believe may be vulnerable next year. […]
Bush is still on track to be the first president in nearly 180 years to serve a full term or more without vetoing a single bill. He has, however, been rather cavalier about making the occasional veto threat (the highway bill, stem-cell funding, McCain-Feingold, etc.). The latest, however, has to be among the worst. The […]
Throughout the first day of John Roberts’ hearing yesterday, one name kept coming up: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. To hear committee Republicans tell it, Ginsburg’s lack of cooperation in answering specific questions laid the groundwork that Roberts should adhere to now. Referring to the so-called “Ginsburg standard,” [Sen. Orrin] Hatch said Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s handling […]
The opening day of John Roberts’ confirmation hearings were not only dull, they were predictable. Committee members’ opening statements lasted for over three hours, Roberts spoke for about seven minutes, and they were done for the day. Must-see-TV this wasn’t. There was, however, one moment that stood out. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), perhaps the most […]
This must be a tense time for Republicans in DC. The party is faltering in polls, the head of their party (the president) is loosing support quickly nationwide, there’s little hope of passing right-wing agenda items (estate tax repeal) anytime soon, and Dems are poised to make gains in next year’s midterm elections. Still, it’s […]
It didn’t take long for “Brownie” to step aside and be replaced by someone who seems far more qualified to head FEMA. R. David Paulison, appointed yesterday as acting director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has encountered disaster before: three months before Hurricane Andrew laid waste to part of South Florida in 1992, he […]
Over the last couple of weeks, many Americans have come to see the president as uninformed and disengaged, even in the midst of the worst national disaster any of us have seen in the United States. In several instances, it seemed CNN and the major dailies were far more up to date on events on […]
CNN and ABC both report that Mike Brown has resigned as head of FEMA. More soon. Update: The AP makes it sound as if Brown’s resignation was voluntary. Federal Emergency Management Agency director Mike Brown said Monday he has resigned “in the best interest of the agency and best interest of the president,” three days […]