It’s a tough call, but for my money, the most offensive of the charges swirling around House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is his efforts on behalf of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). In the late 1990s, DeLay visited Saipan, the main island of the CNMI, on Jack Abramoff’s dime. Though it was […]
Congress may not want to see medical marijuana on its legislative agenda this year, but it looks like it might end up there anyway. There are currently 11 states that permit medical use of marijuana under controlled and highly-regulated conditions. The Supreme Court’s ruling yesterday did not strike down those laws, but did conclude that […]
That Nancy Reagan is an enthusiastic advocate of federal support for stem-cell research is well known. What’s interesting however, is her willingness to literally get on the phone to lobby lawmakers directly on behalf of the policy. Former first lady Nancy Reagan called members of the California congressional delegation shortly before the House voted May […]
When the typical American thinks about corruption in Washington, they probably imagine movie-like scenarios in which an obese man with a cigar summons a congressman, hands him a briefcase full of cash in a darkened room, and the congressman in turn does the donor’s bidding. Real-life corruption doesn’t look like this at all. It looks […]
The Washington Post’s Mike Allen had a terrific item today about a phenomenon Republican strategists are calling “the DeLay effect” — the way in which questions surrounding Tom DeLay are starting to hurt his House GOP colleagues. This is exactly how the Dems hoped to capitalize on The Hammer’s scandals. It’s not just about one […]
Bill Frist hasn’t had a good year, but he continues to maintain the façade that he’s in control, finding success, and well positioned for a presidential campaign in 2008. One of the Senate Majority Leader’s more amusing arguments came over the weekend, when he tried to take credit for the Gang of 14’s compromise over […]
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: * Tomorrow is the big day in the New Jersey GOP gubernatorial primary and a new poll, out this morning, shows the race tightening. Businessman Doug Forrester still leads former Jersey City Mayor […]
For all the talk that Dems are too anxious to oppose every offensive Bush nominee that comes down the pike, let’s not forget that plenty of Republican senators are engaged in some “obstructionism” of their own. A couple of months ago, Sens. Richard C. Shelby and Jeff Sessions, both Republicans from Alabama, blocked the confirmation […]
I imagine it’s difficult to come up with compelling rhetoric for every presidential declaration, but Friday’s proclamation from the White House in honor of “National Child’s Day” included one of those sentiments thought should be banned from our discourse forever. “Children are the future of our country and America’s next generation of leaders.” Really, the […]
Matt Miller wrote a fascinating op-ed column in the New York Times over the weekend that had plenty of blogs buzzing. The premise was simple enough: our political discourse has become so strident and polarized, persuading others with arguments and ideas is no longer possible. Is it possible in America today to convince anyone of […]