It depends on what the meaning of ‘elected officials’ is

The Weekly Standard’s Hugh Hewitt this week: When the word “impeachment” was uttered in March and April as an option for dealing with renegade judges, the guardians of conventional wisdom were quick to denounce “ideologues,” who, in the words of the New York Times editorialists, “are trying to bully judges into following their political line.” […]

W. David Hager and Plan B

A couple of weeks ago, Jonathan Cohn wrote an excellent piece in The New Republic on Plan B — better known as the “morning-after pill” — which can prevent unwanted pregnancies. Cohn detailed why progressives should enthusiastically embrace Plan B’s availability, in part because it’s an easy way to drastically reduce the number of abortions […]

The latest from the Denver Three

It’s been a couple of weeks since we checked in with our friends in the Denver Three — who, you’ll recall, were forced from a presidential event because of an anti-war bumper sticker — but the controversy continues unabated. (If you’re new to the story and want to catch up on the details, type “Denver” […]

Clearing the way for more Chan Chandlers

The controversy surrounding the Rev. Chan Chandler, who endorsed Bush from his pulpit last fall and purged his church of Democrats about two weeks ago, has come to a fitting end. Chandler’s resigned, the congregation is coming back together, and the change in leadership will almost certainly help the church steer clear of troubles with […]

Thursday’s political round-up

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: * If Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), as expected, takes on Texas Gov. Rick Perry in a Republican primary next year, she’s well positioned for a victory. A new poll released yesterday shows […]

Chaplain confirms system of harassment at Air Force Academy

We’ve seen several reports of late on the systemic and widespread religious discrimination that has become common at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Ample evidence and first-hand accounts from many former and current cadets points to religious intolerance and harassment against anyone who’s not Christian, including incidents of mandatory prayers, proselytizing by […]

Why we can expect the nuclear option to come up next week

When it comes to scheduling the Senate showdown over judicial nominations, Bill Frist’s credibility is a little shaky. He’s been making various promises/threats to various constituencies about when the fight would come to the floor for months. We might see the vote in March, Frist said. Or maybe early April. Make that late April. Or […]

Republicans embrace Tom DeLay — from a distance

It’s supposed to be the premier right-wing social event of the year — a tribute (political eulogy?) to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, scheduled for this evening. A lavish affair, the event is a special opportunity for Republicans to show their appreciation for the man who breaks the rules and abuses his power for their […]

Taking on history, comity, and the Senate Parliamentarian

I honestly had no idea who the Senate Parliamentarian was before today, but it’s very possible that he’s going to be a lot better known if the Republicans try to execute the nuclear option next week, as planned. The parliamentarian (a non-partisan position) has an important responsibility that doesn’t come up all that often — […]

Communication between feds and press reaches really dangerous levels

From the outset, let me say unequivocally that there’s nothing funny about a potential terrorist threat. I’m not in Washington anymore, but I can appreciate how scary it is when the White House and the Capitol are evacuated because a plane had entered a no-fly zone. It’s hardly the kind of thing one should joke […]