At this point, the jig is just about up. The right-wing mob grabbed their torches and pitchforks, went after a struggling, down-on-their-luck family of six, only to find that the real villains were the ones leading the mindless gang in misguided rage. Time’s Karen Tumulty did a piece on the conservative smear of 12-year-old Graeme […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * The RESTORE Act, with FISA revisions backed by most House Dems, cleared a major hurdle today: “In 20-14 vote today, the House Judiciary Committee passed the RESTORE Act, which seeks to update the hastily-passed Protect America Act and restore a balance between civil liberties and security. Upon the passage […]
At the heart of the Siegelman scandal in Alabama is the question of selective justice. In 2002, a lobbyist/landfill developer told the U.S. Attorney’s office that he used illegal campaign contributions to bribe some of the biggest names in Alabama Republican politics, including Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), a Bush-appointed federal judge William Pryor Jr. He […]
For all the talk, here and elsewhere, about the religious-right activists who bolt from the Republican Party if Rudy Giuliani is the presidential nominee, it’s worth considering whether there are other schisms — and how deep they run. The question came up during yesterday’s debate for the GOP presidential candidates. MATTHEWS: Congressman Paul, do you […]
Someone asked me the other day if I could think of something, anything, nice to say about the president. After pondering the question for a bit, I said the first thing that came to mind: for all his fear-mongering, the president has been fairly good at resisting the temptation to demonize religious minorities, most notably […]
Several reports have made clear in recent weeks that prominent religious right leaders are threatening to break with the GOP if Rudy Giuliani wins the party’s presidential nomination. As part of my ongoing fascination with the subject, the Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins addressed the subject today during a conference call with reporters. His comments […]
Yesterday, several news outlets reported that top Bush administration officials received a key tip about Osama bin Laden’s latest video, before al Qaeda even released it, only to leak the sensitive information to the media within a few hours. SITE, a private company, contacted White House counsel Fred Fielding and Michael Leiter, who holds the […]
When listening to a presidential candidate, there’s often a significant difference between what he or she literally said and what he or she clearly meant. For example, when listening to yesterday’s Republican debate live, I heard Mitt Romney talk about congressional approval for military strikes in Iran. At the time, I knew what he meant, […]
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: * AP: “Four Democratic candidates have withdrawn from Michigan’s Jan. 15 presidential primary, leaving what amounts to a beauty contest for front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton…. Barack Obama, John Edwards and Bill Richardson filed […]
USA Today had a good item yesterday about Rep. Henry Waxman, the California Democrat who chairs the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. As the article explained, Waxman wields the gavel very effectively, using the committee’s oversight powers as a successful watchdog should. Lawyers specializing in congressional inquiries call Waxman substantive and fair. “He’s […]