In less than three hours, Fred Thompson will take the stage in Dearborn, Mich., for his first unscripted debate in about a decade, and his first as a presidential candidate. Given that everyone has already heard the rest of the GOP field blather endlessly, all eyes will be on the former actor, lobbyist, and senator, […]
Shortly before the August recess, much to the disappointment of those who take civil liberties and separation of powers seriously, enough congressional Dems backed down to Bush administration pressure to pass a revised FISA bill that granted Bush expansive new surveillance powers. At the time, the bill had a short shelf-life — it would expire […]
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: * The sixth debate for Republican presidential candidates will kick off this afternoon at 4 pm eastern. The two-hour event will be aired live on CNBC, and will emphasize economic issues. It will […]
In the midst of an ongoing policy debate over how much power the Bush administration should have to obtain surveillance powers, the White House has demonstrated once again that it simply can’t be trusted to handle national security information responsibly. A small private intelligence company that monitors Islamic terrorist groups obtained a new Osama bin […]
About two weeks ago, Hillary Clinton, responding to a question at a Congressional Black Caucus conference, mentioned in an off-hand remark the idea of $5,000 “baby bonds,” a policy proposal that’s been floating around think tanks for years. The idea is the government would issue a bond for every baby born in the U.S., which […]
Focus on the Family’s James Dobson, whose 2008 plans are suddenly very important to the Republican establishment, was on Fox News last night, giving Sean Hannity a chance to beg him to stay within the GOP fold, even if Rudy Giuliani is the Republican nominee. Dobson wasn’t persuaded. (via Hot Air) I haven’t been able […]
There’s no rational or reasonable explanation to justify the hedge fund tax loophole. It may sound like one of those turgid debates that make most people roll their eyes, but it’s really quite simple: the tax rates on hedge-fund managers’ income are, inexplicably, lower than the rates on everyone else’s income. The debate is not […]
It seemed like a straightforward political move. In the midst of the debate over the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP), before the president vetoed expanding access for millions of low-income children, Democrats invited a 12-year-old boy, Graeme Frost, to deliver the party’s radio address. The point, obviously, was to humanize the policy debate — […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * Reuters: “Six years after the September 11 attacks in the United States, the ‘war on terror’ is failing and instead fueling an increase in support for extremist Islamist movements, a British think-tank said on Monday. A report by the Oxford Research Group (ORG) said a ‘fundamental re-think is required’ […]
Under pressure from Democratic lawmakers and Iraqi officials, the State Department announced late Friday that it would expand its oversight of Blackwater private security forces dramatically. The efforts include cameras being installed in Blackwater vehicles and diplomatic babysitters joining every Blackwater convoy. Iraq isn’t satisfied. Iraqi authorities want the U.S. government to sever all contracts […]