There’s been plenty of discussion of late about the Democratic presidential candidates steering clear of the DLC’s annual convention this year. I won’t rehash the debate, but I think it’s interesting that the DLC seems to be making a concerted effort to reassert its relevance in Democratic politics. Today, for example, DLC Chairman Harold Ford […]
One of the more confusing moments of the Republican presidential debate in Iowa the other day came when the Des Moines Register’s David Yespen, one of the most respected political journalists in the country, noted to Rudy Giuliani that Gov. Pawlenty (R) in Minnesota is open to raising taxes in order to address infrastructure concerns. […]
I’ve generally avoided criticizing Iraq war supporters who, despite their enthusiastic hawkishness, have never served in the military. It’s tempting to suggest that if they believe the war is the key to the future of civilization, they would walk into their local recruiting station and sign up, but I try to resist that temptation — […]
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) has been a favorite of the Grover Norquist crowd for quite a while, in part because of his fealty to the far-right agenda on taxes and spending. But once in a while, reality gets in the way of conservative talking points. In the past two years, Gov. Tim Pawlenty of […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * The White House censure resolutions were officially unveiled today: “U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) and U.S. Representative Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) have introduced two censure resolutions in their respective chambers condemning the president, vice president and the attorney general for misconduct regarding our military involvement in Iraq and for their […]
(This post was delayed until I could track down a reliable transcript.) The Republican field met for only its fourth debate yesterday, the first in two months, at a relatively low-key event in Iowa. As the early-morning debate (8am local) got underway, George Stephanopoulos told the candidates, “Our goal today is to get a real […]
About a month ago, Florida State Rep. Bob Allen (R), a co-chairman of John McCain’s presidential campaign in the Sunshine State, ran into a little trouble with the law. He was arrested in a public park after allegedly offering to pay to perform oral sex on an undercover police officer. Not a good career move. […]
The White House has every reason to be pleased with the results of the latest “debate” over surveillance powers in Congress. Bush wanted sweeping new powers to spy on Americans without court orders or oversight, and at least for the next six months, lawmakers delivered. Now, from the Bush gang’s perspective, there’s an easy spin: […]
Historically, the political world didn’t pay too much attention to who presidential campaigns brought on as policy advisors, but it’s hard to deny the significance of these staffers. For one thing, they help shape the candidates’ worldviews (particularly among the Republicans’ top tier, made up of men who lack ideas and principles of their own). […]
About a year ago, in a speech before a left-leaning religious group, Barack Obama delivered a fairly provocative speech urging progressives to do more to “acknowledge the power of faith in the lives of the American people.” Last week, Obama chatted with TV preacher Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network and had some advice for the […]