In almost every instance, whenever an energy company drills for oil or gas on federal property, it’s supposed to pay a royalty or tax to the government. Last month, CBS News reported that the Interior Department’s diligence in collecting those royalties is little more than a bad joke. As the investigative report explained, the Interior […]
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: * Barack Obama may announce his presidential plans as early as this week, according to several published reports. Bob Novak reported that Obama “informed a major Democratic financial contributor that he probably will […]
After Saddam Hussein’s execution went so well, it was time for a return trip to the gallows today. How’d it go? Don’t ask. Iraq hanged two of Saddam Hussein’s aides early Monday, and one of the condemned was accidentally decapitated. The official video of the hangings shows Hussein’s half-brother lying headless below the gallows, his […]
Based on the White House’s description of the president’s “new way forward,” the bulk of the initiative is dependent on Iraqi officials following through on Bush’s policy agenda. The New York Times had a good item today highlighting a small flaw in the plan: Iraqi officials don’t seem to care for Bush’s policy agenda at […]
Kudos to McClatchy’s Mark Seibel for writing a terrific piece about exaggerations and omissions that continue to plague the White House’s case for an escalation. As Seibel explained today, “President Bush and his aides, explaining their reasons for sending more American troops to Iraq, are offering an incomplete, oversimplified and possibly untrue version of events […]
Sure, the president can dissemble his way through an interview with 60 Minutes while only embarrassing himself a couple of times, but the truth is, as a professional deceiver and demagogue, Bush’s skills are limited. He doesn’t sound credible; at times he barely seems to believe what he’s saying. To see a real pro at […]
As part of his new public-relations offensive, the president was on 60 Minutes last night, making his best possible case that he still knows what he’s talking about. The interview, to hear Bush tell it, was to give the nation a lesson. “[S]ometimes you’re the commander-in-chief, sometimes you’re the educator-in-chief, and a lot of times […]
It’s exceedingly rare for me to cheer on a Republican senator on one of the Sunday morning talk shows, but Sen. Chuck Hagel’s (R-Neb.) response to Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) this morning on Meet the Press was truly entertaining. Tim Russert had just finished asking Lieberman about the inherent difficulties in fighting a war without […]
Radar magazine’s Jebediah Reed noted this week that the New York Times’ David Brooks had a fascinating item not too long ago about the inherent benefits of a meritocracy. It is “a way of life that emphasizes … perpetual improvement, and permanent exertion,” he effused. Brooks went on to describe a meritocracy as being essential […]
I disagree with him on almost every political issue I can think of, but Rep. Walter Jones Jr. (R-N.C.) seems to have learned a great deal over the last few years, particularly when it comes to the war in Iraq. Jones, you may recall, came up with the idea of changing the name of “french […]