With the anniversary of the Katrina disaster quickly approaching, the White House is scrambling to put the president in a positive light, presenting Bush as someone who has followed through on the crisis, all evidence to the contrary notwithstanding. With this in mind, the Bush gang arranged a WH photo-op this morning with a gentleman […]
The best part of presidential press conferences in which Bush talks about foreign policy? The next day, when Slate’s Fred Kaplan explains how the president doesn’t know what he’s talking about. In his latest piece, Kaplan really doesn’t hold back. Defeating terror by promoting freedom — it’s “the fundamental challenge of the 21st century,” he […]
The Republican National Committee, which has generally perfected the fine art of the smear piece, published a very odd attack on Markos Moulitsas Zuniga today, referring to him as a “nutroot” who runs a “hate-filled” blog. Whether you’re a fan of Kos or not, the very first item on the RNC’s list of complaints is […]
After considerable effort, I just couldn’t figure out exactly what the Clintons were alleged to have done in the Whitewater “scandal” that prompted a multi-year independent criminal investigation. But if Republicans really want to talk about land deals, this may be a good one to delve into. Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue spent $2 million to […]
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 Connecticut Senate race may prove to be a close one after all. Last week, a Quinnipiac poll showed [tag]Joe Lieberman[/tag] (I) jumping out to a double-digit lead over [tag]Ned Lamont[/tag] (D) […]
About a year ago, when Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman said his party was finally ready to turn over a new leaf when it came to racial issues. Sure, Mehlman said, the GOP’s record in the 20th century left something to be desired, but that’s the past, and the party is ready to look […]
This post doesn’t really have a specific point in mind, but I can’t help but marvel at the jaw-dropping hero worship some on the right fall into when it comes to [tag]Bush[/tag]. John [tag]Hinderaker[/tag], for example, was able to have a small, private audience with the [tag]president[/tag] yesterday, and said Bush’s performance “may have been […]
The key lie in the [tag]Bush[/tag] White House’s rhetoric about the war in [tag]Iraq[/tag] is characterizing the conflict as the “central front in the [tag]war on terror[/tag].” For the reality-based community, it’s never made any sense — Iraq wasn’t involved with 9/11, Hussein did not support Al Qaeda, and the invasion of Iraq diverted resources […]
The Senate Majority Project brings our attention to the latest nonsense from one of the Senate’s most embarrassing members: Oklahoma Republican James [tag]Inhofe[/tag]. Contrary to most reports, Inhofe said, many Iraqis are pleased about the U.S. intervention. “[tag]Iraq[/tag]i security forces now number 275,000 trained and equipped,” he said. “The commanders in the field and the […]
A week ago, we discussed whether the president actually read Camus’ “The Stranger,” and discussed the origins of existentialism. It turns out, however, there’s a little more to Bush’s new-found appreciation of the printed word. Maybe it was the influence of his wife, Laura, a former librarian, or his mother, Barbara, a longtime promoter of […]