There’s a new book coming out called “Applebee’s America,” which purports to offer some helpful insights into the political landscape. But if the quiz the authors are using is any indication, I’m a little concerned about the book’s reliability. In this era of technology, terror, and massive social change, it takes a deft touch to […]
In [tag]Afghanistan[/tag], freedom is also on the march — including the freedom to be harassed by a government agency that the Taliban used a little too effectively. Under the [tag]Taliban[/tag], officials from the [tag]Department for the Prevention of Vice[/tag] and [tag]Promotion of Virtue[/tag] struck fear into women’s hearts, beating those who let a glimpse of […]
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: * A poll released over the weekend from the Columbus Dispatch shows Dems surging to big leads in both of Ohio’s key statewide elections. In the gubernatorial race, the Dispatch poll shows Rep. […]
For literally decades, the [tag]Justice Department[/tag]’s [tag]Civil Rights[/tag] Division has had a hiring committee, made up of veteran career lawyers, who screened thousands of resumes, interviewed candidates, and made recommendations that were rarely rejected. Attorneys who were hired to the Division were not only excellent lawyers, but had demonstrated a firm commitment and years of […]
There’s been a little too much talk lately from high-profile conservatives who want to distance themselves from Bush, claiming he’s not a real conservative. [tag]William F. Buckley[/tag] seems to be the latest to join the trend, though he’s emphasizing more foreign policy than domestic. (thanks to slip kid for the heads-up) Buckley finds himself parting […]
NASA, as part of the agency’s drive to make its work relevant and applicable to challenges we face close to home, adopted a mission statement a few years ago that said, “To [tag]understand[/tag] and [tag]protect[/tag] our home [tag]planet[/tag]; to explore the universe and search for life; to inspire the next generation of explorers … as […]
[tag]Congress[/tag] has been debating for months the idea of eliminating, or at least seriously curtailing, the [tag]estate tax[/tag]. So far, fiscal sanity has held its ground and GOP efforts to cut taxes for the hyper-wealthy (again) have failed. But the [tag]Bush[/tag] [tag]administration[/tag], true to form, has come up with a way around this pesky legislative […]
If you missed it, be sure to check out White House Chief of Staff [tag]Josh Bolten[/tag]’s performance on [tag]Meet the Press[/tag] yesterday. Tim Russert must have eaten his Wheaties because when it came to the president’s [tag]veto[/tag] on [tag]stem-cell[/tag] [tag]research[/tag] [tag]funding[/tag], he asked all the right questions. Unfortunately for Bolten, he didn’t have the right […]
Matt Stoller noted the other day that [tag]Bill Clinton[/tag], like most of the Dem establishment, has agreed to campaign on Joe Lieberman’s behalf. (It’s also worth remembering, however, that the former president has also said he’d support the winner of the Dem primary, whether it’s Lieberman or not). But Stoller added an interesting observation: Clinton […]
The AP ran an item yesterday about the now-infamous massage Bush gave German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the G8 Summit earlier this week. The AP didn’t actually do a story about the incident; it did a story about blogs laughing at the incident. An impromptu back rub that President George W. Bush gave German Chancellor […]