I can appreciate the fact that the science behind stem-cell research is extremely complicated for those of us without a scientific background. But I feel pretty confident in saying that one need not be a medical researcher to know the difference between a legitimate argument and a blatant scare tactic. During the Senate debate today […]
It’s hardly the first time, but I think the [tag]media[/tag] is missing the point about today’s big political story. Right now, the lead political AP item is, “[tag]Bush[/tag] utters expletive on [tag]Hezbollah[/tag] attacks.” The top headline on CNN is, “Open mic catches Bush [tag]expletive[/tag] on Mideast.” The Washington Post’s story mentions in its second sentence […]
About a month ago, the [tag]Senate[/tag] went through the motions and held a vote on a [tag]constitutional amendment[/tag] to ban [tag]gay marriage[/tag]. It failed miserably; proponents needed 67 votes in the Senate and they couldn’t even break 50. With one chamber already rejecting the measure, the [tag]amendment[/tag] can’t be approved, at the earliest, until next […]
The WaPo had an interesting front-page item today on an alliance of very wealthy Democrats who are investing heavily in the party’s infrastructure right now. There’s some concern about secrecy and the [tag]invest[/tag]ments, but overall, I’d say it’s about time. An alliance of nearly a hundred of the nation’s wealthiest [tag]donors[/tag] is roiling Democratic political […]
At first blush, this sounds like a creative gimmick that might improve voter turnout, but the more I think about it, the less I like it. A proposal to [tag]award[/tag] [tag]$1 million[/tag] in every general election to one lucky [[tag]Arizona[/tag]] resident, chosen by [tag]lottery[/tag], simply for [tag]voting[/tag] — no matter for whom — has qualified […]
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: * In the very-competitive open Senate race in Minnesota, Hennepin County Attorney [tag]Amy Klobuchar[/tag] (D) has enjoyed small-but-consistent leads over Rep. [tag]Mark Kennedy[/tag] (R) for months, but now it appears Klobuchar is hitting […]
[tag]George W. Bush[/tag] has had enough problems around [tag]open[/tag] [tag]microphone[/tag]s that you’d think he’d learn to be more careful. No such luck. It wasn’t meant to be overheard. Private luncheon conversations among world leaders, picked up by a microphone, provided a rare window into both banter and substance — including President Bush cursing Hezbollah’s attacks […]
Over the weekend, the [tag]New York Times[/tag]’ [tag]Anne Kornblut[/tag] wrote an item about a speech [tag]Hillary Clinton[/tag] delivered to a Democratic women’s group in Arkansas. There are a couple of key angles to the story, not the least of which was the fact that Kornblut got the entire thing wrong. Senator Hillary Rodham [tag]Clinton[/tag], returning […]
The [tag]Senate[/tag] begins debate today on three bills on [tag]stem-cell[/tag] [tag]research[/tag], all of which are expected to pass tomorrow, despite a veto threat from the Bush White House on the main proposal to undo the president’s 2001 restrictions. As the debate gets underway, be sure to look out for one of the right’s favorite talking […]
When a criminal indictment forced Tom DeLay to step aside as House Majority Leader, Rep. [tag]John Boehner[/tag] (R-Ohio) was, oddly enough, the “reformer” in the race to replace him. Boehner, despite a dubious record on congressional ethics, vowed to “lead the effort to bring about the kind of reforms the American people are expecting from […]