Exactly one year ago tomorrow, the [tag]House[/tag] easily passed [tag]bi-partisan[/tag] legislation that would remove restrictions on embryonic [tag]stem cell research[/tag]. The companion measure in the [tag]Senate[/tag] had a filibuster-proof majority, Bill Frist endorsed the bill and vowed to bring it to the floor, and [tag]polls[/tag] showed overwhelming support from the public. Newsweek’s Jonathan Alter wrote […]
It’s common to hear [tag]White House[/tag] [tag]reporters[/tag] criticize the president’s approach to dealing with the press. [tag]Bush[/tag] rarely holds press conferences, routinely gives addresses without responding to journalists’ questions, and when he does interviews, the president prefers to pick reporters from a scripted list and filibuster his way through the discussion to cut down on […]
Arkansas Gov. [tag]Mike Huckabee[/tag] (R) doesn’t hide the fact that he’s seriously planning to seek the GOP presidential nomination in ’08, and as part of his effort to boost his profile, [tag]Huckabee[/tag] sat down with the WaPo’s Chris Cillizza recently to talk about his priorities. One remark in particular stood out. [W]hen it gets down […]
Given the partisan circumstances, you’d think congressional [tag]Republicans[/tag] would be thrilled that the [tag]FBI[/tag] [tag]raid[/tag]ed Rep. [tag]William Jefferson[/tag]’s (D-La.) House office as part of a serious corruption investigation. As it turns out, just the opposite is true. It’s not the federal investigation GOP lawmakers mind — it’s the trespassing. After years of quietly acceding to […]
At a certain level, it seems [tag]Fox News[/tag] is intent on offering [tag]Al Gore[/tag]’s [tag]An Inconvenient Truth[/tag] as much publicity as the network can muster. For a movie with an initial run of a few hundred theaters, FNC is acting awfully nervous. For example, there’s the right’s inevitable [tag]Nazi[/tag] comparison. [tag]Sterling Burnett[/tag] is a senior […]
A couple of months ago, when Maryland Republican gubernatorial hopeful Michael Steele decided not to appear in public with the president, the Bush gang scoffed at the notion that GOP candidates would distance themselves from the president. The RNC’s [tag]Ken Mehlman[/tag] insisted that the [tag]White House[/tag] received more [tag]invitations[/tag] for [tag]president[/tag]ial appearances than [tag]Bush[/tag] could […]
In his speech to the National Restaurant Association yesterday, the [tag]president[/tag] almost addressed the inherent contradiction between balancing the budget and making his irresponsible tax cuts permanent. “We’re absolutely committed to making the tax cuts permanent. The argument you’ll hear is, well, how can you possibly balance the budget if you make the [tag]tax cuts[/tag] […]
This isn’t particularly political, but I thought it was hilarious. According to TV preacher [tag]Pat Robertson[/tag]’s website, Robertson “can [tag]leg-press[/tag] [tag]2000 pounds[/tag]” thanks to an “age-defying [tag]protein shake[/tag]” that [tag]Robertson[/tag] personally developed. I’ve heard Robertson make the claim many times on [tag]The 700 Club[/tag], but not knowing much about exercise, I never thought much of […]
Over the weekend, the WaPo ran a hard-hitting op-ed by [tag]Richard Viguerie[/tag] in which the legendary far-right consultant lambasted Bush and the congressional GOP, and ultimately encouraged conservative activists to start working outside the party’s framework altogether. It’s hardly surprising to hear that the [tag]Bush[/tag] [tag]White House[/tag] wasn’t pleased with the Post piece, but it […]
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: * Florida’s Senate race isn’t looking very competitive, but the state’s gubernatorial contest is still in play. According to a new Rasmussen poll, state Attorney General [tag]Charlie Crist[/tag] (R) leads Rep. [tag]Jim Davis[/tag] […]