Get lucrative contract, fail, get paid anyway

The public health care system in Iraq was a mess before the U.S. invasion in 2003, as years of conflict and sanctions took their toll. When the Bush administration committed to rebuilding that system, it was undoubtedly a good decision. If only the administration were capable of succeeding. A reconstruction contract for the building of […]

Harry Reid doesn’t hold back — Part II

Two weeks ago, Senate Minority Leader [tag]Harry Reid[/tag] (D-Nev.) labeled [tag]George W. Bush[/tag] “the worst president this country has ever had.” Last week, [tag]Reid[/tag] was at it again, describing [tag]Bush[/tag] as “[tag]dangerously incompetent[/tag],” and adding, “‘Stay the course, mission accomplished, bring ’em on,’ the American people are sick of that. We need to change course […]

Randi Rhodes shows ’em how it’s done

In case you missed CNN’s Larry King show on Friday night, Air America’s [tag]Randi Rhodes[/tag] had a bit of an on-air confrontation with conservative talk-show host [tag]Martha Zoller[/tag]. It wasn’t terribly heated, but it’s worth noting anyway because it highlighted the kind of altercation — and liberal response — I’d like to see more of. […]

If Falwell isn’t intolerant, who is?

[tag]John McCain[/tag], less than six years ago, insisted that TV preacher [tag]Jerry Falwell[/tag] was an “agent of intolerance” to whom Republicans shouldn’t “pander.” Shortly thereafter, McCain said he “must not and will not retract” his remarks, noting that they were “carefully crafted” and “carefully thought out.” Now that McCain has decided to become chummy with […]

Sunday Discussion Group

Consider a few newsworthy items from the last week or so, and the responses they generated from the national news [tag]media[/tag]. * The Boston Globe reported that President [tag]Bush[/tag] believes he is not obligated to follow the Patriot Act’s provisions that require him inform Congress about how the FBI was using the act’s expanded police […]

Don’t call it a comeback

[tag]Fred Barnes[/tag], Bush cheerleader to a fault, still seems convinced that a presidential comeback is right around the corner. In fact, in the latest issue of The Weekly Standard, Barnes addresses a game plan that could set Bush’s ship straight. * Staff shakeup. The president has a problem with firing anyone. Unlike most presidents, he’s […]

Censure hearings point to at least one new supporter

If the Republicans were really anxious to highlight the pure insanity of Sen. [tag]Russ Feingold[/tag]’s [tag]censure resolution[/tag], they shouldn’t have picked a Friday afternoon hearing. It was engaging political theater, but some of the actors didn’t show up. The Senate Judiciary Committee opened a bitter if lopsided debate on Friday over whether Congress should [tag]censure[/tag] […]

The company that he keeps

Reading over the headlines about former DeLay aide [tag]Tony Rudy[/tag] pleading guilty yesterday, there seems to be some debate about whether, and to what extent, this is a disaster for the former House Majority Leader. A former top aide to Representative [tag]Tom DeLay[/tag] pleaded guilty on Friday to charges that he accepted thousands of dollars […]

This Week in God

First up from this week’s God machine is a progressive Christian denomination that’s having a little trouble reaching the public airwaves. The nation’s major television networks have rejected an ad that shows a gay couple and others being banished from a church, saying it violates their rules against controversial or religious advertising. The 30-second commercial […]

Thomas Jefferson smacks down Rick Scarborough

Guest Post by Morbo As Carpetbagger mentioned the other day, the Rev. Rick Scarborough, a kind of poor man’s Jerry Falwell, held a two-day conference in the nation’s capital this week to lament the [tag]persecution[/tag] of [tag]Christians[/tag] he insists is rampant in American society. Those poor fundamentalist Christians! They have the Republican leadership of the […]