It’s probably not necessary to pile on to Duke Cunningham’s already-obvious disgrace, but the question about whether he’ll receive his congressional pension is a matter of broader significance. Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham (R-Calif.) will soon relinquish many of his properties and his freedom after pleading guilty to charges of fraud and conspiracy, but he will […]
Perhaps you’ve asked yourself how the Bush administration could make so many decisions with no apparent regard for ethical standards. Well, wonder no more. …President Bush earlier this month ordered refresher lectures on general ethics rules, including those governing the protection — and leaking — of classified information. Not that there was any problem, but […]
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: * Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman may have been the first Dem to enter Ohio’s gubernatorial race, but he’s also the first to drop out. Yesterday, Coleman announced that the toll of the campaign […]
There are supposed to be a few bedrock beliefs that dominate conservative political thought. The corporate and theocratic wings of the GOP may not agree on everything, but at an absolute minimum, they’re supposed to love tax cuts at all times. But a funny thing happened on the way to passing sweeping tax cuts for […]
I can appreciate the fact that professional sports is a popular, lucrative entertainment industry that captures the attention of most Americans. But the fact that Congress finds it so interesting is a little disconcerting. In March, for example, the House Government Reform Committee held very high-profile hearings on the use of steroids in major league […]
Given that the administration believes it can buy positive spin in the American media, I suppose it’s not a huge surprise that the Bush gang has taken their approach overseas. As part of an information offensive in Iraq, the U.S. military is secretly paying Iraqi newspapers to publish stories written by American troops in an […]
Over four years after the attacks of Sept. 11, and after about as many years of combat in the Middle East, one would like to think the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff would be on the same page when it comes to torture. Unfortunately, they’re not. When UPI’s […]
As the war in Iraq has progressed, semantics debates have become needlessly, maddeningly, prevalent. We’ve seen drawn out arguments over whether to call the U.S. presence in Iraq an “occupation.” We’ve had a strange but earnest discussion over whether we’re engaged in a “global war on terror” or a “struggle against violent extremism.” In each […]
It seems rather callous to consider the political implications of a life-or-death clemency decision, but the death penalty is a political issue, Virginia Gov. Mark Warner (D) is a political figure, and yesterday’s decision has political significance. Virginia Gov. Mark R. Warner (D) issued his first grant of clemency in a death penalty case Tuesday, […]
The WaPo’s David Broder said something on Meet the Press the other day that reminded me, oddly enough, of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Russert: David Broder, is it possible for official Washington — the president, Democratic leaders, Republican leaders — to arrive at common ground, a consensus position on Iraq? Broder: It’s possible, […]