When a Supreme Court nominee wants to win over lawmakers, he or she tries to use a combination of charm and intelligence in what are called “courtesy calls.” As Byron York explained, one of the strategists working on Harriet Miers’ behalf said these calls may be courteous, but that’s not enough to help. (via Kevin) […]
There are any number of important updates on the Plame scandal in the major media today, but one stands out. * The New York Times informs us that Rove and Libby “have been advised that they may be in serious legal jeopardy.” (Does this mean target letters? Probably.) * The incomparable Murray Waas wrote another […]
William Rivers Pitt wrote a very funny item for Truthout that I could really relate to. I hope I’m not the only one. 8:12 am – Wake, sling blankets aside, startling cat into sudden flight. 8:13 am – Pull up New York Times web site, scan for news of Fitzgerald indictment. 8:14 am – Thump […]
At this point, the evidence looks like No Child Left Behind is failing to deliver. Reading scores among fourth- and eighth-graders showed little improvement over the past two years, and math gains were slower than in previous years, according to a study released yesterday. The disappointing results came despite a new educational testing law championed […]
A decade ago, things didn’t quite work out for the Clinton White House when it launched an initiative to reform the nation’s health care system. The public, Republicans said, just won’t accept a liberal approach to health care. (Whether the Clinton plan was really liberal or not was largely irrelevant.) More than 10 years later, […]
It’s been a rough couple of years for military chaplains. For reasons that defy comprehension, several congressional Republicans seem anxious to make things worse. The problems seemed to bottom out two years ago when we learned that the Navy had punished dozens of military chaplains for offenses ranging from sexual abuse to fraud. The Navy […]
Conventional wisdom has held that Harriet Miers’ nomination is contentious, and an embarrassing distraction for the White House, but ultimately, she’ll be confirmed. Dems probably won’t filibuster and there’s little chance six Republicans would vote against her. Slowly but surely, the conventional wisdom is changing and confirmation is no longer assumed. Miers has gone from […]
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: * Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) had an interesting message this week while talking to the George Washington University College Republicans about the midterm cycle: “It’s OK if the Republicans lose control, for our […]
Uber-activist Grover Norquist has driven the right-wing agenda for many years, all the while pushing legal and ethical envelopes, enraging Democrats with some of the most inflammatory rhetoric imaginable, and viciously attacking anyone who gets in his way. In many Republican circles, this makes Norquist a hero. But Norquist is not untouchable. In fact, some […]
Think Progress compiled a terrific list this week on the right’s myths regarding the Plame scandal. Point by point, the list explains what conservatives say to dismiss the seriousness of the scandal and why they’re wrong. It’s a handy resource. But even the clever folks at Think Progress couldn’t have anticipated what Roll Call’s Mort […]