I’m still thinking about what to call this one. MediBribe? BribeCare? Bribe & Gloom? In any event, the House Ethics Committee announced yesterday that Reps. Kenny Hulshof (R-Mo.) and Mike Doyle (D-Pa.), both relative moderates, will head up a bi-partisan investigative subcommittee to explore who offered Rep. Nick Smith (R-Mich.) a bribe on the House […]
A couple of weeks ago I mentioned a truly bizarre piece of legislation that would empower Congress to overturn Supreme Court rulings, throwing separation of powers effectively out the window. I wanted to give you an update. As you may recall, Rep. Ron Lewis (R-Ky.) unveiled the “Congressional Accountability for Judicial Activism Act” (H.R. 3920) […]
Everyone remembers the old Will Rogers line, “I’m not a member of any organized political party; I’m a Democrat.” I’ve always begrudgingly accepted this as fact. Dems just aren’t in the GOP’s league in enforcing any sense of party discipline. Maybe it’s a symptom of our ideology, but the Democratic congressional leadership has traditionally been […]
I mentioned yesterday that a fundraising scandal before a Texas grand jury may lead to an indictment for House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas). As Roll Call noted, DeLay has even started quiet discussions with GOP leaders about a plan on how to proceed should he have to give up his leadership post. The Houston […]
Bush’s campaign unveiled its seventh and eighth TV ads yesterday. As was the case with the previous six, it’s encouraging to me that the campaign will be spending millions on ads that aren’t very good. I do, however, have to offer a hearty mazel tov to the Bush-Cheney team. For the very first time, the […]
If the Army Times’ editorial decisions are any indication of how members of the armed forces are going to vote in November, it’s going to be a very good year for Democrats. The Progress Report noted today that the Army Times has run yet another item noting which party is really on the side of […]
Like most of Bush’s conservative allies, Fox News Channel is anxious to do its part to undermine Richard Clarke’s credibility. But for an outlet that claims to provide “news,” Fox News’ desperation to help Bush has led to some pretty blatant dishonesty. A reader named Gregory S. alerted me to an FNC report yesterday that […]
Here’s another scandal that needs a name, preferably without a “-gate” suffix. Again, I’m open to suggestion. While the real attention was deservedly on the testimony of Richard Clarke on one end of Capitol Hill yesterday, Medicare actuary Richard Foster had some interesting things to say of his own. In testimony before the House Ways […]
Upon learning that a Tom DeLay fundraising scandal may force him from his House leadership position, it’s tempting to ask, “Which one?” In this case, an investigation into one of the House majority leader’s political action committees — Texans for a Republican Majority — may soon lead to an indictment against him, and in turn, […]
It’s the biggest story in America and a devastating development for Bush, the kind of story that can literally affect the outcome of the presidential campaign. And yet John Kerry, who’s been on vacation, has hardly said a word about Richard Clarke. A careless mistake? A missed opportunity? Neither. Kerry’s reticence not only makes sense, […]