The Wall Street Journal moves the ball forward in a major way today on the Medicare cost estimate scandal, obtaining a copy of an email written during congressional debate in which Medicare’s actuary was warned specifically not to share the truth with Congress. Specifically, the actuary was told to “work up the numbers,” and was […]
I’ve gone out of my way to avoid the absurd flap over Kerry’s support from unnamed world leaders — I just find it too dumb to even comment on — but Salon noticed a great exchange on the matter that I’d like to pass on. Richard Holbrooke, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and […]
What if we were to take the worst stereotypes about southern conservatives, compile the nuttiest elements of their ideology, and put it all into one small town. What would it look like? Rhea County, Tennessee. Rhea County commissioners unanimously voted to ask state lawmakers to introduce legislation amending Tennessee’s criminal code so the county can […]
I remember “scandal fatigue” was a conservative buzz phrase in the late 90s. The point, obviously, was to suggest the Clinton years were marred by too many controversies and that the public could use a little down time, free of strife and scandal. (Never mind that virtually all of these alleged indignities turned out to […]
By now you’ve probably read about Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s complete inability to respond to his own comments about the Iraqi threat from before the war. “You,” Rumsfeld said to host Bob Schieffer, “and a few other critics are the only people I’ve heard use the phrase ‘immediate threat.’ I didn’t; the president didn’t.” Despite […]
Two weeks after Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Bill Pickle released a report documenting GOP staffers stealing thousands of Dems documents for 18 months, the matter is poised to go the DoJ for a criminal probe. The matter bounced around the Judiciary Committee members themselves last week, in the hopes that a bi-partisan approach could be identified. When […]
Kudos to Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and the Dem staff on the House Government Reform Committee for creating an incredibly helpful resource. The Iraq on the Record Report prepared at the request of Rep. Henry A. Waxman, is a comprehensive examination of the statements made by the five Administration officials most responsible for providing public […]
I have to admit, the Bush administration has been playing the politics of this one better than I expected. Sure, it’s an intellectually dishonest approach, but politically, I think this might work. Shortly after the White House rammed its Medicare bill through Congress, the administration came clean and admitted that its $400 billion program will […]
Any hopes the Dems may have had of winning back the Senate majority looked pretty bleak a few months ago, when five of the six Southern Dems up for re-election this year announced they’re retiring. We were at an inherent disadvantage anyway — 19 of the 34 states with Senate elections this year are currently […]
The Bush campaign unveiled its sixth TV ad of the season yesterday, and like the previous five, BC04 continues to avoid referencing even one Bush accomplishment. And what do you do when you can’t run ads touting your own successes? You tear down the other guy. The funny thing about Bush’s latest spot, called “Troops,” […]