I noticed, via Hesiod, that yet another Republican has offended yet another minority group. This time, it’s the Latino community. Latino leaders [in Oklahoma] say they’re outraged at an Oklahoma lawmaker’s comment that there are too many “Mexicans and Hispanics” coming to live in the state. Oklahoma City Republican Bill Graves made the comment Tuesday […]
The AP had a fun, what-ever-happened-there article over the weekend, updating us on the travails of Carolyn Risher and her anti-Satan campaign in Inglis, Fla. For those of you who don’t recall the fun, on Halloween night 2002, Inglis Mayor Carolyn Risher believed she had stumbled upon the primary cause of her community’s numerous social […]
From today’s Progress Report: Donald Rumsfeld, yesterday: “You and a few other critics are the only people I’ve heard use the phrase ‘immediate threat.’ I didn’t… It’s become kind of folklore that that’s what happened.” Donald Rumsfeld, Sept. 19, 2002: “No terrorist state poses a greater or more immediate threat to the security of our […]
Just when you thought the Bush administration is no longer capable of surprising you, we learn that the administration has been paying actors to pose as journalists to praise the new Medicare law for videos sent to TV stations nationwide. The videos are intended for use in local television news programs. Several include pictures of […]
What is it with Concerned Women for America and its habit of firing its leaders? Late last week, the religious right group, whose principal purpose is to be an attack dog against feminism and gay rights, announced that it had fired Sandy Rios as its president. Of course, it’s hard to feel bad for Rios. […]
Today is the official launch for a new progressive Internet magazine called The Gadflyer. It’s a publication likely to have an immediate impact and lasting influence on political journalism. I strongly recommend it. The Gadflyer’s editors have already assembled a tremendous team of talented writers. The Editor-in-Chief is Paul Waldman, whom you may recognize from […]
I thought it’d be nice to end the week with some good news — the latest poll results from the American Research Group. First, the results on Bush’s job performance. Overall, Bush’s approval rating stands at 45%, the smallest support he’s garnered in an ARG poll since taking office. Likewise, 48% disapprove, the highest this […]
Earlier this week, Slate’s Fred Kaplan thoroughly debunked the Bush charge that John Kerry tried to “gut” the intelligence budget in 1995. As Kaplan noted, Kerry’s proposal had nothing to do with cutting the nation’s intelligence-gathering capabilities. The Kerrey-Specter bill proposed to cut the NRO’s budget “to reflect the availability of funds … that have […]
Slate’s Tim Noah, who seems about as fascinated with Roy Moore’s potential presidential campaign as I am, actually talked to the theocrat yesterday. At the outset, Noah identifies himself as someone who, like me, doesn’t actually want to see Moore win, just run to offer a counter balance to a certain former consumer advocate who […]
At first blush, I really like this strategy. House Democratic leaders are honing an election strategy to taint the entire Republican caucus by demonizing Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas). By running against DeLay, much as they ran against Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) in 1996 and 1998, the Democrats believe they can damage centrist GOP members in […]