To update a story from last month, there’s been a positive development in the controversy surrounding an HHS health care report that hid embarrassing data about health, race, and poverty. In case you’re just joining us, here’s a review. The Department of Health and Human Services is required to produce annual reports on racial disparities […]
There were reports in December that the Justice Department was “considering” looking into the alleged bribe Rep. Nick Smith (R-Mich.) was offered in exchange for his vote on Bush’s Medicare bill in November, but there weren’t any follow-up reports. We also learned recently that the House Ethics Committee was investigating the controversy, but there’s been […]
Yesterday I noted that Josh Chafetz at Oxblog has a running tally on Senate support for the Federal Marriage Amendment based on specific statements made by lawmakers. Remember, with a two-thirds threshold for constitutional amendments, FMA backers will need 67 votes to succeed in the Senate, and conversely, opponents will need 33 votes to block […]
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia needs to hire two people: a scheduler who reviews which cases are coming up and a travel agent who can plan his trips accordingly. Because at this point, his travel habits are making a biased jurist look even worse. Scalia’s record came into question last month when the LA Times […]
She may be a Democrat, but Rep. Corrine Brown (D-Fla.) was way out of line this week. Her comments were repulsive and indefensible. If she were a Republican, I’d be apoplectic, so fairness demands that I condemn her here as well. In case you’ve missed the reports, the AP explained: U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown verbally […]
Bush may want a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, but unless he’s figured out a way to get one ratified without the U.S. Senate, it doesn’t much matter. Several sites are posting updated head counts on senators’ positions on the so-called Federal Marriage Amendment. With a two-thirds threshold for passage, 34 senators can block […]
I like John Edwards a lot. I think he has tremendous natural political skills, he delivers a great speech, and his domestic policy ideas are spot on. He’s run an excellent, positive, issue-driven campaign and he has a very bright future ahead of him, whether he wins the nomination this year or not. But, like […]
From today’s Progress Report: “I’m not seeing any indication the Taliban pose any military threat to Afghanistan.” – Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, 2/25/04 Taliban attacks “have reached their highest level since the collapse of the Taliban government. [They] are a serious threat, potentially eroding commitments to stability and progress in Afghanistan.” – Defense Intelligence […]
Kevin Drum noted an ABC News report yesterday that mentioned George W. Bush’s ongoing support for five constitutional amendments: 1. Flag burning 2. Victims rights 3. Abortion 4. Balanced budget 5. Gay marriage This, in and of itself, is disturbing. As Drum put it, Bush “really seems to think the Constitution is just a rough […]
Ed Gillespie, chairman of the RNC, appears to have settled on a line of attack against John Kerry, and according to the Republicans’ talking points, Kerry’s votes against weapons systems in the 1990s will be a center point of GOP criticism. But before he goes too far with this tack, Gillespie may want to read […]