What’s the old saying? Once is an accident, twice a coincidence, and three times is a pattern? The White House has demonstrated a disturbing, 1984-like tendency to take government reports and either “change” them before they’re available to the public, or get rid of the reports all together. First, the White House stopped the Bureau […]
Most Americans have never heard of the “K Street Project.” For that matter, most Americans have probably never head of K Street. But this project is shaping politics in Washington in a way no one ever thought possible; no one, that is, except those fiendishly clever conservatives who orchestrate Republican political strategies. The project recognizes […]
When it comes to all the things Bush has said about Iraq that aren’t true — whether you consider them lies, mistakes, exaggerations, or whatever — there’s only one the White House is really willing to concede was patently false. If for no other reason, it’s worth pursuing in more detail. It came earlier this […]
This may be of limited interest to people outside Vermont, but I thought it was hilarious so I decided to share. Jack McMullen is a successful New England businessman interested in Republican politics. Shortly after moving to Vermont in 1998, the millionaire conservative sought the GOP nomination to take on popular incumbent Sen. Pat Leahy […]
CNN is really excited about a new report highlighting the discovery of nuclear technology parts found in Iraq. To hear CNN tell it, this is a major development in our post-war efforts, but a closer look at the “special report” reveals that the news is not quite what it appears. An Iraqi nuclear scientist, Mahdi […]
One of the many problems I have with publicly-funded private school vouchers is the idea of accountability. In every voucher program implemented in the United States, these private schools, most of which are operated by religious ministries, receive millions tax dollars with virtually no strings attached. While public schools in many parts of the country […]
Of all the lies (or exaggerations, or fabrications, or mistakes, take your pick) that the administration used in the build up towards war in Iraq, the implication that Saddam Hussein was a nuclear threat was among the worst. To be sure, the administration was usually cautious when throwing around the word “nuclear,” preferring to focus […]
Yesterday, I went through a litany of problems Howard Dean had on Meet the Press this past weekend, but I never got to the issue of gun control (I was trying not to pile on). But it looks like it was his position on the issue — and not his poor overall performance — that […]
Bush’s “faith-based” initiative has more flaws than I could outline in one blog post, but the point that has consistently limited its political success deals with employment. Faith-based ministries can already apply for government contracts; Bush’s talk about “discrimination” against religious groups is nonsense. When these ministries receive public funds, however, there are strings attached, […]
When Rt. Gen. Wesley Clark appeared on Meet the Press in February, DNC chairman Terry McAuliffe was so excited after watching the show, he was calling all over Washington touting Clark as a sure-fire winner for Democrats in 2004. Several Democratic activists started emailed transcripts of Clark’s appearance around DC. In the months since, Clark’s […]