Pentagon officials are acknowledging publicly that the combat phase of war in Iraq could cost $95 billion, and that doesn’t include the costs of occupying Iraq indefinitely after the war is over, nor the costs of rebuilding Iraq’s infrastructure so the country doesn’t implode after we’re done dropping bombs on it. (Oh, and it also […]
No one could have been surprised that MSNBC cancelled Phil Donohue’s show. It just didn’t generate the audience needed to keep it on the air. MSNBC, in its continuing struggle for relevance, has announced some of the new “personalities” that will soon be gracing its airwaves. “Dick Armey, the former House majority leader, has signed […]
The Bush administration has argued, with limited success, that dealing with North Korea is different from dealing with Iraq. OK, giving the president the benefit of the doubt for a moment, different crises require different approaches. Yet, even acknowledging the complex geo-political distinctions, it’s getting more and more difficult to see the coherence on Bush’s […]
The president’s radio address on Saturday was more annoying than usual. It was devoted exclusively to urging the Senate to vote on Miguel Estrada’s nomination to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. “Vacant federal benches lead to crowded court dockets, overworked judges, and longer waits for Americans who want their cases heard,” Bush said. “Regional […]
Speaking of calling the Bush administration to account for its distortions of the truth, Joe Conason (of Salon and New York Observer fame) is wisely alerting his readers to an astonishing example of the administration lying — again — about broad support for its fiscal policies. You may have heard about 450 economists — including […]
The death of 23-year-old Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler, while obviously tragic, is bringing increased scrutiny to the almost comically lax federal laws relating to over-the-counter “natural remedies” that are, unfortunately, readily available in supermarkets, drugstores, and health food outlets across the country. It’s about time. The Washington Post published an important editorial today that […]
You had to dig deep to find the single most exciting article in today’s Washington Post (it was on page 19), but it’s definitely worth reading. Here’s the nugget sentence: “On an almost daily basis now, congressional Democrats are warning of a ‘credibility gap’ between what Bush says to the American people and what he […]
Just when you thought the field of Democratic presidential candidates would plateau at nine after Sen. Bob Graham files his FEC paperwork this week, be prepared for at least one more hat to be thrown in the ring. Retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark, former commander of NATO, has been generating plenty of buzz since his […]
The LA Times’ Ron Brownstein, one Carpetbagger’s Top 5 favorite journalists, has a terrific column about the various sides of the Iraq debate today. He makes a point that has gone overlooked by most and needs more attention from the national media. For months, the debate dichotomy has been limited to doves vs. hawks, opponents […]
Calvin Trillin once called government officials and media pundits who appear on Sunday morning public affairs programs “Sabbath Day Gasbags.” It was a great line. Today, however, Carpetbagger was troubled to see a slate of “Sabbath Day Celebrities” making the rounds. When looking over the guest list for today’s political programs, there are plenty of […]