To wrap up what is probably the end of the controversy, Cully Stimson, deputy assistant secretary of defense for detainee affairs, has apologized. Sort of. To quickly summarize, Stimson appeared on a radio show last week and targeted law firms that have helped represent detainees at Guantanamo Bay with McCarthyism-like criticism and veiled threats. His […]
You may recall about a year ago when the nation first learned that the Bush administration, in secret, had asserted the right to conduct warrantless wiretaps on domestic conversations, without any judicial oversight. The key part of the debate wasn’t, as conservatives argued, about whether or not to conduct surveillance on suspected bad guys; it […]
Former White House aide Scooter Libby’s trial in DC is just getting started, with jury selection underway. In a city in which Republicans are outnumbered 9 to 1, finding DC residents who can be objective about Dick Cheney’s right-hand man is apparently pretty difficult. How difficult? Consider this one. A former Washington Post reporter who […]
Getting a realistic estimate for the financial cost of the war in Iraq is tricky, if not impossible. We have direct spending, interest on the debt (the war is almost entirely going on the national credit card), increased medical costs, major future expenses, etc. One thing’s for sure — Bush administration estimates of a $50 […]
As you’ve probably heard, conservative activist/writer Dinesh D’Souza has a new book out, which effectively argues that terrorists are right about the problems with the culture in the United States. Osama bin Laden and other dangerous Islamic radicals believe the U.S. is too secular, too permissive, too diverse, too free, and too tolerant … and […]
Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers: * Despite the new opening in Colorado’s 2008 Senate race, Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.), a virulent opponent of immigration, announced yesterday that he will form a presidential exploratory committee. Noting the reaction he […]
A familiar pattern is taking shape: a qualified, competent official joins Bush’s counterterrorism team, grows frustrated by the administration’s priorities, resigns, and joins the Dems. The latest is Todd Hinnen. A counterterrorism adviser to President Bush is leaving the White House to join the staff of a prominent Democratic senator gearing up to investigate the […]
“NewsHour” may not be quite as high-profile as “60 Minutes,” but the president’s interview with Jim Lehrer today was at least as interesting as Sunday’s appearance on CBS, if not more so. LEHRER: Mr. President, do you have a feeling of personal failure about Iraq right now? BUSH: I’m frustrated at times about Iraq because […]
Following up on an item from Monday, James Dobson, head of the Focus on the Family empire, indicated that he wouldn’t vote for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in 2008 “under any circumstances.” Dobson added that he prayed “we won’t get stuck with him.” How did McCain, whose desperation has caused him to reach out to […]
The Senate is poised to consider a non-binding resolution criticizing the president’s new escalation strategy in Iraq, and for a symbolic measure that has no force of law, the White House seems unusually nervous about it. They even pulled out an old rhetorical line to help characterize the criticism as akin to bringing aid and […]