Harriet Miers’ support for the president went well beyond steadfast; it’d be more accurate to describe her deference for Bush as fawning, if not sycophantic. So, why would the president’s hyper-loyal White House counsel leave her post, at a time when Bush is likely to need a lawyer more than ever? Because the former Supreme […]
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: * Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), who still hasn’t officially announced his presidential campaign yet, picked up a key Iowa endorsement yesterday when Kim Lehman, the current president and executive director of Iowa Right […]
The LA Times had a lengthy news item today, touting the Bush White House’s efforts to “reach out to more Democrats.” The evidence points to a charm offensive that’s more style than substance. [Harry] Reid, the new Senate majority leader, is getting the red-carpet treatment. The administration treated Reid to two military plane rides in […]
I guess the first big hint that Gen. George W. Casey, Jr., the top American commander in Iraq, did not enjoy reliable job security came earlier this week, when the New York Times explained that Bush believes Casey “had become more fixated on withdrawal than victory.” The second hint came yesterday, at the White House […]
For weeks, the biggest story among many of the top conservative blogs was an AP source in Iraq named Jamil Hussein, and whether or not he exists (far-right bloggers have insisted he does not). Unfortunately for them, Developments in Iraq yesterday were rather embarrassing. As reported elsewhere on this late this afternoon, Iraq’s Interior Ministry […]
Yesterday was an unusually busy news day, but the White House signing statement expanding the president’s authority to open Americans’ mail without a warrant sparked quite a bit of interest. For their part, the Bush gang insisted that the expansive new powers are no big deal and the president was not claiming any new executive […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * The Guardian’s blog ran a piece of mine today. Regular readers will find it kind of familiar, but go take a look anyway. * Harriet Miers, the White House counsel and Bush’s longtime advisor, announced her resignation today. Remember when the president thought she was the most qualified person […]
As you may have heard, Democrats officially took the reins of both houses of Congress today. It’s a proud moment that many of us have been waiting for, with varying degrees of patience, for quite some time. I’ve heard from many friends in Washington today who are filled with optimism and hope. It’s a new […]
Now that we’ve identified the “McCain doctrine,” might the idea’s namesake be moving the goal posts? I think so. Let’s review quickly. In late November, McCain insisted that “we will not win this war” without additional combat forces in Iraq. Maybe he meant it, maybe it was a calculated strategy whereby McCain could separate himself […]
Though it didn’t generate much attention, the Center for American Progress released a very interesting report last week recommending “an amendment on the supplemental funding bill that states that if the administration wants to increase the number of troops in Iraq above 150,000, it must provide a plan for their purpose and require an up […]