Regular readers probably won’t be too surprised by the very good front-page WaPo piece today on John McCain offering “tax policies he once opposed.” As you know, the current McCain incarnation bears no resemblance to the 2001-2004 McCain, who at least pretended to care about fiscal sanity. But the article does note one detail that […]
Shining the light on the Pentagon puppets, ‘message multipliers’
The New York Times had quite a front-page scoop this past Sunday, when it reported on a Pentagon program that recruited retired military officers, who’ve since become lobbyists or consultants for military contractors, to become propaganda agents of the Bush administration. Throughout the war in Iraq, these retired officers — or “message multipliers,” as they […]
What McCain meant when he promised a ‘respectful campaign’
Back in November, when most of the Republican presidential candidates were taking cheap shots at Democratic candidates, John McCain said he was above such behavior. “I think people want a respectful debate and a respectful discussion. And if they don’t, then obviously, I’m not the person to be their candidate,” McCain said at the time. […]
Bush administration re-writes the script on terrorism foes
When John McCain talks about the U.S. counter-terrorism efforts, he identifies “radical Islamic extremism” as the principal problem we face. When his buddy Joe Lieberman talks about the same issue, he condemns Democrats for neglecting to use phrases like “Islamist extremism” or “Islamist terrorism.” The Bush administration is weighing in on the rhetorical aspect of […]
Friday’s campaign round-up
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: * Polls out of Indiana continue to point to a close Democratic presidential primary. Selzer & Co., a regional pollster, has Obama leading Clinton by three, 41% to 38%. Research 2000 shows Obama […]
Let’s play, ‘Imagine If A Democrat Had Said This’
I know how tiresome it can get to play one of my favorite parlor games: “Imagine if a Democrat had said this.” But I’m trying to imagine what the response would be if, say, a host on Air America Radio told listeners how helpful it would be to Democrats if people started a riot at […]
McCain and Hatch, ‘together forever’
Barack Obama has picked up support from Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp, while Will.i.am put one of Obama’s speeches to music. Hillary Clinton appeared alongside Elton John at a concert in her honor, and relies on a Celine Dion song as a campaign anthem. John McCain, well, at least he has Orrin Hatch. Not content […]
Scalia wants everyone to ‘get over it’
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia usually shies away from media attention, but now that he has a book coming out, and interviews might help sell his new product, Scalia is opening up a bit. He chatted with “60 Minutes” and the discussion turned to “Bush v. Gore.” Scalia’s message? Critics of the ruling should just […]
Targeting porn on military bases
Some very strange conservative activists, apparently with far too much time on their hands, launched an initiative last November to limit U.S. troops’ access to adult materials. It never occurred to me that policy makers would take this seriously, but apparently, they are. To quickly recap for those just joining us, Congress banned sales of […]
Thursday’s Mini-Report
Today’s edition of quick hits. * Oh my: “Sales of new homes in March plummeted to the lowest level since the housing recession of the 1990s, the government said on Thursday, as inventories rose to the highest point in more than a quarter century. Buyers vanished from the housing market last month at a swift […]