In general, there’s nothing amusing about someone struggling to find a job. There are exceptions. Alberto R. Gonzales, like many others recently unemployed, has discovered how difficult it can be to find a new job. Mr. Gonzales, the former attorney general, who was forced to resign last year, has been unable to interest law firms […]
Obama, small towns, and ‘molehill politics’
Yesterday afternoon, we had some company over to the house, and I excused myself briefly to do a quick post about the controversy surrounding Barack Obama’s comments on the frustrations people feel in small towns hit hard economically in recent decades. When I rejoined the folks in my living room, who hadn’t heard the news […]
A ‘bitter turn’ — Clinton goes nuclear, Obama goes on the defensive
When it comes to the political world, I get the sense “bitter-gate” — yep, the story apparently now gets a “gate” — went from zero to 60 in just a couple of seconds. Obama is pushing back hard… …while Clinton is sounding an awful lot like a Republican candidate. It’s unfortunate, but in some ways, […]
Freedom from Freedom’s Watch
Talk about your on-again, off-again operations. Freedom’s Watch, the far-right political group, has, at various times, been the Next Big Thing in conservative politics, and a vacuous paper tiger that can’t figure what to do with itself. In fact, it’s bounced back and forth between these points more than once. When Freedom’s Watch burst upon […]
The return of the open-ended commitment
There was a point, about a year ago, at which top-ranking Bush administration officials emphasized that the U.S. military commitment to Iraq is not “open-ended.” Dems were emphasizing the need for a timeline for withdrawal, and the president tried to awkwardly thread a needle: we can’t leave now, we can’t stay forever, so we’ll head […]
This Week in God
First up from the God machine this week is an eyebrow-raising column about why Americans couldn’t possibly vote for a non-believer as president. The very idea is remarkably remote. Gallup did a poll last year and found that Americans would sooner vote for anyone other than an atheist. But far-right commentator Michael Medved devoted his […]
Bush was ‘aware’ and ‘approved’ of the Principals’ torture discussions
ABC News reported this week that a group of so-called “Principals” — including Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Colin Powell, CIA Director George Tenet, Attorney General John Ashcroft, and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice — met dozens of times in the White House to “discuss and approve” specific interrogation […]
A ‘bitter’ pill for Obama to swallow?
Gallup released a poll this week that offered Barack Obama some good news, and some bad, all relating to an “education gap.” As Jonathan Chait noted, “Obama’s lead over Clinton among white college-educated Democrats (and Democratic leaners) has risen from 7 points to 12 points. Among those with post-graduate degrees, it’s exploded, from an 8 […]
Saudi king seeks new crusade against atheists
Guest Post by Morbo If there’s one thing I don’t like, it’s being lectured on morality by a corpulent autocrat with four wives who heads one of the most repressive regimes in the world. I speak of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, that bastion of freedom of thought and freedom of religion. The king recently […]
Gay people, who are worse than terrorists, seize control of Pittsburgh
Guest Post by Morbo Editor’s note: Two months ago, Morbo fell on a patch of ice, broke his left wrist, and hasn’t been able to type much since. Fortunately, he makes a triumphant return this morning. -CB There is a school of thought among some scientists that if we ever encounter intelligent life on another […]