Some attempted smears are so special in their inanity, it’s tempting to pause to appreciate just how stupid they are. They’re almost impressive in their idiocy, so you want to treasure it as an example of what a determined far-right news outlet is capable of. Take this fine example from the far-right Washington Times, by […]
At least Republicans are consistent with their accounting standards
When it comes to the nation’s finances, Republicans in Washington have shown, shall we say, a certain lackadaisical attitude. Deficits, debts, expensive tax giveaways, lax regulations on the financial industry, Enron-omics — when it comes to looking after our money, GOP officials don’t exactly inspire confidence. But what about when they’re tasked with looking after […]
The talk of Clinton’s demise is premature — isn’t it?
The growing chorus isn’t exactly subtle: Hillary Clinton, loser of 11 consecutive contests, is now expected to bow out and allow us to all shift into general election mode. For much of the political world, the race for the Democratic nomination is effectively over, and Clinton isn’t doing anyone any favors, least of all herself, […]
Tuesday’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: * Chris Dodd will endorse Barack Obama today at an event in Ohio. In an email to supporters Tuesday morning, Dodd wrote, “While both of our party’s remaining candidates are extremely talented and […]
Brooks’ misguided love letter to McCain
I’m starting to think the adulation for John McCain among New York Times columnists is making the transition from odd to unhealthy. Last week, Nick Kristof praised McCain for pandering and lying, but only because McCain is bad at it. Yesterday, apropos of nothing, Bill Kristol praised McCain for being patriotic. Today, David Brooks, demonstrating […]
Haynes to exit stage right
For all the offensive officials in the Bush administration, it’s worth pausing a moment to celebrate when one of them leaves government service. William J. Haynes II has served as general counsel at the Pentagon, where he was best known for having written the Defense Department’s infamous 2002 policies endorsing torture against terrorist suspects (in […]
Three new national polls show Obama securing his frontrunner status
For all the reasons we’ve talked about many times, national horse-race polls tend to be of limited predictive value. As is the case in the general election, the nominating process is a state-by-state affair. A candidate can soar in national polls, but if he or she is trailing where it counts, those national leads are […]
McCain tackles the ‘100 year thing’
As has become increasingly clear, John McCain has a habit of just “winging it” on the campaign trail. Confronted with a question, he just says the very first thing that pops into his head. A few weeks ago, when a voter in Florida asked about Bush’s intention to keep U.S. troops in Iraq for another […]
The White House searches in vain for talking points
To hear the White House tell it, Congress’ reluctance to immediately give the president all of the surveillance powers he wants is not only the most pressing matter on the nation’s policy agenda, it’s currently putting all of us at risk of a catastrophic terrorist attack. But if that’s true, why can’t the White House […]
Monday’s Mini-Report
Today’s edition of quick hits. * More discouraging economic news: “Sales of existing homes fell for the sixth straight month in January, dropping to the slowest sales pace on record. Median home prices were also down and many analysts predicted further price declines in the months ahead given high levels of unsold homes…. The median […]