At 10 am Wednesday morning, the doors opened at Reunion Arena in Dallas for a large Barack Obama campaign rally. The security procedures sounded pretty routine — officers scanned attendees at the entrances, checking their belongings before they could enter. But by 11 am, a new order was issued: just let everyone in. Security details […]
When McCain’s story falls apart a little more
Since the NYT story about John McCain and Vicki Iseman broke on Wednesday, there have been two angles to the controversy, one of which clearly looked stronger than the other: 1) McCain’s alleged romance with this telecom lobbyist; and 2) McCain’s professional efforts to help the lobbyist’s client. The senator and his campaign have rejected […]
Friday’s Mini-Report
Today’s edition of quick hits. * Good news in Iraq is rare, but this is encouraging: “Powerful Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr extended his Mehdi Army militia ceasefire by six months on Friday, a decision U.S. officials said would help foster reconciliation among Iraq’s divided communities. The renewal was welcomed by the Iraqi and U.S. governments, […]
All of a sudden, McCain starts to feel shy
There’s always been some degree of mystery surrounding the media’s embarrassing, almost sycophantic, love for John McCain. For a group of people who are supposed to be secret liberals and agents of the Democratic Party, seeking in desperation to insert a left-leaning bias in every news story, reporters often seem unsure if they want to […]
Obama and his Army captain contact in Afghanistan
In last night’s Democratic debate in Austin, Barack Obama was responding to a question about his readiness to be commander in chief. After explaining a bit about his approach to military issues, Obama spoke about conditions in Afghanistan for U.S. troops after resources were diverted for combat in Iraq. “I heard from an Army captain, […]
When parts of McCain’s defense don’t add up
There have been plenty of legitimate questions raised about the reliability of the New York Times report about John McCain, his relationship with Vicki Iseman, and professional efforts McCain may have made on her behalf. The piece was thin and some of the charges weren’t exactly backed up by ample evidence. For that matter, the […]
When conservatives decide adultery no longer matters
The Washington Post’s Michael Gerson, Bush’s former chief speechwriter and someone who seems to take the issue of politics and morality seriously, devoted his latest column to John McCain’s Vicki Iseman controversy. Not surprisingly, the conservative columnist defends the conservative senator against the charges first raised by the NYT. Most of the argument is about […]
Culture of corruption continues — Renzi indicted
It seems like it’s been weeks since we last heard about a Republican lawmaker getting indicted for one felony or another. I guess we were due. Republican Rep. Rick Renzi was indicted Friday on charges of extortion, wire fraud, money laundering and other matters in an Arizona land swap scam that allegedly helped him collect […]
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: * With about 10 days to go before the closely-watched contests in Ohio and Texas, the two Clinton “firewall” states look pretty competitive in a new WaPo/ABC poll. The results show Clinton ahead […]
Clinton spends a bundle on consultants
I’ve seen a few “where did she go wrong” pieces about the Clinton campaign this week, with various observers, who are convinced that the race for the Democratic nomination is over, hoping to identify the Big Mistake. I still think this is premature. But if we assume the worst about Clinton’s chances, it’s probably fair […]