In the midst of a very busy week on the Hill, the fight over the Army Field Manual has been one of the more frustrating. To briefly recap, a spending bill to finance the nation’s intelligence efforts went to conference. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) added an important provision requiring one interrogation standard for the entire U.S. […]
Mr. Vague Generalities strikes again
I mentioned on Wednesday that, when explaining his position on Iraqi reconciliation, John McCain told an audience last year, “One of the things I would do if I were President would be to sit the Shiites and the Sunnis down and say, ‘Stop the bullshit.’” As Brendan Nyhan noted, McCain’s approach to the debate over […]
Bush says ‘our country is more in danger of an attack’ — and it’s Dems’ fault
It looks like the president believes his misleading attacks will sound more credible if he repeats them over and over again. For the third time in as many days, Bush appeared before cameras to blast House Democrats for not giving him the surveillance powers he wants. “The Senate passed a good bipartisan bill that makes […]
McCain’s ‘extensive background and knowledge’ needs a little work
John McCain recently acknowledged, “The issue of economics is not something I’ve understood as well as I should.” Ever since reporters started asking about this — and noting that now may not be the best time to elect a president who doesn’t understand economics — McCain’s been feeling a little touchy on the subject. Last […]
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: * This is a pretty huge pickup for Obama: “CNN has learned the 1.9 million-member Service Employees International Union is poised to endorse Sen. Barack Obama for President. Three sources familiar with the […]
Waterboarding leads Lieberman to lose his mind
Occasionally, we’ll hear that Joe Lieberman is generally in line with Democrats, but makes an exception on the war in Iraq and a neocon worldview of foreign policy. When it comes to values and domestic policy, the argument usually goes, Lieberman is generally reliable. Let’s just erase that thought from our minds now, shall we? […]
If we’ve learned anything, we’ve learned that the Democratic race isn’t over
After Barack Obama’s Iowa victory — which was, oddly enough, just a month ago — there was no shortage of media speculation that the race for the Democratic nomination was effectively over. Hillary Clinton had come in third, she was poised to do poorly in New Hampshire, and she was running short on funds. “Everyone” […]
Bush’s confounding confusion on surveillance law
I don’t want to belabor the point, but I re-read the transcript of the president’s brief South Lawn press conference yesterday, and a few of Bush’s comments about telecom immunity suggest the president doesn’t have the foggiest idea what he’s talking about. “The Senate bill will provide fair and just liability protection for companies that […]
John Lewis makes his move towards Obama
A few months ago, when Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) endorsed Hillary Clinton, it was a key development. Lewis, a Democratic icon and civil-right legend, became Clinton’s highest-profile African-American supporter, and sent a signal to the party about Clinton’s strong connection to the African-American community. As I understand it, Lewis was, a few months prior, undecided […]
Thursday’s Mini-Report
Today’s edition of quick hits. * For all the complaining we do about congressional Dems caving all the time, I just thought I’d mention that over the course of one day, House Dems didn’t back down at all on Bush’s surveillance authorities and congressional subpoena power. Maybe they’re learning. * Discouraging assessment of the economy: […]