Maybe it was the Shag Fund scandal. Perhaps it was all the lying. It very would could have been the Republican activists suddenly waking up recently and discovering, en masse, that he disagreed with them on the domestic policy issues they care about most, including abortion, gays, marriage, immigration, stem-cell research, and gun control. Whatever […]
White House hints, but won’t say, that waterboarding is legal
Between CIA revelations, months of reports, detainee testimony, and John Kiriakou’s very public comments, there is no longer a question as to whether Bush administration officials used waterboarding to torture suspects. But the White House can’t concede reality because a) the Bush gang has to maintain the fiction that it opposes torture; and b) torture […]
CBS asks candidates if global warming is ‘overblown’
The CBS Evening News has come up with an interesting little feature. Katie Couric’s show, as part of its “Primary Questions: Character, Leadership & The Candidates” series, comes up with a simple, straightforward question, and then asks the 10 leading presidential candidates from both parties to offer a short, straightforward answer. Last week, for example, […]
Tuesday’s Mini-Report
Today’s edition of quick hits. * Devastation in Algiers: “Death and destruction revisited the Algerian capital of Algiers Tuesday morning when a pair of powerful car bombs exploded, and claimed what early estimates placed as 62 lives. Though no claims of responsibility have been made, security experts say there’s little doubt the attack was the […]
Huckabee endorsed statement urging wives to ‘graciously submit’
If Mike Huckabee’s other odd beliefs about religion, science, and culture weren’t quite enough to bring his campaign into doubt, maybe this will. In August of 1998, Huckabee was one of 131 signatories to a full page USA Today Ad which declared: “I affirm the statement on the family issued by the 1998 Southern Baptist […]
Congress to vote on Christmas’ significance
Many congressional Republicans have complained lately that lawmakers aren’t doing enough to tackle the policy issues that really matter. To help highlight his caucus’ concerns, Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), easily among the top five looniest members of the chamber, will bring H.Res. 847 to the floor today. It will put the House on record stating […]
Bush looking forward to the ‘true facts’ on torture tapes
When it comes to the CIA’s destruction of video footage of U.S. torture of detainees, the White House, on the advice of counsel, has stopped commenting. At yesterday’s press briefing, Dana Perino wouldn’t budge. The president, however, is in charge, and can comment on anything he wants to comment on. ABC News asked Bush a […]
Gimme a head with hair, long beautiful hair…
Don’t look now, but the Washington Post is on the hair beat again. WaPo fashion writer Robin Givhan had this 500-word piece in yesterday’s A Section about a certain former governor’s perfect locks. Romney has been accused of having anchorman hair — the kind of glossy perfection that lies neat and immobile atop the heads […]
Huckabee starts flip-flopping all over the place
In the 2004 presidential election, Republicans decided that changing one’s position on a major policy issue is perhaps the single worst thing a presidential candidate could possibly do. On any given matter, being “against something before I was for it” was tantamount to a kiss of electoral death. Consistency, the GOP insisted, was the be-all, […]
Fox News’ Wallace whines about Dems avoiding him
Chris Wallace, host of “Fox News Sunday,” can’t help but notice that Democratic presidential candidates are disinclined to accept his invitations to appear on the air. And because they aren’t “playing ball” with him, Wallace has decided to whine incessantly. “I think the Democrats are damn fools [for] not coming on Fox News,” Wallace said. […]