I feel like I need to write “I will not be so naive” on a blackboard 100 times to teach myself a lesson. At first, I thought there was no way Gen. David Petraeus would limit himself to just one media interview with Fox News, television’s most partisan news outlet. Why would a respected military […]
Stay the course
There were some brave and intrepid souls who endured every word of the six-and-a-half hours of testimony before the House Armed Services and House Foreign Affairs Committees. They heard Gen. David Petraeus point to impressive charts that looked encouraging — as long as you didn’t look too close. They heard Ambassador Ryan Crocker struggle to […]
Monday’s Mini-Report
Today’s edition of quick hits. *TPMM: “While Gen. Petraeus repeatedly cited the Sunni tribal turn against al-Qaeda as the most significant development in Iraq over the last year, he balks at the suggestion that his command is providing them with guns. ‘We have never given weapons to tribals,’ he said. ‘What we have done is […]
The magical mystery withdrawal plan
This lovely chart was a centerpiece of Gen. David Petraeus’ testimony this afternoon before the House Armed Services Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee. It purports to show the level of U.S. troops deployed in Iraq falling gradually over … some period of time. As withdrawal plans go, it not exactly encouraging. That bottom line […]
Thompson believes bin Laden deserves due process
Well, I don’t imagine the right is going to care for this at all. Republican presidential contender Fred Thompson said Monday that while Osama bin Laden needs to be caught and killed, the terrorist mastermind would get the due process of law. Last week, when bin Laden’s latest tape emerged, Thompson said the terrorist responsible […]
Left-wing brain, right-wing brain
It’s probably occurred to all of us that people on the left and right seem to think differently, but it’s nice to get clinical proof once in a while. Exploring the neurobiology of politics, scientists have found that liberals tolerate ambiguity and conflict better than conservatives because of how their brains work. In a simple […]
The wrong debate for the GOP
Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker are testifying now before a joint hearing of the House Armed Services Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee. All three news networks are airing them live, and CNN.com and MSNBC.com both have live feeds online. There will be plenty to say about the testimony and exchanges, but in […]
Craig’s guilty plea was not ‘knowingly and understandingly made’
As the Petraeus/Crocker hearing gets underway in the House, I thought I’d take a moment to note that Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) is still not going away quietly. Sen. Larry Craig filed papers Monday seeking to withdraw his guilty plea in an airport sex sting, arguing that he entered the plea under stress caused by […]
When the rhetoric goes over the top
Matt Stoller asks a question today that I’ve been pondering for a while: “[I]t really is a good question as to why the Beltway establishment isn’t pointing out that John McCain regularly says things that are, simply put, crazy.” Exhibit A, from McCain’s speech to the California Republican Party’s state convention on Saturday: “Today, the […]
Monday’s political 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: * Ordinarily, I watch the presidential candidates’ debates (so you don’t have to), but I missed last night’s Democratic event in Miami, sponsored by Univision. As far as I can tell, there weren’t […]