For several years now, one of the more deadly parts of the civil war in Iraq has been the forced displacement of Iraqi civilians. It’s been a form of ethnic cleansing on a vast-but-slow scale — much of Iraq has been made incrementally segregated along Sunni-Shiite lines. What war supporters have argued would happen if […]
Let’s define ‘hypocrisy’ — Larry Craig Edition
I’ve never been entirely clear on how Jeff Jacoby became a columnist for the Boston Globe, but in one important sense, I’m glad he’s there. Very few columnists for major dailies are as confused as Jacoby, and his odd, conservative perspectives make for good blog posts. Jacoby’s latest is devoted to outgoing Sen. Larry Craig […]
‘A platoon of Marines is a lot of Marines’
Given that I often complain about docile media coverage of bogus Republican claims about Iraq, I thought it would only be fair to praise Wolf Blitzer for getting it right. By way of ThinkProgress, take a look at this CNN interview from yesterday with Rep. Charles Boustany (R-La.): First, I realize that it may seem […]
‘No one will talk to each other’
Yesterday, the NYT had an interesting look at a new book, “Dead Certain: The Presidency of George Bush,” by journalist Robert Draper, a former writer for Texas Monthly who spent hours with the president and other White House officials, getting them to open up on a variety of subjects. The most notable revelation in the […]
Yet another surprise visit
There should probably be a moratorium on the use of the phrase “surprise visit to Iraq.” Every time a top administration official arrives in the country, it’s a “surprise visit” — because security conditions require that no one know about the trips in advance. After a while, the phrase is just redundant. With that in […]
Bush emissions talk is a lot of hot air
A week ago, the president was in Bellevue, Washington, for a fundraiser on behalf of Rep. Dave Reichert (R), one of the House’s most Bush-like members. Environmental policy is one of the leading issues in the area, so the president emphasized how he and guys like Reichert are helping implement an effective strategy. “I look […]
Bomb, bomb Iran?
Several readers have emailed lately to suggest I’ve been giving a looming conflict with Iran the short shrift. There were several reports last week that the White House was gearing up to launch a major p.r. offensive about a confrontation with Iran immediately after Labor Day, and the public needs to appreciate the gravity of […]
Craig vs. Vitter — redux
It looks like the Republicans have settled on a talking point. A GOP leader Sunday denied a double standard in pushing Sen. Larry Craig to resign after a sex sting guilty plea, while remaining silent over GOP Sen. David Vitter’s involvement with an escort service. A senior Democrat said a double standard by Republican leaders […]
Petraeus gets a hand
Yesterday, Kevin Drum explained that independent of Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus has run a masterful, methodical p.r. campaign that effectively “outplayed” Democrats and other opponents of the president’s war policy. Atrios held lawmakers at least partially responsible, because they “have chosen to play along.” But in order to really change the conventional wisdom, Petraeus needed […]
‘I will be forced to take other steps’
As a rule, members of Congress try to avoid threatening their constituents, especially on tape. It’s one of the reasons a new controversy out of Denver is so bizarre. (via) A local couple is complaining that U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn left them two threatening voice mails after they wrote a letter criticizing his fundraising. Jonathan […]