The Carpetbagger Report

Today’s edition of quick hits. * Amazing. Just as the debate begins in earnest over Iraq policy in the Senate, Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wants everyone to know that Iraq is finally on track for success. “What I’m hearing right now is a sea change that’s taken place in […]

Wow. During the July 17 edition of ABC’s Good Morning America, co-anchor Diane Sawyer falsely claimed that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) “vows to filibuster, talking all night to close out all topics besides a vote on Iraqi troop withdrawals.” […] Additionally, on the July 16 edition of Fox News’ Special Report with Brit […]

JetBlue is helping sponsor the YearlyKos conference this year, which apparently was enough to send Bill O’Reilly over the edge. If you haven’t seen the clip, it’s certainly worth watching, if only as a textbook example of modern “journalism” at its most pernicious. Here’s some of the transcript: “What do you think of someone who […]

It’s a busy news day, but I wanted to take a moment to share something I found amusing. Dick Cheney offered The Weekly Standard’s Stephen F. Hayes enormous access for his new love letter book, “Cheney: The Untold Story of America’s Most Powerful and Controversial Vice President,” and TNR has been chronicling some entertaining excerpts. […]

The administration published this afternoon a newly released, and surprisingly short, declassified summary of the key judgments of the National Intelligence Estimate on al Qaeda. The document is online for all to see. The startling new revelations are … far and few between. The terrorist network is rebuilding, its leadership is located largely in tribal […]

I’m not sure who thought Jim Nicholson was qualified to serve as Secretary of Veterans Affairs in the first place, but he’s been heading the cabinet agency since 2005. Today, to the great relief of veterans and their families, Nicholson announced his resignation. (thanks to tAiO for the tip) The department has been under intense […]

The NYT’s David Brooks was one of a handful of conservative journalists who were offered some quality time with the president late last week, and in his column today, Brooks describes his interaction with Bush as “like entering a different universe.” He apparently means that as a compliment. Far from being beleaguered, Bush was assertive […]

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: * One of the great dynamics of this year’s presidential race is how satisfied Dem voters are with their choices, and how dissatisfied Republicans are: “The latest Associated Press-Ipsos poll found that nearly […]

So, Senate Dems really are going to launch a very long debate over Iraq policy tonight, including a rare overnight session. Reading over the various articles and reports, I’ve quickly come to realize that I need to brush up on Senate procedure, because at this point, I’m more than a little confused about exactly what […]

Following up on an item from yesterday, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles was set to hear an 11th-hour appeal yesterday. I wasn’t optimistic, but the panel surprised a lot of people by granting a stay of execution. One day before he was to die by lethal injection, convicted cop killer Troy Davis received […]