Have I mentioned lately how much I love presidential press conferences? Today, Bush appeared for an hour in the fancy-schmancy new briefing room, though the actual Q&A was about half that (the president read a lengthy statement at the outset about the latest White House report on “progress” in Iraq). Nevertheless, there were some noteworthy […]
Thompson’s pro-choice client — redux
We learned over the weekend that the pro-choice National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Assn. reportedly hired Thompson to lobby the H.W. Bush White House in 1991. Specifically, the group paid Thompson quite a bit of money to push the White House to ease restrictions that barred abortion counseling at clinics that received federal money. […]
Why I care about McCain’s campaign call controversy
This almost certainly sound like a minor campaign flap, but let’s take a moment to consider the bigger picture. About 3 p.m. Tuesday, Senator John McCain ducked off the Senate floor, entered the Republican cloakroom and took out his mobile phone. Just hours after accepting the resignation of his two top campaign aides, he was […]
Thursday’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: * The International Association of Fire Fighters unveiled their video yesterday about Rudy Giuliani, called “Rudy Giuliani: Urban Legend,” which hammers the former NYC mayor’s handling of the crisis on 9/11. It’s online […]
Ignatius’ plan for consensus
Last week, the WaPo’s David Ignatius wrote a vague column about the need for Americans to unify around a sense of unity when it comes to national security. I suggested that he might want to be a little more specific next time. I’m afraid today’s piece wasn’t much better. The Iraq debate in Washington this […]
Al Qaeda gaining strength is good news for Bush?
For several years, all the talk from the White House about al Qaeda has been unwaveringly positive. We have the terrorists “on the run.” We’ve detained or killed “more than three quarters of al Queda’s key members and associates.” We’re winning; they’re losing. We’re getting stronger; they’re getting weaker. It all sounds very encouraging, except […]
Where we’re not wanted
Yesterday, Atrios offered a blunt-but-accurate assessment of the U.S. presence in Iraq: “When an occupying force is seen by a sufficient number of the people as an unwelcome occupier to be opposed, then there’s no way that occupier can be responsible for creating and maintaining order.” The NYT’s Nicholas Kristof fleshed this point out in […]
Taylor made for keeping White House secrets
So, what did the Senate Judiciary Committee learn from former White House political director Sara Taylor yesterday? Ostensibly, the hearing was about the Bush gang’s role in the U.S. Attorney purge scandal. Taylor agreed to appear, despite the White House “directing” her not to cooperate, under a dubious claim of executive privilege. It led to […]
Wednesday’s Mini-Report
Today’s edition of quick hits. * This afternoon, based on no law that anyone can recognize, the White House ordered former WH Counsel Harriet Miers to disobey a congressional subpoena. Unlike Sara Taylor, who appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee but declined to answer some questions, Miers will not show up at all. Her successor, […]
No one should look forward to terrorism
About a month ago, Dennis Milligan, the chairman of the Arkansas Republican Party, sounded pretty excited about the prospect of domestic terrorism. “At the end of the day, I believe fully the president is doing the right thing, and I think all we need is some attacks on American soil like we had on [Sept. […]