The prosecutor purge scandal claimed its fourth resignation late yesterday when Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty stepped down, citing the financial burden of having two children in college. Of course, given the circumstances, we know there’s a lot more to it than that. The NYT reports that McNulty, who’d been rumored to have one foot […]
Monday’s Mini-Report
Today’s edition of quick hits. * This ought to be interesting: “Harry Reid just spoke on the Senate floor, revealing that he’ll allow a vote this week on the Feingold-Reid amendment, which would cut off funding for the war by March 31, 2008. This is a big deal for war opponents — it’s the first […]
Tennessee teachers stage fake gunman attack
Given news accounts of this incident in Murfreesboro, Tenn., it sounds like an awful incident that terrorized some young kids. But part of me can’t help but wonder how much worse it could have been. Staff members of an elementary school staged a fictitious gun attack on students during a class trip, telling them it […]
Maybe all roads really do lead back to Rove
Last week, in an interview with the Albuquerque Tribune, purged U.S. Attorney David Iglesias said, “I think all roads lead to Rove. I think that’s why the president is circling some pretty major wagons around him to keep him from testifying under oath, which subjects him to criminal prosecution.” Iglesias appears to be onto something. […]
Cheney’s good cop/warmongering cop routine
As Dick Cheney’s Middle East tour got underway, he sat down with Fox News’ Bret Baier to talk about the region. Today, as his tour wraps up, Cheney discussed his overseas meetings with … Fox News’ Bret Baier. If I didn’t know better, I might think the Vice President is playing favorites among the media. […]
A tough lawsuit for conservatives
I saw “Brokeback Mountain” a while ago and thought it was excellent. It hardly seemed like the kind of film that could cause “psychological distress.” A suit was filed on behalf of a 12-year-old girl who claims she suffered psychological distress when a teacher showed in class the gay-themed movie “Brokeback Mountain.” The girl, Jessica […]
Novak explains why Gonzales is ‘terrible’ — but why it doesn’t matter
Bob Novak tried to explain the broader dynamic of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales staying on in his job over the weekend, but I’m at a loss to understand what Novak was trying to say. ThinkProgress has the whole, fascinating video, but here’s Novak’s argument: “Margaret, the president can get rid of him any time he […]
Giuliani’s 9/11 legacy
OK, so Rudy Giuliani has a problem when it comes to domestic policy. And his personal life. And his knowledge of foreign policy. And who he chooses to associate himself with, professionally. But, when it comes to his presidential campaign, at the very least, he has the terrorist attacks of 9/11 to point to, right? […]
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: * Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson delivered the keynote address to the secretive right-wing Council for National Policy over the weekend, and the group was reportedly impressed. The media was forbidden from attending […]
Talking to Iran
Let’s look back to Jan. 11, when Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice sat at the witness table in Hearing Room 106 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building explaining why “those who talk about engagement with Syria and Iran” are all wet. “That’s not diplomacy — that’s extortion,” she said. Rice and the rest of the […]