The Carpetbagger Report

When it comes to the prosecutor purge scandal, we’ve known for months about what some refer to as the Gonzales Eight — seven U.S. Attorneys who were fired on Dec. 7, 2006, and one who was fired shortly beforehand. But noted purge-ologists have long suspected that there were others who “resigned,” but were actually forced […]

When it comes to credibility on war policy and strategy, it’s tough to beat this kind of lineup. In an act of defiance perhaps not seen since President Truman fired Gen. Douglas MacArthur, today the anti-war veterans group VoteVets.org, which has been influential with Capitol Hill Democrats, is launching a half-million-dollar TV ad campaign featuring […]

After the president vetoed the last congressionally-backed war-funding bill, there was widespread speculation about what Democratic lawmakers would try next. Yesterday, House Dems appeared to rally behind a new plan, which would give Bush all the funding he wants, with no withdrawal timeline — in kind of a down-payment plan. A House Democratic proposal introduced […]

You’ll no doubt be pleased to know that now, with the war in Iraq in its fifth year, Dick Cheney believes it’s time to get serious about this thing. Cheney’s message with Iraqi leaders, according to a senior administration official who briefed reporters, was to be: “We’ve all got challenges together. We’ve got to pull […]

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: * It didn’t take too long for Rudy Giuliani’s rivals to jump on his Planned Parenthood contributions. John McCain’s top campaign strategist told the LA Times, “He’s well outside the mainstream of rank-and-file […]

Last October, just a few weeks before the midterm elections, Congress passed the Military Commissions Act, which among other things suspended habeas corpus for suspected terrorists. Since then, several leading Dems have introduced measures to undo the mistake, and the ACLU has launched a terrific initiative called “Find Habeas,” which is gearing up to be […]

For several weeks now, the president’s critics have imagined an entirely plausible scenario: Bush could sign a congressionally backed funding bill for the war in Iraq, with the various conditions included (i.e., a withdrawal timeline), and then decide he won’t follow the law. When he signs the bill, the president could issue one of his […]

National Review’s Byron York isn’t exactly a “maverick” when it comes to bucking the traditional GOP line on issues like the war. It’s exactly why I was encouraged to see his latest missive about the Dems’ war policy. It’s an article of faith in Republican circles that Congress should not impose deadlines on the U.S. […]

For many conservatives, the U.N.’s oil-for-food scandal was an assault on all that is good and holy. In a nutshell, Saddam Hussein took advantage of a U.N. program in which Iraq would sell oil and use the revenue for food, medicine, and humanitarian goods, as exceptions to a trade embargo imposed after the first Gulf […]

Today’s edition of quick hits. * AP: “The Pentagon has notified more than 35,000 Army soldiers to be prepared to deploy to Iraq beginning this fall, a move that would allow commanders to maintain the ongoing buildup of troops through the end of the year if needed.” The administration said this is not related to […]