Tom DeLay thinks Democrats’ criticism of the war borders, literally, on treason. In an interview with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review editorial board yesterday, former Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX) accused Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) of “getting very, very close to treason” by opposing the war in Iraq. When a […]
A no-confidence vote in Gonzales?
According to a Republican with close ties to the White House, Bush and Gonzales are in denial about getting a new Attorney General. “They’re the only two people on the planet Earth who don’t see it.” And yet, there’s a small problem: Gonzales is still there. Slate recently created a “Gonzo-meter” to gauge the likelihood […]
‘Deliberate and careful misrepresentations’
Pat Tillman’s death in Afghanistan has gone from being tragic to suspicious to scandalous. As you probably know, Tillman, a former NFL star who retired from football to become an Army Ranger, was killed in Afghanistan in 2004 and his death was quickly seized upon for public relations purposes. In fact, the Army said Tillman […]
Bush sees a mandate — from the 2006 midterm elections
The president could make the case that Americans are just wrong about the war. He could tell the nation, “Look, I know most of you disagree with my judgment, but I’ve decided that my policy is the only way to go. Americans showed they prefer a change when the voted for Democrats last November, but […]
Tuesday’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: * Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) delivered a speech yesterday in which he characterized global warming as a key national issue that he takes seriously. Shortly thereafter, the McCain announced that former Defense Secretary […]
Short-term war spending bill may draw a veto, too?
As you’ve probably heard by now, House and Senate Dems agreed in conference yesterday to a $124 billion war-funding bill. Unlike the White House’s approach, congressional Dems were willing to make plenty of compromises. Here’s the final plan: Dems fully fund the troops and their mission, while cutting back on some of the extraneous spending […]
A White House that can’t be trusted to keep secrets during a time of war
Stories like this one deserve quite a bit more attention than they generally receive. Security practices at the White House are dangerously inadequate say current and former employees of the security office there, according to a letter sent today from the House Oversight Committee to former White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card, asking that […]
Cheapening the meaning of a Purple Heart
A Purple Heart is a unique and special honor of the U.S. military. There are a variety of medals to pay tribute to soldiers who put their lives on the line, but the Purple Heart is given exclusively to those who are injured or killed during their service. It is not supposed to go to […]
‘It is a significant moment for the administration and Karl Rove’
The Office of Special Counsel is generally a fairly obscure federal investigative unit. The OSC is generally responsible for looking into whistleblower complains, Hatch Act violations, charges of discrimination in the federal workforce, etc. Important work, to be sure, but rarely front-page stuff. Now, however, the OSC is launching an investigation into a bigger matter. […]
Monday’s Mini-Report
Today’s edition of quick hits. * AP: “Former President Boris Yeltsin, who hastened the collapse of the Soviet Union by scrambling atop a tank to rally opposition against a hard-line coup and later pushed Russia to embrace democracy and a market economy, died Monday at age 76.” * The GOP Machine continues to go after […]