The common thread among the fired U.S. Attorneys is the fact that they resisted efforts to politicize their offices. GOP officials wanted them to “play ball,” they didn’t, so they were purged. Josh Marshall noted a couple of days ago that this raises another disconcerting question: how many of Bush’s federal prosecutors were willing to […]
The ‘U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans’ Health and Iraq Accountability Act’
In recent weeks, the congressional Dems’ plans for Iraq started to take on a wake-me-when-it’s-over quality. They were going to embrace Murtha’s “readiness strategy,” then they weren’t. They were going to revisit the 2002 AUMF resolution, then they weren’t. They were going to consider additional nonbinding resolutions, then they weren’t. Everyone seemed ready to move […]
Yielding, conceding, and lying … oh my
In case there were any lingering doubts, the Bush gang implicitly conceded yesterday that they consider the prosecutor purge scandal to be potentially damaging. We can tell, of course, because the Bush gang started backpedaling. The Bush administration, accused of politicizing the hiring and firing of U.S. attorneys, agreed Thursday not to oppose legislation to […]
Thursday’s Mini-Report
Today’s edition of quick hits. * I haven’t been reporting much on the House Dems’ negotiations on putting together Iraq legislation, in large part because I thought it best to wait and see what they put together. I’ll have more details tomorrow, but for now, this AP report emphasizes the key detail: the Dems’ spending […]
Evoking Burke: Conservatism and the pursuit of (im)perfection
Guest Post by Michael J.W. Stickings (This is the last post of my present guest stint. Once again, I’d like to thank Steve for the opportunity and all of you for making it such an enjoyable experience. I hope to see you all at The Reaction, where I and my great co-bloggers keep the fun […]
Waxman to hold Plame hearing in House
When Clinton was president, congressional Republicans held thorough, high-profile hearings, especially in the House, with remarkable consistency. Henry Waxman once explained, “There was no accusation too minor to explore, no demand on the administration too intrusive to make.” Republicans investigated whether the Clinton administration sold burial plots in Arlington National Cemetery for campaign contributions. They […]
‘Whitewater Journalism’
Following up on an item from yesterday, the Obama stock/blind trust “controversy” is part of a disconcerting pattern. Atrios referred to it as “Whitewater Journalism,” and noted this terrific post by Digby, written a couple of weeks ago. These are patented Whitewater-style “smell test” stories. They are based on complicated details that make the casual […]
The age of the terminators
Guest Post by Michael J.W. Stickings Do you ever despair for the future of humanity? Would you like yet another good reason to do so? According to Reuters, an Israeli defence firm, Elbit Systems Ltd., has “unveiled a portable robot billed as being capable of entering most combat zones alone and engaging enemies with an […]
Gingrich ‘sought God’s forgiveness’
If we’re willing to concede that the GOP’s far-right base isn’t altogether pleased with the leading Republican presidential candidates, then it stands to reason that other competitors are going to work hard to fill that void. Could Newt Gingrich fit the bill? It seems unlikely, given his background (serial adulterer, largely secular background, inattention to […]
Barack Obama, ex-scofflaw
Guest Post by Michael J.W. Stickings The Boston Globe (tip: The Plank) is reporting today that the political demigod known to mortals as Barack Obama “received 17 parking tickets in Cambridge between 1988 and 1991” while a student at Harvard Law. This according to the city’s Traffic, Parking & Transportation Department: Of those tickets, he […]