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.) kinda sorta made his presidential campaign official last night, during an appearance on David Letterman’s talk show. “The last time we were on this program — I’m sure […]
‘People knew about it but the culture of the Army didn’t allow it to be addressed’
It seemed everyone, regardless of ideology, was stunned and outraged by revelations about U.S. war veterans, recuperating at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, living in deplorable conditions and being ignored by a callous bureaucracy. Well, not quite everyone — some already knew about it. Top officials at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, including the Army’s […]
About that North Korean uranium…
In my heart of hearts, I find it impossible to believe that Bush is some kind of Manchurian President, intentionally screwing up American foreign policy and deliberately making the United States less safe. But once in a while, one really has to wonder. Last October, the North Koreans tested their first nuclear device, the fruition […]
Market tanks, Republicans say ‘thanks’
Tuesday’s stock market decline clearly caused some anxiety among investors and those who monitor the financial markets, and leave it Fox News to step in to exploit that anxiety to advance a Republican agenda. [Yesterday] on Your World w/Neil Cavuto, substitute host David Asman aired three segments linking [Tuesday’s] plunge in the Dow to either […]
Bring on the prosecutor-purge hearings
There’s some interesting follow-up in today’s WaPo to the prosecutor purge story we discussed yesterday, highlighting David Iglesias’ allegations that he was fired for political reasons. Of particular interest, of course, is the fact that Iglesias may have been contacted by two members of Congress, who allegedly pressured him to speed up a probe of […]
Wednesday’s Mini-Report
Today’s edition of quick hits. * Dick Cheney finally agreed to speak to the pool of reporters who followed him through seven countries, but as Dan Froomkin explained, he insisted on one thing: “The reporters would have to agree not to tell anyone that the person they talked to was him. Cheney’s insistence on being […]
First, Matthews has to admit he has a problem
Hillary Clinton is ahead in the polls, Bill Clinton is the most popular political figure in the country, and Gallup reports today that Americans overwhelmingly believe the former president would be a helpful asset if his wife wins the presidency. And yet there’s Chris Matthews, with his unhealthy fixation. MSNBC host Chris Matthews is obsessed […]
Hell hath no fury like a U.S. Attorney scorned
One of the overlooked angles to the story in recent weeks is how the U.S. Attorneys themselves have been responding to the controversy. The administration has repeatedly insisted — to the press, under oath to lawmakers — that the fired prosecutors were replaced for their on-the-job performance. In other words, the Bush gang has argued […]
‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ revisited
In just a couple of minutes, Rep. [tag]Marty Meehan[/tag] (D-Mass.) is going to hold a press conference to unveil legislation to repeal the military’s “[tag]Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell[/tag]” ban on gay soldiers in the military. The first U.S. Marine seriously wounded in Iraq, Staff Sgt. Eric Alva, lost his leg when he stepped on a […]
Origins of a right-wing meme
Right-wing talking points are known for making the rounds quickly, but “slow bleed” seemed to break new speed records. Rep. [tag]John Murtha[/tag] (D-Pa.) recently came up with a policy proposal, which he called the “readiness strategy,” which would insist that only troops with adequate training and equipment be sent to Iraq. Republicans have a different […]