The New Yorker’s Seymour Hersh has a stunning new article out, describing new Bush administration efforts to intervene in Iraq’s civil war, siding with Saudi-backed Sunni extremists in the hopes of stemming the Shia influence backed by Iran. The result of the strategy is U.S. payments to Sunni groups with ties to al Qaeda, without […]
Sunday Discussion Group
The Clinton-Obama dust-up seemed to get most of the attention this week, but there was another noteworthy exchange between two very high-profile political figures this week that deserves another look. Dick Cheney, speaking to ABC about the war in Iraq, said, “I think if we were to do what Speaker Pelosi and Congressman Murtha are […]
Libby was anything but a ‘loyal soldier’
I can appreciate the fact that Scooter Libby’s conservative friends don’t mind his outrageous conduct, and are even willing to help raise money for his legal defense, but there should at least be limits on how ridiculous they’re willing to be with their praise for a man who was forced to resign in disgrace. Mary […]
‘Are they really the right people — the best people — for the job?’
In September, Rajiv Chandrasekaran wrote what may be the most telling article about the Bush administration’s handling of reconstruction in Iraq to date. Chandrasekaran explained that after the fall of Saddam Hussein’s government in April 2003, the Bush gang decided to put a bunch of right-wing ideologues in charge of rebuilding Iraq, while ignoring qualified, […]
‘What’s wrong with sucking up to everybody?’
I have a hunch we’ll be seeing this quote pop up, repeatedly, for the next two years. So some guy stands up after John McCain’s luncheon speech here yesterday to a group of business types and asks him a question. “I’ve seen in the press where in your run for the presidency, you’ve been sucking […]
The South Florida Giant Underground Weirdness Magnet
Long-time readers know that I take a certain amount of pleasure in mocking South Florida, where I was born and raised. There’s just something uniquely ridiculous about Miami and its surrounding communities that makes the area prone to outlandish, not to mention absurd, circumstances. It’s been particularly over the top lately, This week, Miami’s own […]
Meet Henry Jordan
In 1997, shortly after I finished grad school, I started working at Americans United for Separation of Church and State. My very first project, literally in my first week, dealt with a Republican member of South Carolina’s Board of Education, who wanted to impose Christianity on public school students. When one of his colleagues on […]
Bachmann touts, retracts ‘secret plan’ for Iraq
Freshman Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), one of the more embarrassing members of Congress, became a bit of a punchline a month ago when, after the State of the Union, she put her hand on the president’s shoulder as he was exiting the chamber — but wouldn’t let go. This came after bizarre ideas from Bachmann […]
This Week in God
The God Machine worked overtime this week, with more religion-related news items than it could handle. First up, an item brought to my attention by several readers, about the year’s most interesting religious court case. Annie Laurie Gaylor speaks with a soft voice, but her message catches attention: Keep God out of government. Gaylor has […]
Chimps with weapons: This can’t be good
Guest Post by Morbo Members of a band of chimpanzees living in West Africa have been observed fashioning weapons. As The Washington Post reported recently, this isn’t just a simple case of a chimp picking up a stick and using it as a tool. In this case, the chimps had more work to do. Reported […]