Now this is what I call going on the offensive. If any of you out there were still harboring fears that the Dems were planning... [More]
September 1, 2006
YouTube Politics
Eventually politicians are going to figure out that with the advent of broadband Internet access, it has become impossible to run away from your own... [More]
September 2, 2006
War On Terror News
Three big stories in today's NYT, both showing how our current approach to the "war on terror" is disastrous. Fist, to Afghanistan: KABUL, Afghanistan, Sept.... [More]
September 4, 2006
Zakaria: "It's 2006, Not 1938"
Fareed Zakaria offers some perspective: It's 1938, says the liberal columnist Richard Cohen, evoking images of Hitler's armies massing in the face of an appeasing... [More]
September 5, 2006
To War!!! To War!!!
It's a black and white world. You're either with us or the terrorists, good versus evil, and we will only deal with those wearing the... [More]
September 6, 2006
"One Of The Hardest Parts of My Job..."
You really can't make this stuff up. This is what Bush said to Katie Couric today: "One of the hardest parts of my job is... [More]
I Thought This Was Treason?
A few months back, when the Washington Post exposed the existence of the CIA's secret prisons, we were told by members of this administration -... [More]
September 7, 2006
Honor the Dead. Tell the Truth (UPDATED)
Over the past few days, I've watched with growing interest as the progressive blogosphere has grown increasingly obsessed over ABC's forthcoming supposed-docudrama about 9/11. But... [More]
Count the Lies
The president's most recent speech on terrorism was a bit of a departure from his past efforts. Rather than a series of general platitudes and... [More]
If WWII Doesn't Work, Try The Civil War
Last week the comparison was between the "war on terror" and WWII. This week? This week its the Civil War. Newt is doing it. So... [More]
Armitige Was The Primary Source of the Leak
So Richard Armitage has admitted he was the first source of the leak of Valerie Plame's identity. Former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage acknowledged... [More]
Stupid Leads
Tomorrow morning's WaPo runs with the following headline on A01: Long Debate Preceded Decision on Detainees And the lead? Issue divided president's key advisers and... [More]
The President Is "Willing to Negotiate With Congress"
What a great phrase. This is, of course, the way our system of government is supposed to work, and yet somehow the NYT portrays it... [More]
September 8, 2006
Say One Thing, Do Another
Bush says "we don't torture." But judging by his actions, what that statement means will depend on what the definition of "we" is. Take a... [More]
September 9, 2006
Saddam Saw al-Qaida As Threat
The long-awaited and much-delayed Senate Intelligence Committee report on pre-war intelligence has finally been released. Two major findings I'd like to call your attention to.... [More]
Thank God The Military Still Understands
From today's WaPo: The chief architect of the new Army field manual on interrogations said yesterday that the document aims to preserve the memory of... [More]
The Nation Wants Investigations
But not impeachment. From CNN: Fifty-seven percent of the respondents said they think it would be good for the country "if the Democrats in Congress... [More]
New GWOT Strategy
Shorter version: If only our regimes were as repressive as theirs, they would understand we aren't their enemy!... [More]
September 11, 2006
Deception, Or Willful Ignorance?
Despite the release last week of a bipartisan Senate report concluding that bin Laden and Saddam saw each other not as allies but potential adversaries,... [More]
Remembering 9/11
Each of us has our own way of doing it. Andrew Sullivan's take today is without a doubt one of a kind. It should be... [More]
What Could Have Been
On February 12, 2002, Al Gore delivered a now largely forgotten speech before the Council on Foreign Relations. Like Kevin, I don't agree with everything... [More]
The Gravity Shifts?
Glenn Greenwald points to this appalling quote from John Yoo, one of the men behind this administration's approach to law: UC Berkeley law Professor John... [More]
1,000 Words
Sometimes an image really is all you need... [More]
Leaving Aside The "Partisan Rancor?"
Michael Tomasky makes a great catch. Both the NYT and the WaPo rightly noted Bush's ceremony this morning a the site of the Twin Towers.... [More]
September 12, 2006
Some Questions For The President (UPDATED)
In your address to the nation last night, you said the following: The war against this enemy is more than a military conflict. It is... [More]
What A True Conservative Would Say
Via Gregory Djerejian, a speech from David Cameron, the U.K.'s Conservative Party leader: I also believe that we should try to debate foreign policy in... [More]
I Thought They Were Our Enemies?
Well now... this sure makes the whole balck-and-white worldview a bitmore complicated, now doesn't it?... [More]
September 13, 2006
The War Crimes Act
Via Andrew Sullivan, your president: "As long as the War Crimes Act hangs over their heads, they [interrogators] will not take the steps necessary to... [More]
This Is Why We Fight?
Iraq, Iran, North Korea. They are, we were told, an axis of evil. They must be stopped. So I have to ask.... Was this part... [More]
Funny, That
Americablog: "I listen to my Democratic friends and I wonder if they're more interested in protecting the terrorists than protecting the American people," House Majority... [More]
The Meme Spreads
Over the past 24 hours or so, I've written several posts comparing the president's rhetoric about the war to his conduct of it. My take... [More]
"Drive Us Crazy, Into Bankruptcy"
Apparently Michael Chertoff thinks that one of al Qaeda's goals is to "drive us crazy, into bankruptcy," and that as a reuslt, we should understand... [More]
September 14, 2006
Bush Tells Barnes: Catching Osama bin Laden Is NOT Job #1
Via FoxNews and ThinkProgress, we learn the President of the United States has once again proclaimed that he's not terribly interested in capturing Osama bin... [More]
This Is Not Who We Are. This Is Not The Best We Can Do. (UPDATED)
Great catch by Josh Marshall on the history of the Geneva Conventions. They were left deliberately vague because it was believed this would make their... [More]
Enough Is Enough
Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) has had enough: "In light of the rantings that went on for 30 minutes by two colleagues from the other side,... [More]
September 15, 2006
"A Defining Moment for America"
I'm normally not a big fan of the Washington Post editorial page, but today they've got themselves a winner. The lead: A Defining Moment for... [More]
September 16, 2006
A Solider Speaks
Andrew Sullivan gets some amazing emails from his readers, but this one may be one of the best.... [More]
September 17, 2006
Andrew Sullivan Calls For War Crimes Prosecutions
Wow. I know that Andrew Sullivan has been out in front on the issue f torture for quite some time, but nevertheless... this is impressive:... [More]
Senate to Investiage Coercion of Military JAGs
Senator John Warner (R-VA) has already indicated that the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee may look into Sen. Lindsey Graham's (R-SC) allegations that the White House... [More]
Number of the Day
26.... [More]
Overlap
In what must be one of his most sarcastic posts to date, Matthew Yglesias lays bare the complete lack of progress in establishing rule of... [More]
Lying Liars...
Once upon a time, we were told the fate of the republic hung on how we responded to a small lie. Now? Not so much.... [More]
General Vessey Speaks
After hearing about this letter on Friday's NewsHour, I've been searching high and low for the text. As it turns out, the NYT has a... [More]
Outsourcing National Security
I understand that sometimes outsourcing jobs to the private sector makes sense, but this is simply ridiculous: At the National Counterterrorism Center — the agency... [More]
Remember the Cold War!
The ongoing effort by Republicans to rewrite the history of the Cold War is astonishing. Today's piece comes from conservative legal "scholar" John Yoo: A... [More]
Lieberman Forgets Our "Other" War
Nice. Apparently Joe Lieberman, a US Senator, doesn't realize that we still have troops serving in Afghanistan. Worse, he's criticizing those who argue that war... [More]
September 18, 2006
The Rhetoric of Torture: Compare And Contrast
A quote: Then there is the method of simply compelling a prisoner to stand there. This can be arranged so that the accused stands only... [More]
"Warriors In A Much Funner Way..."
If you don't yet believe some of your fellow citizens really are itching for a religious war, you need to see this:... [More]
In Your Name
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian police wrongly identified an Ottawa software engineer as an Islamic extremist, prompting U.S. agents to deport him to Syria, where he... [More]
More Military Resistance
(Tip o' the Cap: Andrew Sullivan)... [More]
September 21, 2006
A Key Piece of the Detainee Puzzle
When Bush announced he was transferring detainees from secret CIA prisons to Gitmo, I wondered what it was that had prompted the move. After all,... [More]
September 22, 2006
McCain and Graham Cave. Who Will Draw The Line?
If ever there was a time to step up and draw the line, it is now. Rarely in politics are issues as simple as black... [More]
War Signals?
Oh no. The Nation has learned that the Bush Administration and the Pentagon have moved up the deployment of a major "strike group" of ships,... [More]
September 23, 2006
NIE: "The Iraq War Has Made The Overall Terrorism Problem Worse" (UPDATED)
That is the official judgement of our entire national intelligence community. WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 — A stark assessment of terrorism trends by American intelligence agencies... [More]
September 24, 2006
Ned Lamont Sends a Letter to Lieberman
Whooo boy! You gotta see this. My favorite part: Few argue that one way a U.S. Senator can honor our troops is to fulfill his/her... [More]
Headline of the Day
Glenn Greenwald: "Osama bin Laden died again - Vote Republican"... [More]
From the Mouths of Sportswriters
Even sports writers are tearing into the president nowadays. Amazing catch by Josh Marshall of Mike Lupica's latest: The careers of Bonds and Sheffield and... [More]
Clinton Interview, Take One
Crooks and Liars has the Fox News interview for those who missed it. Love him or hate him, you must admit, this man is one... [More]
Geneva Conventions
One important point that has been overlooked in this debate: The Geneva Conventions are international law. As a result, we are not the only nation... [More]
Have I Mentioned Recently That I Love Montana?
I mean, I really, REALLY love Montana. Check out this highlight from the Tester-Burns debate: When it came to the USA Patriot Act, Burns called... [More]
September 25, 2006
Cliff May Is Clueless
Every few days, I head over to NRO's Corner to see what the kids are saying about the latest world developments. Most of the time,... [More]
The Long View Of History
Andrew Sullivan: In the future, when history is written, just remember: it's not that we weren't told what was going on. It's that we looked... [More]
If The Threat Was Real...
...how can this possibly make any sense?... [More]
September 26, 2006
NIE Summary Judgements Declassified
That was quick. Two excerpts for you. First, the segment everyone will be and already is talking about: We assess that the Iraq jihad is... [More]
New Evidence on Pre-911 Decisionmaking
Great catch by Froomkin. Former 9/11 Commission member Richard Ben-Veniste was on CNN this weekend, and for the first time he has provided details on... [More]
They Can't Even Lie Well Anymore
Wow. If you're going to lie, shouldn't you at least make an effort to do it well?... [More]
September 27, 2006
Kip Hawley an Idiot?
Hey America... Does this make you feel safer? Good to see we've got the best and brightest on the job, no? Tip o' the cap... [More]
The Internet Ate My Intel Report
I really don't think you could offer up a more idiotic excuse if you tried. Really. Also, as an aside, whenever I hear the word... [More]
In Your Name
Maher Arar was and is an innocent man. The FBI would not believe him. And so he was "rendered" to Syria, held in a prison... [More]
September 28, 2006
"The Weaker The Government's Case Against You, The Less Rights You Have"
Looks like Obama has decided to weigh in on the Habeus Corpus debate. This is a speech on the Senate floor, not a campaign address,... [More]
Better Late Than Never...
Finally, Democratic lawmakers are beginning to step up and speak the truth about the horrible "compromise" legislation crafted by Republicans on detainee treatment. Yesterday, it... [More]
Too Little, Too Late
By a vote of 51-48, the Senate has defeated the amendment to preserve habeas corpus. Republican Senators Chafee (RI), Sununu (NH), Specter (PA), and Smith... [More]
What's At Stake
Andrew Sullivan: This is what conservatism has now become. Because of McCain's capitulation and the Democrats' cowardice, this bill will now pass. The use of... [More]
Wrapped Around His Finger
Froomkin: Today's Senate vote on President Bush's detainee legislation, after House approval yesterday, marks a defining moment for this nation. How far from our historic... [More]
More From Obama
Via Atrios ...politics won today. Politics won. The Administration got its vote, and now it will have its victory lap, and now they will be... [More]
Who Do We Blame? Us.
MCJoan is right. Part of the problem was a failure of both imagination and mobilization by those who oppose this administration's insane policies. Activism isn't... [More]
Hate Hillary? Read This. (UPDATED)
I can't believe I'm about to say this, but this really is an amazing speech. (Update: Full text here) One by one, Democratic leaders are... [More]
Sen. Reid Speaks
They really are finally finding their voice. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid: The Framers of our Constitution understood the need for checks and balances, but... [More]
Senate Approves Detainee Bill 65-34-1
The final vote is in, and the bill has passed with a fairly large majority. Here are the Democrats who voted to shred the constitution:... [More]
September 29, 2006
Media Coverage of the Detainee Bill
I've complained several times over the past few days about how badly misguided media coverage has been over the detainee treatment bill, but today's example... [More]
We've Secretly Replaced This Fake Bob Woodward With The Real One...
Bob Woodward's new book comes out next week, but early reports of its content are quite surprising. After writing two books on Bush and the... [More]
Bob Woodward's Most Explosive Claim Yet: Bush Passed Up Chance To Kill Bin Laden BEFORE 9/11
NY Daily News, via ThinkProgress “The CIA’S top counterterrorism officials felt they could have killed Osama Bin Laden in the months before 9/11, but got... [More]
Repeat After Me
Attorney Gen. Gonzales, repeat after me: Without a formal declaration of war by Congress, the nation cannot legally be considered to be "at war."... [More]
September 30, 2006
Now They're Shredding Documents?
From Sunday's NYT: In June 2005, two senior national security officials in the Bush administration came together to propose a sweeping new approach to the... [More]
9/11 Commission Counsel Alleges Cover-Up
ThinkProgress has just posted a guest post from Peter Rundlet, a Counsel to the 9/11 Commission. He's read Bob Woodward's new book, and it has... [More]
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