One for your morning... WASHINGTON — Prewar claims by the United States that Iraq was producing biological weapons were based almost entirely on accounts from a defector who was described... [More]
April 1, 2005
April 2, 2005
WHERE ARE WE?
A new beginning? An end? Or just a momentary fascination? History, of course, never repeats itself, but I couldn't help wondering, are we now living through what, from the perspective... [More]
WHEN IT COMES...
it will come from the West. That's what I told a friend of mine a few nights back in a late-nite discussion about my theory on the coming realignment of... [More]
MAN OVERBOARD!
When Cheney thinks you've gone too far, good god... On another issue, Cheney said he backed efforts to help save Terri Schiavo’s life, but strongly disagreed with House Majority Leader... [More]
HIRED GUNS
Want to know why it's an insanely stupid idea for the United States to rely on mercanaries to do its dirty work in Iraq? This is why: One of the... [More]
April 3, 2005
BUBBLES GO BOOM!
Good god. If this doesn't sound like a bubble that's about to burst I don't know what does. Confronted with soaring home prices, Californians are adopting a "buy now, pay... [More]
GO BIG BLUE
Check this out: In the most recent move, New Jersey and eight other states - five of them in New England - filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the federal government,... [More]
BY THE NUMBERS
Excuse the even longer than normal excerpt today, but this is just too important. Michael Kinsley runs the numbers and discovers... Well, I'll let you figure it out: Our text... [More]
April 4, 2005
OPEN-SOURCE MUCK-RAKING
Josh Marshall over at TalkingPointsMemo.com has a new group blog in the works, and he's put out a call for suggestions and ideas for possible features. Give it some thought,... [More]
April 5, 2005
SPEECHLESS
I'm speechless. Speechless. A United States Senator got up on the floor of the Senate earlier this evening and justified the actions and intentions of domestic terrorists. Via AmericaBlog, here... [More]
MORE PROOF...
...that David Brooks is beyond hope: Conservatives have not triumphed because they have built a disciplined and efficient message machine. Conservatives have thrived because they are split into feuding factions... [More]
REASON #54729...
... that I'll never, EVER live in Texas HOUSTON – Sliding his computer mouse around until he locates a moving target, the hunter sets the animal in his sites and... [More]
April 6, 2005
LET'S TRY THIS AGAIN
Man overboard! Its seems DeLay has been a very, VERY bad boy. And someone somewhere is very, VERY anxious to let the world know. Three - count 'em, three -... [More]
FEED THE BEAST?!?
When it rains it pours. Yet another sign that the ideological and political lines around which our parties have been organized for the past three decades is coming unraveled: GROWING... [More]
DEBT
Via Josh Marshall: So how much debt has President Bush run up on his watch? This page on the Bureau of Public Debt website gives some month by month and... [More]
NATIONALIZE IT
First Montana, now Maryland. If this isn't a winning issue for the Dems I don't know what is. Maryland lawmakers yesterday approved legislation that would effectively require Wal-Mart to boost... [More]
THE TRIUMPH OF CONSERVATISM
Hardly. In fact if anything things are going the other way. I don't want to use the "r word" again, but I'm telling you... it's coming. It's coming. --------... [More]
HATE KNOWS NO BOUNDS
For literally thousands of years these faiths have fought, leaving millions of lives shattered in the process. But finally, FINALLY they have come together to find common ground. Hope for... [More]
NEXT TIME
Hey Dems! Next time, can we please get a candidate that talks like this: This is the first time that a President of the United States has declared that we,... [More]
April 7, 2005
ON THE BANDWAGON
Looks like Chris Bowers over at MyDD has jumped onto my realignment bandwagon. Ha! Here's his take on the latest Gallup poll numbers: Oh baby. This is just so great... [More]
YET AGAIN
Yet another illegal lobbyist-funded junket for Tom DeLay and his family, this time reported by ABC News. A Washington lobbyist under federal investigation for his lobbying activities arranged a lavish... [More]
HERE'S A DEFINITION FOR YOU
Urgent: Compelling immediate action or attention; pressing. Fred Kaplan over at Slate writes: I've just read one of the funniest and saddest government documents I've run across in years. Published... [More]
April 8, 2005
THE BANDWAGON COMETH
OK. This is getting silly. Now the Wall St. Journal is jumping on my "the realignment will come from Montana" bandwagon! Not only had the citizens of the nation's fourth... [More]
CAN THAT SPAM
Woah. LEESBURG, Va. (AP) -- A Virginia judge sentenced a spammer to nine years in prison Friday in the nation's first felony prosecution for sending junk e-mail, though the sentence... [More]
April 9, 2005
THE PIE HAS LANDED
Ha! Too funny. --------... [More]
MUST.. NOT... EXPLODE
Reading stories like this one makes me want to scream. WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday canceled a controversial study using children to measure the effect of... [More]
REMEMBER WHEN?
Remember when the GOP claimed to be the party opposed to big government? When they were the ones opposed to the government interference in the lives of ordinary Americans? Check... [More]
NUKES NOW
We need more nukes. But it's time for the rest of us to drop that hostility to nuclear power. It's increasingly clear that the biggest environmental threat we face is... [More]
WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE STOP THIS MAN?
Every time I think David Brooks' columns can't get any worse, they do. Last week we had his pathetic attempt to turn the Republican Party's growing lack of unity into... [More]
THE COMPANY YOU KEEP
Last post for the night. I've got a huge stack of undergrad papers to grade, and although I'd rather hit myself in the head with a hammer for the next... [More]
April 10, 2005
OH DEAR
Oh dear. Oh dear. Oh dear! Newsweek April 18 issue by Michael Isikoff Jack Abramoff was somber, bitter and feeling betrayed. Once a Washington superlobbyist, Abramoff is now the target... [More]
LYRICS
So I'm studying for my Political Economy midterm tomorrow, and my iTunes decided to go on a John Mayer kick. I've probably mentioned this before, but damn... boy can write... [More]
April 11, 2005
WATCH THAT COALITION
Cracking.... creaking... Not yet splintering, but... This is big: Private GOP tensions over Tom DeLay's ethics controversy spilled into public Sunday, as a Senate leader called on DeLay to explain... [More]
NO EXIT STRATEGY
Found this story from Monday's Roll Call over on Raw Story. The last line is just priceless: "Republicans in Congress and the White House say they have nearly finished the... [More]
April 12, 2005
THIS IS JOURNALISM?
Here's the lead from an article in today's Washington Post In Recent Scandals, a Rethinking Of Capital's Conventional Wisdom By John F. Harris Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, April 12,... [More]
THIS JUST IN...
This is interesting WASHINGTON - Three men with suspected al-Qaida ties, already in British custody, were charged Tuesday with a years-long plot to attack the New York Stock Exchange and... [More]
A SIMPLE PRAYER
Wow. A family member of DailyKos' MeteorBlades passed away recently, and at her funeral, this was the prayer that she asked her family to read: Do not stand at my... [More]
QUESTIONS
The Uptown Swami has a bunch of interesting questions on his blog today. But here's one I've always wondered about: Why would Jesus--who embodied Love--decide to die to save only... [More]
THE GREATEST LUXURY
Hypocrisy, that is. From ThinkProgress: “U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld issued a terse warning to Iraq’s new leaders on Tuesday, urging them to avoid…cronyism that could lead to corruption and... [More]
April 13, 2005
MORE PROOF...
That when it comes, it will come from the West. Look what the Idaho Legislature just passed: STATEMENT OF PURPOSE RS 15236 The purpose of this resolution is to recognize... [More]
April 14, 2005
COMPARE AND CONTRAST
First, this story from Reuters: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush called embattled Rep. Tom DeLay a strong Republican leader in the House of Representatives and denied he was a political... [More]
April 15, 2005
WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE FROM THE RIGHT?
After all, he did it all for the 'culture of life': Rudolph, who was on the run in the North Carolina mountains for five years until his capture in 2003,... [More]
THIS IS GOOD
Really good. --------... [More]
April 16, 2005
WAAAAAAY OVER THE EDGE
I don't understand. I just don't understand. What the hell was Joe Scarborough thinking? What would happen if terrorists launched a killing spree and no one noticed? That's the question... [More]
April 17, 2005
GO WEST!
More proof. When it comes, it will come from the West. Looks like Montana may go Blue in 06. Scratch that. Looks like it may have already gone Blue. --------... [More]
THE HOLY GRAIL
This is just mind-blowingly fantastic. Words seriously cannot even begin to describe what this might mean for our understanding of the past. For more than a century, it has caused... [More]
THE ESTATE TAX
I've stayed clear from commenting on this one, since to be quite honest I don't have the background necessary to do this complex subject justice. But Max does. And today... [More]
WAR ON REALITY
What do you do when the facts don't agree with your version of reality? Supress them, that's what: WASHINGTON - The State Department decided to stop publishing an annual report... [More]
QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS
Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass) asks: If things in Iraq are so much better, why are we not decreasing the number of US forces there? Why is the insurgency showing no... [More]
THE MORE I LEARN
...the less I like. Check out this report on DeLay's recent appearance in front of the NRA: HOUSTON (Reuters) - Gun control supporters are not bad people, they just do... [More]
"LIKE AN IDIOT"
Last week it was Newseek. This week it's Time: [...] the flurry of demands by DeLay's staff to Abramoff's lobbying operation call into question whether DeLay's office really believed the... [More]
THE COOLEST THING
Ever. Seriously. So... Here is where I live. And here is where I work. This is where I grew up. This is where I plan to retire some day. And... [More]
April 18, 2005
WHAT A SHOW!
Oh! The drama! Smoke rises. The votes have been cast. What is the colour? Can you see? Can you see?!? Alas alack... agreement has not been reached. and so...... [More]
April 19, 2005
VOTE NOW!
Democracy for America is buying a billboard near Congressman Tom DeLay's home in Texas, and they need your hope. After putting out the call for possible slogans, over 20,000 entries... [More]
A RANDOM THOUGHT
In the upcoming debate over the filibuster, one thing I expect we'll hear plenty of from Republicans is the complaint that a minority faction shouldn't be allowed to block the... [More]
HE NAILS IT
Sometimes Sullivan nails it. This is one of those times. An excerpt: But gays cannot win. If we embrace counter-cultural leftism, we are a threat to society and the family.... [More]
PR-101
If you didn't do anything wrong, don't send out a 2500 word denial to your constituents. --------... [More]
PILE ON IN! THERE'S PLENTY OF ROOM!
The L.A. Times joins the bandwagon with this piece about Colorado, Montana, and the future of the Democratic Party. Here's an out-take: The new residents of the rapidly growing communities... [More]
SPIRALING IN???
I'm in no position to comment on the success or lack thereof of Air America. Checking out Arbitron ratings just isn't my thing. But this portion of a conservative op-ed... [More]
GUARDIAN OF ORTHODOXY
A few people have written today to ask my thoughts on the new Pope. I'm just starting to learn about the man, but what I know so far is not... [More]
April 20, 2005
THE SOLDIERS GET IT
As the allegations of torture came to light this past fall, I was continuously amazed by the lack of outrage from average Americans. Particularly surprising to me, however, was the... [More]
NOTHING DOING. PERIOD.
My man Obama was in the news today: I'd been telling Obama's trusty aide about this couple from Wheaton, Ill.—Max and Donna Daniels—I'd met as they lingered (for pay) around... [More]
COMPARE AND CONTRAST
Former Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Paul Volker: The U.S. expansion appears on track. Europe and Japan may lack exuberance, but their economies are at least on the plus side.... [More]
GOOD GOD! HE TELLS THE TRUTH!
Check this out! Karl Rove was out of his element. He left the security of his West Wing office and the Republican fundraising circuit to face an audience of smart-alecky... [More]
PREACH ON!
Wow. I'm reprinting this in full on the off chance that you're lazy and don't click through. A HUGE thank you to The Nation for publishing this. And my apologies... [More]
April 21, 2005
COMPARE AND CONTRAST
Leaky Pipe Spills Crude, Salt Water Onto Tundra ANCHORAGE (Reuters) - A mixture of salty water and crude oil spilled out of a leaky pipeline at the Kuparuk oil... [More]
THE PURPLE STATE REBELLION
One state, two states, red state, blue state. Maybe Bush is a uniter after all: pening a new front in the growing rebellion against President Bush's signature education law, the... [More]
A GAME OF CAT AND MOUSE
Wow. A harmless bacterium that binds to the HIV virus has been discovered by medical researchers. The find may lead to a cheap way to control infection. Lin Tao, a... [More]
PLEASE. NO.
Via Kos... Please tell me this isn't true. Please. Judicial Watch, the public interest group that fights government corruption, announced today that it has obtained documents through the Freedom of... [More]
April 24, 2005
BIZARRO-WORLD!
OK... This is just bizarre. Remember how the President trumpeted the deal with Libya as a huge victory in the war on terror? Well, it looks like it almost never... [More]
YOUR AMERICA?
Is this your idea of the American dream? SIKESTON, Mo. — Hundreds of thousands of poor people across the nation will lose their state-subsidized health insurance in the coming months... [More]
HE'S BAAAAAAACK!
Where's Waldo? --------... [More]
April 25, 2005
IRREGULARITY
Just a quick update about the blog. It's the home stretch for the Spring semester, and I've got four 25+ page papers due in the next 3 weeks. Yeah. So...... [More]
A SHOW OF LOYALTY
...that could very seriously backfire? I have to say... this is something I would never have expected: In a show of support, President Bush will give embattled House of Representatives... [More]
GASP!
He rides the subway! And buys his own passes! Stop the presses! Stop the presses! Let's just state the obvious: New Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean is no Terry... [More]
HYPOCRISY
Wow. Every time I think they can't possibly sink any lower.... I'm speechless. Speechless. --------... [More]
BUSH STANDS TALL FOR PEOPLE OF FAITH
Or not. --------... [More]
REALIGNING?
Here's an option that hadn't occurred to me. An Internet fueled centrist 3rd party candidate. Influenced partly by Ross Perot's strong showing in the 1992 presidential race, Clinton argued that... [More]
April 26, 2005
MEANWHILE, IN LONDON...
Big news for Blair. BIG news: A prominent Labour politician will announce today that he is defecting to the Liberal Democrats in protest at Tony Blair's "lies" over Iraq. The... [More]
MORE SIGNS...
...that the Republican coalition is beginning to fracture. There's a reason Social Security is called the Third Rail of American Politics. You touch, you die! Check this out: A Senate... [More]
YET ANOTHER REPORT
Yet another report providing yet more proof that the pre-war WMD hype was just that - hype U.S. investigators hunting for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq have found no... [More]
THEY BLEW IT
We chased a phantom while letting one of the real threats to US Security grow. Brilliant. You don't have to take it from me. Charles Pritchard, the ambassador and special... [More]
HUFFINGTONPOST
Arianna Huffington is launching a new group blog, HuffingtonPost, and look who she's got! She has lined up more than 250 of what she calls "the most creative minds" in... [More]
TURN ON THE LIGHTS!
It's like roaches scurrying for cover... Members of Congress are rushing to amend their travel and campaign records, fearing that the controversy over House Majority Leader Tom DeLay will trigger... [More]
MORE BAD NEWS FOR BUSH
I've been wondering for months if we'd ever reach this point Half of all Americans, exactly 50%, now say the Bush administration deliberately misled Americans about whether Iraq had weapons... [More]
WILD, WILD WEST
Looks like Florida wants to become the new Deadwood: With a National Rifle Association lobbyist at his side, Gov. Jeb Bush signed a law Tuesday to make it clear that... [More]
THE CIRCLE
I'm in the middle of reading David A Hollinger's brilliant Postethnic America for class tomorrow, and in the epilogue he quotes this poem which I had to share: He drew... [More]
April 27, 2005
THE OVERREACH
Great effort today from one of my favorite columnists, E.J. Dionne. Please read the entire thing, but just in case, a highlight: All this, in turn, explains why Republican charges... [More]
READ AND WEEP
Read and weep. The number of serious international terrorist incidents more than tripled last year, according to U.S. government figures, a sharp upswing in deadly attacks that the State Department... [More]