So what a second. House speaker Dennis Hastert has met this morning with an evangelical leader who knew al-Qaeda’s Abu Musab al-Zarqawi “when he was nobody”? An evangelical leader who has counselled Saddam Hussein, Muammar al-Khaddafi, Slobodan Milosevic, Liberia’s Charles Taylor, and Tom Delay? And they discussed whether or not Hastert should resign? UPDATE: Weirder and weirder. The evangelical that … Read More
Everyone’s A Giggly Teenage
Even the respectable journalists at The Hill. From its lead editorial: Hastert and Boehner need to get on the same page or Republican troubles will continue to mount. Oh, stop it. [Via Wonkette]
Foley Blame Game & The Foley Effect
I wish I had kept this list earlier, because then I could hyperlink to examples. But off the top of my head, this is a short list of all the entities named by the right wing pundits on AM radio and the right blogistan who are actually responsible for Foley’s malfeasance: Demon alcohol Catholic priests Gay GOP staffers ABC’s Brian … Read More
The “Secret Hold”
It is a very very very rare thing when the right side of the political blogosphere and the left side of the political blogosphere are in total agreement. It’s even rarer when they work together. But that is what has been happening the past few days, and it is fun to watch. The issue is Senate Bill 2590, also known … Read More
The Conyers Report Is Out
Available here for free. Conyers writes: The report, which is some 350 pages in length and is supported by more than 1,400 footnotes, compiles the accumulated evidence that the Bush Administration has thumbed its nose at our nation’s laws, and the Constitution itself.
Fries Are French Again
Remember that bit of ridiculousness in March 2003, when a couple of Republican Congressmen, angry that France wasn’t supporting the U.S. efforts in Iraq, decided to "protest" by having the Congressional cafeteria serve "freedom fries" instead of "French fries"? It was a bold culinary symbolic statement which raised congressional silliness to new heights. Three years later, those two Congressmen (Bob … Read More
My Internet Is Broken — Is Yours?
If senators don’t know what they’re talking about, they shouldn’t be talking at all. Here’s Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) talking about the Net Neutrality bill, and why he opposes it: I just the other day got, an internet was sent by my staff at 10 o’clock in the morning on Friday and I just got it yesterday. Why? No, it … Read More
The “American Values” Agenda
Here’s the "American Values" Agenda being pushed by the GOP (from the website of Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-IL)): Pledge Protection Act (HR 2389; Akin)Summary: Protects the Pledge of Allegiance from attacks by activist federal judges seeking to rule it unconstitutional. Freedom to Display the American Flag Act (HR 42; Bartlett)Summary: Ensures an individual has the right to … Read More
Official English
I honestly hope these people have better things to do than debate whether or not English is America’s "national language" or a "common and unifying language". Either way, the piece of legislation is symbolic, since you can’t enforce anything. Aren’t there real problems out there that need addressing in real ways, rather than symbolic ones? Of course, the legislation is … Read More
Congressional Hearing Gets Catty
Everyone’s paying attention to the Senate confirmation hearings of General Hayden today, but it looks like all the fun stuff is happening in the other Senate hearing rooms.
Spend-Crazy Republicans
In March, the GOP-controlled Senate voted to increase the federal debt limit by $781 billion, bringing the debt ceiling to nearly $9 trillion. Neat trick. If you find yourself outspending the legal limits, just change the legal limits. And now, two months later, GOP lawmakers decided to raise it again. A $2.7 trillion budget plan pending before the House would … Read More
AP Poll
31% of conservatives think that Democrats should control Congress. When you think about it, that’s an astoundingly high number.
Republican Priorities
Josh Marshall notes that Sen. Elizabeth Dole has remarkable candor when it comes to expressing Republicans’ priorities lie this year : It all started earlier this evening when TPM Reader HH was on the receiving end of one of Dole’s blast emails begging contributions for the Republican senate committee. Says Dole, in her pitch: "If Democrats take control of the … Read More
Hookers and Congress …and Watergate? — That’s So 1970’s!
Billmon: I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the news (from Harper’s via TPM Muckraker) that Porter Goss, director of the CIA, may be implicated in a hooker service for corrupt (and horny) congressmen paid for by defense contractors and run out of — you really gotta love this part — the Watergate Hotel. So what are we supposed … Read More
Anatomy Of A Photo Op
The captions below each picture are taken verbatim from AP and Reuters (but the emphasis is mine). U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) speaks at a news conference on gas prices at a gas station in Washington, April 27, 2006. Hastert drove home his points by leaving the news conference in a pair of hydrogen-powered cars. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst House Speaker … Read More