The AP’s Jennifer Loven has been noticing the same thing as me: WASHINGTON – "Some look at the challenges in Iraq and conclude that the war is lost and not worth another dime or another day," President Bush said recently. Another time he said, "Some say that if you’re Muslim you can’t be free." "There are some really decent people," … Read More
First Poll On Censure
A plurality of Americans support it. Specifically, 46 percent of Americans (48 percent of voters) support Sen. Russ Feingold’s censure resolution, while 44 percent (43 percent of voters) oppose the idea. Which begs the question: when Russ Feingold offered the resolution, why did Senate Democrats run away from it like he just lit a bomb?
Pew Poll: Bush Is “Incompetent”
Not only does the latest Pew Poll put Bush at 33% approval, but it contains this laugh-out-loud graph: This was the response to an open-ended question about the one word people would use to describe Bush (no suggested answers were given).
USA Today/Gallop/CNN Poll Puts Bush At 36%
That’s his lowest approval rating for that poll ever. It was taken this weekend — after the Dubai Ports World deal fell through. The poll also discovered that: 57 percent of those polled believed that sending troops in Iraq was a mistake, while 42 percent felt the war was not a mistake. Sixty percent of Americans believed that things were … Read More
New Hampshire First-In-The-Nation Status Undermined
From WaPo: The Democratic Party’s Rules and Bylaws Committee yesterday dealt a blow to New Hampshire Democrats hoping to keep their coveted place in the presidential nominating schedule, agreeing by voice vote to a plan that would place one or two caucuses between the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 14, 2008, and the New Hampshire primary eight days later. The proposal, … Read More
Burnt Out
The senior White House staff is burnt out, says the Washington Post. Cuv governating is hard work.
Headline Of The Day
Reuters: "Republicans Look To A Future Without Bush" Oh, I think they aren’t the only ones…..
Not Again
WaPo headline: "Bush Goes On Offensive To Explain War Strategy" Yup. Another series of speeches to hand-picked audiences. Again. “Bush supporters cite Iraq speeches as start of rebound” [AP, 12/13/05] “Bush vows victory, not retreat; Speech gives strategy for winning Iraq war, rejects exit timetable” [Toledo Blade, 12/1/05] “Bush Goes on the Offensive Against Critics of War in Iraq” [Los … Read More
Bush’s Domestic Advisor A Crook
One month ago, I wondered why Bush’s domestic advisor resigned. Now we know: A former adviser to President Bush was arrested this week in Maryland and charged with swindling two department stores out of more than $5,000 in a refund scam. Montgomery County police said Claude Allen, 45, was arrested Thursday and charged with carrying out a felony theft scheme … Read More
Faith-Based President
Bush today: "You’ve got to stand on what you believe, that’s what you’ve got to do, if you’re going to make decisions that are solid and sound…" Facts be damned, right?
Former Justice O’Connor Smacks The GOP Around
Amy Sullivan has the goods: Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor gave a speech yesterday at Georgetown in which she slammed Republicans–singling out Tom DeLay and John Cornyn–for undermining the judiciary. (You can listen to NPR coverage of the speech here.) She quoted DeLay’s attacks on the court during Justice Sunday, and then turned on the sarcasm: "This was … Read More
The Catholic Vote
Glenn Greenwald notes that part of Rove’s tactics for winning the 2004 election against Kerry was to take the Catholic vote. Rove did this in part by impugning Kerry’s catholicism, i.e., Kerry wasn’t a "good" Catholic. Part of the reprehensible tactics included parading Catholic Republicans in front of the microphones to suggest that Kerry shouldn’t receive communion because of his … Read More
The Germans Have A Word For Everything
Wordsmith.org’s word of the day is weltschmertz. I dig this word, not only because it has six consonants in a row (can you name another?), but because it describes my current political temperature. The word means: World weariness; pessimism, apathy, or sadness felt at the difference between physical reality and the ideal state. I look at the grisly, yet successful, … Read More
Fraud
There’s no doubt in my mind that the GOP’s new fundraising letter is designed to confuse members of the public, particularly the elderly. It looks like an official IRS form, complete with instructions not to destroy the form. It admonishes the recipient to complete the form and return it (and of course, the document contains a place to donate money … Read More
“Resolved” in Newfane, VT
At a town meeting on Tuesday, the Newfane (VT) community voted "yea" to the following resolution: ""Whereas George W. Bush has:"1. Misled the nation about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction;"2. Misled the nation about ties between Iraq and Al Quaeda;"3. Used these falsehoods to lead our nation into war unsupported by international law;"4. Not told the truth about American policy … Read More