Pardon Me

Ken AshfordBush & Co., CrimeLeave a Comment

Here are 14 people that Bush pardoned yesterday — the day when Delay got indicted.  They include 4 drug dealers. Probably not the best timing. Speaking of crime, Bill Bennett posed an interesting solution: But I do know that it’s true that if you wanted to reduce crime, you could — if that were your sole purpose, you could abort … Read More

Delay Indicted

Ken AshfordBreaking News, Congress, RepublicansLeave a Comment

This just in… WASHINGTON – A Texas grand jury on Wednesday charged Rep. Tom DeLay and two political associates with conspiracy in a campaign finance scheme, forcing the House majority leader to temporarily relinquish his post. DeLay attorney Steve Brittain said DeLay was accused of a criminal conspiracy along with two associates, John Colyandro, former executive director of a Texas … Read More

Republicans Screw The Pooch

Ken AshfordDemocrats, Election 2006, RepublicansLeave a Comment

This news as huge ramifications for the upcoming elections.  From Political Wire: As the 2006 midterm election season approaches, Political Wire has seen a copy of a new Winston Group (R) poll that shows Americans turning away from the Republican party. (There’s no link yet on the firm’s website.) Those surveyed had less confidence in Republicans to handle a wide … Read More

Post Of The Day

Ken AshfordBush & Co., DisastersLeave a Comment

From The Talent Show: I gotta say, the federal, state, and local authorities did a fantastic job in responding to Hurricane Rita. It’s almost as if they were trying to make up for something. It’s funny how a "trial run" like the complete destruction of a major American city can motivate people. I just wish every major disaster was immediately … Read More

Monday Morning Fast Facts

Ken AshfordBush & Co., War on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

* Number attending this weekend’s anti-war rally in Washington D.C.:  150,000 estimated (Photo at right from Bradblog) * Number attending this weekend’s pro-war counter rally in Washington, D.C.:  400 (although wingers were expecting 20,000) * Recommended reading: Time Magazine’s "How Many More Mike Browns Are Out There?": A TIME inquiry finds that at top positions in some vital government agencies, … Read More

Hey Big Spender!

Ken AshfordBush & Co., Economy & Jobs & DeficitLeave a Comment

Conservative think-tank American Enterprise Institute did a study on the budgets of the last 9 administrations (LBJ to present) and wrote an article proclaiming "President Reagan, Champion Budget-Cutter". "Yea!  Reagan!  He was soooo good!"  You get the idea. Sadly, the AEI buried the lede.  You have to go to the bottom of the article to find out who was the … Read More

Beginning Of The End For Frist

Ken AshfordCongress, RepublicansLeave a Comment

The story has legs: WASHINGTON – When Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist asked a trustee to sell all his stock in his family’s hospital corporation, a large-scale sell-off by HCA Inc. insiders was under way. Shares of the Nashville, Tenn.-based hospital company were near a 52-week peak in June when Frist and HCA insiders were selling off their shares — … Read More

Attention, “Family Values” People!

Ken AshfordBush & Co., Sex/Morality/Family ValuesLeave a Comment

See how much your President believes in holding up "family values".  Check this out: President Bush decided Wednesday to waive any financial sanctions on Saudi Arabia, Washington’s closest Arab ally in the war on terrorism, for failing to do enough to stop the modern-day slave trade in prostitutes, child sex workers and forced laborers. In June, the State Department listed … Read More

How Government Does Biz

Ken AshfordBush & Co., Disasters, Economy & Jobs & DeficitLeave a Comment

I really liked what Robert Reich (Secretary of Labor under President Clinton) said yesterday on NPR’s Marketplace.  You should really give it a listen here. But since you won’t, let me restate his commentary in my own words. Why are prices so cheap at Walmart?  As most people know, it is because Walmart is so honkin’ huge, that it can … Read More

Bush To Bestow Honor On Cindy Sheehan

Ken AshfordBush & Co., Iraq, SheehanLeave a Comment

This is, uh, interesting.  Keep in mind as you read, that on the weekend of September 24-25, there will be a huge anti-war rally in Washington, D.C., in which Gold Star Mom Cindy Sheehan will play a vital role. America’s Gold Star Mothers carry a great burden of grief,  yet they show a tremendous spirit of generosity in helping their … Read More

Bush Hitting The Sauce Again

Ken AshfordBush & Co.Leave a Comment

So says The National Enquirer. Yeah, I know.  The National Enquirer.  So we can assume it’s not true.  Especially when you read sentences like this in the Enquirer article (which itself reads like a really bad Dallas episode): "When the levees broke in New Orleans, it apparently made him reach for a shot," said one insider. "He poured himself a … Read More

Trouble For Frist?

Ken AshfordCongress, RepublicansLeave a Comment

The lead paragraph says it all: Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a potential presidential candidate in 2008, sold all his stock in his family’s hospital corporation about two weeks before it issued a disappointing earnings report and the price fell nearly 15 percent. Read more about insider trading here.

John Edwards On “The Working Society”

Ken AshfordDemocrats, DisastersLeave a Comment

Sure, it’s political rhetoric, but it’s really good political rhetoric.  John Edwards hits all the right notes: So many young people are struggling against the odds to do right, and they need America’s support. Words are not enough. That’s why it is time for a new social compact. When President Bush talks about an "ownership society," he means the more … Read More