Uncategorized
-
Bob Gates’s history at CIA
Bush is nominating Robert Gates for Secretary of Defense. Given the administration’s history of postmodern intelligence analysis, this 1991 article on the debate over his performance at CIA is disconcerting: [T]he Gates period produced a rash of complaints that, on controversial issues like Nicaragua, El Salvador and Iran, the agency tailored its reports to fit
-
A Northeastern realignment?
Hotline editor Chuck Todd is describing last night’s results as a realignment of the Northeast: A Category 5 political storm hit the shores of the Northeast on Tuesday, realigning the region from a moderately competitive terrain between the two parties to solidly Democrat. The Northeast for congressional Democrats is now the mirror image of the
-
Was Dean’s strategy responsible?
The rush to credit Howard Dean’s “50-state strategy” for the Democratic wins is apparently on — here’s Adele Stan on Tapped: As much as I’ve seen Rep. Rahm Emanuel, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, all over the airwaves in the last 24 hours, I’ve yet to hear him sing the praises of Democratic
-
The magnitude of Santorum’s defeat
Isaac Chotiner points out that Rick Santorum got only 41 percent of the vote and he was an incumbent! That is a serious beatdown. Even crazy Katherine Harris got 38 percent in Florida despite months of bad press, no money, and every Republican in the state hiding from her.
-
Duke lacrosse prosecutor wins
Mike Nifong’s latest hapless challengers, Democrat Lewis Cheek and Republican Steve Monks, apparently managed to split a majority anti-Nifong vote and return the Duke lacrosse prosecutor to office: With all but provisional ballots counted, Nifong, a Democrat, had 49 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results. County Commissioner Lewis Cheek, who lent his name
-
DeLay: Dems will “defund the war on terror”
Apparently it’s time to start making up things that Democrats will do. Tom DeLay on CNN this morning at approximately 8:30 AM EST: They [Democrats] want to cut and run. Many of them in America want that to happen. I think that’s really unfortunate. And I’m sure they will defund the war on terror. I
-
Post-election notes
–The Democratic takeover of the House and (probably) the Senate will predictably lead to all sorts of silly analysis. In particular, pundits are going to complain about “gridlock” and whine that Democrats not behaving like a “governing party”. The reality, though, is that gridlock is inevitable. Anything Democrats want to pass can be blocked by
-
Election day breaking news from ABC
On election day, ABC News has its priorities straight — here’s the breaking news email I just got: POP STAR BRITNEY SPEARS HAS FILED FOR DIVORCE FROM HUSBAND KEVIN FEDERLINE, CITING IRRECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES, A COURT SPOKESWOMAN SAYS Fantastic. But did she buy meth from a male prostitute?
-
Where’s Pelosi? On a WWE podcast!
Last week, Republicans sold the press on the myth that Nancy Pelosi was in hiding, as Media Matters documented. Not only is she not in hiding, she did a podcast with WWE Smackdown Your Vote: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi Featured In Latest WWE Smackdown Your Vote! Podcast STAMFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi
-
Democrats’ disadvantages in the Senate
Mickey Kaus draws the wrong conclusions: Just asking: What does it tell you about a political party if in a year of epic disaster for their opponents the best they can hope for is a 51-49 majority in the Senate? … 8:21 A.M. It tells you that the Senate is not a majoritarian institution. Only