Jun 3, 2004
Tenet resigns
DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe on Tenet's resignation:
Who in this Administration will be the next to go? It is time for the President to come clean with the American people about how he is going to hold his Administration accountable for the mistakes it has made.
Traitor in the White House
President Bush's decision to retain a lawyer to represent him in the Plame case serves as an important reminder: there is a traitor in the White House, and Bush has done nothing about it.
Somebody in the Bush administration leaked the name of an undercover CIA official, and they did it for the most base of political reasons: an act of vengeance against a whistleblower.
It's been almost a year since the original Robert Novak column revealed that Joseph Wilson's wife worked undercover for the CIA. Had President Bush showed the contempt for this act and the leadership that Americans deserve, we would have known long ago who was responsible.
Instead, this "most insidious of traitors," as President Bush's father described people who leak the identities of American agents, is still working for the Bush administration, and still drawing a paycheck from taxpayer funds.
Open Thread
Discuss the day's news here.
Jun 2, 2004
Bush's hometown mayor favors Kerry
You know it's bad news for George W. Bush when even his own mayor doesn't support his reelection. "I don't see where I'm better off than I was four years ago," said Robert Campbell, the mayor of Crawford, Texas. In 2000, Campbell voted for Al Gore over local boy George Bush. Four years later, Campbell is joining the fight to take America back by supporting John Kerry for President.
Do as I say, not as I do
Meet William J. Haynes. Haynes is general counsel at the Pentagon.
During his tenure at the Pentagon, Haynes:
- Was responsible for making sure that the U.S. military complied with the laws of war, including the Geneva Convention.
- Snubbed human rights advocates who raised concerns over prisoner abuse and torture in February 2003.
- Rejected and ignored the advice and concern of Judge Advocate General officials and prohibited them from observing interrogations.
- Denied that the U.S. military was engaged in torture in a letter to Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), but did not address the issues of illegal and degrading treatment.
Seeing as how President Bush declared the prisoner abuse scandal to be an outrage and injustice, you would think he would not want someone so closely tied to those policies sitting on the federal judiciary.
But instead, Bush has decided to reward Haynes for his exemplary service with a nomination to one of the most influential appellate courts in the country. If confirmed, Haynes will serve a lifetime appointment to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, serving parts of Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
Exploiting the fallen
Every single American — regardless of party — should be outraged by this:
"Halliburton itself has lost close to three dozen workers over there in Iraq," Matalin told NBC's Today show. "I mean, just let it go."
That's Cheney adviser Mary Matalin exploiting the deaths of Halliburton employees to try and prevent an investigation into whether Vice President (and former Halliburton CEO) Dick Cheney was involved in the decision to award no-bid Iraq contracts to the oil services giant.
These people will stop at nothing to avoid accountability. Is there anything more outrageous than Matalin's exploitation?
Open Thread 6/2
Discuss the day's news here.
Herseth wins!
Stephanie Herseth has won the special election for the statewide House seat in South Dakota.
It's the second special election this year that has moved a House seat from Republican to Democrat.
Jun 1, 2004
Willful malevolence
Kevin Drum has a must-read post today about the willful malevolence inherent in the GOP's fiscal policy:
It's this that makes modern Republican fiscal policy so deeply cynical and abhorrent. The leadership of the party knows perfectly well that spending won't be cut because they'd be kicked out of office instantly if they tried it. At the same time, they also know that their tax cuts will produce extremely damaging long term deficits. But they don't care because the damage won't become apparent until they leave office.
Republicans are deliberately bankrupting the federal government, leaving huge new debts for generations to come. They're creating a long-term disaster for short-term political advantage.
It's time for them to go.
Watch John Kerry live today
Don't miss John Kerry's speech today on the threat of nuclear terrorism and what he'll do to keep America safe.
Catch the live webcast at 1:45 p.m. eastern time at JohnKerry.com.
Open Thread 6/1
Discuss the day's news here.
May 31, 2004
The Bush attack machine
When you're an incumbent running for reelection and your failed policies have driven your approval ratings into the ground, there's only one strategy: attack your opponent.
When your opponent is John Kerry, there's only one way you can attack: lie.
Memorial Day Open Thread 5/31
Enjoy the day off, and remember those who have sacrificed so much and those who continue to do so.
May 29, 2004
Weekend Open Thread 5/29
Discuss the latest news here.