Friday, May 16, 2008
Morning Open Thread
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Posted by
Michael Link at 06:44 AM | Comments (36)
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Thursday, May 15, 2008
Evening Open Thread
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Posted by
Michael Link at 06:54 PM | Comments (49)
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A Step Toward Equal Rights
Governor Dean today issued the following statement on the California Supreme Court decision to overturn the state's anti-marriage ban:
"The Supreme Court of California today took a step forward in the long march toward protecting equal rights under the law for every American. This should not be a matter of politics or partisanship; it is a matter of protecting the rights and dignity of all American families."
Posted by
Michael Link at 05:16 PM | Comments (0)
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More on Bush's Outrageous Statement about Democrats
Speaker Pelosi: "What the President did in that regard is beneath the dignity of the office of the President and unworthy of our representation at that observance in Israel. And I would hope that any serious person would disassociate themselves from the President's remarks who aspires to leadership in our country."
Video via ThinkProgress:
Will McCain speak up?
Posted by
Michael Link at 03:35 PM | Comments (5)
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Will McCain Denounce Bush's Remarks
Bush made some outrageous comments that "Democrats are in favor of 'appeasement' of terrorists in the same way U.S. leaders appeased Nazis in the run-up to World War II."
Governor Dean has responded (emphasis mine):
"On the same day John McCain is talking about putting partisanship aside, the President launched a cheap political attack while on a state visit honoring the 60th anniversary of Israel, one of America's greatest allies. Bush's outrageous comments are an embarrassment to our country, not based in fact and bring us no closer to our goal of ending terrorist attacks against Israel and bringing peace to the region. If John McCain is really serious about being a different kind of Republican, he'll denounce these remarks in the strongest terms possible."
Posted by
Michael Link at 01:56 PM | Comments (4)
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Conyers to Rove: No
That's the headline at TPM Muckraker. With Karl Rove refusing to testify, in person and with a public record, House Judiciary Committee Chair John Conyers is saying that simply sending a letter isn't enough -- they need to actually be able to question him.
But he is willing to compromise by providing a list of initial questions that might be asked, which would allow him to make sure that the answers that he gives to the committee are precise and accurate.
From the letter Conyers sent Rove:
Our position remains, however, that since your client has made a number of on-the-record comments on these subjects to the media, and in light of your (now modified) statement that Mr. Rove would be willing to testify, we can see no justification for his refusal to speak on the record to the Committee.
Posted by
Michael Link at 11:35 AM | Comments (0)
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Morning Open Thread
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Posted by
Michael Link at 08:49 AM | Comments (81)
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Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Evening Open Thread
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Posted by
Michael Link at 06:11 PM | Comments (60)
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John McCain and the Windfall Profits Tax
John McCain doesn't hate the windfall profits tax as much as the RNC does.
Once again, somebody didn't do their research.
Posted by
Matt Ortega
at 05:59 PM | Comments (1)
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And They Wonder
The day after losing big in Mississippi, worried Republicans across Capitol Hill question what's wrong with the "GOP Brand."
Then they pull a stunt to block First Responder legislation.
And then they go back to wondering why people are turning away from the Republican Party.
Posted by
Michael Link at 04:55 PM | Comments (1)
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McCain's Lobbyists Are Putin Him in A Bind
McCain right-hand man/lobbyist ties to Putin-backed political party raises some eyebrows:
A consultant to Sen. John McCain hired a public-relations firm last year to burnish the U.S. image of a Ukrainian political party backed by Russian leader Vladimir Putin, according to documents filed with the Justice Department.The lobbying firm of Davis Manafort Inc. arranged for the public-relations firm's work through an affiliate last spring, at the same time Davis Manafort was being paid by the Republican presidential candidate's campaign. The firm is co-owned by lobbyist Rick Davis, manager of Sen. McCain's presidential campaign, and longtime Republican strategist Paul Manafort.
McCain campaign spokesman Brian Rogers said Mr. Davis receives no income from Davis Manafort, although he still owns a share of the firm. "He earns no money from their activities while he is on leave," Mr. Rogers said.
It's just another notch on his lobbyist belt:
But like a little yipping dog that won’t go away, questions about the potential sway of lobbyists on the Arizona Republican continue to follow the “Straight Talk Express.” McCain has repeatedly said he learned much about avoiding undue influences, or the appearance thereof, from the Charles Keating scandal while he was a congressman representing the East Valley. One outcome of his connection to the Keating Five was his persistent efforts to pass campaign reform in the hope of reducing the influence of money over national politics.… But what really hurts is that McCain complained about these tools of politics at the same time he continued to use them to benefit his constituents and his own career.
Posted by Mike Gehrke at 01:08 PM | Comments (2)
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Memo: McCain Losing Ground
John McCain is proving that Republicans aren't just having trouble at the Congressional level. Voters see him as on the wrong side of the issues and tied to the most unpopular president in history. On top of that, the Republican "brand" is so damaged that not only can't it save him from the problems that voters have with him, but it can only hurt.
On the flip, read our new memo outlining McCain's failure to connect with voters.
Keep reading "Memo: McCain Losing Ground"
Posted by
Michael Link at 11:47 AM | Comments (9)
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Mississippi Gets the Change They Deserve
Last night -- in a special election -- Democrats picked up another House seat in yet another district that has been reliably Republican for over a decade. As one GOP leadership aide put it, if they lost this one, they'd be looking for windows to jump out of.
You can bet it's going to shake up some House Republicans for the rest of the week. They're still spinning, but it's pretty obvious that they phoned this one in. Mostly, the NRCC tells Republicans not to rely on them to help out... at all:
I encourage all Republican candidates, whether incumbents or challengers, to take stock of their campaigns and position themselves for challenging campaigns this fall by building the financial resources and grassroots networks that offer them the opportunity and ability to communicate, energize and turn out voters this election.
That translates to: don't rely on the NRCC to save you.
So now the House Republicans are going to do the same soul-searching that they did the last time they lost a seat like this one. And the time before that. But what's going to change? Are they going to stop blocking Democratic proposals in the interest of getting things done? Unlikely. Will they stop politicizing everything, to the point that they're voting against Mother's Day? Doubt it.
Instead, they'll probably just come up with another slogan. Nothing against slogans, of course, but slogans don't distract people from blocking children's health care or standing with Bush on issue after issue.
Updated by Matt Ortega: The Hill:
The sky is falling on House Republicans and there is no sign of it letting up.The GOP loss in Mississippi’s special election Tuesday is the strongest sign yet that the Republican Party is in shambles. And while some Republicans see a light at the end of the tunnel, that light more likely represents the Democratic train that is primed to mow down more Republicans in November.
Posted by
Michael Link at 10:04 AM | Comments (3)
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Morning Open Thread
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Posted by
Michael Link at 08:47 AM | Comments (114)
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Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Election Results Open Thread
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Posted by
Michael Link at 06:49 PM | Comments (127)
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