Category Archives: National news

This ought to be exciting: The Electronic Frontier Foundation has filed a class action lawsuit against AT&T for “violating the law and the privacy of its customers by collaborating with the National Security Agency (NSA) in its massive and illegal … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Coretta Scott King, widow of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr, has died at the age of 78. “We appreciate the prayers and condolences from people across the country,” the King family said in a statement. The family said she … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Rep. Chet Edwards has some bad news for college students and their parents: A massive cut in student financial aid is buried in a reconciliation bill that could be voted on in the House as soon as Wednesday. Take a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

As you know, I don’t normally do much blogging on national news, since there’s so many other good sources for that sort of thing. But I do have to ask a question about this: President Bush, brushing aside bipartisan criticism … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Via Amanda, the world’s ugliest dog has passed away. His story was indeed one of triumphing by wit and charm over appearance. Rest in peace, Sam the ugly dog. Continue reading →

As was the case with Harriet Miers, I’m not going to have too much to say about the current SCOTUS nominee, Samuel Alito. We’ll all be up to our collective clavicles in commentary on this one, so I see no … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Harriet Miers has withdrawn her nomination for the Supreme Court. In her letter dated today, Miers said she was concerned that the confirmation process “would create a burden for the White House and our staff that is not in the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Rosa Parks, American hero, died today at the age of 92. Parks inspired the civil rights movement when she refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama, in December 1955. Her arrest … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Via Political Wire, here’s the brilliant legal mind of Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison in action: “I certainly hope that if there is going to be an indictment that says something happened, that it is an indictment on a crime and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I know we’ve all enjoyed watching President Bush’s numbers head further and further south (even if there are potentially dire pony-related consequences), but to get the full flavor of it you really have to see the SurveyUSA 50-state poll. He’s … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Far be it from me to offer any advice to the right-wing crowd that’s currently frothing over the not-what-they-wanted nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court, but I’m getting a little tired of seeing stuff like this in the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison has a bad idea for border security that she wants to make into law. With complaints mounting about lax border controls, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison called Wednesday for giving local police the power to arrest … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Well, if you took any joy at the generally negative reaction among conservative pundits and bloggers to the nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court, this will serve as a little cold water to the face. Link via Avedon. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I’m not much for following the Supreme Court nomination battles – there are plenty of other bloggers who do a far better job of it than I would – but I do have a couple of thoughts now that we … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I so don’t want to think about the political battle that’s sure to follow the death of Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist. That’s about all I have to say on the subject right now. Continue reading →

Stories like this make the weekend a little brighter. A group that had hoped to build two museums to rebut the displays at the Clinton Presidential Library is folding. “I’m giving up,” said Houston businessman Richard Erickson, who established nonprofit … Continue reading → Continue reading →

If there’s a more repugnant person in America today than Fred Phelps, I don’t want to know who it is. Picketing the funerals of soldiers killed in Iraq to promote his hateful agenda is just sickening. I’m glad to see … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Nick Beaudrot, sitting in at Ezra‘s place, notes this news story about the energy bill and asks “Did Tom DeLay just lose a legislative battle?” House and Senate conferees abandoned giving makers of the gasoline additive MTBE liability protection against … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I’ve written before about the way the Bush Administration has tried to shaft the Veterans’ Affairs Department by grossly underestimating its budgetary needs. At long last, they’ve owned up to this failure. The Bush administration admitted yesterday that its request … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Today’s Wall Street Journal has an article about the increasing number of mortgages granted to illegal aliens. I guess I’ve just been out of touch, because this completely surprised me. The piece notes that the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The new Medicare drug benefit that goes into effect in January will cover “dual eligibles”, which are people on both Medicare and Medicaid. This group is generally in worse health and is costlier than either people on Medicaid only or … Continue reading → Continue reading →

the annotated Declaration of Independence, on its birthday How’s it going edition. IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776 The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison is scrambling to cover a hole in the Veterans’ Affairs budget. The Veterans Affairs Department will ask for an emergency infusion of cash to meet its health care expenses this year after pressure built in Congress … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Which US Senator has the lowest approval rates of them all? Give it up for local boy and box turtle enthusiast John Cornyn and his anemic 40/36 ratings! He’s not a one-hit wonder, either. As you can see on this … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Now this is what I call an effective bit of political theater. LAFAYETTE — A 28-foot gorilla has begun stalking some of Louisiana’s Republican congressman, starting Tuesday by menacing U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany Jr.’s office in Lafayette’s federal courthouse. While … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The wonderfully named Thurl Ravenscroft, who gave voice to Tony the Tiger, has died at the age of 91. Ravenscroft died Sunday of prostate cancer, said Diane Challis Davy, director of Laguna Beach’s Pageant of the Masters. For more than … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Today is the tenth anniversary of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah federal building in Oklahoma City, which killed 168 people. It remains the second-largest terrorist attack on American soil, and its effects are still being felt today. This … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Obviously, I gave John Cornyn too much credit when I said he’d “apologized” for his stupid and offensive remarks about threats to judges, since he clearly doesn’t understand what he did wrong. “The lesson I learned is that Washington is … Continue reading → Continue reading →

So Senator Cornyn has now revised and extended his original remarks. Cornyn tried Tuesday to stop what he called the misrepresentation of a speech about the judiciary that he made on the Senate floor a day earlier. With the criticism … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Via Josh Marshall, the following words were spoken on the floor of the Senate by the junior Senator from Texas, John Cornyn: I don’t know if there is a cause-and-effect connection but we have seen some recent episodes of courthouse … Continue reading → Continue reading →

It’s not just Texas that’s aiming to make voting harder. Legislation that would require voters to show photo identification before casting ballots has touched off fierce debate in three states, with opponents complaining the measures represent a return to the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Like I said, better late than never. I can’t wait to see what the letters to the Editor will look like. As for whether or not DeLay’s name recognition and negatives may be on the rise, all I can say … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I’ve seen several takes on this NYT story on the waxing and waning of Tom DeLay’s role in the Schiavo affair and how his front-and-center appearance may affect his name ID in 2006. Obviously, Democrats would love nothing more than … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Tax shelter crackdown bears fruit The IRS has collected more than $3.2 billion, mainly from wealthy people, in its most ambitious effort ever to crack down on improper tax shelters, the agency said Thursday. There’s been “some real pain” among … Continue reading → Continue reading →