Political Animal
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en-us2009-07-03T20:26:12-05:00Barracuda
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_07/018923.php
Barracuda I just watched Sarah Palin's announcement that she will step down as governor, which was surreal even by her standards. It's hard to pick just one favorite moment, though this has to be on anyone's list: "Life is too...Hilzoy2009-07-03T20:26:12-05:00Friday's Mini-Report
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_07/018922.php
FRIDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits: * Yesterday, U.S. troops faced minimal resistance in Afghanistan. Today was far more difficult: "Taliban insurgents stepped up attacks Friday against U.S. Marines in southern Afghanistan's Helmand River valley, forcing troops in some...Steve Benen2009-07-03T17:25:43-05:00Palin to resign
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_07/018921.php
PALIN TO RESIGN.... Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) decided to shake up an otherwise slow news day with an astounding announcement: not only has she decided to skip a re-election campaign next year, she's also resigning from office altogether later...Steve Benen2009-07-03T15:40:35-05:00Quote of the Day
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_07/018920.php
QUOTE OF THE DAY.... Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) of Nevada. Reid says he expects the tactic of gentle persuasion to work best, given the size of his Senate Democratic flock and the political divergences within it. "I don't...Steve Benen2009-07-03T14:25:09-05:00Pondering ratings success
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_07/018919.php
PONDERING RATINGS SUCCESS.... Reader D.R. posed a question via email the other day, and I promised him I'd respond online. He asked: I detest Fox News (except Shepard Smith) but why are their ratings zooming so high? They are on...Steve Benen2009-07-03T13:35:55-05:00Relevant facts aren't 'smears'
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_07/018918.php
RELEVANT FACTS AREN'T 'SMEARS'.... The far-right's obsession with Alan Carlin continues. Today, the Wall Street Journal ran this wildly unpersuasive piece from Kimberley Strassel on the subject. [Carlin is] a senior analyst in the EPA's National Center for Environmental Economics...Steve Benen2009-07-03T12:45:29-05:00Friday's campaign round-up
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_07/018917.php
FRIDAY'S CAMPAIGN ROUND-UP....Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers. * In a bit of a surprise, former President Bill Clinton will headline a fundraiser for...Steve Benen2009-07-03T12:00:12-05:00FRC continues to confound
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_07/018916.php
FRC CONTINUES TO CONFOUND.... The Family Research Council, arguably D.C.'s most influential religious right organization on social and cultural issues, picks its battles carefully -- and applies its principles selectively. For example, the FRC had closely allied itself with South...Steve Benen2009-07-03T11:20:01-05:00MoJo server trouble
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_07/018915.php
MOJO SERVER TROUBLE.... Many of you may have noticed that Kevin Drum's Mother Jones blog is inaccessible this morning. I talked to Kevin and it seems there was a fire in the building where the magazine's servers are located. It's...Steve Benen2009-07-03T11:05:33-05:00A Jesse Helms for the 21st century
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_07/018914.php
A JESSE HELMS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY.... Sen. Jim DeMint (R) of South Carolina yesterday became the first U.S. senator to endorse the military-backed coup in Honduras. He issued a statement denouncing the democratically-elected president and heralding those responsible for...Steve Benen2009-07-03T10:35:13-05:00Hagan hero?
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_07/018913.php
HAGAN HERO?.... Just last week, freshman Sen. Kay Hagan (D) of North Carolina stood as a possible obstacle to meaningful health care reform. Hagan publicly expressed reservations about a public option, and given the current makeup of the Senate HELP...Steve Benen2009-07-03T10:00:22-05:00A roundtable you'll want to miss
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_07/018912.php
A ROUNDTABLE YOU'LL WANT TO MISS.... ABC News' George Stephanopoulos posted an item yesterday, letting viewers know what to expect on Sunday's episode of "This Week." In addition to an exclusive interview with Vice President Biden in Iraq.... We've also...Steve Benen2009-07-03T09:05:58-05:00Poorly timed attacks
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_07/018911.php
POORLY TIMED ATTACKS.... I can't relate to the right's hatred of Sen.-Elect Al Franken (D-Minn.), but it's hard not to notice the conservative vitriol toward the Senate's newest member in the wake of this week's ruling from the Minnesota Supreme...Steve Benen2009-07-03T08:40:44-05:00A rare consequence for lying
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_07/018910.php
A RARE CONSEQUENCE FOR LYING.... The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) this week launched a new attack ad, going after freshman Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Va.) for his vote to combat global warming last week. Perriello eked out a very narrow...Steve Benen2009-07-03T08:00:12-05:00Thursday's Mini-Report
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_07/018909.php
THURSDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits: * Marines launched a major offensive in Afghanistan's Helmand River valley early today, described as "the first large-scale test of the U.S. military's new counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan." * As part of the...Steve Benen2009-07-02T17:30:28-05:00