Political Animal
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en-us2010-03-15T17:30:06-05:00Monday's Mini-Report
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_03/022875.php
MONDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits: * Mexico: "President Barack Obama is 'deeply saddened and outraged' at news of the murders of a federal employee and two relatives of workers at the U.S. consulate in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, an...Steve Benen2010-03-15T17:30:06-05:00When a creative imagination fails
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_03/022874.php
WHEN A CREATIVE IMAGINATION FAILS.... It's impressive, in an odd sort of way, when conservative bloggers "connect the dots" in ways reasonable people might not. Today, for example, a prominent far-right blog called Big Government had an item questioning a...Steve Benen2010-03-15T17:10:02-05:00'Comity' at risk
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_03/022873.php
'COMITY' AT RISK.... The funniest thing you'll read today. (via Matt Yglesias) The White House claims it's above worrying about the politics of health care -- they just want a bill passed this week. Good thing, because politics in Washington...Steve Benen2010-03-15T16:35:47-05:00Cuccinelli's true colors
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_03/022872.php
CUCCINELLI'S TRUE COLORS.... I feel like we've seen this story before: a Republican runs statewide in Virginia, presents himself as a moderate, gets elected, and ends up being significantly more right-wing then he let on during the campaign. Take newly-elected...Steve Benen2010-03-15T16:00:41-05:00'We need courage'
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_03/022871.php
'WE NEED COURAGE'.... When I watch President Obama's speeches, I tend to watch with the prepared text so I can see when he's adlibbing. If he departs from the teleprompter -- which he does with surprising frequency -- it tells...Steve Benen2010-03-15T15:15:48-05:00Pelosi vision of the road ahead
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_03/022869.php
PELOSI VISION OF THE ROAD AHEAD.... House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sat down this morning with nine bloggers/reporters to share some thoughts on the fate of health care reform, as the effort enters what may be its final week. As Pelosi...Steve Benen2010-03-15T14:40:40-05:00'Did you hear that, Dennis?'
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_03/022868.php
'DID YOU HEAR THAT, DENNIS?'.... President Obama held another public event on health care reform this afternoon -- his third in the last eight days -- and this time spoke a raucous crowd in Ohio. And not just anywhere in...Steve Benen2010-03-15T13:55:47-05:00An odd definition of 'spin'
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_03/022867.php
AN ODD DEFINITION OF 'SPIN'.... On ABC's "This Week" yesterday, David Axelrod told Jake Tapper that Sen. Scott Brown's (R-Mass.) health reform bashing is rather ironic. Brown, Axelrod said, "comes from a state that has a health care format in...Steve Benen2010-03-15T13:15:46-05:00Hayworth and horses
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_03/022865.php
HAYWORTH AND HORSES.... There's just something about same-sex marriage that prompts conservatives to think of bizarre relations with animals. In the most infamous instance, then-Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) was asked about marriage equality, and started talking about "man-on-dog" sex. That...Steve Benen2010-03-15T12:35:40-05:00Monday's campaign round-up
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_03/022863.php
MONDAY'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. * With a closely-watched Senate race in Nevada this year, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's...Steve Benen2010-03-15T12:00:27-05:00Presidential carrots
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_03/022861.php
PRESIDENTIAL CARROTS.... With the fight over health care reform nearly over, a group of about 40 House Democrats will decide whether the effort succeeds or fails. The right's efforts to encourage these Dems to join Republicans in killing the reform...Steve Benen2010-03-15T11:25:36-05:00Beck's Fox News detractors
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_03/022860.php
BECK'S FOX NEWS DETRACTORS.... The Washington Post's Howard Kurtz has an interesting item today on the animosity between Glenn Beck and "many" Fox News staffers. With his celebrity fueled by a Time cover story, best-selling books, cheerleading role at protest...Steve Benen2010-03-15T10:50:38-05:00Hardball in the homestretch
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_03/022859.php
HARDBALL IN THE HOMESTRETCH.... Late last week, we learned the Service Employees International Union, one of the nation's largest and most influential labor unions, was beginning to urge wavering Democratic lawmakers to support health care reform. A top SEIU official...Steve Benen2010-03-15T10:10:16-05:00Boehner hearts Gitmo
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_03/022858.php
BOEHNER HEARTS GITMO.... Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) seems to think that if President Obama agrees to try Khalid Sheik Mohammed and some 9/11 co-conspirators in military tribunals instead of civilian courts, Republicans will agree to help close the detention facility...Steve Benen2010-03-15T09:30:37-05:00Ensign 'under siege,' but not from media
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_03/022857.php
ENSIGN 'UNDER SIEGE,' BUT NOT FROM MEDIA.... Sen. John Ensign's (R-Nev.) humiliating sex scandal -- involving personal, legal, and ethical transgressions -- grew more serious last week with reports of incriminating emails. Politico reports this morning that the scandal "has...Steve Benen2010-03-15T08:35:56-05:00