Roundup

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | November 4, 2009, 9:01AM

GOP's Hopes Rekindled, But Internal Arguments Could Continue
The New York Times reports that the mixed election results from last night -- with Republicans winning solidly in the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races, but losing the NY-23 special election -- will simultaneously rekindle the GOP's hopes and continue arguments about the party's direction. "Conservatives can win when they emphasize the right things and don't allow their message to get co-opted," said former Michigan GOP chairman Saul Anuzis. "The Democrats and some of their friends in the media attempt to paint all conservatives as fire-breathing cavemen."

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will participate in a 10:30 a.m. ET credentialing ceremony for foreign ambassadors. He will depart the White House at 11:15 a.m. ET, arriving at 1:30 p.m. ET in Madison, Wisconsin. He and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will meet with students at Wright Middle School at 2 p.m. ET, and Obama will deliver remarks on strengthening the education system at 2:30 p.m. ET. He will depart from Madison at 3:55 p.m. ET, arriving back at the White House at 5:55 p.m. ET. He and the First Lady will host an event at 7:15 p.m. ET, celebrating classical music.

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NJ-GOV

SEIU Mailer: Corzine Will Work With Obama, Christie Will Fight Him

Eric Kleefeld | October 22, 2009, 11:51AM

SEIU is stepping up its campaign efforts in the New Jersey gubernatorial race, tapping into the state's Democratic leanings by tying Dem Gov. Jon Corzine to the much more popular President Obama -- and Republican candidate Chris Christie to the very unpopular former President George W. Bush.

Here's a new mailer, telling recipients that "One man will work with the president. The other will fight him." Christie's service as a U.S. Attorney, which has been the centerpiece of his political appeal, is also tied to "Bush-era corruption": "George W. Bush made Chris Christie his top New Jersey lawyer after Christie and his lobbyist friend raised about $350,000 for Bush and the National Republican Party."

(Click images to enlarge.)

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Tea Party

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | August 5, 2009, 8:59AM

DNC Web Ad Blasts Republican "Angry Mobs"
The Democratic National Committee is expanding its public relations push against the Tea Party crowds that are interrupting town hall meetings, with this new Web ad tying the right-wing base to the GOP establishment:

"Now, desperate Republicans and their well funded allies are organizing angry mobs -- just like they did during the election," the announcer says. "Their goal? Destroy President Obama, and stop the change Americans voted for overwhelmingly in November."

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will be traveling today to Warakusa, Indiana. He will arrive at South Bend Regional Airport at 11:10 a.m. ET, and will deliver remarks on the economy at Monaco RV in Warakusa at 11:55 a.m. ET. He will depart from South Bend at 1:35 p.m. ET, and will arrive back at the White House at 3:20 p.m. ET.

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George W. Bush

GOP Strategist: Dems Attacking Bush Is "Negative Politics Of The Past" That Voters Rejected Last Year

Eric Kleefeld | August 3, 2009, 1:58PM

It's been pretty clear for a while that Democrats will be running against George W. Bush's legacy for years and years to come, and this year's gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia have been no exception. Whether this will work remains to be seen. But for now, how are Republican responding?

Check out this item from the Washington Post, reporting on the use of the Bush attack by Democrats in Virginia:

"I'm sure what happens is they sit around the table and poll George Bush and find that he's still unpopular," said Phil Musser, former executive director of the Republican Governors Association and a political strategist. "Shocking! But it's a tired argument that reflects an old playbook. Didn't America just vote to change the negative politics of the past?"

He's right. The people voted in 2008 for change, to get rid of the negative politics of the past -- which means not saying bad things about George W. Bush!

Barack Obama

Poll: Obama's Numbers On Economy Are Unimpressive -- But People Still Blame Bush More

Eric Kleefeld | July 23, 2009, 5:31PM

The new Fox News poll has some mixed news for President Obama on the economy. On the one hand, his numbers in this area aren't all that impressive -- but people still blame former President George W. Bush more than they blame him.

Obama's overall approval rating is 54%, with 38% disapproval. On the economy, this is a narrower 50%-43%, still in positive territory. This question could be troublesome: "Do you think the Obama administration has a clear plan for fixing the economy?" Here it is only Yes 42%, No 53%. The same question is asked about Congress, yielding an abysmal 21%-73% rating.

However, people still don't view the economy as Obama's fault, as Republicans would like to see things. Here's one question: "Who do you think is more responsible for the current state of the economy -- Barack Obama or George W. Bush?" Here it's Obama 16%, Bush 61%, and both equally 5%. The same question is asked about the current size of the budget deficit: Obama 28%, Bush 53%, both 8%.

Barack Obama

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | June 18, 2009, 9:02AM

Bush Hits Obama On Gitmo
During a speech yesterday in Pennsylvania, former President George W. Bush deviated from his previous declarations that he would not criticize President Obama. "I told you I'm not going to criticize my successor," he said. "I'll just tell you that there are people at Gitmo that will kill American people at a drop of a hat and I don't believe that persuasion isn't going to work. Therapy isn't going to cause terrorists to change their mind."

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will meet with Vice President Biden at 1 p.m. ET. At 3:15 p.m. ET, the two of them will meet with George Mitchell, the Special Envoy for Middle East Peace. At 4 p.m. ET, Obama will meet with Treasury Sec. Tim Geithner. At 7 p.m. ET, Obama will speak at a DSCC/DCCC fundraising dinner.

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George W. Bush

Corzine Running In N.J. On His Progressive Record -- And Most Importantly, Against George W. Bush

Eric Kleefeld | June 3, 2009, 1:08PM

At last night's general election kickoff rally for Gov. Jon Corzine (D-NJ), which I was able to attend due to the good fortune of it being in my hometown, Corzine laid out a clear message he'll be taking into the general election: That he has a strong progressive record that he's proud to run on, that you can count on him as an ally of the very popular President Obama -- and perhaps as the most crucial element, that you simply can't vote Republican, the party of George W. Bush.

Corzine was introduced by none other than Vice President Joe Biden, who praised Corzine as a man who understands the economy, and directly advised Obama and Biden during the transition period, on how to craft the stimulus bill. "And everyone knows," Biden said at one point, "that your state, your state Senate, your state Assembly, your Governor, have inherited a mess left behind by the last administration in Washington, DC."

Corzine's Republican opponent -- who had not yet been determined at that hour, as votes were being counted in the primary, but was widely expected to win -- is former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie. The Democrats will therefore go after Christie using not just the unpopular Republican brand in general, but the Bush brand in particular, since Christie was an appointee of the Bush Administration. It's a strategy that would be inviting for a Dem in any state, but especially in this deep-blue bastion.

"They've got a secret plan. They won't tell you whose taxes they plan to cut," Corzine said during his own speech -- then ad-libbed this line that deviated from the prepared remarks: "They'll check with George Bush about that." So while George W. Bush is out of office, Dems plan to still have him to kick around.

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George W. Bush

Book: Bush Needed Condi To Explain 'Articulate' Flap During Dem Primary

Justin Elliott | June 2, 2009, 8:38PM

Did George W. Bush really summon his African-American secretary of state for a lesson on junior-high-level racial politics?

So reports Newsweek's Richard Wolffe in his new book on Obama, Renegade: The Making Of A President.

Bush found himself perplexed by the flap over Joe Biden describing Obama as "articulate and bright and clean" in January 2007. So, naturally, the president turned to the top U.S. diplomat, the trusted Condi Rice, to explain what the heck this was all about.

Here's the tidbit from the first chapter of Wolffe's book:

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Sonia Sotomayor

TPMDC Sunday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | May 31, 2009, 1:00PM

Cornyn Not Ruling Out Filibuster Against Sotomayor
Appearing on ABC's This Week, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) would not rule out a filibuster against the Sotomayor nomination. "I'm not willing to judge one way or the other, George [Stephanopoulos]," said Cornyn, "because frankly, we need to not prejudge, not pre-confirm, and to give Judge Sotomayor the fair hearing that Miguel Estrada, and, indeed, Clarence Thomas were denied by our friends on the other side of the aisle."

Rove: Bush Appreciates Cheney's "Forthright Defense"
Karl Rove told the Politico that former President George W. Bush -- who has publicly said he won't criticize President Obama -- privately appreciates the role that former Vice President Dick Cheney has taken on. "I know President Bush and Vice President Cheney talk with regularity," said Rove. "I know the former president appreciates Dick's forthright defense of the administration's polices. And I know Vice President Cheney understands the special role that the former president occupies."

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Barack Obama

TPMDC Saturday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | May 30, 2009, 1:04PM

Obama Praises Sotomayor -- And Dismisses Criticism -- In YouTube Address
In this week's Presidential YouTube Address, President Obama discussed his nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, praising her qualifications -- and rebutting the critics:

"There are, of course, some in Washington who are attempting to draw old battle lines and playing the usual political games, pulling a few comments out of context to paint a distorted picture of Judge Sotomayor's record," said Obama. "But I am confident that these efforts will fail; because Judge Sotomayor's seventeen-year record on the bench - hundreds of judicial decisions that every American can read for him or herself - speak far louder than any attack; her record makes clear that she is fair, unbiased, and dedicated to the rule of law."

RNC Address: Daniels Blasts "Imperialistic" Cap And Trade Proposal
In this weekend's Republican address, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels blasted President Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi for supporting cap and trade:

"It's become clear that the Pelosi bill has little to do with a cooler planet and everything to do with raising money for the out-of-control federal spending now underway in Washington," said Daniels. "Please excuse us Midwesterners for feeling a bit like the targets of an imperialistic policy, devised in places like California, New York, and Massachusetts for their benefit, at our expense."

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Barack Obama

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | May 29, 2009, 9:02AM

Bush: "The Information We Got Saved Lives"
Former President George W. Bush spoke last night in Michigan, defending the legality of his administration's interrogation methods. "I made the decision, within the law," Bush explained, "to get information so I can say to myself, 'I've done what it takes to do my duty to protect the American people.' I can tell you that the information we got saved lives." He later added that nothing he was saying was meant to criticize his successor: "I wish him all the best."

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will be meeting with Vice President Biden at 9:45 a.m. ET, in addition to his regular daily meetings with advisers. He will be speaking on securing the country's cyber-infrastructure, where he is expected to announce the appointment of a new "cyber czar," at 10:55 a.m. ET from the East Room. At 2:30 p.m. ET, he will attend a hurricane preparedness meeting at FEMA Headquarters.

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Alan Keyes

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | May 22, 2009, 9:00AM

WaPo: White House To Steer G.M. Into Bankruptcy
The Washington Post reports that the Obama Administration is preparing to send General Motors into a planned bankruptcy as the end of next week, with the intention to give the company nearly $30 billion more in aid to help them restructure.

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will sign the Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act, at 9 a.m. ET in the Rose Garden. At 10 a.m. ET, he will deliver the commencement at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. At 3 p.m. ET, he will return to the Rose Garden to sign the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act.

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Barack Obama

Obama: My Administration Isn't The Bush Administration

Brian Beutler | May 21, 2009, 10:42AM

Barack Obama's speech touches on just about every controversial Constitutional issue in the news, but it's also peppered with reminders that he's not the same as George W. Bush.

As Senator McCain once said, torture "serves as a great propaganda tool for those who recruit people to fight against us." And even under President Bush, there was recognition among members of his Administration - including a Secretary of State, other senior officials, and many in the military and intelligence community - that those who argued for these tactics were on the wrong side of the debate, and the wrong side of history. We must leave these methods where they belong - in the past. They are not who we are. They are not America.

And:

[T]he problem of what to do with Guantanamo detainees was not caused by my decision to close the facility; the problem exists because of the decision to open Guantanamo in the first place.

For just two examples.

Democrats

Poll: Dems Reaching Parity On National Security

Eric Kleefeld | May 19, 2009, 11:58AM

A new Democracy Corps (D) poll finds that the Democratic Party could be reaching parity or perhaps even overtaking the Republicans on national security -- an issue area that has benefitted the GOP for decades.

President Obama has a 64%-31% approval rating on national security, and a 61%-31% rating on fighting terrorism -- both higher than his overall approval of 58%-33%. In addition, likely voters say by a 55%-37% margin that Obama's policies are increasing America's security -- rejecting the alternative statement that he's undermining security.

Indeed, a 51%-44% majority agreed with this statement: "President Bush's foreign and national security policies undermined America's security."

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Barack Obama

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | May 4, 2009, 9:00AM

Gates: Administration Is "Pretty Realistic" About Iran
Defense Sec. Robert Gates is on a trip to the Middle East, telling reporters that he'll reassure America's allies on outreach to Iran: "And I just think it's important to reassure our friends and allies in the region that while we're willing to reach out to the Iranians, as the president said, with an open hand, I think everybody in the administration, from the president on down, is pretty realistic and will be pretty tough-minded if we still encounter a closed fist."

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will be speaking at 11:05 a.m. ET from the Grand Foyer, delivering remarks on international tax reform, to close loopholes for overseas tax havens that encourage companies to ship jobs overseas. At 5:15 p.m. ET, he will speak at a Cinco de Mayo event in the East Room.

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Torture

Obama: I Believe Waterboarding Is Torture

Brian Beutler | April 29, 2009, 8:23PM

ABC's Jake Tapper just asked Obama if he thought that the Bush administration "sanctioned torture" in its use of waterboarding and Obama, after a moment's hesitation, said "Waterboarding violates our ideals and our values. I do believe that it's torture."

In his opening statement he also said that his administration put an end to torture, and there's no reason to say that unless you think torture was happening. But it's probably the most direct admission to date and, given recent events, it comes at noteworthy time.

After making that acknowledgment, Obama reiterated many of the points he made when he addressed the CIA after greenlighting the release of the Bush-era torture memoranda--that torture makes the country less safe, is untrue to American values, and less effective than humane interrogation techniques.

Barack Obama

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | April 22, 2009, 9:00AM

Senate Confirms Christopher Hill As Ambassador To Iraq
The Senate last night confirmed Christopher Hill to be President Obama's Ambassador to Iraq. The nomination had previously been delayed by some Republican Senators, including John McCain and Sam Brownback, but Hill was finally able to win confirmation on a 73-23 vote.

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama is traveling to Iowa for Earth Day today, accompanied by former governor and current Agriculture Sec. Tom Vilsack. He will depart the White House at 9:45 a.m. ET, and take off from Andrews Air Force Base at 10 a.m. ET. He will arrive in Des Moines at 12:15 p.m. ET, and will tour the Trinity Structural Towers Manufacturing Plant, which makes wind-energy towers, at 1:20 p.m. ET. At 2 p.m. ET, Obama will deliver remarks on his energy plan, laying out a strategy focused on clean energy. He will leave Des Moines at 3:15 p.m. ET, and is scheduled to arrive back at the White House at 6:30 p.m. ET.

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Barack Obama

TPMDC Saturday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | April 18, 2009, 1:03PM

Obama: We Must Cut Government Waste
In this weekend's YouTube address, President Obama discussed the need to cut the costs of government and to eliminate wasteful programs, and announced the appointments of Jeffrey Zients as Chief Performance Officer, and Aneesh Chopra as Chief Technology Officer:

Obama says that the circumstances of the economy forced him to expand the federal deficit. But nevertheless, he added: "Without significant change to steer away from ever-expanding deficits and debt, we are on an unsustainable course."

GOP Response Video: Congressman Praises Tea Parties
In this weekend's RNC response YouTube, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) lambasted big spending by the Democrats -- and praised the Tea Parties from this past week:

"In fact, thousands of Americans turned out on Tax Filing Day to say they've had enough of the high taxes and borrowing to bankroll Washington's spending spree," said McCarthy. "I attended one of these Tea Parties in my hometown of Bakersfield, California, and believe me, the message was heard loud and clear."

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Barack Obama

TPMDC Saturday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | April 11, 2009, 1:11PM

Obama Discusses International Cooperation
In this weekend's YouTube address, President Obama discusses the importance of international cooperation for problems such as the economic crisis, nuclear proliferation, disease and other issues:

"These are challenges that no single nation, no matter how powerful, can confront alone. The United States must lead the way," said Obama. "But our best chance to solve these unprecedented problems comes from acting in concert with other nations."

Pawlenty Talks Taxes In RNC YouTube
In this week's RNC YouTube address, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty uses the weekend before tax day as an occasion to discuss the tax burdens faced by families and businesses:

"I urge President Obama and the Democrat-led Congress to let hardworking American families keep more of what they earn by cutting taxes and reining in spending. It's just common sense," said Pawlenty. "I'm sure you will agree, especially on April 15th when your taxes are due."

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George W. Bush

New Hampshire Dems Campaign Against Bush Record -- In State Senate Race

Eric Kleefeld | April 9, 2009, 12:55PM

It's been pretty obvious for a while that Democrats will continue running against George W. Bush for years to come, in both presidential and Congressional races. But how about doing it for a state Senate seat?

The New Hampshire Union Leader reports that the state Democrats are running a radio ad against former Congressman Jeb Bradley, who lost re-election in a big upset in 2006 and then lost a comeback bid in 2008, and is now running in a special election for state Senator. "Haven't we had enough of George W. Bush and Jeb Bradley?" the announcer says. "On April 21, say 'no' to Jeb Bradley and the mess he and Bush made."

State GOP chairman John H. Sununu, a former governor and ex-White House Chief of Staff under George H.W. Bush, declared that it was "amazing that the Democrats again, in a race for a state Senate seat in New Hampshire, are pulling out the George Bush boogie man to run a campaign on."

George W. Bush

Poll: Bush And Cheney Still Unpopular

Eric Kleefeld | April 3, 2009, 10:13AM

A new Gallup poll tests how former President George W. Bush and former Vice President Dick Cheney have fared in public opinion since they left office. The answer: Badly.

Bush's favorable rating is only 35%, with 63% unfavorable. Cheney is at 30% favorable to 62% unfavorable.

Bush's popularity had been inching up a bit over the course of the 2008 campaign and as he was on the way out -- up to a high of 40% favorable and 59% unfavorable in early January -- but his numbers now are back near the all-time low of 32% favorable and 66% unfavorable from April 2008.

Barack Obama

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | March 19, 2009, 9:03AM

House To Vote On Bonus Tax Today
The House of Representatives will vote today on a bill to tax bonuses of over $250,000 at financial institutions receiving bailout money, at a rate of 90 percent. Charlie Rangel explained to reporters: "We figured that the local and state governments would take care of the other 10 percent."

Obama In California -- Will Appear On Jay Leno
President Obama is in California today, with a 1:30 p.m. ET tour of the Edison Electric Vehicle Technical Center Garage of the Future in Pomona, and a speech there at 1:45 p.m. ET. At 4:10 p.m. ET he will visit the Miguel Contreras Learning Center in Los Angeles, where he will be accompanied by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis. At 7:20 p.m. ET, he will tape an appearance on the Jay Leno show. And then tonight he will head back to Washington.

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Barack Obama

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | March 18, 2009, 9:02AM

AIG CEO To Defend Company And Bonuses Before Congress Today
AIG CEO Edward Liddy will be testifying today before the House Financial Services subcommittee, defending his company amidst the public uproar over the massive bonuses paid to its Financial Products division. The hearing begins at 10 a.m. ET.

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama is holding a closed meeting with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus at 10:45 a.m. ET.

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CT-SEN

DSCC Launches Anti-Bush Strategy To Attack Simmons

Eric Kleefeld | March 16, 2009, 11:15AM

The DSCC has just sent out a press release against former Rep. Rob Simmons (R-CT), who has declared his candidacy against Chris Dodd in 2010. And one thing is clear: Democrats are going to keep running against George W. Bush for years to come.

The statement begins with a Simmons quote from 2004: "I am a big fan of the president's and I am quite proud to be a Republican, and agree with him on many issues." The rest of the release then goes on to link Simmons to Tom DeLay and Jack Abramoff, on top of the George W. Bush link.

Simmons held his House seat for three terms, but then lost re-election by a margin of 83 votes out of over 240,000, in the big Democratic year of 2006. A recent Quinnipiac poll gave him a 43%-42% edge over Dodd. So expect the Dems to make this race about Bush as much they can -- after all, it sure worked across the whole country in 2006 and 2008.

Full DSCC statement after the jump.

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Barack Obama

TPMDC Saturday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | March 14, 2009, 1:05PM

Obama Announces Food Safety Appointments
In his weekly video address, President Obama announced the appointment of Dr. Margaret Hamburg as the new Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, and Dr. Joshua Sharfstein as Principal Deputy Commissioner:

Obama also a announced a new Food Safety Working Group to deal with recent regulatory failures that have resulted in food recalls: "In the end, food safety is something I take seriously, not just as your President, but as a parent."

GOP YouTube: "The Government Doesn't Create Wealth. It Expends Wealth"
In the weekly Republican YouTube, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) goes after the Obama Administration for taxing and spending:

"It's very simple. The government doesn't create wealth. It expends wealth," said Grassley. "No wonder then the public is skeptical about Washington trying to fix the economy with one massive spending bill after another. It's hard to convince taxpayers that more deficit spending is the answer."

Obama Meets With Brazil's Lula da Silva
President Obama met at 11 a.m. this morning with Brazilian President Lula da Silva. The topics of their discussion included the upcoming G-20 meeting and the Summits of the Americas, the financial crisis, energy policy and the environment.

Biden Campaigning For Dem Senator Blanche Lincoln
Vice President Biden is traveling today to Little Rock Arkansas, where he will attend the kickoff for Senator Blanche Lincoln's (D) 2010 re-election campaign. Biden will be speaking at the event.

WaPo: Obama Blaming Bush
The Washington Post points out that President Obama has taken to frequently saying that he has inherited particular problems that he's dealing with, which has Republicans complaining of partisanship. Former Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer claimed to the Post that Obama is doing this because his approval numbers are going down: "His response to that trend is to turn up the blame on George Bush and everything that came before him. And he was the one who talked about getting past partisanship."

NYT: Republicans Split On Whether To Offer Budget Alternative
The New York Times reports that Congressional Republicans have split on whether they should offer up an alternative budget plan, as opposed to simply criticizing President Obama's $3.6 trillion plan. House Republicans are offering a plan, while the Senate Republicans are not. "The responsibility of the majority is to produce the budget," said Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH), the ranking Republican on the Budget Committee, "and we think it is more constructive to point out how we would improve their budget."

Pelosi: I Am Not Partisan -- And GOP Can't Win On Policy Or Process
In an interview with Charlie Rose, Nancy Pelosi denied Republican accusations that she has been an overly partisan leader, explaining that Republicans were invited to contribute ideas for the stimulus bill -- they just didn't win the arguments. "If you can't win on policy, then you go to process," said Pelosi. "If you can't win on process, then you go to personality. And that's how they have decided they would make up stories about me and the rest."

NYT: Bush Policy Institute To Be A Political, Not Academic Institution
The New York Times examines the upcoming Bush policy institute at Southern Methodist University, and the battles that the Bush Foundation has had with academics there: "It will proselytize rather than explore: a letter sent to universities bidding for the Bush center stipulated that the institute would, among other things, 'further the domestic and international goals of the Bush administration.' And it will hold itself apart from S.M.U.'s own world of academic inquiry, reporting to the Bush Foundation itself rather than to the university president or provost, as academic institutes -- even presidential ones -- normally do."

Environment

Inhofe Enlists Bush-Appointed IG to Help Him Smoke Out Enviro Leaker

Elana Schor | March 12, 2009, 2:23PM

I mentioned earlier today that Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) has an almost refreshing tendency to own up to his wackier attempts at antagonizing the environmental community. And here's a perfect case in point ...

Inhofe has teamed up with the Commerce Department's inspector general on a mission to unmask the source who gave the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) a draft of the Bush administration's regulatory attempt to unravel key portions of the Endangered Species Act.

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George W. Bush

A Democratic Governor of Texas?

Matthew Cooper | March 2, 2009, 11:08AM

Interesting news out of Austin this morning where Tom Schieffer, the brother of CBS's Bob Schieffer, and a prominent figure in Texas politics will announce his candidacy to be Texas governor. Schieffer was George W. Bush's ambassador to Australia and he's sure to have to defend that from Democrats in the primary battle ahead. But his bipartisan credentials might give him some advantage should he get the nomination. Texas hasn't had a Democratic governor since George W. Bush defeated Ann Richards in 1994.

Barack Obama

Grover Norquist on Bush and CPAC

Matthew Cooper | February 27, 2009, 6:42PM

Grover Norquist, the conservative activist and head of Americans for Tax Reform, chatted wih TPM about the annual Conservative Political Action Conference and how enthusiasm is still high among Republicans even after last year's electoral drubbing. He also explains how the conference has approached one of the most famous conservatives of all: George W. Bush.

George W. Bush

CPAC: Lots of Bush Bashing, No McCain Bashing

Matthew Cooper | February 27, 2009, 4:50PM

One of the interesting things at CPAC is the extensive Bush bashing. Newt Gingrich, this morning, attacked the "Bush-Obama" policies on bailouts and stimulus. John Bolton attacked Bush's policies on Iran and North Korea. Not surprisingly, Ron Paul took extensive shots at Bush. (He also fired at broadside at U.S. entry--in World War I.) I guess we shouldn't be shocked that conservatives are putting distance between themselves and the unpopular former president. What is surprising is that there are no shots at John McCain for his campaign or his moderate positions on climate change and immigration. It's all about Bush. I have a video coming up soon with Grover Norquist in which he offers some thoughts on the topic.

George W. Bush

Leahy: Hearing on Post-Bush Truth Commission Coming in 'About A Week'

Elana Schor | February 24, 2009, 11:01PM

After the president's speech tonight, I caught up with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT), who confirmed that he will hold a hearing on the proposed "truth and reconciliation commission" to investigate abuses committed during the Bush years.

Salon first reported Leahy's plans for a hearing, which the chairman said would come in "about a week or so," as soon as he could get his desired witnesses to confirm their attendance. When pressed on who those sought-after witnesses might be, Leahy declined to elaborate. Stay tuned...

Dick Cheney

Liberal Coalition Says Forget the Truth Commission, Bring on the Special Prosecutor

Elana Schor | February 24, 2009, 10:08AM

Washington has been dominated for weeks by the debate over forming an independent "truth and reconciliation commission" to uncover details about human rights and civil liberties abuses committed during the Bush administration. Prominent Democrats from Sen. Patrick Leahy (VT) to Rep. John Conyers (MI) to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA) have indicated their support for the concept.

But one day after Barack Obama's Pentagon was lambasted by human rights groups for reporting that conditions are humane, a coalition of liberal advocacy groups is done with taking it slow. In a statement released this morning, the 20-plus groups ask Attorney General Eric Holder to directly appoint a special prosecutor to probe former Bush administration officials.

It remains to be seen whether today's statement will move minds in Congress, where the "truth commission" plan remains controversial. Still, this call is a perfect illustration of John Judis' recent message to the American left: Expand the playing field, and do not let the White House be the most left-leaning force in the capital.

The full statement is after the jump:

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Environment

Do Not Read This Story While Drinking Liquids ...

Elana Schor | February 19, 2009, 3:59PM

... because they may come out of your nose in the course of uproarious laughter. Here's the headline on a new interview from the Austin American Statesman: "Bush rules improved the environment, says former EPA administrator".

And the money quote from Richard Greene, a regional director in the Bush-era EPA who's attempting to defend the agency's environmental enforcement record:

[D]uring the course of the Bush administration, the rules and regulations governing the operations of American business and industry were tightened and improved more than they have ever been. The tendency by some in the media, to pick one or two out of thousands of regulations and to conclude the agency didn't achieve its missions, is just bewildering to me. There were one or two things of controversy. Every one of those items you mentioned, the agency has a response to. The Bush administration even gets reversed in court because it overreached in regulatory rule-making initiatives, in federal appeals.

Yes, judges have overturned Bush environmental rules as overreaching ... in their readiness to violate the Endangered Species Act.

Democrats

Pelosi Envisions Prosecution of Bush Officials -- Maybe

Elana Schor | February 19, 2009, 2:46PM

In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine posted today, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) edges toward endorsing the congressional proposal to create a "truth and reconciliation commission" that would investigate a panoply of misdeeds perpetrated during the Bush years.

When interviewer Tim Dickinson asked if Pelosi could "foresee a scenario in which senior members of the Bush administration are actually prosecuted," she replied:

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George W. Bush

GOPer: We Can't Investigate Bush Because of the Bad Economy

Elana Schor | February 18, 2009, 3:40PM

The AP finally takes a look today at our January Sleeper Bill of the Month, the congressional proposal for an independent commission that would investigate civil-liberties and human-rights abuses permitted during the Bush years.

Shocking as it is, Republicans tell the AP that a post-Bush "truth commission" is a terrible concept. But you've got to applaud the sheer chutzpah of Sen. John Cornyn's (R-TX) response:

This not only a bad idea, it is a diversion from the economic crisis we face.

I can't wait until the economic recession becomes a reason not to debate union organizing rules and pass health care reform.