I can see why they can release this report 3 weeks early. All they will have are phone records and e-mail exchanges. Since Sarah Palin was named as McCain's VP everybody suddenly lawyered up and now nobody is talking. Politics 1 Accountability 0.

Posted at September 5, 2008 8:07 PM in response to Lawmakers To Issue Subpoenas, But Not For Palin, on Trooper-Gate

The practical impact of Palin lawyering up is that the investigation will not now be concluded on schedule by October. A Judge will now put a gag order on both sides, which means that the American people will be denied the data to make an intelligent decision on the merits of this abuse of power issue. George W. Bush should be proud.

Posted at September 1, 2008 7:34 PM in response to Palin Hires Lawyer for Trooper-Gate Investigation

I agree completely that going after Palin on certain issues before the facts are known will backfire and should be stopped.

Palin's record as Mayor is a mixed bag at best. She saddled that small town with a boat load of debt. So much for being a fiscal conservative.

Being Governor for 20 months of a State with the population of metropolitan Omaha, NE, and few money worries due to oil revenue doesn't make for very impressive executive experience. She got a pipeline bill passed, she was a strong supporter of the bridge to nowhere in 2006 and she got her former brother-in-law fired. I don't know that much about the competing pipelines so I can't comment on the merits and she changed her tune on the bridge to nowhere after the sponsors were indicted for corruption but we now know that she has lawyered up on troopergate, which means it will not now be concluded in October.

As you can see, there is plenty of questions regarding her fitness for the office of VP without going with rumors.

Posted at September 1, 2008 7:25 PM in response to Dems setting themselves up for a whipping by pursuing Palin

It is still hard to get reliable data surrounding Gov. Palin. She was a two term Mayor of Wasilla but it appears that they may have been 2-year terms. My Atlas shows the population of Wasilla as 6,375 using 2000 census data. The population of Alaska is roughly the same as metropolitan Omaha, NE. It is a pretty big step up from governing 600,000 to 300,000,000 -- like 500 fold.

She does have one thing down pat, however. She knows how to get rid of her political opposition or a pesky former brother-in-law. Abusing and using the levers of power has been quick and easy. She is a regular Dick Cheney with training wheels.

Posted at August 31, 2008 4:04 AM in response to The Backlash Cometh: MSM Op-Eds Make The Anti-Palin Argument For Obama

This is what I have been hoping for over a long period of time. Why this will work is because they will get under McCain's skin and McCain will prove their point by making a reckless statement.

Posted at August 20, 2008 11:07 PM in response to Obama Campaign: McCain Is A Reckless Hothead

McCain went negative too early, before voters were that focused. It will be tough for him to go back to the well after the conventions because both candidated need new material and McCain will have shot much of his wad.

Posted at August 18, 2008 11:39 PM in response to McCain Outspending Obama By Hundreds Of Thousands In Many Core Battleground States

I don't see how the politics of envy can work. The message that resonates from this line of politics is one that McCain is a loser. If he wants to play that game, let him.

Posted at August 16, 2008 4:37 PM in response to New McCain Ad: "Maybe The Applause Has Gone To His Head"

Next thing you know they will be saying that trees cause polution.

Wait, didn't Reagan already make that claim.

Posted at August 15, 2008 6:35 PM in response to GOPer's Spokesperson: My Boss Would Never Say Oil Grows On Trees

This is really an odd point to me making in "defense" of John McCain.

a trio of pundits arguing that McCain simply couldn't have any idea what kind of tactics are actually being employed in his campaign

The implication is that John McCain is so busy campaigning that he is not responsible for the details of how the campaign is being conducted. Now if McCain can't manage a small campaign staff how in the hell will he ever be able to manage a nation. Maybe McCain should tell the apologist supporters to cool their jets if this is the best they can come up with. Pointing out that McCain is not up to speed is hardly a ringing endorsement.

Posted at August 13, 2008 11:29 PM in response to Howard Fineman Rides the Curve

Has the government not heard of security?

The government has less protection on a flask of anthrax (RMR-1029) than a Brinks armoured car with a few hundred thousand. No way Brinks would ever allow a single person to control the money under their protection.

How is it possible that a weapon so deadly that it is banned under international law can be slipped out of a lab without a trace? At best there is a case for criminal neglect and at worst a partner in crime. Is there no interest in finding out how the anthrax could have been removed from RMR-1029 then smuggled out of the building? It is also my understanding that the contents of RMR-1029 is not weapons grade. How did it get weaponized and by whom?

Closing the case and revealing the Grand Jury evidence means that the evidence cannot be used should somebody start asking the hard questions later on. It smells like this was dumped now to prevent the next administration from conducting a criminal investigation. The Department of Justice is still as broken today as when Gonzales was AG.

Posted at August 6, 2008 11:04 PM in response to FBI Identified Source Of Anthrax Years Ago, But Case Remained Unsolved And Ivins Continued Working