In early 2008, the Bush Justice Department subpoenaed New York Times reporter James Risen over his book, State of War: The Secret History of the C.I.A. and the Bush Administration. Now, just two weeks after taking action against an NSA whistle-blower who leaked information about contract corruption to the Baltimore Sun, the Obama DOJ is […]

In a rare moment of Republican candor, Tennessee Senator Bob Corker debunked the talking point at the center of the GOP's campaign to protect predatory Wall Street bankers. Bucking his party's leadership, Corker defended reform provisions charging banks to create a resolution fund for winding down failing institutions, calling it "anything but a bailout." In […]

"The biggest threat facing this country," President Bush declared on September 30 2004, is weapons of mass destruction in the hands of a terrorist network." But in the wake of the successful Nuclear Security Summit this week, Bush's conservative water carriers are blasting President Obama for the substantial progress made towards stopping the dangerous black […]

For the millions of Americans struggling to find jobs or pay their mortgages, the Dow Jones' flirtation with 11,000 isn't particularly meaningful. But for the legions of right-wing talking heads who even before the November 2008 election declared Barack Obama's supposed "socialism" would "tank the market," the Dow's 38% gain since Obama's inauguration is indeed […]

On Monday, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), the nonprofit group which officially marks the birth and death of economic downturns, announced that the Bush Recession which commenced in December 2007 isn't over, at least not yet. Despite the promising signs of economic growth, job creation and a bull market, the NBER arbiters of […]

Republicans are predictably apoplectic about the 15 recess appointments announced by President Obama this weekend. John McCain, who in 2005 praised George W. Bush's appointment of John Bolton as UN Ambassador as "the president's prerogative,"blasted Obama for showing "little respect for the time honored constitutional roles and procedures of Congress." Jim Demint accused the President […]

Fox News, the broadcast arm of the Republican Party, is breathlessly reporting on today's vice presidential F-bomb. During the White House signing event for the health care legislation passed Sunday, Vice President Biden turned to President Obama and mumbled, "this is a big f**king deal." But while the microphones barely picked up Biden's offhand, off-color […]

When it comes to the health care reform bill, perfect is the enemy of good. But Republicans are the enemy of everything. And on Sunday, every member of the House GOP will likely vote against the final health care reform bill that will bring coverage to 32 million more Americans, end insurance company abuses involving […]

That former Clinton inquisitor Ken Starr admonished Liz Cheney for her stunning and shameless attack on the Obama Justice Department tells you all you need to know about her "Al Qaeda 7" and "Department of Jihad" slanders. But to truly appreciate the depth of Cheney's descent into the political gutter, consider the rebuke of David […]

In the run-up to Thursday's White House health care summit, the Washington Post's Ezra Klein documented "the six Republican ideas already in the health-care reform bill." Among these is the GOP's favorite whipping boy, tort reform. But the Senate provision which "encourages states to develop new malpractice systems and suggests that Congress fund the most […]