They were for it before they were against it. Current and would-be GOP members of Congress tweeted their praise for the release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl before deleting the evidence. Among others, Arizona Senator and failed 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain declared he would be "inclined to support" the very kind of prisoner exchange […]

Mitch McConnell has an Obamacare problem. Make that 410,000 problems. Because that's how many of his constituents obtained health insurance through his state's very popular Kynect exchange. And as he well knows, repealing the Affordable Care Act "root and branch" means virtually all of those Kentuckians will lose the coverage the ACA's Medicaid expansion and […]

Republicans are predictably foaming at the mouth over the news that the Obama administration secured the release of American soldier Bowe Bergdahl exchange for five Taliban prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay. Even more predictable, the right-wing rage is unfounded. As Lt. Col. Robert Bateman explained, throughout its history the United States has engaged in prisoner […]

Turning to John McCain for answers on national security issues is a lot like asking a dog why it licks its ass: you get the same answer every time. But with its silence the dog does no harm. In contrast, John McCain, with his never-ending demands to deploy more American troops regardless of situation or […]

Aside from reports of her stalking her ex-husband and ex-boyfriend, most Oregon voters don't yet know much about pediatric neurosurgeon turned 2014 GOP Senate candidate Monica Wehby. But what Doctor Wehby really doesn't want pro-choice Oregonians to know is this: If elected to replace Democrat Jeff Merkley, Monica Wehby will be a reliable Republican vote […]

In December 2004, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld lectured American troops worried about vital equipment shortages plaguing U.S. combat forces in Iraq. "You go to war with the army you have," Rumsfeld pontificated, "not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time." That was a particularly galling statement for Rumsfeld of […]

Among other things, the revelation that some VA facilities used secret waiting lists which may have to needless deaths of American veterans is simply unacceptable, a betrayal and a national disgrace. But you would be hard pressed to find many people who would deem the shameful situation "a gift from God." Unless, that is, you […]

For the first time since the shocking revelations of secret VA patient waiting lists came to light, President Obama on Wednesday seemed to equivocate on his support for Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki. "I know that Rick's attitude is if he doesn't think he can do a good job on this and if he thinks […]

With its shameful backlog and secret waiting lists at some of its facilities, the Veterans Health Administration is facing an urgent crisis. But the only reform certain to make things worse would be to privatize the system of 1,700 VA facilities that serve 8.76 million American vets. Despite its troubles, studies consistently show that VA […]

Last week, a new study published in Social Psychology and Personality Science offered some very timely--if very predictable--findings about women candidates in politics. Even as Republicans were launching vicious attacks about Hillary Clinton's age and health while rushing to the defense of Oregon GOP Senate hopeful and accused stalker Monica Wehby, Dartmouth College professor Eric […]