Washington Dispatches
Washington Dispatch: Political Coverage from the Mother Jones Bureau in D.C.
August 12, 2008
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Civil Rights Groups Defending Predatory Lenders: Priceless
What does Martin Luther King Jr. have to do with payday lenders? Nada, but that hasn't stopped African American leaders from invoking his name as they shill for the credit industry.
August 1, 2008
The Hunt for Kurdish Oil
Inside the Bush administration's Kurdish oil paradox.
July 31, 2008
What's Israel's Iran Red Line?
Mother Jones has learned that a parade of high level Israeli officials are on their way to the White House over the next two weeks to discuss Iran policy. The two countries differ on what to do next.
July 10, 2008
The Persian Paradox
Why is so much sensitive US military technology winding up in Iran?
July 9, 2008
McCain Campaign Screening Questioners?
Political reporters are wondering if McCain aides are vetting the journalists who ask questions during campaign conference calls for the media. The evidence suggests they are; the campaign won't say.
July 8, 2008
What's John McCain's Technology Policy?
Surprise—he doesn't have one.
July 7, 2008
What Family Leave?
The nation's workplace policies are on par with those of some Third World countries. Does the Bush administration want to keep it that way?
June 23, 2008
Investigation Update: Three Days In Rome
Does an investigation of the Pentagon’s channel to an Iran Contra arms dealer continue? A Mother Jones intel scoop.
June 20, 2008
Three Days in Rome Redux: The Cocktail Napkin Plan for an Iran Coup
More on the covert meetings between Pentagon officials and shady Iranian expats, plus other intel details from a new Senate report.
June 7, 2008
All You Need to Know About Obama's VP Options
Now that Obama has nearly clinched the nomination, who's on tap to be his running mate? Your guide to the contenders.
June 3, 2008
The John McCain School for Lobbyists
While the Arizona senator was decrying Washington's "revolving door," his own staffers were zipping back and forth through it.
May 27, 2008
Armed and Humanitarian
Lately, the Pentagon has made relief work a military priority. So why are NGOs bracing for a disaster?
May 19, 2008
Jammed by the Justice Department
The House Judiciary Committee's attempts to extract information from the DOJ on the New Hampshire phone-jamming scandal have been met with a dial tone. John Conyers is getting ready to reach out and touch them with a subpoena.
May 16, 2008
Meet Big Business' Favorite Granny
With congressional Democrats moving to ban one of corporate America's most useful tricks, industry is fighting back with a 63-year-old widow who squeezed $281 out of Sears.
May 12, 2008
Loaded for Bear
Any day now the polar bear could be listed under the Endangered Species Act. Conservative groups are already plotting their response—and lawsuits are just the tip of the iceberg.
May 8, 2008
McCain's Pastor Problem: The Video
In a taped sermon, the preacher McCain calls a "spiritual guide" calls on America to see the "false religion" of Islam "destroyed." Still, the candidate won't reject Rod Parsley's endorsement.
May 8, 2008
Contractors Gone Wild
Theft, hookers, melting down Iraqi gold to make cowboy spurs—all in a day's work for private military contractors in Iraq?
May 2, 2008
High Court Upholds Voter ID Law
In the most high-stakes voting-rights case since Bush v. Gore, the Supreme Court cleared the way for Indiana's hotly contested voter-fraud law.
April 28, 2008
Out of Commission
An ongoing Senate deadlock over FEC nominees could mean the federal government's electoral referee is sidelined during the 2008 elections.
April 21, 2008
Banking on Barney Frank
Consumer advocates who cheered when Frank took over the powerful House Financial Services Committee now gripe that he's less than a corporate scourge.
April 16, 2008
Petraeus Takes the Hill
The Iraq general's testimony to the Senate Armed Services Comittee was predictable: progress is real, we must stay the course. But committee Democrats missed an opportunity to undercut the White House story.
April 8, 2008
While Petraeus Testifies, U.S. Iraq Personnel Take Cover
The general says progress is underway in Iraq. Meanwhile, in the increasingly bombarded Green Zone, embassy officials have been told to avoid going outdoors.
April 8, 2008
Sheldon Adelson: The Right's White Knight?
As the Adelson-backed Freedom's Watch mounts a pro-Petraeus campaign to coincide with the Iraq commander's congressional testimony, some conservatives are grumbling about the group and its bullheaded benefactor.
April 8, 2008
Senator Straight Talk Won't Go on the Record with Project Vote Smart
With no response from John McCain on its survey of issue positions after nine months, the voter-education nonprofit is poised to boot the Arizona senator off its board.
April 7, 2008
Grilling Petraeus
We asked a dozen national security experts what Congress should ask the top military commander in Iraq at next week's hearings. Here's what they came up with.
April 2, 2008
Whitewashing the Second Amendment
As the Supreme Court reviews a historic gun-rights case, lost is the Second Amendment's controversial history—when it wasn't a bulwark against tyranny but a way of enforcing it.
March 20, 2008
McCain's Spiritual Guide: Destroy Islam
Televangelist Rod Parsley, a key McCain ally in Ohio, has called for eradicating the "false religion." Will the GOP presidential candidate renounce him?
March 12, 2008
Daniel Troy's Poison Pill
How a former Bush appointee has the high court poised to wipe out consumer suits over dangerous medical products—and possibly much more.
March 7, 2008
Going Native: The Pentagon's New Pakistan Plan
Running out of options in Pakistan's lawless tribal regions, the Bush administration is backing local militiamen with unclear allegiances.
March 6, 2008
McCain's Nuclear Waste
How the Arizona senator doomed his own global warming legislation with billions in nuclear subsidies.
March 4, 2008
Why Texas is Obama Territory
It's not the momentum. Due to the Lone Star state's quirky primary system, Barack Obama can lose the popular vote but still win more delegates than Hillary Clinton.
March 2, 2008
Is the Economy a Casualty of War?
Increasingly, Democrats are blaming the war for the economic downturn, but many economists say Iraq spending isn't the culprit.
February 29, 2008
Meet Bush's Prison Nominee
Tennessee's next trial court judge might be a prison company executive who has less courtroom experience than most inmates.
February 20, 2008
Israel's Mossad, Out of the Shadows
Former Israeli intelligence chief Efraim Halevy explains why he advocates talks with Hamas.
February 19, 2008
Clinton’s New Campaign Strategy: In with the Old
Hillary Clinton has called Maggie Williams back to action. But she brings baggage from Clinton scandals past.
February 15, 2008
The Fall of a Corporate Crime Fighter
Famed class action attorney Bill Lerach's pursuit of corporate fraud cases landed him on the wrong side of the law.
February 14, 2008
The Drug War's Southern Flank
What will it take to end Mexican drug trafficking? President Bush thinks $1.4 billion.
February 12, 2008
Close Encounters with the Conservative Kind
Need a Hillary bobblehead? A discourse on the fallacy of global warming? Come on down to the Conservative Political Action Conference.
February 11, 2008
Passing Judgment
Bush's latest controversial judicial nominee opposes abortion and gay rights. But there's a reason why he may not be so bad on the bench.
February 8, 2008
The Hawks' Last Hurrah?
Washington hawks warn Israeli policymakers that they could be on their own on Iran.
February 8, 2008
As Mitt Waves Good-Bye, McCain Says I'm Your Guy
At the Conservative Political Action Conference, Romney backers ponder whether they can accept McCain.
February 7, 2008
Courting Disaster
The Senate and the Supremes square off over fair pay.
February 7, 2008
Iraq: Dems' Dreams Dashed?
When the Democrats took back Congress they promised a "new direction" in Iraq. What happened?
January 31, 2008
Showdown in Blackwater's Backyard
Why the controversial private security company wants to run congressional candidate Marshall Adame "out of Dodge."
January 28, 2008
Supreme Court: Taking Care of Business
The high court has taken on a pro-business tilt, while increasingly becoming out of touch with the people affected by its rulings.
January 25, 2008
Maligning McCain
Fearing his independent streak and heretical policy stances, John McCain's biggest enemies are fellow conservatives.
January 24, 2008
Virgin Airlines: Powered by Pond Scum?
Virgin founder Richard Branson has set out to create a viable biofuel. Will his ecofriendly venture take off?
January 22, 2008
The Other Nevada Caucus
Focusing on South Carolina's bellwether primary, most of the GOP candidates have neglected Nevada, which holds its caucus on the same day. That leaves Mitt Romney and Ron Paul to duke it out for the Silver State's delegates.
January 18, 2008
Did the Clintons Try to Whack a Cat?
Sure, Citizens United's Hillary documentary is a political hit piece—but it's also a preview of the mudslinging to come should she receive the Democratic nomination.
January 15, 2008
Hillary's Hero: Judge Royce Lamberth
The famously anti-Clinton judge has never done Hillary any favors. But now, he's poised to save her from some serious mudslinging.
January 13, 2008
Freedom Fighters: The State of the Bush Administration's Democracy-Promotion Push
Even as the president makes a last-ditch speech to resurrect his "freedom agenda," the policy warriors who fought to advance his vision to democratize the Middle East have been sidelined.
January 11, 2008
License and (Voter) Registration, Please
On Wednesday the Supreme Court will hear what may be the most significant voting rights case since Bush v. Gore—and it could affect the outcome of the 2008 presidential election.
January 8, 2008
New Hampshire Debates: Accentuating the Negative
In the Democratic face-off, Hillary Clinton previewed her get-Obama strategy. During the Republican free-for-all, it was whack-a-Mitt all the time.
January 7, 2008
Parsing the Final Iowa Poll
The latest Des Moines Register poll shows Obama and Huckabee with strong leads in Iowa, with new caucus-goers bolstering the Democrat and fundamentalist Christians propelling the Republican. But can the numbers be trusted?
January 2, 2008
Mormons to the Rescue
Latter-day Saints are like the superheroes of Christianity: When disaster strikes, they spring into action. So why isn't Mitt Romney bragging?
December 28, 2007
Cheney Justice?
Why can't Jamie Leigh Jones, who says she was raped in Iraq by her coworkers at Haliburton's KBR, sue her former employer for damages? Ask Dick Cheney.
December 21, 2007
Operation Stop Talking
John Kiriakou called it hypocritical for the White House and Congress to point fingers at the CIA for its harsh interrogation techniques. Now his former employer, with the help of the Justice Department, is trying to shut him up.
December 21, 2007
John Edwards' Fighting Words
The candidate is running an impassioned, anti-corporate campaign, but will Edwards' pugilistic populism turn off Iowa voters?
December 18, 2007
Iran NIE: Non-Nuclear Fallout
The response to the intelligence community's recent assessment troubled policy wonks on both sides of the Iran debate, all of whom agree that a threat remains.
December 18, 2007
Countdown to the Caucus
In the Iowa home stretch, Obama stays the course while Clinton scrambles to distinguish herself from her two competitors.
December 17, 2007
Mike Huckabee: Playing Both Sides of the Pulpit
The candidate says he wants to unite the country. But in a 1998 book, Huckabee was a fierce culture warrior, equating environmentalism with pornography, homosexuality with necrophilia, and nonbelievers with evildoers.
December 17, 2007
Don't Stop Believing: Romney's Swan Song?
Mitt Romney travels Iowa with his poll numbers down and seats going empty at his campaign events. What went wrong?
December 15, 2007
After Fair Game: The Story Valerie Plame Couldn't Tell
When I agreed to write the afterword for Valerie Plame's memoir, I faced a formidable task: Put together the former CIA operative's life story—including all the parts the government won't let her write about. Oh, and you can't talk to her (read an excerpt here).
December 15, 2007
The Quest for a Car, Sans Arbitration Clause
Our reporter thought she'd found a way to buy a car without forfeiting her right to sue. Boy was she wrong.
December 14, 2007
Huckabee Hides His Full Gospel?
Is Mike Huckabee the presidential candidate shunning Mike Huckabee the preacher? Before entering politics, he was a pastor at two Baptist churches. Now his campaign tells Mother Jones it won't make his sermons available to the media and the public.
December 10, 2007
Corporate Enemy No. 1: State Attorneys General
As the Bush administration turns a blind eye to consumer crises, state AGs are picking up the slack—and making powerful enemies in the process.
December 6, 2007
Iran Hawks Down?
The new National Intelligence Estimate on Iran's nuclear program puts hardliners on the defensive.
December 4, 2007
On the Attack: Are the Dems Moving Towards A Contempt Vote?
For months, the Democratic leadership has held off on a confrontation with the White House over the U.S. attorneys scandal. A ruling today may signal that they're returning to the offensive.
November 29, 2007
The Elephant in Annapolis' Living Room
The official stars of the peace talks were Israel and Palestine. But much talk focused on absent Iran.
November 29, 2007
Suckers Wanted: How Car Dealers and Other Businesses are Taking Away Your Right to Sue
Mandatory arbitration provisions, forcing people to waive their legal rights, have become standard fare in consumer contracts. Now, Congress is beginning to push back—and the business community is mobilizing for a fight.
November 26, 2007
Pakistan's Short Fuse
A new book, Deception, details the rise and menace of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program—and how the U.S. did nothing to stand in its way.
November 19, 2007
Focus Grouping War with Iran
A recent Virginia focus group test-marketed language to get tougher on Iran. UPDATED.
November 19, 2007
Fred Thompson Pitches Credibility, But Iowa Voters Prefer Red Meat
Fred Thompson is telling Iowa Republicans that his credibility makes him more appealing to independent voters—and thus more likely to beat the Democrats in the general election. But voters are only interested in his conservative credentials and folksy charm.
November 15, 2007
Blackwater and the Brothers Krongard: How Cookie Crumbled
Accused of blocking an investigation into Blackwater, State Department IG Howard Krongard told Congress that his brother Buzzy has no ties to the military contractor. Buzzy says different.
November 14, 2007
Obama and Edwards: Are Two Reformists in the Race Worse than One?
Barack Obama and John Edwards are touring Iowa with similar campaign pitches. One may have to see his presidential hopes die for their message of reform to live.
November 13, 2007
In Iowa, It's Clinton Pragmatism Vs. Obama Fever
As the Democratic frontrunners campaign in Iowa, Clinton supporters tout their candidate's electability, while Obama's fervent devotees are fueled by passion.
November 8, 2007
Why Can't Bill Richardson Catch Fire?
A conventional Democrat in a field of standout candidates, the New Mexico governor is struggling to raise his profile in Iowa.
November 7, 2007
Is Hillary Clinton a Corporate Stooge?
In Iowa, John Edwards makes the case.
November 5, 2007
Postal Service Says Killing Small Periodicals Is a "Win-Win"
Defying the founding fathers, Bush appointees at the USPS have decided to strangle the free press.
November 3, 2007
The Dems' Mukasey Moment
During his confirmation hearings, AG nominee Michael Mukasey came across as Alberto Gonzales-lite. When he comes up for a vote next week, will the Dems unite to block his nomination or will the party blow an opportunity?
November 1, 2007
Hogging the Road
How a company called Traffic.com landed an exclusive government contract worth millions to gather data on the nation's highways—and then sold the information back to us.
November 1, 2007
Mitt Romney and the Wrath of the Log Cabin Republicans
The former Massachusetts governor spent much of his political career courting gay conservatives, only to do an about-face on gay rights (and a host of other issues) in advance of his presidential run. For the Log Cabin Republicans, it's payback time.
October 25, 2007
Peace Out: Blackwater Splits with Trade Group that Promotes the 'Peace and Stability' Industry
Mired in controversy after its operators killed 17 Iraqi civilians, Blackwater quietly dissociated itself with the International Peace Operations Association, an organization that reps for the private military industry's biggest players.
October 11, 2007
Making a Killing
A Blackwater Timeline
October 9, 2007
Blackwater's Man in Washington
Meet Doug Brooks, whose trade group represents the private military industry's biggest players. He makes hired guns sound like U.N. peacekeepers.
October 9, 2007
Subject to Debat: Did ABC Know About Its Expert's Sourcing Problem?
The network says it acted quickly when it discovered consultant Alexis Debat had misrepresented his credentials. But sources say a real investigation of his work is beginning only now.
September 14, 2007
What They Say When They Say Nothing
Between General Petraeus' goofy charts and Ambassador Crocker's endless platitudes, not much was accomplished on the second day of hearings on the troop surge in Iraq.
September 11, 2007
Like Ike: Petraeus for President?
The man in charge of winning the war has been called a "walking mass of ambition." Is General David Petraeus eyeing a White House run—and what does that mean for what he says about Iraq?
September 10, 2007
Fred Thompson: The GOP's Worst Bet?
The former Tennessee senator upstaged last night's presidential debate and finally announced his presidential bid after months of toying with the media and the GOP base. His unofficial candidacy has caused a frenzy, but he'd likely make the Republican Party's worst nominee.
September 6, 2007
Dissecting the Mortgage Meltdown
Years of freewheeling subprime lending have finally come back to haunt the mortgage industry. Now, House Democrats are beginning to ask what went wrong.
September 6, 2007
The Coming Battle Over FISA
An administration-backed overhaul of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act was railroaded through Congress before lawmakers adjourned for the August recess. Now, Nancy Pelosi wants another shot at reining in the administration’s warrantless wiretapping program.
September 6, 2007
What Else Does FBI Director Mueller Know About Domestic Spying?
The domestic snooping story doesn't end with the White House's bullying of an ailing John Ashcroft. Congress is still waiting for the FBI chief to answer serious questions about the administration's suspected abuse of national security letters.
August 23, 2007
Wall Street's Grim Justice: Those Who Profited from Subprimes Now Suffer Too
What the mortgage mess means for your 401K—and why Congress, and the presidential hopefuls, aren't stepping up.
August 17, 2007
Consumers Feel the Heat, Big Oil Makes Cold Cash
When it's hot outside, gas expands. So do the profits of oil companies, which are taking advantage of basic thermal science to squeeze billions of dollars a year out of consumers.
August 13, 2007
Is John Edwards' Leftward Turn About Populism or Posturing?
As his poll numbers sag, the presidential candidate has stepped up his populist rhetoric. He often speaks of "the two Americas"—the gap between rich and poor—but there are two sides to John Edwards as well.
August 1, 2007
Power to the People: The Democracy Foundation's Plan to Create a Fourth Branch of Government
A nonprofit founded by presidential candidate Mike Gravel has been floating an ambitious proposal that would remake the framework of American democracy, allowing citizens to make laws through popular votes. Quixotic? Yes. Impractical? Maybe not.
July 30, 2007
Did Gonzales Lie to the Senate?
New testimony from FBI Director Robert Mueller suggests that the attorney general did not tell Congress the truth about warrantless wiretapping.
July 27, 2007
Patience for Privilege Wearing Thin
House Democrats have filed contempt charges after weeks spent battling claims of executive privilege from Bolton and Miers. Next step? Shackles.
July 26, 2007
Bill Richardson: In Big Oil's Pocket?
He's got the credentials, the background, and the Western bona fides to be VP material. He promises a "man-on-the-moon program" on energy. There's just that small matter of who he used to do business with.
July 26, 2007
Post-Katrina Aftermath: How the Labor Department Fell Down on the Job
The nation's worker protection agency has been in slow decline for a generation, the consequences of which were evident in New Orleans, where predatory reconstruction employers were allowed to thrive. The conclusion of a two-part series.
July 18, 2007
Post-Katrina Aftermath: In Absence of Oversight, Reconstruction Workers Became Another Casualty
After Katrina, the Bush administration relaxed worker protection rules, allowing companies tasked with rebuilding New Orleans to become predators in a lawless environment. Part one of a two-part series.
July 16, 2007
Dem Presidential Candidates Compete in a Field of Greens
At MoveOn's climate change town hall, the contenders were asked to explain how their environmental platforms differ from their competitors. They all wound up sounding the same.
July 12, 2007
Campaign Contributions from Credit Card Companies? Priceless
The presidential contenders have largely remained mum on the mounting consumer debt crisis. Are they afraid to cross their largest campaign donors?
July 11, 2007
Clintonistas Versus Neocons on the Success of the Surge
The authors of a moderate new report on Iraq went head-to-head with the neocon architects of the war on the neocons' home turf. Why the hawks are running scared.
July 10, 2007
Health Care and the Horse Race
With Americans pegging health care reform as the top domestic priority, the candidates are unveiling their plans. Some are better than others, but none include the changes necessary to take on the twin scourges of the health care system: insurance providers and Big Pharma.
June 12, 2007
Bush's Shadow Justice Department: Did the Federalist Society Have a Hand in Attorney Firings?
The right-wing lawyers' group is the casting couch for the federal judiciary—and may have been, newly released documents indicate, for the Justice Department too.
June 7, 2007
Love Letters for Libby
Pleading for leniency in pre-sentencing letters, Libby's friends and former colleagues -- among them a who's who of the neocon set -- call him a man of "integrity" and a "dedicated public servant," but the judge makes an example out of him.
June 5, 2007
M.I.A. from the Immigration Debate, Creating Economic Opportunity in Mexico
Could an influx of foreign aid to Mexico solve America's immigration problem?
June 4, 2007
Attention Immigrants: Thanks for Your Hard Work. Now Leave.
What could be better for business than a workforce that toils for next to nothing, drives down wages for everyone else, can't protest or unionize, and then goes away when you're done with them? Your guide to the guest worker program.
May 25, 2007
Monica Goodling: 'I Know I Crossed the Line'
In her appearance before the House Judiciary Committee, the Justice Department's former White House liaison fesses up to using a political screening process to vet potential hires and turns the tables on former Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty.
May 24, 2007
Nader Redux: Should Dems Fear Mike Gravel?
Thirty years ago, he put the Pentagon Papers into the Senate record. Now he's back with a presidential campaign—and a bid to end the war before the election.
May 20, 2007
Will Pharma Pay to Prevent the Next Vioxx? Ted Kennedy Thinks So
Senate's new drug legislation gives FDA some power to go after dangerous drugs after they're approved—but lets industry pick up the tab.
May, 15, 2007
MySpace Meltdown: How Barack Obama Lost His Biggest Fan
Much of the new online political organizing work isn’t being done by political pros -- or anyone they know or control. Fireworks are bound to ensue, as the Obama campaign just found out the hard way.
May 14, 2007
George Tenet: Loser, Yes. Sycophant, Yes. Fall Guy? Yes
With all the gloating over the ex-CIA head's kiss-and-tell, let's not forget who else screwed up American intelligence.
May 3, 2007
The Waterboard Test: Where John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, Barack Obama et al. Stand on Torture
Obama calls it ineffective. Giuliani says he’s against it. But would any of them get rid of the loophole making it legal—as long as we outsource the dirty work?
April 26, 2007
Internet Don Chooses Sides in 2008 Race
Joe Trippi, the political consultant who created Howard Dean's internet campaign and revolutionized the world of political organizing on the web, tells Mother Jones why he joined the John Edwards team.
April 20, 2007
The Emails the White House Doesn't Want You to See
The U.S Attorney firings provide more evidence of the Bush administration avoiding its own email system (and accountability, posterity, prosecution).
March 30, 2007
Attorney Firings: Sampson Speaks
Hung out to dry by the Attorney General, Kyle Sampson tells Congress Gonzales' statements were "inaccurate."
March 29, 2007
A (Mostly) Warm Reception for Gore's 'Inconvenient Truth' on the Hill
Gore tells Senate committee to put aside politics on climate change; warming critic Inhofe gets hot under the collar.
March 22, 2007
Valerie Plame and the Attack of the Paparazzi
Former covert operative speaks for the first time—and the D.C. press goes wild.
March 16, 2007
Don't Lean on Me: Fired Prosecutors Speak Out on Capitol Hill
During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, former U.S. Attorneys Carol Lam, David Iglesias (at left), John McKay and Bud Cummins dish on their seemingly wrongful terminations.
March 6, 2007
Iraqi Oil Agreement Reveals the True Winners in Iraq
The new oil revenue-sharing agreement is a giveaway to Big Oil and could end up tearing apart the country.
March 1, 2007
The Libby Trial: Courtroom Theatrics in the Closing Arguments
Libby's lawyer leaks tears: "Please don't sacrifice Scooter Libby."
February 21, 2007
Bush on Afghanistan: Another Surge, a Renewed Offensive
Addressing a handpicked crowd of neocons, Bush ramps up pressure on Karzai and NATO.
February 15, 2007
Highway Privatization: "This Is All About Money"
House committee takes the road privatization juggernaut public.
February 13, 2007
The Libby Trial: Tim Russert Takes the Stand
The NBC newsman reiterates that he didn't tell Libby about Valerie Plame: "That would be impossible because I didn't know who that person was until several days later."
February 7, 2007
Waxman to Bremer: Show Me the Money
The CPA handed out planeloads of cash but no one knows where it went.
February 6, 2007
Leakers Who Lunch: Judith Miller Testifies How Scooter Libby Pushed Plame Story
Now the defense wants to know: Will the fallen New York Times reporter finger anyone else?
January 30, 2007
Head-On Collision
With Dem Peter DeFazio heading up the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit and a lawyer for a private-highway company about to become the lead lawyer for the Department of Transportation, the battle over private tolls roads is sure to heat up.
January 26, 2007
Libby Witness: I Told Scooter About Valerie Plame
But ex-spook’s testimony differs from earlier statement, could bolster Libby’s memory-hole defense.
January 25, 2007
Reaction to the President's Second to Last State of the Union Address
A lame duck president makes his plea. What did Washington think?
January 24, 2007
The State of the President's Leadership: Bought Off
Don't be fooled by the policies on health care, renewable energy, and the budget President Bush put forward in yesterday's State of the Union. Various experts weigh in on the president's proposals and they are -- surprise! -- extremely skeptical.
January 24, 2007
Libby Defense Lawyer: Scooter Scapegoated, Culprit is Karl
The first morning of the Libby trial sees opening statements from the prosecution and the defense, with clues on where each side will try to take the case. For the defense, it's "Blame Karl."
January 23, 2007
Plame Case: Fitzgerald is Getting Nifonged
As the Scooter Libby trial begins in D.C., conservatives in the media are trying to undercut the credibility of the prosecution's case by comparing Patrick Fitzgerald to embattled Duke case prosecutor Mike Nifong.
January 17, 2007
Ten Things Speaker Pelosi Must Do
To insure the credibility of the new Congress -- and to show that it has some teeth -- new speaker Nancy Pelosi should take these ten key steps.
January 9, 2007
Congress vs. Big Pharma: Let the Games Begin
Doughnut holes, drug scams, and Dingell: As the industry cozies up to Democrats, pharma reform may be DOA for now — but watch for a few killer investigations.
December 14, 2006
Sherrod Brown: First We Go After Big Pharma
The senator-elect from Ohio weighs in on drug-pricing reform, Iraq, the '08 campaign, and (oh yeah, that!) trade.
December 7, 2006
Iraq Study Group: U.S. Out (Sort Of) By 2008!
Report also departs from Bush Administration line on Iraqi oil, partition, and Iran negotiations.
December 6, 2006
CIA Veteran: How Robert Gates Cooked the Intelligence
An interview with the most interesting witness senators won't hear from this week.
December 4, 2006
Introducing New House Intel Committee Chair Silvestre Reyes. Remember the Border
Nancy Pelosi's pick to head the influential House Intelligence Committee used to be the top border agent in El Paso, back when he looked like an up-and-coming Republican. Now he may be the perfect man for one of the Dems' most difficult jobs.
December 3, 2006
A Socialist in the Millionaires' Club: An Interview with Bernie Sanders
Vermont's junior senator-elect has a modest proposal for Ted Kennedy's committee: Investigate "power and wealth in America."
November 20, 2006
The Robert Gates File: Senate's Doubtful Dozen
Kerry, Biden, Levin and 9 other current senators voted against Gates in 1991. Have they changed their minds?
November 16, 2006
Woof! Who Really Won the Hoyer/Murtha Showdown
Remember the Blue Dog Democrats? In the new Congress, you’ll be hearing from them a lot.
November 16, 2006
Positively K Street
The mid-term elections were, in part, a referendum on congressional corruption. With Jack Murtha’s ties to lobbyists well documented, does Nancy Pelosi’s pick for Majority Leader signal a return to business as usual?
November 14, 2006
Rumsfeld's Replacement: The Robert Gates File
Iran-Contra figure, regime-change enthusiast, alleged intelligence manipulator -- meet Robert Gates, the man who’s poised to be the next Secretary of Defense.
November 9, 2006
Allen-Webb Deadlocked to the End
The tightest race in the country, ridden with scandal and celebrity, was supposed to be a cakewalk for Senator George Allen.
November 7, 2006
The Stem Cell Question
A roundup of the tightest races where the stem cell debate has played a major role.
November 3, 2006
Northeast Dispatch, Part 2
Stender-Ferguson smackdown in New Jersey.
November 2, 2006
No Apology Necessary
John Kerry’s remarks in Pasadena may not have been tactful. But they were undeniably true.
November 1, 2006
Northeast Dispatch
Farrell-Shays squeaker in Connecticut.
October 31, 2006
Republican Counterattack
In too many races the outcome will turn on ads not issues.
October 26, 2006
It's Bush Sr. vs Bush Jr. in Allen Race
In Virginia, key Senate race is dead even.
October 16, 2006
Meet the "Whack Iran" Lobby
Exiles peddling shaky intelligence, advocacy groups pressing for regime change, neocons bent on remaking the Middle East. Sound familiar?
October 6, 2006
Mr. Lamont Goes to Washington
The candidate lays out his platform, says Joe Lieberman is coming out of the Republican “closet.”
September 7, 2006
The Armitage Red Herring
The right wants you to believe the Plame scandal is over. It isn't.
September 4, 2006
UPDATE: Second Senator Had Hold on Transparency Bill
And we have a good idea who
August 31, 2006
Bush in Salt Lake
George Bush formally opened the campaign season setting forth the basic GOP theme of victory in Iraq and Afghanistan.
August 31, 2006
Future of Government Transparency Bill Unclear
Temporarily blocked in the Senate, a bill that would put federal contractors on notice has lost its momentum.
August 16, 2006
Government Official: Explosives on Planes Cannot Be Detected
Consistent warnings about the failures of airport security systems fall on deaf ears.
August 11, 2006
VIDEO: Angry Red Team Members Speak Out
Long before 9/11, the FAA’s own employees repeatedly warned the agency terrorists could penetrate the nation’s air security systems.
August 14, 2006
Life As Usual in the Capital
You'd never know we're "at war."
August 10, 2006
New Conyers Report on Prewar Intel
Propaganda from the President: a step-by-step look at how Bush misled the nation into war.
August 7, 2006
The World According to Grover
Newt, Hillary, and the “low-maintenance coalition”: A conservative strategist handicaps 2008.
June 26, 2006
Death by a Thousand Vetoes
If you think the president doesn’t have enough power, you’ll like this idea.
June 20, 2006
Enemies Within
Is the FBI leadership channeling J. Edgar Hoover?
June 8, 2006
Private Interests Pay for $50 Million in Trips for Lawmakers
A new report lifts the lid on congressional influence peddling and junketeering.
June 6, 2006
