Now that the inquiry into CBS’s faulty reporting on Georgie Boy’s National Guard service has resulted in the dismissal of four top news executives, the Bush regime suddenly values the principle of accountability. White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said, without the slightest irony, “CBS has taken steps to hold people accountable, and we appreciate […]
Archives for 2005
SALVADOR IN IRAQ?
Busy day ahead of me, so I’m signing off for the nonce with a link to “The Salvador Option,” which ought to start your week off with plenty to think about. For more on the subject, go to Democracy Now!, which did a segment about it and will be posting it later this morning. Postscript: […]
CATCHING UP
In the rush to leave 2004 behind, I never got around to posting the conclusion of a small debate that erupted about Bill Moyers. It began with a farewell to Moyers that praised him — he was retiring from broadcast journalism — and continued with reader Larry Lippman’s negative response, which attacked Moyers for being […]
TORTURED TESTIMONY
The front-page headline says: “Gonzales Speaks Against Torture During Hearing.” Well, as Rummy Boy might say, golly gee willikers. How noble of Mr. Gonzales. Give that man a medal. Better yet, make that man attorney general. After all, he says he understands the difference between being White House counsel, his current job, and being the […]
THE PURE MALARKEY OF SOFTSPEAK
Alberto Gonzales has added softspeak, a modification of newspeak, to the Orwellian lexicon, although Sen. Joe Biden had another term for it: “Pure malarkey!” That’s how Biden, fed up with Gonzales’s lack of candor, characterized the Attorney General nominee’s testimony in this morning’s Senate hearing. (A big tip of the hat, too, to Sen. Ted […]
ESSENTIAL VIEWING
The U.S. Senate confirmation hearing on the nomination of Alberto Gonzales for Attorney General begins this morning. Watch the Webcast on C-Span. It begins at 9:30 a.m. ET.
VONNEGUT, TERKEL DO THE HONORS
by Jan Herman Two essays — one by Kurt Vonnegut, the other by Studs Terkel — appeared on New Year’s day in The Guardian in London. They’re both about Nelson Algren, who was, it is no exaggeration to say, one of the great American authors of the 20th century, and among the most neglected. “Like […]
A NEGATIVE TOO FAR
Secretary of State Colin Powell is everywhere these days. He ushered in the New Year from Times Square with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Today he’s off to survey the tsunami damage with Florida Governor Jeb Bush. On top of that, he’s leaving politics, but he’s not retiring. Powell says he expects to serve the […]