Politics

Sen. Leahy Smacks Gonzales Around in Video

Blair Golson / Truthdig Feb 10, 2006 Leahy, exasperated at Alberto Gonzales' refusal to answer questions about Bush's spying program, lets rip a Jon Stewart-quality zinger: "Of course, Mr. Attorney General, I forgot. You can't answer any questions that might be relevant to this." | video Dig deeper

Ex-CIA Chief Blasts Bush on Iraq Intel

Staff / Truthdig Feb 10, 2006 America's former top spy for the Middle East accuses the White House of "cherry-picking information" to justify a decision it had already made to go to war. | storyWho wants to bet on how long it will take the CIA to start swift-boating this guy? Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

White House Knew of Levee’s Failure on Night of Hurricane

Staff / Truthdig Feb 10, 2006 Remember when Bush said that he hadn't heard about the devastating levee failure in New Orleans until the day after the hurricane hit? Well, now it turns out that former FEMA Director Michael "Heckuva Job" Brown had told the White House about the breach the night before. | story Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

The Cure for Executive Excess

Molly Ivins / Truthdig Feb 9, 2006 Can impeachment heal the malady of executive privilege and wiretapping? It has before. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Bush Sneaks Social Security Privatization Into Budget

Staff / Truthdig Feb 9, 2006 The president put in the $700-billion proposal without announcement or fanfare. | storyPerhaps he thought no one would notice? Maybe he missed the standing ovation Democrats gave the sinking of that scheme during his State of the Union speech? | video Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Republicans Have No Shame; They Award DeLay a Cushy Seat

Staff / Truthdig Feb 9, 2006 The indicted congressman lands a coveted appointment to the Appropriations Committee | storyHaving DeLay act as a fiscal watchdog makes about as much sense as electing Libya chairman of the U Human Rights Commission . Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Abramoff Brags About Bush Relationship

Staff / Truthdig Feb 9, 2006 ThinkProgress surfaces e-mails from the disgraced lobbyist that reveal a fairly intimate relationship with the president: "The guy saw me in almost a dozen settings, and joked with me about a bunch of things, including details of my kids." | storyAlso, The Nation has a great piece on Abramoff's Evangelical Soldiers (Ralph Reed & Co.) Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Boehner Renting Apartment From Lobbyist

Staff / Truthdig Feb 9, 2006 The new House majority leader is renting a D.C. pad from a veteran lobbyist whose clients have direct stakes in legislation Boehner has co-written. | storySo this is the hope of the new scandal-free House of Republicans? Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Wolfowitz Packing World Bank With Cronies

Staff / Truthdig Feb 8, 2006 Paul Wolfowitz, one of the architects of the Iraq war, has appointed many apparently unqualified Republican loyalists to high positions at the international agency. "The bank is stewing with discontent." | story Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Take From the Poor, Give to the Military

Robert Scheer / Truthdig Feb 8, 2006 Where would the Bush administration be without terrorism? The sweeping rationale for irrational governance has wrought yet another outrage: the $2.77-trillion budget the president proposed to Congress on Monday. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

TD Original

President Jonah, Meet Oliver Cromwell!

Gore Vidal / Truthdig Feb 8, 2006 Building on his "President Jonah" theme, Gore Vidal offers another angle on Bush's presidency, illuminated by the recent spate of wildfires in Southern California.Updated: Internationally-acclaimed man of letters Gore Vidal issues a new conclusion to his essay about the corruption of the Bush administration: "This is what we call dictatorship. Dictatorship. Dictatorship. And it is time we objected." Dig deeper ( 11 Min. Read )

Top Counter-Terrorism Official Removed Amid Turmoil at the CIA

Staff / Truthdig Feb 7, 2006 The departure "comes at a time when the agency is bleeding top talent, robbing the CIA of institutional memory and damaging morale among case officers and analysts." | story Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )