Obama, GOP Trade Punches Over Business Bill

Staff / Truthdig Aug 31, 2010 So, President Obama was miffed on Monday at the GOP side of the Senate for thwarting his move to push a bill through Congress designed to help small businesses, but those senators weren't having it and fired back at Obama and his party with a pointed statement. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Bickering Over Judicial Nominations

Ruth Marcus / Truthdig Aug 11, 2010 Elena Kagan, no surprise, did not live up to the Kagan standard of openness in answering questions during her confirmation hearing. Mitch McConnell did not live up to the McConnell standard of deference in voting against her. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

The Michael Jordan of Bailouts

David Sirota / Truthdig May 28, 2010 Someone is going to bear the massive cost of damage to the Gulf Coast economy, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is out to make sure it isn't the oil firms whose rig caused the catastrophe in the first place. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Wall Street Reform Stalls in Senate

Staff / Truthdig May 20, 2010 By day's end Wednesday, our chums over at the U.S. Senate hadn't moved much closer to the finish line in dealing with the financial regulation bill, to the chagrin of some senators and, no doubt, the satisfaction of others. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Obama Brushes Off GOP’s Bailout Claim, Pushes On With Financial Reform

Staff / Truthdig Apr 15, 2010 Congressional Republicans are mobilizing for an assault on President Obama's next regulatory project: financial reform. However, Obama's not hearing it when it comes to the GOP's claim that the Democrats' current bill would make it easier for big financial institutions to angle for government bailouts down the line. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Senate Democrats Whittle Down Jobs Bill

Staff / Truthdig Feb 12, 2010 Here we have yet another example of partisan politicking in action: Senate Democrats, led by Harry Reid, tossed out a jobs bill they'd created in tandem with Republicans and produced a trimmed-down alternative at the eleventh hour This did not please their former collaborators from the GOP (continued). Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Spy Chief Wants to Read Your E-Mail

Staff / Truthdig Jan 15, 2008 America's intelligence czar, Mike McConnell, drops a few eyebrow-raisers in a new interview in The New Yorker. He admits he wants the ability to access all U.S. Internet traffic, and says of waterboarding: "Whether it's torture by anybody else's definition, for me it would be torture." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Intelligence Chief Gets His Facts Mixed Up

Staff / Truthdig Sep 14, 2007 After German authorities foiled a terror plot earlier this month, U.S. National Intelligence Director J. Michael McConnell was all to eager to give credit to recently revised FISA rules, arguing, in effect, that potential civil liberty violations helped save American lives. Woops. It turns out that much of the information used by the Germans was obtained under the old FISA law, which McConnell continues to claim wasn't effective enough. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Big Brother Update With National Intel Director

Staff / Truthdig Aug 24, 2007 J. Michael McConnell, the director of national intelligence, has in part explained Congress' hurry to revise domestic surveillance law. It seems that the FISA court, established three decades ago to keep the government from abusively spying on American citizens, decided that the administration's warrantless wiretapping program was illegal -- and that just wouldn't do. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Odd Couple Still Pushing Immigration Reform

Staff / Truthdig Jun 16, 2007 Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and President Bush are determined to push through the ailing immigration reform bill, despite heavy opposition from both sides of the aisle. Reid, who has partnered with Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, said Democrats would work through the July 4 recess if necessary. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Intelligence Chief to Revise Spy Rules

Staff / Truthdig Jun 13, 2007 National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell, with the blessing of the White House, will rewrite the Reagan-era executive order that defines the function of the United States' many spy agencies and prohibits espionage against Americans. While critics concede that the order is out of date, they worry that an administration with a fondness for spying on its own might seize the opportunity to trample on a few civil liberties. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )