Mary Lynn Jones

“They deal with us [Democrats] the same way they deal with our allies around the world: ‘It’s our way or the highway’,” House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer says. “‘You do things our way or you don’t play’.” So last week, the House Judiciary Committee passed, with an unfavorable recommendation, a constitutional amendment sponsored by Democratic […]

It’s well known that Speaker Dennis Hastert and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi are barely on speaking terms in the House. Now it looks as if the Senate’s leaders may be next. Majority Leader Bill Frist is waging an aggressive campaign to cost Minority Leader Tom Daschle his job. Frist is urging Republican donors, “If you […]

There are a number of disturbing revelations in Bob Woodward’s new book, Plan of Attack, at least as he explained it Sunday on 60 Minutes. One is that President Bush told National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice that he wanted to focus on Iraq five days after the September 11 attacks. Another is that he decided […]

The New York Times reported last week that John Kerry hopes to choose a running mate in the next two months. No doubt his rushed timetable is due in part to the front-loaded primary season. In addition, he could use the help a vice-presidential candidate will provide in the campaign against President Bush. With the […]

House Republican leaders twisted the rules — and some arms — to get their way last week on Capitol Hill. Democrats had proposed a motion instructing budget conferees to adopt pay-as-you-go rules, which would have required lawmakers to make budget cuts to offset any additional spending increases or tax cuts, something the Senate had already […]

Throughout the past week, members of the Bush administration and other top Republicans have engaged in a game of career assassination against Richard Clarke, the former counter-terrorism chief who has criticized President Bush for being disengaged in the fight against al-Qaeda. They’ve noted that Clarke was the only constant during the ten years of al-Qaeda […]

Over the last few decades, presidents have used many methods of influence to get lawmakers to pass pieces of legislation. They’ve personally called members of Congress or invited them for meetings at the White House. They’ve worked with Hill leaders to gain votes by making concessions on other, less-prized legislation. And they’ve cajoled members with […]

The past few weeks have been kind to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC). Two prominent Republicans have decided not to run for retiring Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell’s seat (R-Colo.), while Democrats have coalesced around state Attorney General Ken Salazar. Former Gov. Tony Knowles (D-Alaska) continues to poll well against Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). And […]

After the 2000 presidential election, liberals and centrists blamed one another for Al Gore’s loss. Liberals argued that Gore’s populist message helped his campaign. Centrists countered that Gore went too far to the left to attract enough votes to win. No more. The party’s two branches are putting aside their differences to achieve a common […]

On Friday, President Bush installed Alabama Attorney General William Pryor as a judge on the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Only last month, he appointed Charles Pickering Sr. to a similar position. Both appointments are clearly election-year moves aimed at placating the religious right, a group Bush needs to help him in the November […]