Laura McGann
Will Bush Pardon Stevens?
It looks like Sen. Ted Stevens, convicted of seven federal felony counts of bribery-related charges, has opened the door to asking for a presidential pardon, according to Politico:
Asked Nov. 18 if [Stevens] would seek a pardon from President George W. Bush, Stevens told reporters at the Capitol, “No, no, no.” But later that day, he [...]
Team of Rivals Shares a ‘Core Vision’
President-elect Barack Obama took a question on his “team of rivals” at a press conference in Chicago this morning, where, as Matt DeLong notes, Obama officially tapped Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) and Sec. of Defense Robert Gates to join his Cabinet.
As I noted in a piece this morning, many progressives have been critical of [...]
Progressive Circle Forming Around Obama
In the last few weeks, irritated progressive critics have looked at Obama’s Cabinet picks and wondered why the left has been left out. An examination of the president-elect’s White House staff reveals where liberals will be in the next administration — closest to the president.
Palin to Stump for Chambliss
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is already planning a trip back out on the campaign trail. TPM Election Central’s Eric Kleefeld reports the Alaska governor is heading down South to stump for Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) in a run-off election with Democrat Jim Martin for a U.S. Senate seat from Georgia.
As Kleefeld notes, this special [...]
Lucky 14 Pardoned by Bush, Not Big Donors
I wouldn’t have guessed it, but after looking into the names of 14 people pardoned and another 2 who had their sentences commuted by President George W. Bush yesterday, it appears that none is a major political donor to Bush or the Republican Party.
Running the last names of each of the 16 along with their [...]
MSNBC: Geithner Favored for Treasury Pick
MSNBC reports that barring last minute changes, Timothy Geithner, a career Treasury official under three administrations, is likely going to serve as the next secretary of the Treasury Dept.
A Petty Ending to Stevens’ Career
Ted Stevens’ 40-year career in the Senate was marred by scandals involving money, family and power. In the end, failing to fill out a form properly did him in.
Applauding Stevens?
I’m still thinking about Sen. Ted Stevens’ farewell speech he gave on the floor of the Senate this morning. When he finished speaking, Stevens received a standing ovation from the mostly Republican crowd there and a nice send-off from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).
On the one hand, it’s appalling to think about members of [...]
Stevens Bids Farewell
Sen. Ted Stevens, who conceded defeat to Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich yesterday, spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate this morning for the last time in his 40 years serving in the upper chamber.
To sum up four decades of work in just a few minutes is tough, as Stevens noted, so he stuck to [...]
White House Denies ‘Burrowing’
Yesterday I blogged The Washington Post’s story on political appointees slyly sliding into career positions. One expert on the subject I spoke with said the practice has the potential to make it difficult for the incoming administration to carry out its policy vision.
