Mary Cheney, the lesbian daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney, yesterday publicly defended her decision to become pregnant. “I knew it wasn’t going to be the most popular decision,” she said. Cheney then gestured to her middle: “This is a blessing from God. It is not a political statement. It is not a prop to be used in a debate, on either side of a political issue. It is my child.”
Reacting to yesterday’s compromise between Sens. Carl Levin (D-MI) and John Warner (R-VA) on a resolution opposing escalation, White House spokesperson Dana Perino said, “These resolutions send mixed signals to our troops and our enemy.”
Yesterday marked the first time Bush has spoken of a problem of income inequality in America. He said, “The fact is that income inequality is real; it’s been rising for more than 25 year,” adding that he sees the dividing line as between those with good educations and those without.
Universal health care is “socialist,” according to former Sen. Rick Santorum, who believes that such a plan “would be a nightmare for America.” Approximately 69 percent of Americans favor a universal health care system.
9/11 Commission members said the intelligence agencies are still slow to share information, money, and personnel. “The Bush administration’s execution of the DNI reforms recommended by our commission has been a failure,” said John Lehman, a conservative member of the panel.
“The United States lags far behind virtually all wealthy countries with regard to family-oriented workplace policies such as maternity leave, paid sick days and support for breast-feeding, a new study by Harvard and McGill University researchers says.” The United States is one of just five countries that does not guarantee some form of paid maternity leave.
Federal prosecutors are preparing to seek indictments against Kyle “Dusty” Foggo, a former top CIA official, and Brent Wilkes, a San Diego defense contractor at the center of the bribery scandal that sent former Rep. Duke Cunningham (R-CA) to prison. Both Foggo and Wilkes are embroiled in other high-profile congressional scandals.
81: Number of journalists and media staffers “killed worldwide in 2006, making it the deadliest year for reporters in more than a decade, Reporters Without Borders said Thursday.” Iraq was the most dangerous country last year, “with 39 reporters and 26 other media workers killed.”
And finally: Russert doesn’t like playing Hardball. Notes released yesterday in Scooter Libby’s trial quote Cheney adviser Mary Matalin warning Libby that Joe Wilson’s claims about the Bush administration were “not going away.” The notes say, “We need to address the Wilson motivation.” Matalin suggested that Libby call Meet the Press host Tim Russert. “He hates Chris,” the notes say, in a reference to Hardball host Chris Matthews, who had been promoting Wilson’s accusations on the air and slamming Libby by name.
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