Watching Washington Podcast

2006-10-01T18:37:00.000-05:00

A Congressman in trouble for attempting Internet seduction of teenage boys, a convicted criminal drawing Congressional pay, and "dog whistle politics" for the true believers.

2006-09-09T20:23:00.000-05:00

An oral history of my experiences on Capitol Hill during the 9/11 attacks

MP3 File

Television Ad Shows Reagan Praising Webb In 1985 Speech

2006-09-09T20:10:00.000-05:00

A Reagan appointee turned Democratic Senate candidate is catching flack for using the "Gipper" in a television ad.

Former First Lady Nancy Reagan has fired off a letter asking Jim Webb (right) to stop airing the ad (below) immediately.

Other Republicans complain that Mr Webb is being hypocritical -- using the late President's words of praise for the then Navy Secretary, after Mr Webb resigned in a dispute with President Reagan. (WashPost/YouTube)

2006-02-14T18:58:00.000-05:00

My Odeo Channel (odeo/8716dd0a08fe9a63)

2006-02-05T23:52:00.000-05:00

The government won't help track down 100,000 Americans owed back pay. So the clergy is coming to their aid.

MP3 File

2006-02-01T20:43:00.000-05:00

The Government Accountability Office says the federal government has to shoulder the blame for the foul ups that followed Hurricane Katrina.

MP3 File

2006-01-31T21:22:00.000-05:00

What's Washington thinking? They free one of bin Laden's top men and do nothing to stop terrorists' cash flow.

MP3 File

2006-01-30T19:59:00.000-05:00

FEMA ignored offers of help from other federal agencies after Hurricane Katrina.

MP3 File

2006-01-25T22:28:00.000-05:00

The likely next House Majority Leader took money from a phone-sex millionaire.

MP3 File

2006-01-24T20:42:00.000-05:00

Did a high ranking federal judge repeatedly break the law? Enter Exhibit "A" into evidence.

MP3 File

2006-01-17T18:00:00.000-05:00

Three Congressmen helped a political contributor beat an investigation -- and cost taxpayers $300 million.

MP3 File

2006-01-13T06:27:00.000-05:00

The high cost of paying your taxes.

MP3 File

2006-01-11T22:03:00.000-05:00

The NSA was supposed to be watching terrorists so they couldn't launch a sneak attack. Instead, they spied on how Quakers inflated balloons for peace rallies. Feel safer yet?

MP3 File

2006-01-11T22:02:00.000-05:00

The NSA was supposed to be watching terrorists so they couldn't launch a sneak attack. Instead, they spied on how Quakers inflated balloons for peace rallies. Feel yet?

MP3 File

2006-01-08T13:11:00.000-05:00

Iowa wants your money to protect their donuts.

MP3 File

2006-01-05T19:26:00.000-05:00

There's something fishy about the way your government polices the seafood you eat.

2006-01-04T20:05:00.000-05:00

What happens when you hit up an oil company for a charitible donation?

MP3 File

2006-01-03T18:07:00.000-05:00

worth of equipment behind in Iraq -- with no word on whether it'll be returned or replaced.

MP3 File

2005-12-29T19:07:00.000-05:00

South Dakota is more than a thousand miles from Ground Zero. Didn't keep disaster loans from winding up there after 9/11.

MP3 File

2005-12-21T20:17:00.000-05:00

Think you got snared in the domestic spying scandal.

MP3 File

2005-12-18T21:22:00.000-05:00

What did the President know about you -- and when did he know it?

MP3 File

2005-12-15T19:32:00.000-05:00

If you can't figure out who the terrorists are -- just put everyone's name on the list. Your government has pretty much given up and gone that route.

MP3 File

2005-12-14T17:27:00.000-05:00

FEMA found money to upgrade skyboxes, but not to help people who ride out another storm.

MP3 File

2005-12-13T18:47:00.000-05:00

A newspaper investigation has turned up billions in potential fraud in the aftermath of 9/11.

MP3 File

2005-12-12T18:04:00.000-05:00

Millions of pounds of chemical and nerve weapons were dumped in the oceans off America's coast. They're beginning to cause trouble on shore.

MP3 File

2005-12-11T18:32:00.000-05:00

If you've got the money, FEMA will be more than happy to help. If not, you're on your own.

MP3 File

2005-12-07T22:50:00.000-05:00

Ronald Reagan fought the "evil empire" to bring down Communism and all
it stood for.

Now that the Soviet bloc is long gone, the US gets to put them gulags
back in business as "secret prisons."

Why were we fighting the Communists again?

MP3 File

2005-12-06T19:16:00.000-05:00

Pearl Harbor Day comes this year as reports from the Government Accountability Office and the 9/11 Commission criticize Washington's preparedness against another terrorist attack.

MP3 File

2005-12-04T13:15:00.000-05:00

The economy is booming, so why aren't the Republicans taking credit for it?

For the Average voter, they've haven't seen any concrete results of the boom. So they might not believe the GOP.

MP3 File

2005-12-01T20:15:00.000-05:00

Farm subsidies are winding up in places like Beverly Hills. Costing you $22 billion in the process.

MP3 File

2005-12-01T06:50:00.000-05:00

The GAO reports that Washington has no clear strategy to cut off money to terrorists.

MP3 File

2005-11-29T18:15:00.000-05:00

Two-and-a-half years and 2,100 deaths and NOW they come up with a plan.

MP3 File

2005-11-28T18:55:00.000-05:00

Rep Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-CA) resigned after pleading guilty to taking bribes. Just two months ago, he made a list of Congrssmen most deserving of an investigation.

MP3 File

2005-11-22T06:30:00.000-05:00

Buy a hybrid, get money from Uncle Sam -- maybe even your boss.

MP3 File

2005-11-20T14:18:00.000-05:00

With the President's poll numbers in the cellar, no politicians want to be seen with him -- fearful the bad numbers will rub off.

Even the President's dog appears to be avoiding him these days.

MP3 File

2005-11-17T18:25:00.000-05:00

Voters have suddenly started rejecting tax cuts. Whatever will politicians promise us instead?

MP3 File

2005-11-15T18:30:00.000-05:00

Your tax dollars are paying for a documentary of Alaskan road work.

[This podcast originally appeared as a print posting at WatchingWashington.com on August 29, 2005.]

MP3 File

2005-11-14T18:26:00.000-05:00

Your tax dollars are paying for a bumper crop of pork projects and benefits for big business.

MP3 File

2005-11-13T18:34:00.000-05:00

President Bush used his Veterans Day speech to play politics. He claims that critics of the Iraq War had the same evidence as he did leading up to the war. But that's not entirely true.

So the President wound up using the standard strategy to lift his poll numbers -- apparently unaware that the blame shifting is probably largely to blame for his falling numbers.

MP3 File

MSNBC's Hardball tracks the administration's selling of the Iraq War.

2005-11-11T06:27:00.000-05:00

The War to End all Wars was six wars ago.

MP3 File

2005-11-09T21:56:00.000-05:00

Figures from the Census Bureau on veterans in the US.

MP3 File

2005-11-08T19:52:00.000-05:00

Free food can be expensive for taxpayers

MP3 File

2005-11-08T06:10:00.000-05:00

Cattle are getting a free lunch at taxpayers' expense.

MP3 File

2005-11-06T19:09:00.000-05:00

US health care gets bad reviews in a new international survey.

MP3 File

2005-11-04T06:04:00.000-05:00

A Congressman favors using your money to study water saving urinals. A company in his home distict stands to make millions at your expense.

MP3 File

2005-11-03T06:05:00.000-05:00

The Army National Guard has left a lot of equipment behind in Iraq. That's making it harder for them to do their jobs at home.

MP3 File

2005-11-01T18:59:00.000-05:00

It may have taken FEMA a while to help with Hurricane Katrina. But now that the agency's there, they're handing out money right and left -- some of it to people who don't even qualify. And that's costing you millions.

MP3 File

2005-10-31T18:55:00.000-05:00

Just how intelligent is the whole "intelligent design" idea anyway? It sure doesn't explain killer asteroids -- or cats.

MP3 File

2005-10-31T18:36:00.000-05:00

Your tax dollars bought a fleet of Iraqi lemons.

MP3 File

2005-10-27T20:32:00.000-05:00

The Republican running for Governor in Viginia is running away from President Bush just eleven days before the election.

MP3 File

2005-10-27T05:28:00.000-05:00

Two thousand deaths in Iraq is only part of the picture. There are other casualties that don't get as much attention.

MP3 File

2005-10-25T20:13:00.000-05:00

Twenty dollar ice cube trays.

MP3 File

2005-10-25T20:10:00.000-05:00

Guess where your homeland security dollars are going. The little mermaid has to feel safer at least.

MP3 File

2005-10-25T20:08:00.000-05:00

There have been nearly five dozen terror attacks on US soil since 9/11. Surprised you haven't heard about them?

2005-10-25T20:05:00.000-05:00

Special interests are interested in using Hurricane Katrina for a land grab.