Think Progress

October 2007 Progress Reports

• Administration: Stonewalling Consumer Safety, October 31, 2007
  
• Civil Rights: John Tanner's Erosion Of Voting Rights, October 30, 2007
  
• The Progress Report, October 29, 2007
  
• Jury Still Out On Judge Mukasey, October 26, 2007
  
• Homeland Security: Fighting The California Fires, October 25, 2007
  Wildfires continue to burn in southern California for the fifth straight day today, as at least half a million residents have been forced to flee their homes.
• Religion: Islamo-Phobic Awareness Week, October 24, 2007
  On college campuses across America this week, conservatives are gathering together to listen to right-wing luminaries such as Ann Coulter and former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) as part of David Horowitz's Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week.
• Civil Rights: Ending Discrimination One Inch At A Time, October 23, 2007
  The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), introduced by Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), would make it illegal to fire, refuse to hire, or fail to promote employees simply based on sexual orientation.
• Civil Rights: Heading Down Southwick, October 22, 2007
  This week, the Senate will likely vote on the nomination of Leslie Southwick to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
• Health Care: Sometimes When You Win, You Really Lose, October 19, 2007
  Conservative lawmakers in the House of Representatives sided with President Bush yesterday in denying millions of children the opportunity to receive health insurance.
• Health Care: The Anti-Family Planning Czar, October 18, 2007
  On Monday, President Bush appointed Susan Orr Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Population Affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), a position that gives her oversight of federal family planning programs.
• Administration: Judging Judge Mukasey, October 17, 2007
  Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee will consider Judge Michael Mukasey's nomination as the nation's next Attorney General. Several senators on the committee have already expressed hope for a successful confirmation.
• Justice: Rationalizing Incompetence, October 16, 2007
  Conservatives on Capitol Hill are gearing up for a fight this week over proposed changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) that would restore court oversight to the administration's wiretapping program.
• Iraq: 'Nightmare With No End In Sight', October 15, 2007
  Last Friday, retired Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez blasted the Bush administration's handling of the Iraq war, calling it a "nightmare with no end in sight."
• Justice: The Rovian Touch, October 12, 2007
  The case of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman (D) has raised concerns about the extent of the politicization of justice under the Bush administration.
• Health Care: Right Wing Attacks 12-Year Old Boy, October 11, 2007
  On Sept. 22, President Bush used his weekly radio address to lambaste Congress for its efforts to increase five-year funding for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).
• Civil Liberties: Restoring the Law, October 10, 2007
  The Restore Act would begin to bring back into balance the need for security and liberty in the government's surveillance efforts.
• Iraq: Bush's 'Closest Friend' Leaves Iraq, October 9, 2007
  Prime Minister Gordon Brown yesterday announced that he will trim Britain's forces in Iraq nearly in half, withdrawing 2,500 troops by early 2008.
• Afghanistan: Turning Success into Failure, October 5, 2007
  This Sunday marks the sixth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan. Six years later, both Osama bin Laden and his number two man, Ayman al-Zawahiri, have yet to be captured.
• Justice: Clearing the Decks for Mukasey, October 4, 2007
  Two weeks ago, President Bush nominated retired federal judge Michael Mukasey to replace Alberto Gonzales as the nation's Attorney General.
• Ethics: When Hate Radio Attacks..., October 3, 2007
  Last Wednesday, right-wing pundit and "hate radio" pioneer Rush Limbaugh declared that U.S. troops who support withdrawal from Iraq are "phony soldiers."
• Supreme Court: Courting Conservatives, October 2, 2007
  Last year's "hyperpartisan" Supreme Court produced a "higher share of 5-4 decisions than any term in the last decade." Despite Chief Justice John Roberts's promise to seek greater consensus, 24 out of 68 decisions were resolved by a 5-4 margin.
• Race And Religion: Blackout And Brownout, October 1, 2007
  As America moves toward greater diversity, many conservatives are resisting this change, advocating instead for religious and ethnic homogeneity. After top GOP presidential candidates skipped a minority-focused debate last week, the media asked if conservatives were "writing off many black voters."