Over the last two weeks, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush made separate trips to Vietnam. Let’s take a moment to compare and contrast, shall we? Clinton was in Hanoi today, where he was swarmed by throngs of admirers seeking autographs, handshakes and photographs. Clinton, in town to sign an agreement between his foundation and […]
Last week, the Iraq Study Group telegraphed the central point that could make their advice largely irrelevant. According to a WaPo report, the ISG isn’t calling for a withdrawal of most U.S. forces by 2008, only that it’d be a nice goal — which could easily be scrapped and is “predicated on the assumption that […]
I hesitate to make too much of the Iraq Study Group report because a) I believe the ISG lacked the political will to address the toughest questions; and b) the Bush White House will almost certainly ignore the report altogether. That said, the ISG’s report has captured the media’s attention, will draw both praise and […]
Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers: * Former Rep. David Bonior (D-Mich.), the former House Majority Leader who retired from Congress in 2002, will reportedly help manage John Edwards presidential campaign in 2008. In the short term, Bonior will […]
Last week, right-wing talk-show host and writer [tag]Dennis Prager[/tag] became something of a laughing stock by arguing that Rep.-elect [tag]Kieth Ellison[/tag] (D-Minn.), Congress’ first Muslim, will literally “undermine American civilization” and “embolden Islamic extremists” if he takes the oath of office on a Koran instead of a Christian Bible. Prager’s Townhall piece, despite its historical […]
Over the last several years, under Republican rule, Congress’ schedule became shorter and shorter. The “work” week began late on Tuesday, and wrapped up early on Thursday. Single-day holidays for most of us (Memorial Day, for example), became an excuse to take off an entire week. Come adjournment, the 109th Congress will have worked just […]
Perhaps I was hasty in my praise for incoming House Intelligence Committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes. Of the finalists for the post considered by Nancy Pelosi, Reyes was the one candidate who was not only saying all the right things about accountability moving forward, he was also the one who consistently made the right call on […]
I think most Americans would be well served to keep a few simple rules in mind: don’t challenge LeBron James to play one-on-one, don’t expect to beat Tiger Woods at golf, and don’t debate economics with Paul Krugman. Especially if you’re Fox News’ Neil Cavuto, and you don’t know what you’re talking about. Princeton economist […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * Paid sick days — an idea whose time has come? (Our friends on the right are not only experiencing apoplexy, they’re trotting out a new “red” scare.) * Incoming Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy (D-Vt.) believes the president should be “terrified” of his subpoena power. Unlike “some in […]
I knew it was too good to last. Answering lawmakers questions during his confirmation hearing, Defense secretary nominee Robert Gates was doing quite well. Incoming committee chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) asked a simple question, “Are we winning the war in Iraq?” Gates responded with a simple answer, “No, sir.” Since the president and other White […]