Last week, Fred Thompson looked pretty foolish when he argued that Social Security reform is one of the top issues on his policy agenda, but then said he couldn’t remember what Bush’s position was on Social Security two years ago. In July, he looked nearly as bad when he said he couldn’t remember lobbying for […]
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: * Increasing the Democrats’ chances of picking up another Senate seat in 2008, former New Hampshire Gov. Jeanne Shaheen (D) is poised to announce that she will take on incumbent Sen. John Sununu […]
The president’s address last night on conditions in Iraq was filled with errors of fact and judgment, but perhaps the strangest misstatement dealt with arithmetic. “To the international community: The success of a free Iraq matters to every civilized nation. We thank the 36 nations who have troops on the ground in Iraq and the […]
Yesterday, Barack Obama explained what he wants Congress to do with the next appropriations bill for Iraq. The AP offered a short summary and a two-sentence quote. Despite the Iraq war’s unpopularity, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Thursday that Congress lacks the votes to force a timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops and will focus […]
Rudy Giuliani probably deserves credit for his shameless cynicism. Most presidential hopefuls would probably have the sense to stay away from nonsense like this, but not the former NYC mayor. Rudy Giuliani has responded to MoveOn’s ad against General Petraeus with a full-page New York Times ad of his own — using his own ad […]
Those of us outside the West Wing had no way of knowing it at the time, but in January, when the president unveiled his “surge” policy in a nationally-televised address, Republicans on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue knew it was a dud. His subdued tone, appropriate for ordering thousands more men and women into battle, […]
Watching the president’s speech last night, I was reminded of a de-motivational poster I saw a couple of years ago: “Quitters never win, winners never quit, but those who never quit and never win are idiots.” Bush’s White House address wasn’t just unpersuasive and dishonest — though it was both of those — it was […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * More disaster in Iraq: “Iraqi tribal leader Abdul Sattar Abu Risha, a key figure in U.S. efforts to turn local residents against al-Qaeda in the restive Anbar province, was killed today by a roadside bomb, U.S. military and Iraqi sources confirmed. Abu Risha was a leading member of the […]
When you tune in to hear the president’s latest address on Iraq, keep one thing in mind: his last address on Iraq. With President Bush reportedly ready to endorse a full continuation of the “surge” in Iraq through next summer in a speech to the nation tonight, a look back at what he promised in […]
Washington Monthly ran a fascinating series of pieces a couple of months ago with the perspectives of active and retired U.S. troops explaining what they’re looking for from Democrats. Most of those featured seemed less than enthralled by the Republican Party — which assumes it “owns” the military vote — but there was some lingering […]