Jim Henley recently pronounced this Anne Applebaum piece “the stupidest column anyone has ever written for any venue.” Given how maddening I found Applebaum’s column, I wasn’t prepared to argue with Henley’s conclusion. However, that was before I read Jeff Jacoby’s latest in yesterday’s Boston Globe. Jacoby, the Globe’s worst columnist, makes the least persuasive […]
It’s a necessary evil tucked into the president’s job description: the chief executive is supposed to also be a good salesman. Presidents have a unique megaphone and bully pulpit, which they have to use effectively if they plan on getting what they want. With that in mind, McClatchy’s Steven Thomma makes a good observation: Bush […]
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: * The fourth debate for the Democratic presidential candidates — the first “official” debate sanctioned by the DNC — will be tonight in Charleston, S.C. As you may have heard, the questions are […]
About a week ago, William Kristol wrote a transparently ridiculous WaPo column praising Bush’s presidency. He began his love letter, “I suppose I’ll merely expose myself to harmless ridicule if I make the following assertion: George W. Bush’s presidency will probably be a successful one.” And sure enough, Kristol was ridiculed relentlessly, here and elsewhere. […]
About two weeks ago, during a rare press conference, the president was surprisingly candid about what he sees as Congress’ role when it comes to shaping war policy: “Congress has all the right in the world to fund. That’s their main involvement in this war.” As far as the president is concerned, the Legislative branch […]
I’m pleased to see the White House willing to engage Tehran in bilateral discussions, particularly on the issue of security in Iraq, but I have to wonder, isn’t this the kind of thing that should drive the neocons batty? The United States and Iran will hold a second round of direct talks to discuss Iraq’s […]
Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.), the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and one of the chamber’s more reliable “loyal Bushies,” had an interesting letter to the editor published in the New York Times yesterday. It was a fairly predictable rant about how much safer we are thanks to the president’s counter-terrorism measures, but it […]
The Weekly Standard’s Stephen Hayes is perhaps best known for arguing incessantly for the last several years that Saddam Hussein’s regime was directly connected to al Qaeda. It earned him a reputation for being a bit of a far-right oddball, but his constant and aggressive advocacy, resisting reality at every turn, made Hayes a favorite […]