There’s been talk for years that many Bush supporters believe he was literally chosen by God to be president. We don’t hear as much about this lately — God wanted a U.S. president who would screw up everything he touches? — but the notion of divine intervention on behalf of Republicans has been a relatively […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * AP: “The Pentagon on Monday announced upcoming deployments of more than 42,000 troops, including 25,000 active duty Army soldiers who would be sent to Iraq beginning in the fall to replace troops scheduled to come home by year’s end. The deployments would maintain a level of 15 brigades in […]
It’s not at all unusual for a presidential campaign, once it secures the party’s nomination, to pick some of the rival campaigns’ aides. It’s about promoting the best talent, and in some instances, about bringing the party together. Certainly, under the circumstances, Hillary Clinton’s aides are working under the notion that their campaign is still […]
I suppose we could just ignore Bill Kristol — every Monday, I’d write a short item, saying, “Kristol’s latest NYT column is absurd” — but what fun would that be? In today’s edition, Kristol notes that Republicans have every reason to be discouraged right now, especially after last week’s third special-election defeat in Mississippi, but […]
Over the weekend, responding to criticisms from Bush and McCain, Barack Obama explained his perspective on diplomacy. For those of you who can’t watch clips online, Obama explained, “Strong countries and strong Presidents talk to their adversaries. That’s what Kennedy did with Khrushchev. That’s what Reagan did with Gorbachev. That’s what Nixon did with Mao. […]
Political parties and leaders sometimes need to be reminded not to believe their own press releases. It’s one thing to spin and exaggerate; it’s another to actually buy into your own exaggerated spin. For example, Republicans in general, and Bush and McCain in specific, tend to seriously believe their strong suit is foreign policy and […]
MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann and Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly have been trading barbs for quite a while, creating a relatively entertaining, good ol’ fashioned media feud. By all appearances, Olbermann seems to be enjoying the dispute far more than O’Reilly is, with the latter tending to become enraged at the mention of the prior’s name. I’ve […]
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: * There was some additional movement on the delegate front over the weekend, with Obama picking up Maryland superdelegate Greg Pecoraro, and add-on delegates in Colorado and Kansas. In California, Clinton picked up […]
When voters are asked to name the top issue they consider when weighing their choice in the presidential election, we generally hear about the economy, the war in Iraq, healthcare, national security, and energy policy. Those are, to be sure, all very important considerations. And then there’s my top issue: the federal judiciary. I realize […]
Yesterday afternoon, I was chatting with my friend Bill Simmon, discussing the week that was. I mentioned John McCain’s speech on Iraq earlier in the week, in which the senator talked about how great Iraq will look in 2013, at the end of what he hopes would be his first term as president. Borrowing a […]