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 […]
Anytime a post begins, “Conservative blogs are all excited about…” you know you might as well reach for the Maalox. On Monday, as everyone now knows, MoveOn.org took out a full-page ad in the NYT with a provocative headline: “General Petraeus or General Betray Us?” According to one report, the group paid about $65,000 to […]
At a Capitol Hill press conference yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid expressed his disappointment with the ineffectiveness of the president’s “surge” policy. “This week’s testimony confirmed that the Bush Administration is continuing to pursue its flawed strategy even as every objective assessment of the surge reports that it has failed to bring the Iraqi […]
It seems paradoxical — of the top five Democratic presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton is probably the most “hawkish.” Among Democratic primary voters, ending the war is the top priority. And somehow, the same voters who are staunchly opposed to the war are also backing Clinton over her Democratic rivals who seem to be more in […]
The next legislative fight over funding the war was supposed to follow a predictable pattern that we’ve seen before. The House will pass a funding bill with a withdrawal timeline, the Senate will have the votes to pass a similar bill, but it will draw a Republican filibuster (on the Hill) or a Republican veto […]