The president is in Australia this week and apparently spent most of yesterday trying to rally support for Prime Minister John Howard, an ideological ally of Bush. At a press conference, the president said of Howard, “I wouldn’t count the man out. As I recall, he’s kind of like me. We both have run from […]
The horrifying news is that three suspected terrorists in Germany were apparently poised to conduct some very deadly acts. The encouraging news is that German officials apprehended the would-be killers and disrupted their plot. The police in Germany have arrested three Islamic militants suspected of planning large-scale terrorist attacks against several sites frequented by Americans, […]
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: * Eight of the nine Republicans presidential hopefuls will meet for a debate in New Hampshire tonight, with only Fred Thompson preferring Jay Leno’s couch to the GOP forum. The debate starts at […]
CBS News’ Katie Couric had an odd, six-minute interview with the president during his quick visit to Iraq on Monday, which CBS aired last night. There were a couple of noteworthy exchanges, but this one stood out. Couric: The surge was designed to help the Iraqi government to move forward. Do you believe there really […]
The Republican reaction to Sen. Larry Craig’s (R-Idaho) possible change of heart is predictable — if I were in the GOP leadership’s shoes, I wouldn’t be pleased either — but I think the party is confused about the motivating factors here. Top Republican strategists were neither delighted nor amused by the senator’s decision to rethink […]
I argued yesterday that the White House, without admitting it, was trying to unveil a new Iraq policy just as the old one was failing. Officials aren’t willing to come right out and say so, but they’re actually conceding that the surge policy is an abject failure, and quietly introducing an entirely new approach at […]
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ken.) held a press conference yesterday on the Hill, and most of the questions focused on his scandal-plagued GOP caucus. McConnell, after several questions on Sen. Larry Craig’s (R-Idaho) predicament, characterized the controversy as a thing of the past. When a reporter noted rumors that Craig might reconsider resigning, a […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * The Culture of Corruption lives on: “‘GOP Rep. John Doolittle’s chief of staff and deputy chief of staff have been subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury in a federal probe into ties between Doolittle, his wife and jailed lobbyist Jack Abramoff.’ … The Sacramento Bee reported back in […]
With the release of the GAO report on Iraq already out, and positioning in advance of next week well underway, you’re likely to hear quite a few numbers being tossed around. When it comes to the surge, keep in mind that even the encouraging news is not quite what it seems. According to U.S. military […]
Actor/lobbyist/senator Fred Thompson has been running for president for several months, but doing so in a way that allows him to avoid debates, questions, reporters, and pretty much anyone who might confront him with a request for some kind of information. I have a hunch it’s because the poor guy doesn’t know very much, particularly […]