When it comes to aides, staffers, and high-ranking officials, the president has had a reverse Midas touch. People who had good reputations go to work for Bush, and then leave humiliated. Those with stature going into Bush White House, leave with none. It’s as if the president’s inner circle is some kind of credibility-sapping black […]
In 2001, the president gave an interesting speech about what Americans should expect from their government. “We must always ask ourselves not only what is legal, but what is right,” Bush said. “There is no goal of government worth accomplishing if it cannot be accomplished with integrity.” I kept thinking about that speech when I […]
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 Ames Straw Poll is scheduled for tomorrow in Iowa, but the event will almost certainly be a mismatch. With Giuliani and McCain sidestepping the event, Romney is poised to win easily, […]
The Philadelphia Daily News’ Stu Bykofsky, one of the city’s most widely-read columnists, devoted his latest column to a provocative idea: he wants another 9/11-style attack to “help” America. As Bykofsky sees it, “we have forgotten who the enemy is,” and the murder of thousands of Americans would help us get back on track. Because […]
Earlier this week, Mitt Romney equated working for his presidential campaign with military service during a war. It was one of the dumber things I’ve heard a presidential candidate say in a while. Rudy Giuliani is apparently of the belief that this presidential race is a contest to see which top-tier candidate can appear more […]
About a month ago, for the first time in the history of the U.S. Senate, a Hindu clergyman was invited to deliver an invocation as a guest chaplain. Regrettably, three Christian fundamentalists disrupted the proceedings by heckling the morning prayer. It was an embarrasing spectacle that made the United States look awful on the international […]
I’m afraid I wasn’t able to watch last night’s candidate forum devoted to gay rights issues, but I’ve read quite a bit of the news coverage and the event seemed to go really well. Before we get into the particulars, let’s not brush too quickly past the significance of the forum itself. We’ve reached a […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * Bush may be unconcerned about the real estate market’s effect on the economy, but investors seem to have a different attitude: “The Dow suffered its second worst session of the year Thursday as worries about the global credit market sparked a broad selloff in stocks, following a three-session rally…. […]
Last week, Barack Obama caused an unexpected (and largely unwarranted) stir when he said he wouldn’t use nuclear weapons to attack terrorists in Pakistan and Afghanistan. His critics (from both parties) didn’t disagree with his policy position, but they blasted him for making the comments publicly. It was irresponsible, critics said, for a would-be president […]
Yesterday, Anne-Marie Slaughter, the dean of Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, and one of the most serious and centrist foreign policy players in the country, suggested it is entirely possible that the Bush administration will invade Iran in order to help the Republican Party win an election. The same day, Sen. […]