It’s hard to even think about this without reaching for the Maalox, but let’s give it a shot. A group of Vietnam veterans was set to launch a 60-second ad today in three battleground states charging that Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kerry had lied about his war record, had engineered the injuries that led […]
Here’s what Bush said in Davenport, Iowa, yesterday: “Because we acted, Iowa’s unemployment rate now is 4.3 percent. When it comes to creating jobs for American workers, we are turning the corner and we’re not going back.” Here’s what he didn’t say: In November of 2000, Iowa’s unemployment rate was 2.5%. Don’t forget; results matter.
Just so we’re clear, Bill Clinton, 14 years before he was elected president, made a one-time investment in a land deal called Whitewater. The investment was financed by bank loans, which were repaid with interest. Clinton lost money on the venture and was completely cleared of wrongdoing. This business “scandal” necessitated three independent counsels to […]
This is going to sound familiar, but there’s a point. The Bush campaign reached Mankato, Minn., yesterday for another rally in a key swing state. When local residents went to pick up tickets, however, they were asked if they’re Bush backers. Once again, the policy was no support, no tickets. I guess it could have […]
A few weeks ago, the New York Times had an interesting item about party platforms. True, few voters actually read party platforms, which are intended to be statements of the party’s positions and proposals. And who can blame them? The documents — often leaden, homogenized and full of generic campaign-speak — can send even the […]
Apropos of nothing, I was thinking about the nationally-televised press conference Bush held on March 6, 2003, in which he effectively laid out exactly what he believed, at the time, about the Iraqi threat and the need for war. If you’ve got a few minutes, I’d recommend reading it, just for kicks. Going over the […]
I’m pleased to report that the Justice Department’s order to libraries to destroy public documents on asset forfeitures, which I talked about last week, has been rescinded. The Justice Department last week rescinded an order that would have required federal depository libraries to withdraw and destroy five department publications that library advocates argued should remain […]
Over the weekend, it looked like the Illinois GOP had finally focused in on a candidate to take on Barack Obama: Cook County Commissioner Liz Gorman. She’s a young, fresh face from the state’s biggest city, she’s a woman, and she’s considered a “rising star” among Illinois Republicans. But just as the state committee charged […]
I know the next “big thing” on the political calendar is the Republican convention later this month, but I keep looking past it and thinking about the debates. The first match-up, assuming Bush agrees to the schedule, will be in Miami eight weeks from tomorrow. The Commission on Presidential Debates deserves credit for being clever. […]
A couple of weeks ago, I noted how Bush relied on David Kay as an ally in proving the necessity of the war in Iraq. It wasn’t a good idea; Kay later concluded that Bush “should have been able to tell before the war that the evidence did not exist for drawing the conclusion that […]