Clark bows out

There was a specific day, about a month ago, when I believed that Wesley Clark may have been positioned just right to win the nomination. It was Jan. 15. Iowa’s polls were fluctuating wildly, but there was overwhelming evidence that Dean was falling fast. Clark had focused all of his attention on New Hampshire and […]

Reflections on Tennessee and Virginia

It wasn’t long ago — say, a month ago? — that the race for the Democratic nomination looked very exciting. Four or five people had a realistic shot. Now, however, it’s over and it’s time for the party rally behind the nominee so we can win this thing and get Bush out of office. I […]

I’m afraid we’ll need to see more than just pay stubs

White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan, today: [Pay records] show that [Bush] was paid for his service, and you get paid for the days on which you serve…. It showed that he fulfilled his duties. Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen, also today: I was…lucky enough to get into a National Guard unit in the nick […]

If this keeps up, a brokered convention seems highly unlikely

The estimable Jerome Armstrong, who authored MyDD.com and now does some guest posting for Daily Kos, suggests that a brokered Dem convention is still possible. Armstrong’s great, but I think he’s off-base here. Armstrong explains that he doesn’t believe Clark and/or Edwards will be withdrawing from the race, and that Dean has recommitted himself to […]

The GOP stole ‘thousands’ of documents from Senate Dems

The ongoing controversy over the way in which Republican Hill staffers stole documents from the computers of Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee just won’t break the GOP’s way, no matter how hard they try. Poor guys. Republicans offered up a sacrificial lamb, forcing the resignation of Manuel Miranda, Majority Leader Bill Frist’s (R-Tenn.) top […]

About that nuclear-terror warning…

The numerous misstatements about Iraq in Bush’s 2003 State of the Union address have been well-documented, but it now we’re learning that some of the warnings raised in the 2002 SOTU weren’t true either. Bush, in highlighting the value of our war in Afghanistan, said that our troops were making “discoveries [that] confirmed our worst […]

Wisconsin poll

Because the Dean campaign has put so much attention on next Tuesday’s Wisconsin primary, I thought I’d mention the results from the latest statewide poll, conducted by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Kerry — 45% Clark — 13% Dean — 12% Edwards — 9% No wonder Dean backed out of his do-or-die pledge in Wisconsin. He’s trailing […]

The tattered remains of the so-called ‘Bush Doctrine’

I’d love to hear a coherent explanation of what, exactly, is the criteria of the Bush Doctrine. The phrase has been tossed around for a couple of years now, and at this point, I’m afraid it’s lost all meaning. After the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Bush divided the world along clear lines: “You’re either […]

Another flip-flop: Dean abandons Wisconsin-or-bust pledge

It seemed like only a few days ago, Howard Dean was putting his whole presidential campaign on the line with a bold ultimatum. “The entire race has come down to this: we must win Wisconsin,” Dean told his supporters. “A win [in Wisconsin] will carry us to the big states of March 2 — and […]

Plame Game investigation gets more intense

The Washington Post and New York Times have detailed stories — both on the front page — about the latest developments in the Plame Game investigation. From the reports, it sounds as if investigators are closing in on the leakers and that indictments are just around the corner. Going over both articles, we learn that […]