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: * With just six days remaining before the Iowa caucuses, the latest Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll finds that there’s still no obvious frontrunner. In Iowa, Hillary Clinton leads with 29%, followed by Barack […]
What it takes to improve the Bush gang’s legacy
In the NYT this week, Robert Dallek reviews Elisabeth Bumiller’s new book on Condoleezza Rice, “An American Life: A Biography.” One gets the sense the book probably won’t be too hard-hitting — Bumiller has a well-earned reputation for passivity, and Dallek notes the biography’s “above-the-battle tone” and refusal to “offer any decisive judgments on Ms. […]
Peggy Noonan defines ‘reasonable’
The WSJ’s Peggy Noonan argues today that her top characteristic when evaluating presidential candidates is “reasonableness.” The former Reagan speechwriter insists: We are grown-ups, we know our country needs greatness, but we do not expect it and will settle at the moment for good. We just want a reasonable person. We would like a candidate […]
Lieberman makes his campaign pitch for McCain
Given his recent endorsement event in New Hampshire, Joe Lieberman was bound to send out a fundraising letter on John McCain’s behalf one of these days. The donation pitch hit email boxes yesterday, with a message that’s worth considering in more detail. I know that it is unusual for someone who is not a Republican […]
What OxyContin did for Giuliani
A year ago, the senior managing director for Rudy Giuliani’s consulting firm, Giuliani Partners, said, “We bend over backwards and are very careful about who we do business with, for the most obvious reasons — from the beginning, Rudy’s brand of integrity and ethics always had to be preserved.” In retrospect, the comment seems almost […]
Thursday’s Mini-Report
Today’s edition of quick hits. * Dealing with the aftermath: “The Bush administration scrambled Thursday to deal with the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto after having invested significant diplomatic capital in promoting reconciliation between her and President Pervez Musharraf. President Bush, speaking briefly to reporters at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, urged […]
Maybe we’d be better off if he stayed home
Former President Bill Clinton caused a bit of a stir recently when he suggested Hillary Clinton, if elected, would send her husband and H.W. Bush around the world to help repair the United States’ image after seven years of deteriorating global standing. (Bush 41 reportedly isn’t interested.) In light of Clinton’s comments, Bush was asked […]
McCain’s one-track mind
Apparently within striking distance in New Hampshire, and being touted in some circles as having an indirect route to the GOP nomination, John McCain has quickly become the center of Mitt Romney’s attention. The two had an interesting exchange yesterday, and pay particular attention to the senator’s response. Romney’s political quarry for the day was […]
EEOC clears path for reduced retiree benefits
Given the costs of healthcare in this country, I suppose this was inevitable. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Wednesday that employers could reduce or eliminate health benefits for retirees when they turn 65 and become eligible for Medicare. The policy, set forth in a new regulation, allows employers to establish two classes of retirees, […]
The limits of Huckabee’s outrage
Way back in May, at the first debate for the Republican presidential candidates, there was an interesting exchange that signaled what we could expect from Mike Huckabee. Q: Governor Huckabee, this question comes from a reader in New York. In light of the scandals plaguing the current administration and its allies, involving corruption and cronyism, […]