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: * When the Senate voted yesterday on the president’s war-funding bill, only 14 senators opposed the measure. Among them were three of the four Dem senators running for president: Clinton, Dodd, and Obama. […]
Root causes
OK, just one more post about startling comments from Bush’s press conference yesterday (I warned you it was a gold mine). A reporter asked a basic and important question. Noting that Joe Biden called al Qaeda in Iraq a “Bush-fulfilling prophecy,” the reporter asked the president why he doesn’t just “get out of the middle […]
They still won’t follow us home
Two months ago, the WaPo reported that policy and intelligence experts do not believe that those committing violence in Iraq would, as the president insists, “follow us home” after we withdraw. “[U]nlike Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda organization in Pakistan, U.S. intelligence officials and outside experts believe, the Iraqi branch poses little danger to the security […]
Tears of a clown
In February, during a debate on a non-binding resolution on troop escalation, which Republicans said was just some symbolic act with no real meaning, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) started weeping. It wasn’t entirely clear why. Yesterday, Mr. Sensitive was at it again. Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) broke down on the House floor […]
‘I feel a direction change in the air’
As everyone has surely heard by now, both chambers of Congress fairly easily passed the war-funding supplemental last night. The White House strongly supports the funding package, and Bush will sign it into law, effectively ending this round of the policy fight. Even before the measure was formally approved, Dems were already talking about looking […]
Thursday’s Mini-Report
Today’s edition of quick hits. * Shortly after unveiling their no-confidence resolution on Alberto Gonzales, several Senate Dems suggested the AG may have obstructed justice by discussing events after-the-fact with Monica Goodling. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) told reporters, “It is surprising how often a whiff of obstruction of justice has reared its head in the […]
The people are leading; will leaders follow?
The latest national poll produced lopsided results. If only policy makers were with the majority. Americans now view the war in Iraq more negatively than at any time since the war began, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll. Six in 10 Americans surveyed say the United States should have stayed out of […]
Dangerously dumb
I don’t want to alarm anyone, but at times, the president appears to be dangerously dumb. Consider this exchange, for example, from this morning’s press conference. Q: Mr. President, moments ago you said that al Qaeda attacked us before we were in Iraq. Since then Iraq has become much less stable; al Qaeda has used […]
‘Can you explain why you believe you’re still a credible messenger on the war?’
To his enormous credit, NBC’s David Gregory, at this morning’s press conference in the Rose Garden, asked the president one of the more important questions Bush has heard in quite some time. “Mr. President, after the mistakes that have been made in this war, when you do as you did yesterday, where you raised two-year-old […]
Unraveling a cover-up takes a while without cooperation
The president held a 50-minute press conference in the Rose Garden this morning, offering a veritable treasure trove of content for blog posts. (Taking notes during the Q&A, I felt like a kid at a candy store…) Here’s one of several notable exchanges: Q: Good morning, Mr. President. I’d like to ask you about the […]