It’s a familiar scene: an unpopular war, talk of a quagmire, a debate about what role, if any, Congress has in shaping military policy and/or checking the president’s management of the conflict. Of course, it’s not Iraq in 2007; it’s Somalia in 1993. Glenn Greenwald did the political world a huge favor and reviewed the […]
At least one side is looking forward to the primaries
I knew there was some discontent among conservatives over the 2008 field, but I’m amazed by the striking difference between Dems and Republicans as the campaign begins to unfold in earnest. Red State recently looked at the GOP field and concluded, “They all suck.” RS added, “Let’s just admit it. Every one of the thus […]
It depends on what the meaning of ‘holding steady’ is
I don’t intend to hold one conservative post a day up to ridicule, but following up on yesterday’s item about the left allegedly being in “denial,” I thought I’d highlight a post from PowerLine’s John Hinderaker about the president’s national popularity. We hear a lot of hysteria in the press about the American people deserting […]
‘Giant mirrors in space’
Silly me, I’ve suggested on more than one occasion that the Bush administration doesn’t take global warming seriously and has no feasible plan to address the crisis. How wrong I was. Brad Plumer notes this fascinating item from the Guardian about a low-profile strategy that was crafted behind the scenes. The US government wants the […]
A McCain flip-flop two-fer
Just last week, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) told Roger Simon that he’d consider a kind of redeploy-to-perimeter strategy in Iraq if the latest escalation fails. While acknowledging that “there are no good options,” McCain said one scenario would “to withdraw to the borders (of Iraq) to try to keep other countries from interfering. Maintaining our […]
Katrina recovery efforts — and Republicans’ disinterest
Barack Obama did a good job yesterday of bringing attention to an issue that seems to have been largely forgotten: post-Katrina recovery in New Orleans. If only Republicans had bothered to listen to what Obama had to say. Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama blasted the Bush administration Monday for the slow pace of Hurricane Katrina […]
Tuesday’s political round-up
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: * Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) found a clever, and apparently, legal way to collect more than the legal limit for presidential candidates’ campaign donors. Right now, the most an individual can […]
War without public support
One of the more common remarks made by the political establishment is that a president — any president — cannot expect to execute a war without the support of the public. There’s rarely any substantive follow-up on this point, however. It’s just understood — the backing of the electorate is simply necessary to continue fighting […]
Iraqi military ‘shows Bush something’
As Kevin Drum noted, the Iraqi military faced off against the previously obscure “Soldiers of Heaven” in a fiece battle in Najaf over the weekend. It didn’t go well. Iraqi forces were surprised and nearly overwhelmed by the ferocity of an obscure renegade militia in a weekend battle near the holy city of Najaf and […]
A government of, by, and for Bush’s corporate benefactors
Apparently, corporate lobbyists and the GOP’s wealthy corporate donors don’t have nearly enough influence over federal regulations already, so the president has decided to give them a hand. President Bush has signed a directive that gives the White House much greater control over the rules and policy statements that the government develops to protect public […]