National Republicans
New Life for John McCain?
John McCain may have figured out a way to breathe new life into his flagging Presidential campaign. What’s puzzling is why no other Republican candidates have tried it. McCain’s strategy is simple. Attack Hillary. “Defeatism will not buy peace in our time,” McCain told Republicans at a rally in New Hampshire (AP, 7-14-07). “It will…
Read MoreThe Long Knives Out for Thompson
Fred Thompson is surging in the polls so the political long knives are out on, of all things, Watergate. According to the spin Thompson – who was Republican counsel to the Senate Watergate Committee – was too pro Nixon in 1974 (AP, 7-8-07). Pro Nixon? Thompson was the man who asked the question that revealed…
Read MoreBlowing Your Own Foot Off
Trying to put the icing on his comeback as a leader in the Senate, Trent Lott led the fight to pass President Bush’s Immigration Bill. He failed. Then grumped: “Talk radio is running America.” Then he suggested bringing back the Fairness Doctrine (McClatchy, 7-9-07). So we have a Republican Senate Leader proposing to muzzle Rush…
Read MoreIn Iraq in 2012?
I asked a friend who is supporting one of the Republican candidates for President, What’s he going to do when the surge fails? He said, Well, that’s simple. Here’s what’s going to happen. If the surge works Washington will bring the troops home. And if it fails Washington will bring the troops home. Now, I’ve…
Read MoreFred Thompson on the Rise
There’s a new poll out from Public Policy Polling, the Democratic pollsters in Raleigh. There’s not much change in the Democratic or Republican primaries for Governor. Beverly Perdue and Bill Graham still lead as they have since last fall. (And, in the Republican primary, a whopping 60% of the voters are still undecided). There is…
Read MoreZigzags
John McCain may be right by removing four top staffers to resurrect his sagging presidential campaign. But it’s difficult not to suspect McCain’s deeper problem may be McCain. After the 2000 election, Senator McCain became a sort of maverick Republican in the Senate, co-sponsoring the Kennedy-McCain Immigration Bill, brokering deals with Democrats on judges and…
Read MoreKeeping Score
Until the voters vote, there are only two ways to keep score in politics: polls and money. So here’s what the second-quarter fundraising scorecard tells us: John McCain: Put butter on him, because he’s toast. His hopes are dying for one reason: He supported the immigration bill. And Republican primary voters hate him for it.…
Read MoreA Constitutional Head-butt
The News and Observer headline – “Executive Privilege Showdown Looming” – may sound boring, but it could be the start of some real fireworks. The Democrats sent a little subpoena over to the White House, demanding to see records about “The Bush Administration’s terrorism-era warrantless wiretapping” and a few other things. The President sent it…
Read MoreBush Justice
The Bush Presidency was conceived in contempt for the law: a 5-4 Supreme Court ruling that stopped the 2000 vote count while Bush was still ahead. So it’s no surprise that Bush commutes Scooter Libby’s sentence so as to keep him out of prison. While Democratic politicians – like Kevin Geddings and Jim Black –…
Read MoreGet Out and Get Osama
It’s time for Democrats to think ahead about the terrorism issue. Today we’re riding a wave of public support for getting out of Iraq. That tide makes 2008 look like a good year. But a lot can happen. George Bush could announce in September that we’ll be out of Iraq next year. Or America could…
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