Entries for December 2006

There's an interesting race shaping up in 2008, and it's not just between a bunch of candidates. It's going to be a generational race–between someone who is probably too young to be considered a baby boomer, Barack Obama, and the rest of the field. While he may technically be considered of that generation, at 45, he really is too young. And in his book, he makes a point of saying that the old arguments–like Vietnam–are just old, and we need need to get beyond that. He does have a point.

Everyone in Washington is wishing Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota the best. He was rushed to the hospital the other day with bleeding in the brain due to a rare congenital vessel malformation. He seems to be doing well, according to sketchy medical reports, though his prognosis remains muddy.

It's interesting, to say the least, that the president has decided to do an intensive review of where we are in Iraq. Obviously, the report of the Iraq Study Group–a political gift to the president–has inspired the White House to do some thinking, and that's a great idea. (Why it hasn't been done before is the mystery.) And it's also smart that the president not rush into any national speech without studying all his options, so today's announcement that there won't be any Christmas fireside chat is fine.

It's not exactly good news, but it is refreshing to hear the nominee for defense secretary give an honest assessment of the war in Iraq. Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, a Democrat, asked a point-blank question: Is the United States winning the war in Iraq? The point-blank answer: "No, sir." With that answer, Bob Gates virtually assured his confirmation to take Donald Rumsfeld's job. He came across in this morning's hearings as the anti-Rumsfeld: not arrogant, not completely convinced he is right about everything, willing to look for new solutions, unwilling to sugarcoat what is a bad–and deteriorating–situation in Iraq.