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Bush Iraq Confidence Is Misplaced
Tweet Share on Facebook August 31, 2007 Comment (1)When Congress returns to work soon, the White House is confident it can thwart any Democratic move to at least start a troop withdrawal from Iraq. That confidence may be misplaced in the case of Congress and almost surely in the case of a public worn out by the call for patience.
President Bush has asked for an additional $50 billion for the war on top of the over $400 billion spent or wasted. It amounts to a defiant act, daring Democrats to risk the tag of being disloyal to the troops.
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Hypocrisy and Senators Craig and Vitter
Tweet Share on Facebook August 28, 2007 CommentAnother holier-than-thou Republican, Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho, has been caught after allegedly engaging in lewd conduct in the Twin Cities airport. His explanation of how he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and why he wants to change his story has questionable merit.
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GOP's Embarrassing Trifecta
Tweet Share on Facebook August 27, 2007 CommentTwo Republican spin doctors and a GOP dirty-trick artist were prominent in the news in recent days. Democrats should celebrate this trifecta.
The Spinner in Chief was our president. He just can't get his story straight on the war in Iraq. With a straight face, he compared leaving Iraq to leaving Vietnam, the last foolish war.
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Not the Right Time for a Third-Party Bid
Tweet Share on Facebook August 23, 2007 CommentMayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City has been rather emphatic that he is not running for president and thinks an Independent or Third Party nominee is destined to lose.
Bloomberg is right on both counts. In running, he would only mar his good record at City Hall if he struggled outside the two-party system. At the same time, an Independent faces many obstacles, even with a wealthy man like Bloomberg picking up the tab. (Just ask billionaire Texan Ross Perot.)
A loose organization called Unity08 is trying to muster interest in a third choice. Republican Doug Bailey and Democrat Jerry Rafshoon, both veterans of presidential campaigns, are leading the effort. While it is a sincere move to use the Internet to spark interest among those unhappy with the choices of the major parties, it has mountains to climb.
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Rove Still Spinning Failures into Victories
Tweet Share on Facebook August 20, 2007 CommentFor those looking for a respite from Karl Rove, there will be no interlude. He'll be out there telling tales for the rest of the month and when he returns to Texas.
Less than a week after his announced departure from the White House, Rove was still hard at work spinning failures into victories. He literally has no shame or regard for the public record.
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Post-Rove GOP Needs New Direction
Tweet Share on Facebook August 16, 2007 CommentAs Karl Rove leaves town with a questionable legacy and a Republican Party in search of a new leader, a new direction may be in order.
Meet the late Bob Teeter and John Deardourff.
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Cindy Sheehan's Pointless Campaign
Tweet Share on Facebook August 14, 2007 Comment (2)All of us can empathize with the grief of one who has lost a husband, son, wife, or daughter in Iraq. The death toll has climbed to over 3,200 and does not include the tens of thousands who have been seriously maimed or psychologically scarred.
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The Architect's House Tumbles Down
Tweet Share on Facebook August 10, 2007 Comment (1)It may be poetic justice that the so-called architect of President Bush's electoral success, Karl Rove, is now a big player in his failed presidency. It was Bush himself who gave Rove the added responsibility for policy matters in the second term. It hasn't gone well.
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Cutting Through the Presidential Clutter
Tweet Share on Facebook August 7, 2007 CommentThe presidential campaigns of both parties are not exactly illuminating, with the early jockeying for political points, myriad so-called debates, and the never-ending search for cash.
Very few voters nationwide are focusing on the race in August 2007, a long 15 months before the election. True, political junkies, me included, are writing about it. The latest trading of insults, the most recent poll, and the freshest money figures make news.
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Pat Tillman Is Let Down Again
Tweet Share on Facebook August 3, 2007 CommentThe military's pathetic handling of the death of Pat Tillman is another sad chapter of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Tillman, a professional football player, was killed in a hail of friendly fire. But the Pentagon, in a series of flagrant errors, allowed him to be buried as a hero killed in combat by the enemy. Our leaders used it as a rallying cry.
