In which Joe Biden’s admirable obsession with Iraq is discussed.
In the ArenaUncategorized
In the ArenaUncategorized
Analyzing The New Edwards Campaign Ad
Our friend and former colleague, John Dickerson, has posted a story over at Slate analyzing the new Edwards campaign ad, in which Elizabeth Edwards delivers a testimonial about her husband. Dickerson’s conclusion — that Elizabeth obliquely references her family’s suffering to make a point about her husband’s toughness — prompted …
Obama: NO TOUCHING!
This story — or at least it’s shocking headline — is picking up some steam on the blogosphere: “Sex Ed for Kindergarteners ‘Right Thing to Do,’ Says Obama.” In fact, I’m tentatively scheduled to talk about it on “Hannity & Colmes” tonight, all of which makes me feel a little dense about telling the “rival campaign” that first forwarded …
In the ArenaUncategorized
Unwise
I can’t understand why Harry Reid is refusing a vote on the Salazar-Alexander amendment. Granted, it’s a mushy, toothless thing, an endorsement of the Baker-Hamilton Report (including the provision that U.S. combat forces be pulled from Iraq by March 2008). But it did have a shot at the 60 votes necessary to put it on Bush’s desk, as …
In the ArenaUncategorized
And the winner is…
Muqtada al-Sadr, as the New York Times reports today. This certainly seemed clear to me from my recent reporting in Iraq. Sadr’s got the votes, from Baghdad south. My guess–my prediction, a few weeks ago on the Chris Matthews Show–is that five years from now Sadr or a Sadrist will be running a Shi’ite dominated Iraq.
One thing the …
Giuliani in Iowa: Less than Excited
Fox has a slightly downbeat account of Rudy’s tour through the heartland; trying to convince people that, no, really, he’s totally not gay married gonna take your guns away personally going to perform abortions in the Oval Office:
But, the event fell fairly flat to those in attendance, as Giuliani received only two applause lines during
…
Lindsey Graham’s Military History
I don’t have anything definitive, but for those who were curious about this:
Webb: “Because they love their country. (cross-talk) They do not do
it for political reasons. Believe me, my family’s been doing this
since the Revolutionary War.”Graham: “Yea? Well so has my family.”
A scan of news databases shows that Graham has …
Edwards Poverty Tour
Don’t miss Eric Pooley’s terrific report on TIME.com.
Meanwhile, in New Hampshire, where I have just landed (the Manchester airport has free wi-fi), it has not been such a great week for John Edwards. The latest WMUR poll has him falling 12 points to fourth place here, behind New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson.
Ron Paul, By the Numbers
$2,300: Amount of donation received from Barry Manilow
$2.4 million: Amount of cash on hand
#2: Rank of “web design and hosting” among disbursements in the Ron Paul campaign (#1: Salaries.)
#1: Rank of Paul among candidates receiving donations from members of the armed service.
14 out of 25: Number of times that Paul has come in …
Colbert on the All-Nighter
He’s rough on the GOP but he actually comes closest to cracking himself up when talking about the spaghetti strainer infomercial.
and
Yes, finding clips of funnier and more insightful commentary than mine is a tough job but somebody’s got to do it.
UPDATE: p_l asks: “this is meant to be irony, right?” Yes. Yes it is. Dropped a
…
In the ArenaUncategorized
“Our Enemies are Those Who Harbor Terrorists”
The foolishness of the war in Iraq–the diversion of resources from the real Salafist enemy–has been apparent to most U.S. intelligence operatives, especially those in the CIA, from the very start. Which is why Cheney, Feith et al spent so much energy trying to discredit CIA in the first Bush term.
And now we have an NIE that pretty …
In the ArenaUncategorized
Rudy Watch
Here’s an interesting column from Mike Gerson about Giuliani–whose trajectory this year resembles Hillary Clinton’s: both have stayed aloft, despite doubts about the staying power of their candidacies.
I’ve been resisting the notion that we might have a Rudy v. Hillary general election. It just seemed too New Yorkcentric and, as a rabid …
Underplayed Story of the Day
First those briefings for GSA officials, and now this, back on Page A8 of the Washington Post:
White House officials arranged for top officials at the Office of National Drug Control Policy to help as many as 18 vulnerable Republican congressmen by making appearances and sometimes announcing new federal grants in the lawmakers’
…