Decision ‘08

Archive for 'POTUS'

Tuesday, March 27th, 2007

More On The Upcoming Veto

I don’t know what else to call it, since the Senate will apparently keep the withdrawal language, as we discussed below; basically, the Senate and House have voted for a veto. Fair enough, a veto they will get:
The Democratic-controlled Senate narrowly signaled support Tuesday for the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq by next […]

3 Comments » - Posted in POTUS, Donkeys, Iraq by Mark

Tuesday, March 27th, 2007

Sharpen Your Veto Pen

Senator Mitch McConnell, who has been nothing short of brilliant in outmanuevering his Democratic colleagues on Iraq thus far, in particular ‘Dirty’ Harry Reid, is signalling a temporary retreat on the language requiring troop withdrawals, predicting it will be in the supplemental funding bill that passes the Senate in the expectation that the President will […]

No Comments » - Posted in POTUS, Elephants, Donkeys, Iraq by Mark

Sunday, March 25th, 2007

The ‘Virtue’ Of Righteous Anger

Good piece by George Will looking at the trendiness of anger, that is to say, the newfound belief that perpetual anger is somehow a sign of character:
Many people who loathe George W. Bush have adopted what Peter Wood describes as “ecstatic anger as a mode of political action.” Anger often is, Wood says, “a spectacle […]

2 Comments » - Posted in Navel-Gazing, POTUS, Progressive Nonsense / Nutroots® by Mark

Saturday, March 24th, 2007

New Sanctions On Iran…

…but to what avail?
Iran’s foreign minister rejected a unanimous vote by the U.N. Security Council on Saturday to impose new sanctions on Iran because of its refusal to suspend its uranium enrichment program.
Speaking to the 15-member council in measured tones after the vote, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said, “Iran presents no threat to […]

No Comments » - Posted in Iran, POTUS, Iraq, UN/Oil-For-Food by Mark

Friday, March 23rd, 2007

Bush’s Statement On The House Vote

A clearly angry President George W. Bush laid into the House Democrats today, and he was absolutely right to do [all points of emphasis mine]:
Here in Washington, members of both parties recognize that our most solemn responsibility is to support our troops in the war on terror. Yet, today, a narrow majority in the House of […]

11 Comments » - Posted in POTUS, Donkeys, Iraq, Progressive Nonsense / Nutroots® by Mark

Friday, March 23rd, 2007

House Vote Will Go Pelosi’s Way, But It Won’t Matter

All indications are that the Democrats will pass their anti-war measure today:

Speaker Nancy Pelosi is headed for a big victory in the vote in the House Friday on $124 billion in funds for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
If, as looked likely Thursday night, she does win, her victory will be largely due to […]

6 Comments » - Posted in POTUS, Donkeys, Iraq, Progressive Nonsense / Nutroots®, Uncategorized by Mark

Thursday, March 22nd, 2007

The Shameless Hacks Of The New York Times

Oh, boy, here we go again:
The House of Representatives now has a chance to lead the nation toward a wiser, more responsible Iraq policy. It is scheduled to vote this week on whether to impose benchmarks for much-needed political progress on the Iraqi government — and link them to the continued presence of American combat […]

1 Comment » - Posted in POTUS, Donkeys, Iraq, Progressive Nonsense / Nutroots®, NY Times/Media Watch by Mark

Wednesday, March 21st, 2007

Gonzales Showdown Intensifies

Threats of subpeonas lead to threats of withdrawn offers, and away we go:
A House Judiciary subcommittee today authorized subpoenas for Karl Rove, President Bush’s political adviser, and other senior White House officials in the investigation into the firing of eight United States attorneys.
Democrats said the subpoenas, approved on a voice vote of the panel, […]

15 Comments » - Posted in Domestic Affairs, POTUS, Donkeys by Mark

Wednesday, March 21st, 2007

Taking A Stand

President Bush is trying to draw a line in the sand regarding AttorneyGate, but the Democrats are not playing along so far:
President Bush sought yesterday to defuse the controversy over the firings of U.S. attorneys, offering strong support for embattled Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales while proposing to make Karl Rove and other top aides […]

No Comments » - Posted in Domestic Affairs, POTUS, Elephants, Donkeys by Mark

Tuesday, March 20th, 2007

Russia Now Helping Against Iran?

This is a welcome story:
Russia has informed Iran that it will withhold nuclear fuel for Iran’s nearly completed Bushehr power plant unless Iran suspends its uranium enrichment as demanded by the United Nations Security Council, European, American and Iranian officials said.
The ultimatum was delivered in Moscow last week by Igor Ivanov, Russia’s Security Council Secretary, […]

No Comments » - Posted in Iran, POTUS, Radical Islam / GWOT, Foreign Affairs, UN/Oil-For-Food by Mark

Monday, March 19th, 2007

Alberto Gonzales: Dead Man Walking

If this Politico story is to be believed (and I’ve found their early work pretty trustworthy to date), the resignation of Alberto Gonzales is a matter of when, not if:
Republican officials operating at the behest of the White House have begun seeking a possible successor to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, whose support among GOP lawmakers […]

4 Comments » - Posted in Domestic Affairs, POTUS, Elephants by Mark

Monday, March 19th, 2007

Has The Gonzales Story Lost Any Momentum?

That’s the question all of Washington will be asking this week, as the Attorney General struggles to weather the storm over the U.S. Attorney firings. Certainly, Democrats are doing their best to keep the heat on:
The Democratic senator leading the inquiry into the dismissal of federal prosecutors insisted Sunday that Karl Rove and other […]

No Comments » - Posted in Domestic Affairs, POTUS, Elephants, Donkeys by Mark

Friday, March 16th, 2007

At What Point Does Congress Decide To Actually Do Some Work?

Even as a House panel forwards the latest ‘date certain’ Iraq pullout proposal for a vote by the full House, the Senate has already closed the door:
The Senate on Thursday rejected a Democratic resolution to withdraw most American combat troops from Iraq in 2008, but a similar measure advanced in the House, and Democratic leaders […]

No Comments » - Posted in POTUS, Elephants, Donkeys, Iraq, Progressive Nonsense / Nutroots® by Mark

Thursday, March 15th, 2007

The Last Days Of Alberto Gonzales?

President Bush didn’t exactly go out of his way to comfort his beleagured Attorney General:
President Bush gave a lukewarm endorsement on Wednesday to U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, saying the firings of eight U.S. federal prosecutors had been mishandled.
“I’m frankly not happy about it,” Bush told a joint news conference with Mexican President Felipe […]

23 Comments » - Posted in Domestic Affairs, POTUS by Mark

Wednesday, March 14th, 2007

The Surge: A Progress Report

From Robert Reid of the AP:
Bomb deaths have gone down 30% in Baghdad since the U.S.-led security crackdown began a month ago. Execution-style slayings are down by nearly half.
The once frequent sound of weapons has been reduced to episodic, and downtown shoppers have returned to outdoor markets — favored targets of car bombers.
There are signs […]

No Comments » - Posted in POTUS, Donkeys, Iraq, John McCain, Republican Candidates by Mark

Tuesday, March 13th, 2007

Dems Retreat - Also, The Sun Rises In The East

What is it with the Democrats and their constantly shifting positions on foreign affairs?
Top House Democrats retreated Monday from an attempt to limit President Bush’s authority for taking military action against Iran as the leadership concentrated on a looming confrontation with the White House over the Iraq war.
Officials said Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other members […]

30 Comments » - Posted in Iran, POTUS, Donkeys, Iraq by Mark

Monday, March 12th, 2007

Unclear On The Concept

No one ever claimed Rosie O’Donnell was the sharpest knife in the drawer:
At the conclusion of an interview with Senator Chuck Schumer, Rosie “Ching Chong” O’Donnell asked if anyone in Congress “will call for the impeachment of [President] George Bush?”. After Schumer explained one has to commit a crime to be a candidate for impeachment, […]

No Comments » - Posted in POTUS, Progressive Nonsense / Nutroots®, Celebrities / Pop Culture / Sports by Mark

Monday, March 12th, 2007

The Answer Is “No”

The question, as put forward by the L.A. Times, is “Do we really need a General Pelosi?“:
AFTER WEEKS OF internal strife, House Democrats have brought forth their proposal for forcing President Bush to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq by 2008. The plan is an unruly mess: bad public policy, bad precedent and bad politics. If […]

2 Comments » - Posted in POTUS, Donkeys, Iraq by Mark

Saturday, March 10th, 2007

End The War - And Pass The Pork, Please

As if we needed any more proof that Congress is shameless:
Democrats seeking votes for their Iraq-withdrawal plan have stuffed the bill it’s in with billions of dollars for farms, flu preparedness, New Orleans levees, home heating and other causes.
Some critics say the Democrats are simply being opportunistic — using a must-pass measure for funding U.S. troops […]

2 Comments » - Posted in POTUS, Elephants, Donkeys, Iraq by Mark

Friday, March 9th, 2007

So What’s The Release Date For The Next Democratic Plan In Iraq?

And when does it get out of beta testing?
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, her party deeply divided and holding only a narrow majority, faces long odds in passing legislation that would bring troops home from Iraq before the 2008 presidential election.
Pelosi, D-Calif., has pitched a plan that would fund the war in Iraq but demand that […]