by Frank James
A quick guided tour of some of the morning's most important or interesting (or both) Washington-related stories.
Sen. Pete Domenici of New Mexico became the third senior Republican senator in two weeks to question the effectiveness of the U.S. troop surge and call for a change in direction in Iraq.
U.S. soldiers, in a new priority for Washington and military policymakers, are attempting to make allies of Sunnis, some of them former insurgents, in the fight against extremists in Iraq.
White House aides struck back at the Clintons who criticized President Bush's commutation of the prison sentence for perjury in the CIA leak case of former White House senior aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby. The aides accused the Clintons of "chutzpah" given the dubious pardons the former president issued.
Speculation that New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg may enter the presidential race has hurt the momentum of his predecessor and declared Republican White House candidate Rudy Giuliani.
New Orleans residents are increasingly weary of visits from presidential candidates who use the slowly recovering city as a backdrop for photo ops and make promises that have been heard before.
Health care as an issue has achieved a prominence in the current presidential race that is unusual, with Republican candidates addressing the issue far earlier than they usually do while Democrats have apparently gotten past their skittishness of repeating the Clinton Administration's healthcare mistakes.
The global illegal drug war, while not won, has contained the problem, experts said.
Mitt Romney's success in achieving frontrunner status in polls of Republican voters in New Hampshire and Iowa over the much better known Sen. John McCain of Arizona underscores the importance of raising a lot of money and spending it on media and organization.
Hurricane Katrina generated vast fraud, leaving investigators with as many as 11,000 potential cases to probe and prosecute, a caseload that could take years to whittle down.
Republican candidates and strategists are worried that they are spending money far faster than they can raise it, placing them in peril not just for the primaries, but the general election beyond.
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Comments
Several retired generals, congressmen & senators of both parties, and lastly the vast majority of Americans are saying the same thing:
It's time to leave Iraq.
We can argue about timetables & troop levels but most thinking people agree that the surge isn't working. Running up body counts does not equal success. Alliances formed during the surge are a matter of convenience. Once these temporary alliances have served their purpose, our so-called allies will again turn their guns and IEDs on our brave military.
There is no political solution happening in Iraq. In fact, it is deteriorating.
It's long time past due for us to leave Iraq.
Posted by: Doug Zook | July 6, 2007 9:08 AM
ALBUQUERQUE Rep. John Doolittle, a conservative California congressman, today joined others in his party rapidly deserting the president on the Iraq war.
A longtime supporter of the war, Doolittle called the situation in Iraq a "quagmire" on Thursday. "We've got to get off the front lines as soon as possible," Doolittle said at Rocklin City Hall, the Bee reported. "And in my mind that means something like the end of the year. We just can't continue to tolerate these kinds of losses.
What an appropriate name for Repubs.Those great principled Repubs are striking a balance with reality:GETTING ELECTED again.
Posted by: Raving Loon | July 6, 2007 9:39 AM
There are four insurance company lobbyists for every member of Congress. If you want a single payer system you are going to have to lobby for it just like you did against immigration amnesty. Medicare lets you choose your own doctor. You may buy additional insurance if you wish. Medicare has an expense rate of less than 5 cents of the health care dollar. Insurance companies need 25 to 30 cents of the health care dollar for operating expense, advertising and profit. The insurance companies will attack medicare with lies and big budget ads. Remember Harry and Louise?
Posted by: c. perry | July 6, 2007 9:49 AM
"U.S. soldiers, in a new priority for Washington and military policymakers, are attempting to make allies of Sunnis, some of them former insurgents, in the fight against extremists in Iraq."
4 years later, and ONLY NOW we're trying to make allies out of the local Sunnis?
Mission Accomplished, Dubya! You've proven that you're truly the most INEPT president EVER!
Posted by: BC | July 6, 2007 11:31 AM
Loon:
Instead of belittling Republicans for abandoning their president for clearly being in the wrong -- you should be applauding them.
Your reaction seems pretty smallminded and childish.
Posted by: [INSERT CLEVER POST NAME HERE] | July 6, 2007 11:49 AM
Mr Zook:
I agree. I'd only add that a political solution isn't even possible now... not even remotely. There may have been a slim chance for it early on, but certainly not now.
Posted by: [INSERT CLEVER POST NAME HERE] | July 6, 2007 12:03 PM
Hillary, Michael Moore and the old-line media are enthralled with socialized medicine. I wonder how pleased they would be with socializing Hollywood movies, the NY Times, CBS and other media, just as the left wing governments control media in Cuba, Venezuela, North Korea and Communist China. What, no interest? Surprise, surprise.
Posted by: Shaka | July 6, 2007 12:50 PM
Loon:
Instead of belittling Republicans for abandoning their president for clearly being in the wrong -- you should be applauding them.
Your reaction seems pretty smallminded and childish.
Posted by: [INSERT CLEVER POST NAME HERE] | July 6, 2007 11:49 AM
Mr.Clever,please be a man and quit changing your name.That is very childish.Even little johnny nutcakes doesn't stoop to your level.
Posted by: Raving Loon | July 6, 2007 12:53 PM
The new Bush/Cheney strategy.Make peace with Saddam Hussein Sunni insurgents, same people we went to destroy.The same people who have killed countless US troops.
Time for Bush and little dick to go on vacation-Permanent.
Posted by: Raving Loon | July 6, 2007 1:05 PM
Great posts Loon and Doug Z, well spoken!
Posted by: John E | July 6, 2007 1:23 PM
Shaka Khan,we've already done that with Faux Noise.
Posted by: Raving Loon | July 6, 2007 3:19 PM
Loon,
Apparently I struck a nerve. But can you refute what I said?
I was in college when Watergate was happening, and I was a radical Leftist, like just about everybody.
Barry Goldwater (the founding father of the modern Right) was somebody I wouldn't have piddled on if he were on fire.
And yet when he publicly stated that Nixon must go I (and everybody I knew) saluted his honesty. It wouldn't have occured to any of us to react the way that you did. We (unlike you) were concerned about the right and wrong of things.
I guess people were both smarter and more decent 30-some years ago.
PS: You don't know my gender, so why are you telling me to "be a man"?
Posted by: [INSERT CLEVER POST NAME HERE] | July 6, 2007 3:45 PM
Mr."Clever", you're not fooling anyone Leo Juanie.
Posted by: John E | July 6, 2007 6:21 PM
John E,
It's "Mrs Clever", you blockhead. I happen to be a woman.
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Smallminded and Childish Loon,
When I very gently pointed out that you're remarks were smallminded and childish you didn't deny it... but you "defended" yourself by attacking me, and not very effectively... that seems pretty smallminded and childish, don't you think?
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dt, whom I had the pleasure of meeting on the Gore thread,
I just don't know what to say to you -- your comment was kind of rambling and nonsensical -- so I'll just leave it at: you don't know me and (thank God!) I don't know you.
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It looks like I've somehow made enemies of The Swamp's own 3 Musketeers (or 3 Stooges?) who see it as their duty to police this blog and chase away anybody who dares to try to inject an adult level of thought.
Well boys, I'll leave you to it.
Posted by: [INSERT WHATEVER NAME YOU WANT TO] | July 7, 2007 8:14 AM
Ms.Clever,I won't applaud anyone,Dem or Republic who changes their opinion strictly for re-election purposes.
Especially when it is about this war and so many American soldiers have been killed and maimed, for what?
Posted by: Raving Loon | July 7, 2007 9:36 AM
Raving Loon,
Thank you for an honest and reasoned answer.
I see your point even if I don't subscribe to it 100%. You're right, politicians are what they are... they mostly do what is expedient first whether it's right or wrong.
But sometimes, some of them, do what is right because it is right. Just in general terms I'm willing to grant that benefit of the doubt.
In the specific cases here, i'd rather not judge the motives of Republicans jumping ship -- because the more who do that, the more likely an antiwar coalition can be built and we can extricate our selves from this unholy debacle.
OK, maybe you're right, asking you to applaud is asking too much. But maybe sitting on your hands and not jeering the defectors is called for. Maybe save the jeers for the diehard hawks? Just a thought.
Posted by: [INSERT CLEVER POST NAME HERE] | July 7, 2007 12:09 PM