Good News, Bad News Thanksgiving November 21, 2007 • The Bush White House can give thanks this week for a better set of talking points on the stem-cell debate, progress in Iraq and the Mideast, and more. Yet amid the relative good news, the administration also was reminded of the challenges its last year in office will bring.
Opinion Backing Thompson: Human Life and Political Reality November 14, 2007 • When the National Right to Life Committee endorsed Fred Thompson for president, the conservative group was looking past his voting record and public positions on matters relevant to life. Instead, the group was looking at the issue of his electability.
Opinion Democrats Frustrating Themselves More Than Bush November 5, 2007 • The confirmation of Michael Mukasey as the new attorney general is now assured. That will be seen as yet another insult to the anti-Bush Democrats who expected everything to change after the elections of 2006.
Opinion A Campaign Out of Sync with the Country October 24, 2007 • Despite all the televised debates and heavy media coverage, a poll finds that only half of the public is paying much attention to the presidential race. But, then again, pushing the 2008 election into 2007 was never a response to voter demand.
Opinion It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Rudy October 17, 2007 • The growing sentiment among Republican stalwarts is that former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani is well-equipped and positioned to outlast Republican competitors. He is also seen as having the best chance to beat Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton in 2008.
Reagan Sequel? Hard Act for Thompson to Follow October 10, 2007 • Being mentioned in the same breath as Ronald Reagan remains the single best credential a Republican can have. But Fred Thompson fails to live up to the comparison, and in attempting to do so, he might cheat himself out of becoming the candidate he could be in his own right.
Opinion Shared Nightmare Brings GOP Together October 2, 2007 • Republicans have found the unifying issue they need to rally their party and lift their election chances in 2008 — and it is an issue with a human face. The face belongs to Hillary Clinton, and the issue is the prospect of her becoming president.
Opinion Mukasey and the Will to Find a Win-Win September 17, 2007 • Before President Bush came to the Rose Garden this week and made Judge Michael Mukasey a household name, the White House conducted a selection process quite distinct from what we've come to expect: wide-ranging, pragmatic and bipartisan.
The Iraq Drawdown as Contradiction September 11, 2007 • This week's Petraeus-Crocker show on Capitol Hill was every bit the public-relations triumph the White House was counting on all summer. Talk of a drawdown is being embraced as some sort of victory, but it's quite apparent that the U.S. simply has no other choice.
Opinion Congress' Strange Death Dance on Iraq September 5, 2007 • As the confrontation over Iraq unfolds in Congress this month, overshadowing everything else, both parties will be battling for control of the policy. And whichever party prevails will likely pay a heavy price for it next year.
Can September Redeem an Awkward August? August 29, 2007 • August is supposed to be the month when big-time Washington decision makers get out of town to relax and recharge. But this August recess has been anything but a time-out for the power structure. The Washington wars have continued without interruption, and casualties have continued to mount.
The Petraeus Report: Already History? August 21, 2007 • The White House seems to think Gen. David Petraeus' upcoming report on the Iraq war has become so important that it will now include the viewpoints of other officials. It has become such a linchpin of the defense of the war that the White House can't afford to gamble on its contents.
Karl Rove Departs, 'The Architect' Lingers August 14, 2007 • Karl Rove, widely regarded as the third most important man in the federal government, resigned this week. But many find it hard to believe that "the architect" can actually leave behind his advisory role.
Opinion Primary Leapfrog: Can't We All Just Get Along? August 9, 2007 • Nearly half the states in the country now plan to hold their 2008 presidential nominating events before Valentine's Day. No one wants this hyper-accelerated nominating calendar — not the states, the candidates or the media. Perhaps this year's rush will finally summon a moment of clarity on our nominating system.
Candidates' Spouses: Use and Abuse August 1, 2007 • It's awfully early to be talking about the people who are married to the people running for president. But with so many campaign issues surfacing ahead of schedule, Judith Giuliani, Jeri Kehn Thompson and Bill Clinton are making plenty of headlines.
Bush Reframes the War in Iraq July 25, 2007 • With heavy emphasis, President Bush framed the conflict in Iraq not as a sectarian struggle between long-feuding factions there, but as a duel between two outsiders — the United States and al-Qaida.
All-Nighter Focuses Media Attention on War Pullout July 18, 2007 • Majority Leader Harry Reid's idea for all-nighter in the Senate focuses media attention on which Republicans vote for — and against — setting a withdrawal date for U.S. troops in Iraq.
Senate GOP Seeks Halfway House on Iraq July 6, 2007 • One by one, Senate Republicans are leaving the ranks of lockstep party loyalty and seeking their own paths on Iraq. But how far are they prepared to stray? Votes on amendments to the Pentagon programs bill — including the war in Iraq — will give Republicans myriad opportunities to step out of line.
Bush Administration Closes Out a Brutal Week June 28, 2007 • Looking for a week to sum up the second-term woes of George W. Bush? Look no further. From Iraq to immigration to the myriad legal struggles of the White House, this was the week when the wheels came off.
Opinion Bloomberg: Many Agendas for Post-Partisan Mike June 20, 2007 • New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg has departed the Republican Party for "unaffiliated" status. Many leaped to the conclusion that he will run for president as an independent candidate. But the billionaire may have more in mind than joining a crowded White House race.
Is This How the Iraq War Ends? May 29, 2007 • The war in Iraq will end not with a sudden vote in Congress or a new president in the White House, but with a gradual process of disengagement. Looking back, it was never realistic to expect the Democrats' election triumph in November to reverse U.S. war policy.
For Bush, a Fleeting Chance at a New Day May 22, 2007 • An opportunity arrived for President Bush this month on the issue of immigration. Senate negotiators reached a deal in mid-May on a package they could take directly to the floor for debate, amendment and approval.