Civil war looms for Republicans
Before Congress left town Friday for its Fourth of July recess, Rep. Bill Thomas of California pulled off one of his patented legislative assassinations. Washington's most cunning parliamentarian, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Thomas eradicated the Freedom of Speech in Churches Act without openly opposing it. In the process, he fired an early shot in a destructive civil war looming for Republicans.
Sunday, June 27, 2004
Lugar to hit NATO for more troops
Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Richard Lugar, the Republican most trusted in Europe, went to the NATO meeting in Istanbul this weekend to scold alliance members for being too stingy with troops.
Thursday, June 24, 2004
Clinton to the rescue for Bush
George W. Bush's managers could hardly contain their delight over Bill Clinton's return last week. While temporarily shoving John Kerry out of the spotlight, the former president recalled bad old days in talking about his personal misbehavior. For the first time, a best-selling new book might be helping President Bush's re-election prospects.
Monday, June 21, 2004
Has Hastert stepped over the line?
House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, who usually operates discreetly below the radar, set off a firestorm inside Washington last week with one telephone call. Hastert called Treasury Secretary John Snow on behalf of a constituent's loan request. The speaker was pushing a $1.6 billion loan guarantee for United Airlines, the nation's second-largest air carrier.
Sunday, June 20, 2004
Revolt on runaway spending?
To counter runaway spending in the Republican-controlled House, the conservative Republican Study Committee is considering a proposal to station a watchdog congressman on the House floor to curb expedited approval of money bills.
Thursday, June 17, 2004
Dems glom onto Reagan's legacy
Ronald Reagan had been dead for less than three days when one of President Bush's top advisers last Tuesday forecast to me the political fallout. The chorus of Democratic praise for the conservative Republican president would climax with renewed pressure on Bush to reverse his stand against embryonic stem-cell research. This aide predicted the president would be under intense pressure but would stand firm.
Monday, June 14, 2004
Will Bush take risk on reform?
During the pause in prematurely frenetic election campaigning forced by mourning for Ronald Reagan, senior policy advisers to George W. Bush pondered two serious questions: What domestic policy initiatives should President Bush pursue in a second term? Which of those should he campaign on this year?
Sunday, June 13, 2004
Iowa dark horse in lead for VP pick
The current buzz in the national capital's high-level Democratic circles has projected that Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, previously considered a dark horse as John Kerry's running mate, is now the leading prospect.
Saturday, June 12, 2004
Invitation-only service highly conservative
WASHINGTON — The two-hour funeral at the National Cathedral on Friday was a fitting climax to the remarkable week since the death of Ronald Wilson Reagan. Just as there has been little hint since his death last Saturday of the debate and conflict that marked his presidency, there was no ambiguity surrounding the final ritual.
Thursday, June 10, 2004
'94 vote puts Kerry in tight spot
Under attack by Republicans for proposing deep cuts in the intelligence budget a decade ago, John Kerry is trying to justify them as efforts to slice away pork. The problem is that during the Senate debate on Feb. 19, 1994, Kerry was taken to task by two pillars of the then Democratic majority: Dennis DeConcini of Arizona and Daniel Inouye of Hawaii.
Pork is a bipartisan taste
Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow, flashing her most charming smile, approached Sen. John McCain on the Senate floor May 11.
Sunday, June 6, 2004
Too many Dems a danger for Daschle?
Democratic joy over the special election victory of 33-year-old Stephanie Herseth for South Dakota's House seat was diminished by the danger this poses to the re-election of Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle.
Bush ads turning off GOP base
After a Memorial Day spent campaigning in his district, a Republican House member turned on the television Monday night to encounter a positive advertisement by George W. Bush's re-election campaign. To the congressman's dismay, it praised the president's education bill. That was probably the second least favorite ad possible, in the opinion of this lawmaker.
