Iraq’s National Assembly convened two months ago, has yet to agree on anything. They meet in secret, hold vigorous discussions, say decisions are “close.” Nothing happens. Who would believe we could create another Congress so quickly?

Objecting to John Bolton as United Nations representative will not secure a new job, appointment to a commission, or an invitation to a cocktail party. The 59 former diplomats, representing both parties, who did, certainly acted on principle. Unfortunately, it won’t work. Republicans will believe those signing the letter have a political motive. Doesn’t everyone?

While the Supreme Court weighed whether Texas should comply with an International Court of Justice ruling, Bush told his former friends to do it – grant new hearings to Mexicans on death row denied access to diplomats. He then withdrew from the treaty that gave the IJC jurisdiction. State officials didn’t think that court ever [...]

With Bush re-elected, his brain can give Social Security the Kerry treatment: quirky quotes and twisted truth backed up with outright lies by outside groups. It is hard to believe that slightly sleazy scam could work again, but instead of gloating over “Bush’s first defeat,� Democrats should concentrate on causing crafty Karl to crash.

Confusion about Bush promises concerning West Bank settlements led to leaks of memoranda and verbal sparks from Condoleezza Rice. That disagreement is fading in the fog of selling planes to Pakistan and India – a move designed to solidify peace in the area. Balancing the news is a bonus.

Bush, Fox and Martin met to discuss topics of mutual interest, not Iraq, beef, lumber, vigilantes, amnesty, or missile defense — just security and prosperity. The President promised to continue to push Congress to come up with “a rational, common sense immigration policy.â€? Maybe we could help Mexicans move on to Canada.

The Social Security Crisis, WMD of 2005, conjures similar images of disaster in the same kind of fuzzy focus. Financial projections change every month, but we are expected to panic over what they say will happen in thirty-five years. If Bush wanted to fix something, instead of reward somebody, he’d talk about gradually removing the [...]

Now that polls show majorities of Republicans, and people who go to church regularly, seem to oppose the congressional interference in the Terri Schiavo case, some conservatives are speaking out against the action. Representatives of the Hoover Institute, Free Enterprise Fund, Cato Institute, now question the action. One called it “a clash between social and [...]

Acceptance of the Republican plan to dismantle Social Security seems to hinge on the choice of words. They started recommending “private� accounts, but pollsters discovered “personal� got less negative response. If selling this proposal depends on Bush consistently using the correct word, Social Security may be secure.

A dozen non-profit organizations, who don’t support President Bush, contend government agencies and Congressional offices attempt to discourage them from activities that challenge government policies with reviews, audits, investigations, threats of the loss of federal money. That seems like a natural Republican response. The only surprise: no one has been tortured – yet.

Congress approved a storage site in Nevada for spent nuclear fuel. The state wasn’t happy then, but now they know the decision was based on fraudulent information. Site suitability was tested with equipment certified as being calibrated before it was received. Fortunately the Energy Department is late applying for a license to open the repository. [...]

Terri Schiavo’s tragedy brought out the worst in Congress. Thousands of people shared sincere concerns about her fate for years, but Tom DeLay, seeking distraction, and colleagues, scrambling for the “right� position on the issue, were not among them. Her family disagreed and several judges, after careful consideration, rendered a decision. Lawmakers, pausing in their [...]

The Senate worked hard yesterday. They voted all day long, scrambling to finish work on the budget so their two week Easter vacation could begin. Among their achievements were rejecting a $14 billion cut in Medicaid and reducing taxes on the wealthy by an additional $34 billion — that’s fair and balanced. The pace was [...]

Outgoing World Bank president Wolfensohn made his reputation fighting corruption. Bush’s nominee to replace him, Wolfowitz, made his watching it flourish in Iraq. “Wolfie’s� grasp of money also falls short of expectations – the war cost more than he predicted, and oil revenues have not paid for reconstruction like he promised. Whatever its weaknesses, this [...]

The deficit hangs over our economic horizon like a thunder storm ready to spawn tornados. The Senate debates taking umbrellas to the picnic. No one suggests canceling it.

Undeterred by a lack of action on the “Clear Skies� bill, EPA forged ahead, ax in hand, clearing a path for industry through environmental regulations. Companies removing more mercury than the law demands can sell the extra to those who don’t meet their requirement – no pollution reductions will go to waste. The Bush team [...]

Some of us have accused the Bush administration of being secretive, uncommunicative, antagonistic toward news organizations. Wrong. Government agencies devote millions of dollars to helping television stations distribute news, good news. Their video news releases fill local TV with pictures and interviews about success in Iraq, lower cost drugs, creating clear skies and healthy forests. [...]

No one tells panel members at the President’s town hall meetings on Social Security what they should say. After screening for their views, and a lesson on the facts, they are told to use their own words at rehearsals of the event A Bush aide asks questions and they practice their answers, as many as [...]

The House Government Reform committee wouldn’t investigate who triggered torture tactics in Iraq. They were satisfied with Pentagon reports suggesting policies might be to blame, but never mentioned any name. On the other hand they seek to prevent any whitewash of another problem so bad they compare it to the TV quiz show scandals in [...]

It appears the Senate has seen through the “Clear Skies� bill and killed it – an amazing flash of light in a dark and dismal chamber. The act would have rolled back pollution controls, made it more difficult for the public to demand enforcement of the rules. If Bush put the creativity into solving problems [...]