If this is a time of policy and not politics — prove it. Work together. Pakistan is in confusion about its future — and whether we want to admit it or not — America has real stakes in the course Pakistan takes and very, very few options in affecting that course.
Obama Campaign Chief Political Strategist David Axelrod What the hell is Obama chief political strategist David Axelrod doing? Nearly all of the major papers and a good slug of blogs have noted with some surprise his comment that Hillary Clinton bore some responsibility for Benazir Bhutto’s demise.
Let me add an Iowa-ear view on the earlier posts on the reliability of polling in Iowa. (first post and second post) In previous incarnations I have had the pleasure of administering political polls, putting the thumb-screws to poll numbers in graduate school, and even teaching a college course on public opinion.
Chris Nelson is correct that while the world is debating the state of democracy in Pakistan — the military and intel elites are worried about what they should be concerned about — the nukes. Here is today’s Nelson Report in full: The Nelson Report, 27 December 2007 PAKISTAN SITUATION. . .predictable? Nukes safe. . ….
I am a fan of Zbigniew Brzezinski and generally agree with him that in order to get America’s national security portfolio back together — we have to be wary of seductive assertions that the U.S. can easily manipulate political realities in a place like Pakistan in pursuit of platitudes.
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has just declared three days of mourning in the wake of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s murder.
Recently, I wrote about my own surprise that Barack Obama had not called together a policy or issue-oriented hearing in his role as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee/Subcommittee on Europe. I followed this up with a piece that explored what various presidential candidates were reporting on their travel.
TWN reader Chris Brown shared this interesting and useful essay that probes significant variation in the polls emanating from Iowa. As we try to understand the trends underway in the scramble towards January 3rd, this kind of steady analysis is valuable.
Benazir Bhutto had not yet become president or prime minister in her recent return to Pakistan’s political arena — but she was the leading opposition leader in Pakistan.
I thought that Hillary Clinton and Obama were basically tied in Iowa — with Obama with a bit of an edge. Then I saw a poll suggesting Edwards was surging and might take the prize. A new poll, however, shows Hillary Clinton with a “stunning double-digit lead over her nearest rival among likely Democratic caucus-goers.