Costs of Iraq War Skyrocketing

-

10

The Washington Post has run an important piece this morning on the rapidly increasing year on year costs of the Iraq War. Rather than becoming less expensive each year, American costs have increased, in constant dollars, each year.

Comments and Uncertainty about “The Iran Plans”

-

20

Seymour Hersh’s article on Bush’s plan for war with Iran has helped confirm the worst suspicions of those on the left scared of another neocon-like and neocon-led war in the Middle East and has bolstered some on the far right who were afraid that the White House had become too weak to take on the…

Transcript from Session with Legal Adviser to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice: John Bellinger Argues Case for International Law

-

32

John Bellinger is the best that it gets in the Bush administration. As I’ve written before, there is a multiple personality reality in any presidential administration, and the trick is to try and make sure that the “dominant personality” of the administration gets the nation on what is mostly a constructive, enlightened course.

Bush: “I’m the Decider” on Rumsfeld

-

28

President Bush is rebuffing the nation in clinging to Rumsfeld. Someone remind the President that his Secretary of Defense presided over behaviors that led to the image below, and to far worse: The calls for Rumsfeld to depart will only intensify now.

The Doha Round is Dead. . .Rob Portman Going to OMB

-

29

Others, including House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas, have said Doha was dead over and over, but today I believe it. U.S. Trade representative and former Ohio Congressman Rob Portman will move over to take Joshua Bolten’s position as Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Harold Ford Needs to Stop Shot-Gunning and Start Sharp-Shooting

-

21

Congressman and Senate candidate Harold Ford, Jr. (D-TN-9) has just appealed to Republican Congressmen to join him in calling for Colin Powell to replace Don Rumsfeld as Secretary of Defense. I like Harold Ford a lot — but he’s veering into reckless theatrics with some of his latest positions.