Surge skeptics are going to have trouble dismissing this endorsement:
“I think the surge is working,†said Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., one of the Iraq war’s loudest critics. Murtha, just back from a Mideast trip, added: “But the thing that has to happen is the Iraqis have to do this themselves. We can’t win it for them.â€
Posted by Rhonda Holman
“This is one of the most arrogant, incompetent administrations I’ve ever seen personally or ever read about,†Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., told the Council on Foreign Relations last week. Hagel, who said he would be open to serving in a Democratic administration, possibly even as a vice president, also said that the Bush administration was as unprepared as any he has seen. “I would rate this one the lowest in capacity, in capability, in policy, in consensus — almost every area, I would give it the lowest grade.â€
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
Over the past eight years, more than 160 dead people have donated more than $540,000 to political committees and congressional and presidential candidates, according to USA Today. That defies common sense. But it doesn’t break federal law, which considers such posthumous generosity fine as long as the deceased’s intentions were clear and the contribution limits are followed. Interestingly, $224,000 of this giving has gone to the Democratic National Committee, compared with only $93,000 to the Republican National Committee.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
It may take a while for Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., to rebuild trust among his constituents after his time-consuming presidential run. Last November, before he stepped into the ring, his job approval in the SurveyUSA poll was 53 percent. A year later, even two weeks after he’d dropped out of the race, the same poll found him at 44 percent approval.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
Many have long bemoaned the gap between the political establishment and the younger generation that will replace it. ABC News partnered with the poster child of that generation, Facebook. The media giants added a politics application to Facebook that will allow users to follow campaign correspondents, polls and debates.
“There are debates going on at all times within Facebook,†David Westin, the president of ABC News and a new Facebook member, told the New York Times. “This allows us to participate in those debates, both by providing information and by learning from the users.â€
Posted by Kristin Mehler
