Source: Union Leader - 8/29/2007
Thoughts: As I have said in the past, Fred Thompson has not “earned” any of his support at this point in the race until he participates in a debate (which means he needs to formally announce his campaign). With rumors that he will announce this weekend, it is time for Thompson to step onto the stage and make his case for your vote. If he performs well, he can easily change the direction of the GOP nomination race. If he performs poorly, he will drop down to a second-tiered candidate without much chance of recovering. What will Fred do? I’ll let you know in a week.
Article: “Not-so-fast Freddy: Thompson should attend GOP debate”
FRED THOMPSON has flirted from afar with Republican voters for long enough. It’s time for him to accept a date. And there is no better first date than the New Hampshire Republican Party’s presidential debate on Sept. 5.
Thompson is expected to announce his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination on or near Labor Day, which is Sept. 3. Asked two weeks ago in Nashville whether Sept. 5 would be the day, Thompson said, “I can’t give you a particular date, but it sounds like you’re in the neighborhood.”
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Source: The Hill – 8/29/2007
Thoughts: This is one of the largest problems when it comes to conducting long wars. “War fatigue” is not a new concept, and it is so predictable that even many computer games (like the Civilization series) take fatigue into account during periods of war. When you combine that fatigue with partisan politics, it is difficult for a politician to make the correct decision without being vilified for it. The truth is, the surge is improving the short-term security of Iraq. The question is, is the surge worth the effort? MoveOn doesn’t think so while Rep. Brian Baird does. Who will win this battle? It is tough to tell, but the side with the money always has the advantage. Baird is looking at a long road ahead of him.
Article: “MoveOn targets pro-surge Democrat”
By Aaron Blake
Rep. Brian Baird’s (D-Wash.) recent conversion on the Iraq war is beginning to affect more than the national dialogue. On Wednesday, liberal group MoveOn.org announced an ad campaign against the congressman in his own district.
Baird recently returned from a trip to Iraq and reversed his position on a withdrawal timetable, citing military progress in the four-year-old war.
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It was a big storm, one which impacted eight states, starting with Florida. When it crossed land, it was just a Category 1 storm, and caused minor flooding and killed two people. Six days later, a monster was brewing in the Gulf and was aiming for Mississippi. What was once considered a minor storm killed 1800 people, flooded Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio, and spawned 62 tornadoes.
Considered the worst storm of our time, she exposed the weaknesses which our society still suffer with, including overconfidence in our engineering. Most of the dollar amount and deaths caused by this storm resulted in the breaking of the levees protecting the city of New Orleans. Despite warnings that a storm surge and subsequent rainfall could cause the river to swell and crest over the levees, many citizens refused to evacuate or were not able to do so when the local government failed to mobilize buses and enforce the evacuation. For them, the walls designed to defend them to keep the river out turned into the walls that kept the river in.
Two years later and the clean up process is still in progress. Numerous volunteers and contractors descended upon the Gulf coast to lend their hands and their skills in order to return life in a land of destruction. Many more years will come and go before life returns to normal, if “normal” is obtainable. Let us remember those who lost their lives and those that lost their homes, and thank those that gave up their normal routine to travel down to the region to help those in need. That is the American Spirit in action.
Source: The New York Times – 8/27/2007
Thoughts: Alberto Gonzales has gone through a lot in recent years, many of it brought upon himself by being poorly prepared. While there was nothing legally wrong with the firing of 8 US Attorneys in 2006, the handling of the explanation by Gonzales gave the new Democratic Congress the meat they craved in order to attack the White House. The more Gonzales tried to clarify the situation, the deeper a whole he dug for himself and the administration, leaving his retirement the only possible action. His departure will not stop the investigation, it does take a little fuel out of the fire.
Article: “Embattled Attorney General Resigns”
By Steven Lee Myers and Philip Shenon
WACO, Tex., Aug. 27 — Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, whose tenure has been marred by controversy and accusations of perjury before Congress, announced his resignation in Washington today, declaring that he had “lived the American dream” by being able to lead the Justice Department.
Mr. Gonzales, who had rebuffed calls for his resignation for months, submitted it to President Bush by telephone on Friday, a senior administration official said. There had been rumblings over the weekend that Mr. Gonzales’s departure was imminent, although the White House sought to quell the rumors.
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Source: The Politico – 8/25/2007
Thoughts: For a “non-campaign,” Fred Thompson does add a little flavor to the 2008 race. While some members of the GOP try to compare Fred with Ronald Reagan, I find one stark difference between the two. Reagan ran with a message of America’s greatness, commonly referred to as a “shining city upon a hill.” Fred, on the other hand, has taken a more realistic approach, highlighting the dire issues facing his party and the country today. In his latest speech, Fred becomes the anti-Reagan and describes the US as a weaker and divided nation, and that it will not be an easy road to recovery. Is he the man that will turn our nation around? At the moment no, since he still has not formally entered the race, and unless he acts soon, he might end up joining Newt on the sidelines.
Article: “Fred: Sober and Serious”
By Jonathan Martin
INDIANAPOLIS — Fred Thompson thinks the country faces a tough road ahead and he’s not glossing over the problems we face. In fact, he’s anxious to outline the daunting litany and appears to be basing his forthcoming campaign on the assumption that his party shares the same outlook.
In a 25-minute after-dinner speech to attendees of the Midwestern Republican Leadership Conference here, Thompson offered a stark assessment of what he described as America’s perilous condition.
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