USS Bush decked out for the holidays

Obama on vacation: same old, same old (Politico)
HONOLULU – For Ronald Reagan it was riding horses on his California ranch. For George W. Bush it was clearing brush and biking around his Crawford, Texas, estate. For Barack Obama, the signature image of his presidential vacationing, so far, is him eating shave ice, the Hawaiian version of a snow cone. After wrapping up his official business in Washington, Obama headed to his regular holiday destination Wednesday evening: a beachfront compound in Hawaii. Like many Americans, the president...

George H.W. Bush narrates 'It's a Wonderful Life' for the visually impaired on Christmas Eve
According to many over the years, "It's a Wonderful Life" is a wonderful holiday movie. But millions of Americans who are visually impaired can only hear the dialog of Frank Capra's 1946 black-and-white classic. No longer. This year former President George H.W. Bush (No. 41) has recorded an oral description of the entire movie. He was the president who signed the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. So this Friday evening, which just happens to be Christmas Eve, as ...

George H. W. Bush and "Voodoo Economics"
Sam Houston State University historian, writing on the Forbes web site, has a very odd blog post this morning. He criticizes MIT Economist Simon Johnson for attributing the term "voodoo economics" to George H.W. Bush. Domitrovic calls it a "myth" that the elder Bush ever uttered those words. "You'd think there'd be a scrap of evidence dating from 1980 in support of this claim. In fact there is none," he says. Perhaps down in Texas they don't have access to the Los Angeles Times. If one goes to t...

Realist GHW Bush dealt with the shock of his sons neoconservatism by joking
Did you read Michael Kinsley's review of Bush's memoir in the Sunday Times yesterday? I thought this part-- Speaking of a sense of humor and the Middle East, when Bush called for a new Palestinian leadership, Barbara Bush the elder (“Mother,” he invariably calls her) rang up to say, “How’s the first Jewish president doing?” Maybe I’m deficient in humor, but I don’t see why this is funny, as her son clearly believes it to be. I might even find it alarming if Bush d

George and Laura Bush Visit Billy Graham, Friend and Spiritual Mentor
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Make that four presidents who have traveled to the Billy Graham Library. On Monday, President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura Bush, met with the Evangelist and his son, Franklin Graham, before signing copies of their books for a waiting crowd. Bush's father, George H.W. Bush, joined former presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton to attend the 2007 library dedication. On Saturday, hundreds stood in a wet, nasty chill to reserve copies of "Decision Points," Bush's best-sell...

Ticket Replay: Presidents Day -- A perfect example of Congress' meddling
   During the Holiday Season, as in years past, The Ticket is republishing some of our favorite items from the previous political year. This story was originally published on Feb. 15, 2010 Presidents Day is a perfect example of the dangers of a proactive Congress. For one thing, there's the title. Is it President's Day, Presidents' Day or Presidents Day? The sad saga of legislative overkill began in 1885, when Congress made George Washington's birthday a federal ho...

RNC Chair Candidate & West Point Mom Ann Wagner Picks Up Major Endorsements
Ambassador, Proven Republican Leader, Visionary, and “West Point Mom” — Ann Wagner is running for RNC Chair. Ann Wagner stands with the Troops. St. Louis - Ambassador John Bolton today issued the following statement endorsing Ann Wagner for Chairman of the National Republican Committee: “Ann Wagner is a tough, no-nonsense conservative leader with the highest integrity, and has a long track record of raising money and winning Elections. She’s also a terrific c...

One CNN Poll & Oversampling Does Not a Barack Obama Job Approval Rebound Make
Sorry Politico , but one poll does not an Obama rebound make. Try as you might to artificially report that President Barack Obama’s job Approval Rating is rebounding, but that is simply not the case. Will you Libs stop at nothing to carry the water for this President even when his base is as upset as ever against The One. I guess the Politico does not want to take at look at this poll , or this one or this one either .  Obama will have to do much more than being forced to sign the Bush ...

Democrats Mock Palins New START Opposition
If Sarah Palin opposes it, it must be fantastic policy. That’s the argument behind the latest Democrat argument for supporting the New START Treaty. In a snide Press Release today (via David Weigel), Democrats use professional photos of those who agree with them and an unflattering photo of Palin to argue that the only serious position on New START is approval. “In supporting ratification of the New START Treaty, Democrats are siding with the cross-party consensus view of virtually t...

Ground-Based Midcourse Defense Failure?
On December 15, the Missile Defense Agency conducted an unsuccessful test of Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD), a long-range Ballistic Missile defense system designed to protect the U.S. homeland against a missile threat from North Korea or Iran. The initial review suggests that the failure occurred because an undetermined problem with the newest kill vehicle configuration. A more detailed review of why the GMD system failed to intercept and destroy the target has been initiated. However, i...

Democrats on START: Nya Nya Nya Nya!
In the Senate this morning, the Senate Democratic Communications Center has put a one-page flier on every reporter's chair. On the front, pictures of George H.W. Bush, Richard Lugar, Robert Gates, Hillary Clinton, and five of the former secretaries of state who've endorsed new START. These pictures are accompanied by the caption: "If you were making a major Foreign Policy decision affecting massive arsenals of Nuclear Weapons, would you tend to lean towards the position supported by" -- followed...

Simon Johnson's Voodoo History
“One of the sturdiest myths about supply-side economics is that George H.W. Bush called it ‘voodoo economics’ on the Campaign Trail in 1980. You’d think there’d be a scrap of evidence dating from 1980 in support of this claim. In fact there is none.” I wrote these words one year ago. The occasion was a statement from the President’s Budget director, Peter Orszag, who was taking jabs at “the Wall Street Journal - the editorial board that did m...

Leaving a mark on Barbour
LEAVING A MARK ON BARBOUR.... There was a fair amount of media coverage yesterday on Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour's (R) ridiculous remarks regarding race and Southern history, which should do some lasting damage to the Lobbyist-turned-politician's reputation. The next question, I suppose, is how much damage we can expect to see. Steve M. expects this to "pass relatively quickly," regardless of whether or not Barbour "ever shows genuine contrition or evidence of soul-searching." We know this ...

EPA touts cap-and-trade success
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released data Monday that, the agency says, shows cap-and-trade has been extremely successful in cutting Pollution. The data concerns a 20-year-old, GOP-backed cap-and-trade program that has helped cut Power Plant emissions that cause acid rain. It is separate from cap-and-trade proposals to cut greenhouse emissions, which are now politically radioactive.  The cap-and-trade program targeting acid rain was meant to reduce power companies’ sulfu

McConnell slams START, but facts don't back him up - Politics AP - MiamiHerald.com
WASHINGTON -- Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell detailed Monday on the Senate floor his reasons for opposing New START, the nuclear arms reduction accord the Obama Administration negotiated with Russia. Many of his assertions don't check out. Here is an assessment of the case made by the Kentucky Republican and other critics for opposing passage of the treaty by the lame-duck Senate. -"First and foremost, a decision of this magnitude should not be decided under the pressure of a deadline...

No matter where he goes, Obama lives in 'the bubble'
WASHINGTON — When he steps off of Air Force One in sunny Hawaii to begin his annual Christmas Vacation, President Barack Obama will have managed to escape Washington, but not "the bubble." At home or on the road, the president lives in an isolating world — a White House world staffed by thousands of people who protect, advise, and serve him at an annual cost to Taxpayers of about $1.5 billion. He lives, works and plays behind fences and a wall of Secret Service agents. He...

Remember When Cap and Trade Was a GOP Idea?
— Photo courtesy the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum. It might have been hard to tell during the past few years, with Republican opponents branding all attempts to cut greenhouse Gas Emissions "cap and tax," but the idea of capping emmissions and trading emission permits was originally a GOP idea introduced to deal with acid rain. On Monday, the Environmental Protection Agency released a report celebrating the 15-year-old program to curb acid rain as an environmental...

Ready to START.
Matthew Yglesias says the amount of work that has gone into ratifying the New START should make us very pessimistic about the larger outlook for American Diplomacy and non-proliferation efforts. Simply put, START was supposed to be the easy lift. The START vote is a huge deal on its own terms, but that's primarily because the implications of not ratifying the treaty are enormous. The treaty was negotiated because the original START, negotiated by President Ronald Regan and signed by President G...

Obama again urges GOP Senators to place national security above party politics
In his weekly address on Saturday, President Barack Obama once again made a call for Republicans to cast aside their continued politically motivated obstruction of ratification of START.  He argued that such a treaty, which will strengthen the National Security of the United States, should not be held up by the political gamesmanship of the Republican Party.  For the video of the President weekly address, please click on the link at the left. WASHINGTON- In this week’...

Weekly Address: Choose National Security Over Politics on START
President Obama used his most recent weekly address to urge opponents in the Senate to listen to the advice of Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, former Republican Secretaries of State, our NATO allies, and our Military leaders and vote to ratify the New START Treaty with Russia before the end of the year. Paid for by the Democratic National Committee -- 430 South Capitol Street SE, Washington, DC, 20003. This communication is not authorized by any Candidate or candidate's committee. ...

Newt Gingrich, serious this time, mulls a bid for president
Reporting from Spartanburg, S.C. — Newt Gingrich has been here before, very publicly dangling the prospect of a run for president. In the past, he's yanked it away in the end, like Lucy and her football in the "Peanuts" comic stip. But this time could be different. Gingrich has said he's more inclined to run than not, and some longtime associates think he might. If so, he would bring an oversized personality and biting tongue to a crowded GOP debate stage. It would also be further evide...

No More Mister Nice Blog
HEY, IT'S NOT AS IF BARBOUR SAID ANYTHING REALLY TROUBLING, RIGHT? To judge from the Trent Lott and George Allen incidents, I assume that the press will not give Haley Barbour a pass for saying that the Civil Rights era in his Mississippi hometown was not that bad and for his praise of the undeniably Racist White Citizens Councils. But this will pass relatively quickly, and it will pass whether or not Barbour ever shows genuine contrition or evidence of soul-searching. We know this because, fou...

Republican 'Baffled' by Opposition to Nuke Treaty
General Brent Scowcroft (ret.), the former National Security Advisor to both Presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush, has been working the phones trying to secure Republican Senate support for the ratification of the New START Nuclear Disarmament treaty with Russia. He said he’s “cautiously optimistic” but said he was frustrated with the opposition he’s been hearing from Republicans. “It’s baffling to me,” Scowcroft told ABC News. “It doesnR...

New START Daily Wrap: Day 6
Military leaders continue to urge swift passage of New START.  Admiral Mullen reiterated the Military’s unanimous call to ratify New START as soon as possible.  “The sooner it is ratified, the better,” Adm. Mullen said in his letter to Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA).  Gen. Scowcroft on GOP obstructionism:  “It’s baffling to me.”  General Brent Scowcroft (ret.), the former National Security Advisor t...

Liberal Columnist Cynthia Tucker: Republican Opposition to Obama is Unpatriotic
There is simply no modern precedent for the behavior of Republicans in the U.S. Senate. They are not only hyper-partisan, but they are also petty, petulant and Unpatriotic, willing to jeopardize National Security if they think they can hurt President Obama. Witness their growing resistance to a nuclear pact with Russia, the New START Treaty. The pact represents minimilist, mainstream downsizing of the Nuclear Weapons arsenals of the United States and Russia, a continuation of policies first envi...