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Byrd's Wise Warning: Afghanistan is the Grave of Foreigners
By John Nichols
West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd refers to himself as "a student of history."
In fact, he is history.
The longest serving senator in the history of the legislative branch of the federal government, the former majority leader of the chamber, the constitutional scholar who several presidents (Democrats and Republicans) considered as a potential Supreme Court nominee, the long-ago southern stalwart who reconstructed himself as a supporter of civil rights and an early backer of Barack Obama's presidential campaign, he is an epic figure who speaks with an authority steeped in the wisdom gained from having personally experienced what others know only from books.
(86) CommentsOctober 24, 2009
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Roger Ailes for President? Er, Maybe Not So Much
By John Nichols
It would be difficult to concoct a Washington fantasy more delicious than this one: Barack Obama declares "war" on Fox News and Fox boss Roger Ailes counters by signaling that he will challenge the president in the 2012 election.
This is William Randolph Hearst, Citizen Kane stuff--great fodder for political junkies.
But Ailes is not going to be president, nor even the Republican nominee for president.
(48) CommentsOctober 23, 2009
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Congressman Grayson Wins Another Round
By John Nichols
Florida Congressman Alan Grayson keeps provoking congressional Republicans and their media allies with fact-based challenges to the lies being used to block health care reform.
The insurance-industry stooges keep taking the bait.
And the truth about the high cost of delaying needed changes in America's health care delivery system keeps getting the attention it deserves.
(154) CommentsOctober 21, 2009
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Obama to Karzai: Thanks for Recognizing Your Illegitimacy
By John Nichols
Barack Obama will have to do some awfully embarrassing things as president. The whole pardoning the turkey thing on the eve of Thanksgiving comes to mind. And then there's the taking John Boehner seriously thing -- an admittedly impossible task that must be undertaken as perhaps the most thankless burden of the republic.
On the scale of exceptionally embarrassing White House duties, however, few moments will rival the point on Tuesday when the president found himself hailing the commitment of accused election-fraudster Hamid Karzai to "ensuring a credible process for the Afghan people which results in a government that reflects their will."
Karzai, the imposed viceroy, er, president of Afghanistan whose supporters engaged in massive fraud in order to "win" the country's recent election, has agreed to participate in a November 7 runoff election with Abdullah Abdullah – the most resilient survivor of the Karzai team's chicanery.
(42) CommentsOctober 20, 2009
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Ending Federal Lawlessness: DOJ Eases Off Medical Pot
By John Nichols
During the 2008 campaign, one of candidate Barack Obama's best applause lines was a promise to restore respect for science when it came to federal policy making.
On Monday, President Obama kept a piece of that promise when his Department of Justice issued a directive ordering agency lawyers not to prosecute individuals who use or prescribe medical marijuana in states that have legalized the drug for that purpose.
"It will not be a priority to use federal resources to prosecute patients with serious illnesses or their caregivers who are complying with state laws on medical marijuana, but we will not tolerate drug traffickers who hide behind claims of compliance with state law to mask activities that are clearly illegal," explained Attorney General Eric Holder. "This balanced policy formalizes a sensible approach that the Department has been following since January: effectively focus our resources on serious drug traffickers while taking into account state and local laws."
(131) CommentsOctober 19, 2009
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Better a Disappointing Dem Than a Savvy Theocrat
By John Nichols
Creigh Deeds has been a disappointment as the Democratic nominee for governor of Virginia.
While he was preferable to one of his Democratic primary foes -- veteran party bagman Terry McAuliffe -- Deeds lacked the ideas, the personality and the drive of the third candidate in that race, Brian Moran.
But Moran and McAuliffe beat each other up, split votes among key constituencies and assured a Deeds victory.
(85) CommentsOctober 18, 2009
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Here's What to Tell Obama, Congress About Real Reform
By John Nichols
If you campaigned to elect Barack Obama last year, on the theory that doing so would deliver health care reform, it is likely that you will get a call next week.
The president himself might even be on the phone.
Obama is throwing his weight -- or, in this fit president's case, the proper word is probably "stature" -- behind a grassroots organizing effort to get 100,000 Americans to call Congress in support of health care reform.
(119) CommentsOctober 15, 2009
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Baucus Committee OKs a Health Bill, But Not Reform
By John Nichols
If every kid in class finishes their homework except for one, guess which kid will get the most attention. That's right, the slacker.
And, when the slacker finally does turn in the assignment, it is invariably a slapdash job that fails to meet minimum standards.
So it is in the U.S. Senate, where the Finance Committee finally got around to finishing its health care reform assignment.
(129) CommentsOctober 13, 2009
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Whiner-in-Chief
By John Nichols
The Obama administration really needs to get over itself.
First, the president and his aides go to war with Fox News because the network maintains a generally anti-Obama slant.
Then, an anonymous administration aide attacks bloggers for failing to maintain a sufficiently pro-Obama slant.
(205) CommentsOctober 12, 2009
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Obama's Campaign Merits a Peace Prize
By John Nichols
Readers who have followed this writer's commentaries on the political machinations of the 44th president are by now well aware that I never quite bought into the whole Barack Obama thing. He has been and is a fascinating politician to cover. I've enjoyed the interviews I've done with him. I respect Obama's intellect and discipline. I think he has remarkable political skills. I am more skeptical, however, with regard to his governing skills. And I am downright disappointed with his failure to recognize the purpose and the potential of the mandate he was given by the American electorate a year ago.
Obama has not moved quickly enough to end the occupation of Iraq and he has bought into the absurd lie that the occupation of Afghanistan is some kind of "good war" – or, at the least, a necessary one.
Obama has compromised on civil liberties and constitutional questions when this former constitutional law professor should have reintroduced America to the absolute principles of our founding – especially the wisdom of a system of checks and balances that constrains the imperial ambitions of our presidents.
(107) CommentsOctober 10, 2009
John Nichols
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