California Democrats were able to nationalize the vote — thanks to an avalanche of money, party discipline and, above all, an easily demonized opponent.
Tag Archives: Bush, George W
George W. Bush 2021, Meet George W. Bush 2001
The former president was an active participant in the politics he now bemoans.
The Legacy of America’s Post-9/11 Turn to Torture
Twenty years after the attacks, the United States is still grappling with the consequences of brutal interrogations carried out in the name of national security.
At 9/11 Ceremonies, Moments of Silence, Tributes and Tears
Twenty years after the worst attack on American soil, the loss of nearly 3,000 people was remembered in events across the country.
Biden Urges Unity as Nation Remembers Sept. 11
Both President Biden and former President George W. Bush acknowledged that what has happened in the years since has only challenged the notion that Americans found strength in coming together.
What Comes After the 9/11 Era?
The battle to define the next American grand strategy.
Washington Manned Up and Let Us Down After 9/11
Overdosing on macho after 9/11 led America astray.
20 Years On, the War on Terror Grinds Along With No End in Sight
Yet, the failures in Iraq and Afghanistan obscure the striking success of a multilateral effort that extends to as many as 85 countries.
Foreign Terrorists Have Never Been Our Biggest Threat
By 9/11, domestic extremism was already on the rise.
Why Art Struggled to Address the Horrors of 9/11
After the attacks, American culture became one of prohibitions. Then the Iraq War made it difficult to address Sept. 11 on its own terms.
Drowning Our Future in the Past
Republicans keep dragging us backward.
How the U.S. Made War Humane and Endless
The withdrawal from Afghanistan is a final step in the transformation of American warfare into something sanitized and edited out of view.
Biden to Tour Hurricane Ida Damage in New Orleans
The president has taken pains to show his commitment to the storm response even as his administration deals with the Afghanistan pullout and other critical issues.
Joe Biden’s Critics Lost Afghanistan
Our stumbling withdrawal was bad. The decades of waste and quagmire were much worse.
In Afghanistan, an Unceremonious End, and a Shrouded Beginning
The last American flight from Afghanistan left behind a host of unfulfilled promises and anxious questions about the country’s fate.
Did the War in Afghanistan Have to Happen?
In 2001, when the Taliban were weak and ready to surrender, the U.S. passed on a deal. Nearly 20 years later, the Taliban hold all the cards.
Donald Rumsfeld, Defense Secretary Under 2 Presidents, Is Dead at 88
Mr. Rumsfeld, who served under Gerald Ford and George W. Bush, was in charge of the invasion of Iraq and later said that the removal of Saddam Hussein had “created a more stable and secure world.”
Appeals Court Blocks Ruling That Overturned California’s Assault Weapons Ban
The decision by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit leaves the three-decade-old ban in place while litigation continues.
As Wars Wind Down, Congress Revisits Presidential Powers
The House is expected to repeal the 2002 authorization for the invasion of Iraq, and the Senate will consider doing so as well in a rare debate over war powers.
Biden and Putin Are Meeting. Here’s How to Make Progress.
They must manage a relationship that has gone sour so things don’t get worse, and figure out how to cooperate where they need to.
U.S. Senate Confirms First Muslim Federal District Judge
The judge, Zahid N. Quraishi of New Jersey, said after his selection by President Biden, “Candidly, I would prefer to be the hundredth, if not the thousandth.”
On Pride and the Song of the Cicadas
The cycles of queer progress.
I’m From Gaza. Hamas Is Irrelevant.
The right to self-defense against Israel’s continued aggression belongs to all Palestinians.
Congress Now Supersedes Generals on Military Issues
The shift mirrors broader societal frustrations after two decades of wars, a pervasive problem of sexual assault and harassment of female troops and the exposure of political extremism in the ranks.
Guantánamo Detainee Agrees to Drop Call for C.I.A. Testimony
Under a deal with the military court, Majid Khan, who has admitted being a courier for Al Qaeda, will give up his chance to call witnesses to his torture in return for being released as soon as next year.
Will the Supreme Court Write Guantánamo’s Final Chapter?
The justices may get a chance to redeem the court’s own failed promises.
Can the U.S. Win Back Its Climate Credibility?
At a summit he convened, the president discovered how difficult it will be to re-establish America as an environmental leader.
The U.S. War in Afghanistan: How It Started and How It Is Ending
Even with violence escalating in the country, President Biden is bringing American troops home after nearly 20 years of war.
Uncomfortable Timing for a Supreme Court Gun Fight
The justices contemplate expanding arms rights in the wake of mass shootings.
Bush Says Republican Party Is Isolationist and Protectionist
The former president also assailed the Trump-era Republican Party as “isolationist, protectionist,” and expressed concern about the fate of girls in Afghanistan if the Taliban take over.
The Contradiction That Doomed America’s Mission in Afghanistan
How a series of fateful choices and lofty ambitions put Taliban defeat at odds with American victory.
Trump Is Gone, but Land Disputes Along Border Continue Under Biden
A Texas judge allowed the government this week to take possession of a family’s land because the Biden administration has yet to end lawsuits seeking property along the border.
Biden, Setting Afghanistan Withdrawal, Says ‘It Is Time to End the Forever War’
The president said the main objective of ensuring that Afghanistan would not be a launching pad for terrorism had been achieved and that it was time for American troops to come home.
Biden to Withdraw All Combat Troops From Afghanistan by Sept. 11
After years of arguing against an extended military presence in Afghanistan, President Biden is doing things his way, with the deadline for withdrawal set for the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
Their Lawsuit Prevented 400,000 Deportations. Now It’s Biden’s Call.
Trump tried to end a 30-year program that shielded migrants, many fleeing conditions that U.S. foreign policy helped foster. What does America owe them?
Here’s Where The First Guantánamo Detainees Are Now
The Pentagon called the first 20 prisoners sent to Guantánamo in 2002 “the worst of the worst.” Just two remain there. Others are spread around the world — including four senior Taliban figures.
What Are Republicans So Afraid Of?
Instead of conspiracy mongering about an election they did well in, they could try to win real majorities.
Lawmakers Clash Over Call for Special Panel to Investigate Capitol Assault
The disputes are reminiscent of the fight surrounding the creation of the independent commission that conducted an inquiry into the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Republicans Denounce Budget Reconciliation in Stimulus Package Talks
Whether lawmakers love budget reconciliation or hate it depends on whether they’re in the majority. Democrats who are defending its use now protested it when they were in the minority.
C.I.A. analyst Morgan Muir to run Biden’s daily briefings
The new intelligence chief wanted a briefer with experience and an apolitical record. She chose Morgan Muir, perhaps the first time a former White House briefer has returned to the post.
Obama, Bush and Clinton Accompany Biden to Arlington National Cemetery
In a show of solidarity with former leaders, President Joe Biden paid his respects at the Tomb of the Unknowns.
Sharpshooters, Protesters, a Secret Train Trip
The inaugural of President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. is not the first to take place at a tense moment in American history.
Biden to Restore Homeland Security and Cybersecurity Aides to Senior White House Posts
The two appointments illustrate how the president-elect appears determined to rebuild a White House national security team to focus on threats that critics say were ignored by President Trump.
Nancy Bush Ellis, Sister and Aunt of Presidents, Dies at 94
Unlike most of her family, she was a liberal Democrat for a time, supporting the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and environmental causes.
George W. Bush’s Childhood Home Eyed for National Park Service Inclusion
The home, in Midland, Texas, was part of a formative time in the shaping of the future president, historians said.
Trump Refuses to Demand Political Appointees Resign
The White House still has not told its political appointees to step down, a routine request in previous administrations, which complicates issues including foreign policy.
Just How Dangerous Was Donald Trump?
He failed to bend the state to his will, but he still broke the country.
Late Night: Vaccinating Ex-Presidents Is Hardly Must-See TV
Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton offered to take a coronavirus vaccine on camera. Jimmy Kimmel isn’t worried about losing viewers to that program.
Edward P. Lazear, Economist and Presidential Adviser, Dies at 72
He was a widely respected labor economist at Stanford who led President George W. Bush’s economic council during the financial crisis.
Vandalizing Our Democracy
Donald Trump cares about nothing else except undermining our country’s election results.