Bush Doesn’t Second-Guess Himself on Iraq. Even if Everyone Else Does.

George W. Bush has told advisers that the world is better off without Saddam Hussein — and he has not changed his mind about that.

#bush-george-w, #bush-george-w-presidential-library-and-museum, #defense-and-military-forces, #hussein-saddam, #iraq, #iraq-war-2003-11, #united-states-politics-and-government

Americans Have Mostly Forgotten the Iraq War. I Haven’t.

For some, even 20 years later, the war hasn’t ended.

#bremer-l-paul-iii, #bush-george-w, #iraq, #iraq-war-2003-11, #news-and-news-media, #veterans

20 Years After U.S. Invasion, Iraq Is a Freer Place, but Not a Hopeful One

Conversations with dozens of Iraqis offer a portrait of a nation that is rich in oil, hobbled by corruption and unable to guarantee its citizens’ safety.

#bush-george-w, #deaths-fatalities, #hussein-saddam, #international-relations, #iraq, #iraq-war-2003-11, #middle-east, #politics-and-government, #shiite-muslims, #sunni-muslims

20 Years On, a Question Lingers About Iraq: Why Did the U.S. Invade?

Two decades after the Bush administration said it wanted to disarm weapons of mass destruction and free Iraqis, the debates rages on about who knew what when, and which motive mattered most.

#bush-george-w, #defense-and-military-forces, #iraq, #iraq-war-2003-11, #politics-and-government, #republican-party, #united-states, #united-states-politics-and-government, #wolfowitz-paul-d

Don’t Call It a Bailout: Washington Is Haunted by the 2008 Financial Crisis

The colossal bailouts after the 2008 collapse arguably saved the global economy, but they also provoked a ferocious popular backlash.

#banking-and-financial-institutions, #bear-stearns-cos, #biden-joseph-r-jr, #bush-george-w, #dodd-frank-wall-street-reform-and-consumer-protection-act-2010, #emergency-economic-stabilization-act-2008, #federal-deposit-insurance-corp, #federal-reserve-system, #lehman-brothers-holdings-inc, #obama-barack, #regulation-and-deregulation-of-industry, #stimulus-economic, #united-states-economy, #united-states-politics-and-government

Trump Knows How to Make Promises. Do His Rivals?

Mike Pence and Nikki Haley somehow manage to propose ideas that are both implausible and unpopular.

#biden-joseph-r-jr, #bush-george-w, #desantis-ron, #federal-budget-us, #haley-nikki-r, #medicare, #pence-mike, #presidential-election-of-2024, #republican-party, #social-security-us, #trump-donald-j, #united-states, #united-states-politics-and-government

When Trump Passes the MAGA Hat, His Aides Clutch Their Wallets

Unlike other recent presidents, Donald Trump has rarely received campaign donations from his top advisers. They offer a range of explanations.

#biden-joseph-r-jr, #bush-george-w, #campaign-finance, #obama-barack, #presidential-election-of-2016, #presidential-election-of-2020, #presidential-election-of-2024, #trump-donald-j, #united-states-politics-and-government

Ian Fishback’s American Nightmare

He was a decorated soldier, a whistle-blower against torture. Then he was undone by his own mind — and a health care system that utterly failed him.

#bush-george-w, #fishback-ian, #human-rights-and-human-rights-violations, #internal-sub-only, #mccain-john, #mental-health-and-disorders, #psychiatry-and-psychiatrists, #united-states-defense-and-military-forces, #veterans

From ‘Birth of a Nation’ to ‘Till’: Confronting Racism in the White House Screening Room

“History matters,” President Biden said before showing a movie about Emmett Till, whose murder galvanized the civil rights movement.

#biden-joseph-r-jr, #bush-george-w, #civil-rights-movement-1954-68, #movies, #obama-barack, #presidents-and-presidency-us, #till-movie, #till-emmett-louis, #trump-donald-j, #united-states-politics-and-government

From George to Barack: A Look at Secret Bush Memos to the Obama Team

Newly declassified memos offer a window into how the world appeared as the Bush administration was winding down.

#brookings-institution, #bush-george-w, #classified-information-and-state-secrets, #hadley-stephen-j, #iraq-war-2003-11, #mcgurk-brett-h, #national-security-council, #osullivan-meghan-l, #obama-barack, #presidential-transition-us, #united-states-international-relations, #united-states-politics-and-government

As Archives Leans on Ex-Presidents, Its Only Weapon Is ‘Please’

The National Archives does not have any independent ability to enforce its request that former presidents and vice presidents to scour their files for classified documents.

#archives-and-records, #biden-joseph-r-jr, #bush-george-w, #classified-information-and-state-secrets, #justice-department, #law-and-legislation, #national-archives-and-records-administration, #pence-mike, #trump-donald-j

Biden Leery of Involvement in Potential Plea Deal in Sept. 11 Case

A proposal to end a decade-long attempt to seek the death penalty before a military tribunal carries political risks, but the Trump administration also decided the system failed.

#barr-william-p, #biden-joseph-r-jr, #bush-george-w, #capital-punishment, #central-intelligence-agency, #guantanamo-bay-naval-base-cuba, #krass-caroline-diane, #mohammed-khalid-shaikh, #national-security-council, #september-11-2001, #terrorism, #united-states-politics-and-government

How the U.S. Government Amassed $31 Trillion in Debt

Two decades of tax cuts, recession responses and bipartisan spending fueled more borrowing — contributing $25 trillion to the total and setting the stage for another federal showdown.

#biden-joseph-r-jr, #bush-george-w, #federal-budget-us, #medicare, #national-debt-us, #obama-barack, #recession-and-depression, #stimulus-economic, #taxation, #trump-donald-j, #united-states-economy, #united-states-politics-and-government

How Classified Information Is Handled

Presidents have established and developed the classification system through a series of executive orders around World War II and the early Cold War.

#biden-joseph-r-jr, #bush-george-w, #classified-information-and-state-secrets, #computers-and-the-internet, #espionage-and-intelligence-services, #executive-orders-and-memorandums, #federal-bureau-of-investigation, #florida, #justice-department, #national-security-agency, #trump-donald-j

The Invention of Elise Stefanik

To rise through the Trump-era G.O.P., a young congresswoman gave up her friends, her mentors and her ideals. Will it be enough?

#bannon-stephen-k, #bush-george-w, #buttigieg-pete-1982, #cheney-liz, #harvard-university, #house-of-representatives, #mccarthy-kevin-1965, #new-york-state, #new-york-young-republican-club, #paladino-carl-p, #politics-and-government, #qanon, #republican-national-committee, #republican-party, #ryan-paul-d, #santos-george-1988, #stefanik-elise, #trump-donald-j, #washington-dc

Jenna Bush Hager Is Making a List. Authors Are Obsessed With It.

She was born into a life in the public eye. Then she chose to go on morning TV.

#book-clubs, #books-and-literature, #bush-barbara, #bush-barbara-1981, #bush-george-w, #hager-jenna-bush, #internal-sub-only, #kotb-hoda, #television, #today-tv-program, #writing-and-writers

Can America Really Envision World War III?

As the last generation that remembers full-scale global war is disappearing, the United States may be stumbling into a catastrophe.

#biden-joseph-r-jr, #bush-george-w, #carnegie-endowment-for-international-peace, #center-for-a-new-american-security, #center-for-strategic-and-international-studies, #china, #clinton-bill, #cold-war-era, #cuban-missile-crisis-1962, #defense-and-military-forces, #europe, #homeland-security-department, #kennedy-john-fitzgerald, #macarthur-douglas, #monuments-and-memorials-structures, #north-atlantic-treaty-organization, #north-korea, #nuclear-weapons, #putin-vladimir-v, #russia, #russian-invasion-of-ukraine-2022, #taiwan, #think-tanks, #truman-harry-s, #ukraine, #united-states, #united-states-defense-and-military-forces, #united-states-economy, #united-states-international-relations, #ussr-former-soviet-union, #vietnam-war, #washington-dc, #world-war-ii-1939-45

Five Readings for Your Thanksgiving Table

These very different American leaders explain why the peaceful transfer of power and the legitimacy of our democratic system are so critical.

#bush-george-w, #cheney-liz, #gore-al, #midterm-elections-2022, #obama-barack, #presidential-election-of-2020, #thanksgiving-day, #trump-donald-j, #washington-george-1732-99

Michael J. Gerson, Presidential Speechwriter and Columnist, Dies at 58

He composed many of George W. Bush’s signature addresses, and later, as a writer for The Washington Post, took a stand against Donald J. Trump.

#bush-george-w, #deaths-obituaries, #gerson-michael, #news-and-news-media, #speeches-and-statements, #trump-donald-j, #united-states-politics-and-government, #washington-post, #writing-and-writers

The Red Puddle Election of 2022

That neither the Republican nor the Democratic coalition can achieve anything like hegemony over the political system is unusual in the history of American politics.

#biden-joseph-r-jr, #bush-george-w, #elections-house-of-representatives, #elections-senate, #jackson-andrew, #midterm-elections-2022, #presidential-election-of-2020, #presidents-and-presidency-us, #trump-donald-j, #united-states, #united-states-politics-and-government, #war-of-1812

Trump Is the Chief Obstacle to a Republican Revival

The party’s midterms setback could bring renewal.

#abbott-gregory-w-1957, #bush-george-w, #conservatism-us-politics, #desantis-ron, #ducey-doug-1964, #gingrich-newt, #governors-us, #kemp-brian-p, #midterm-elections-2022, #presidential-election-of-2024, #republican-party, #trump-donald-j, #united-states-politics-and-government

In 2022, Reality Has a Conservative Bias

Can liberalism adapt itself to what reality is asking?

#biden-joseph-r-jr, #bush-george-w, #colbert-stephen, #conservatism-us-politics, #democratic-party, #iraq-war-2003-11, #midterm-elections-2022, #obama-barack, #republican-party, #trump-donald-j, #united-states, #united-states-politics-and-government

The Huge Problem That Nobody Cares About

Republicans as well as Democrats have abandoned fiscal restraint, and it’s not sustainable.

#biden-joseph-r-jr, #bush-george-w, #democratic-party, #federal-budget-us, #national-debt-us, #republican-party, #trump-donald-j

How the Right Became the Left and the Left Became the Right

A pair of prominent headlines highlight the reversals.

#bush-george-w, #computers-and-the-internet, #conservatism-us-politics, #conspiracy-theories, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #fauci-anthony-s, #federal-bureau-of-investigation, #first-amendment-us-constitution, #homeland-security-department, #midterm-elections-2022, #musk-elon, #qanon, #right-wing-extremism-and-alt-right, #rumors-and-misinformation, #trump-donald-j, #twitter, #united-states, #united-states-politics-and-government

Can Republicans Tax the Rich?

The continuing quest for a conservative policy reformation, and its continuing problems.

#abortion, #bannon-stephen-k, #bush-george-w, #capital-gains-tax, #conservatism-us-politics, #cotton-tom, #desantis-ron, #families-and-family-life, #federal-budget-us, #income-tax, #republican-party, #rubio-marco, #trump-donald-j

To Cut Gas Prices, Congress Should Allow the U.S. to Sue OPEC

Congress should allow the Justice Department to sue OPEC for violating antitrust laws.

#antitrust-laws-and-competition-issues, #bush-george-w, #embargoes-and-sanctions, #international-trade-and-world-market, #justice-department, #law-and-legislation, #oil-petroleum-and-gasoline, #organization-of-the-petroleum-exporting-countries, #russia, #scalia-antonin, #suits-and-litigation-civil, #supreme-court-us, #united-states, #united-states-economy

Secret Emergency Orders May Include Focus on Internet, New Files Show

Dating back to 1950s preparations for nuclear war and revised after the Sept. 11 attacks, the presidential directives are not shown to Congress.

#appointments-and-executive-changes, #bush-george-w, #classified-information-and-state-secrets, #disasters-and-emergencies, #law-and-legislation, #markey-edward-j, #obama-barack, #presidents-and-presidency-us, #united-states

Justice Thomas Says Leaked Opinion Destroyed Trust at Supreme Court

In remarks at a conference in Dallas, he also decried the recent protests at justices’ homes and said conservatives would not adopt such tactics.

#abortion, #american-enterprise-institute-for-public-policy-research, #bush-george-w, #roe-v-wade-supreme-court-decision, #thomas-clarence, #yoo-john-c

Why We Need Wartime Dissent

The reasons to doubt the wisdom of our foreign policy establishment have not suddenly evaporated.

#biden-joseph-r-jr, #bush-george-w, #defense-and-military-forces, #defense-department, #gibbons-mike-1952, #greene-marjorie-taylor-1974, #house-of-representatives, #lee-barbara-jean-1946, #massie-thomas-h, #no-fly-zones, #putin-vladimir-v, #republican-party, #russian-invasion-of-ukraine-2022, #united-states-defense-and-military-forces, #united-states-international-relations, #vance-j-d, #war-and-armed-conflicts

They Predicted the Ukraine War. But Did They Still Get It Wrong?

What Putin’s invasion has revealed about realism and idealism in foreign policy.

#bush-george-w, #europe, #mearsheimer-john-j, #north-atlantic-treaty-organization, #putin-vladimir-v, #russia, #russian-invasion-of-ukraine-2022, #ukraine, #zelensky-volodymyr

Indicted. Under F.B.I. Investigation. And Still Popular With Texas Republicans.

Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general, earned the most votes in Tuesday’s G.O.P. primary. His embrace of Trumpism has helped him weather a series of allegations.

#bush-george-prescott, #bush-george-w, #bush-jeb, #elections-attorneys-general, #federal-bureau-of-investigation, #midterm-elections-2022, #paxton-ken, #presidential-election-of-2020, #republican-party, #texas, #trump-donald-j

The Yes Men: Revenge of the Pranksters

A collective that blazed a trail with corporate hoaxes occupies an uneasy space between art and activism.

#art, #bush-george-w, #carriage-trade-manhattan-ny-gallery, #cohen-sacha-baron, #colbert-stephen, #comedy-and-humor, #dow-chemical-company, #hoaxes-and-pranks, #lower-east-side-manhattan-ny, #new-york-times, #politics-and-government, #world-trade-organization, #yes-men

How McConnell Hopes to Thwart Trump in the Midterms

Senator Mitch McConnell is working furiously to bring allies to Washington who will buck Donald J. Trump. It’s not going according to plan.

#arizona, #bowers-rusty, #brooks-morris-jackson, #bush-george-w, #chao-elaine-l, #ducey-doug-1964, #greitens-eric, #hawley-josh-d-1979, #hogan-lawrence-j, #kemp-brian-p, #masters-blake-1986, #mcconnell-mitch, #midterm-elections-2022, #murkowski-lisa, #noem-kristi, #parnell-sean, #republican-national-committee, #romney-mitt, #rove-karl, #sununu-christopher-t-1974, #thune-john-r, #trump-donald-j

Hawks Are Standing in the Way of a New Republican Party

Conservatives must make a clear break with neo-neoconservative foreign policy.

#biden-joseph-r-jr, #bush-george-w, #china, #conservatism-us-politics, #cotton-tom, #defense-and-military-forces, #hawley-josh-d-1979, #international-relations, #kennedy-john-fitzgerald, #north-atlantic-treaty-organization, #politics-and-government, #putin-vladimir-v, #republican-party, #rubio-marco, #russia, #ukraine, #united-states, #united-states-defense-and-military-forces, #united-states-international-relations, #war-and-armed-conflicts, #wilson-woodrow

Mentally Ill Detainee, Suspected of Planned Role in 9/11, Set for Transfer

A parole-like board for prisoners at Guantánamo Bay recommended repatriating the Saudi man, whom the military tortured and so could not be put on trial.

#al-qaeda, #austin-lloyd-j-iii, #biden-joseph-r-jr, #bush-george-w, #defense-department, #detainees, #guantanamo-bay-naval-base-cuba, #mohammed-khalid-shaikh, #qahtani-mohammed-al, #saudi-arabia, #united-states-army, #united-states-defense-and-military-forces, #united-states-navy, #united-states-politics-and-government

End Affirmative Action for Rich White Students, Too

Obviously.

#admissions-standards, #affirmative-action, #bush-george-w, #harvard-university, #hurston-zora-neale, #internal-sub-only-nl, #national-assn-for-the-advancement-of-colored-people, #when-affirmative-action-was-white-an-untold-history-of-racial-inequality-in-twentieth-century-america-book

We Need to Think the Unthinkable About Our Country

It’s plausible that the United States as we know it could disintegrate. Institutions need to consider worst-case scenarios — to help avoid them. 

#bush-george-w, #dr-strangelove-or-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-the-bomb-movie, #presidential-election-of-2020, #presidential-election-of-2024, #republican-party, #right-wing-extremism-and-alt-right, #schelling-thomas-c, #secession-and-independence-movements, #storming-of-the-us-capitol-jan-2021, #trump-donald-j, #united-states, #united-states-politics-and-government

How the Capitol Riot Led to a Broken America

The collapse of decency feeds the attacks on democracy.

#bush-george-w, #elections-house-of-representatives, #internal-sub-only-nl, #obama-barack, #politics-and-government, #republican-party, #storming-of-the-us-capitol-jan-2021, #united-states-politics-and-government

Joan Didion, Conservative

Why I am drawn to Didion’s earlier work and its ambiguities.

#als-hilton, #bacharach-jacob-b-1981, #books-and-literature, #bush-george-w, #california, #cancel-culture, #chappelle-dave, #conservatism-us-politics, #didion-joan, #mailer-norman, #naipaul-v-s, #new-york-review-of-books, #orange-county-calif, #reagan-ronald-wilson, #republican-party, #rowling-j-k, #sacramento-calif, #substack-inc, #united-states-politics-and-government, #women-and-girls, #womens-rights, #writing-and-writers

Petition to Rescind Tony Blair’s Knighthood Gets Hundreds of Thousands of Signatures

Nearly 15 years after he left office, the prime minister’s support for the Iraq war has not been forgiven by many in Britain.

#awards-decorations-and-honors, #blair-tony, #bush-george-w, #elizabeth-ii-queen-of-great-britain, #great-britain, #iraq-war-2003-11, #politics-and-government, #war-crimes-genocide-and-crimes-against-humanity

Harry Reid Had a Unique Political Superpower

He possessed a quality rare among politicians: profound comfort in his own skin.

#bush-george-w, #capitol-visitor-center-washington-dc, #democratic-party, #filibusters-and-debate-curbs, #nevada, #patient-protection-and-affordable-care-act-2010, #politics-and-government, #reid-harry, #senate, #united-states-politics-and-government

How Hispanics Became Swing Voters

Republicans see an opportunity. Democrats have a lot of work to do.  

#border-barriers, #bush-george-w, #central-america, #democratic-party, #hispanic-americans, #immigration-and-emigration, #mexican-americans, #obama-barack, #race-and-ethnicity, #republican-party, #tea-party-movement, #trump-donald-j, #united-states-politics-and-government

Ally, Member or Partner? NATO’s Long Dilemma Over Ukraine

NATO promised Ukraine full membership in 2008, but without explaining how or when. Putin sees that promise as an ongoing threat to Russia.

#biden-joseph-r-jr, #bush-george-w, #defense-and-military-forces, #north-atlantic-treaty-organization, #putin-vladimir-v, #russia, #ukraine, #united-states-international-relations, #ussr-former-soviet-union

Republicans Have a Golden Opportunity. They Will Probably Blow It.

The party’s good fortune in avoiding profound punishment for all its follies is the reason those follies will probably continue.

#biden-joseph-r-jr, #bush-george-w, #conservatism-us-politics, #democratic-party, #presidential-election-of-2024, #republican-party, #trump-donald-j, #united-states-politics-and-government, #youngkin-glenn-a

Assessing the Legacy of Colin Powell

Readers pay tribute to Mr. Powell but also criticize aspects of his record. Also: Sexism harms everyone.

#black-people, #bush-george-w, #homosexuality-and-bisexuality, #iraq-war-2003-11, #kaiser-charles-1950, #men-and-boys, #powell-colin-l, #united-states-defense-and-military-forces, #united-states-economy, #united-states-politics-and-government, #women-and-girls

Colin Powell, Former U.S. Secretary of State, Dies of Covid Complications

A former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, secretary of state and national security adviser, Mr. Powell died on Monday, his family said.

#bush-george-w, #cheney-dick, #defense-and-military-forces, #iraq-war-2003-11, #persian-gulf-war, #powell-colin-l, #united-states-defense-and-military-forces, #united-states-international-relations, #united-states-politics-and-government, #vietnam-war

Terry McAuliffe’s Other Obstacle in Virginia Race: Democrats’ Apathy

Though the state is getting bluer, voters’ exhaustion is imperiling the former governor’s comeback attempt against his Republican rival, Glenn Youngkin.

#alexandria-va, #arlington-tex, #bush-george-w, #democratic-party, #elections-governors, #harris-kamala-d, #mcauliffe-terry, #trump-donald-j, #united-states-politics-and-government, #virginia, #youngkin-glenn-a

Newsom’s Anti-Trump Strategy in the Recall Offers Republicans a Warning for 2022

California Democrats were able to nationalize the vote — thanks to an avalanche of money, party discipline and, above all, an easily demonized opponent.

#biden-joseph-r-jr, #bush-george-w, #california, #davis-joseph-graham-jr, #elder-larry-1952, #elections-california-gubernatorial-recall-2021, #faulconer-kevin, #mccarthy-kevin-1965, #midterm-elections-2022, #newsom-gavin, #schwarzenegger-arnold, #united-states-politics-and-government, #wilson-pete

George W. Bush 2021, Meet George W. Bush 2001

The former president was an active participant in the politics he now bemoans. 

#ackerman-spencer, #bush-george-w, #presidential-election-of-2004, #republican-party, #same-sex-marriage-civil-unions-and-domestic-partnerships, #september-11-2001, #shanksville-pa, #united-states-politics-and-government

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.

#bush-george-w, #central-intelligence-agency, #confessions, #detainees, #guantanamo-bay-naval-base-cuba, #human-rights-and-human-rights-violations, #interrogations, #mauritania, #military-tribunals, #senate-committee-on-intelligence, #september-11-2001, #slahi-mohamedou-ould, #terrorism, #torture, #united-states-defense-and-military-forces, #united-states-politics-and-government