As long as Repugs like John Boehner continue to believe that they lost the '06 election because "a lot of people thought we lost our way on spending" not much will get accomplished in the time remaining of the Bush Administration.

The Repugs lost, in part, because of Bush's War of Choice on Iraq and the spending that that has entailed!

Nevertheless, Bush continues to get what he wants in the war funding department. And the Dems look more and more cowed.

It's more like MIXED UP MESSAGES than mixed messages!

If Huckabee is able to convince enough voters that he is capable of *showing* tolerance for disagreement in religious matters and compassion for the needy among us, he will continue to move up in the polls.

Never underestimate the fervor of a fundamentalist or evangelical -- imagine all the "good works" that have been accomplished that were motivated by religious conviction. (Of course, the flip side is that "bad works" have been done as a result of religious fervor.)

Huckabee appeals to some people because he gives the impression that he's powered internally by the power of his religious convictions, but in a benign, non-threatening way -- he doesn't scare people. He doesn't rant and rave and act like a lunatic.

In fact, many people "take him on faith." That's one reason his poll numbers are rising and one reason that, so far, he's not concerned with his past sermons, etc. Remember, for his supporters, every sunrise a "new day is born." They are not much influenced by the past.

Joe Biden/Wesley Clark

......then, I woke up.

Joe Biden/Wesley Clark

....then, I woke up.

Because this will never happen.

(Last line got clipped, somehow.)

Barack Obama.

(And I have nothing against the man.)

Oy! George W. Bush as a roving ambassador! The vainglorious bully given a role on the world stage to further screw things up!

Nope. Bush will go to Crawford and whack away at the mesquite and live out his days oblivious to the incredible mess that he left for the next president.

Huckabee goes a long way

in assuming that Bush won't be simply too lazy to take the job.

...or better writers.

Either way, he's talking his way into irrelevancy. Gawdalmighty! It's taxing even to listen to him!

Spot on.

I'll give Obama credit for his candor regarding his drug use. But, come on. Shaheen is right -- if Obama gets the nomination, the Repubs will be all over his drug use like flies on dung. And, frankly, it will be warranted because drug use and incarceration rates are a problem in our country, so why not bring it up now?

When there is a presidential candidate who self-describes himself as a possible “Junkie. Pothead. That’s where I’d been headed: the final fatal role of the young would-be black man...I got high [to] push questions of who I was out of my mind," as Obama wrote in "Dreams from My Father," then it's fair game to ask questions about his ILLEGAL drug use. Afterall, many Americans grow to adulthood without "experimenting" with illegal drugs. And many Americans "experiment" and end up behind bars. Also, Barack seems to be suggesting that black men are almost destined to drug use. That's not very white of him! :-)

Barack wrote mostly he smoked marijuana and drank alcohol, but occasionally he would snort cocaine when he could afford it. So, if he had the cheese to snare some cocaine, that's what he did. Full confession.

We've had seven years of a drug- alcohol-addled Decider-in-Chief, who has done nothing of substance to address illegal drug use in the United States, except to increase time behind bars for those who get caught. So, as far as I'm concerned, ask away! Barack, will you call a truce on the failed War on Drugs?

So what?

It shows that Obama (at least) can spot a winning team.

But, it doesn't prove that the (first president) Clinton-era people prefer Barack to Hillary. It does show that Hillary is savvy enough to not have too many of the Big Dawg's advisors on-board during her campaign. If she had them on-board, she'd be accused of running on her husband's legacy.

She can make it on her own.

I wish he hadn't apologized. What a bunch of bullshit.

I wish Hillary hadn't apologized for his alleged misbehavior.

Barack Obama has admitted to using illegal drugs as a young(er) man. He's friggin' running for president. If you can't stand the heat, get the hell out of the kitchen. If Shaheen (or however it's spelled) said, in essence, the Repugs are gonna make an issue of this, he's friggin' telling the truth.

Besides, it was probably his wife who made him resign because she's running for U.S. Senate and didn't want this NON-STORY taking up valuable ink while there are bigger fish to fry.

For the life of me, I cannot see why so many of you HATE Hillary just as much as sane people loathe Bush.

Exactamundo!

...wait just a minute! No, he didn't fully admit this upfront.

In fact, back in Texas he had Alberto Gonzales covering for him on his DUI. Remember the story about jury duty?

He only admitted to being young and irresponsible when HE GOT CAUGHT!

smoke cigarettes.

Bad example for young people.

With the Huckster bringing The Brawler on-board, one can expect to see some bare-knuckled politicking coming down the pike from Little Mister Sunshine (aka Pastor Huckabee).

Ed Rollins is an unrepentant street fighter, the perfect campaign operative to hustle the Christian base.