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Political Commentary

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April 3, 2008

Superdelegate Math By Alan I. Abramowitz

It is becoming increasingly clear that the outcome of the Democratic presidential nomination will hinge on the votes of the party's so-called superdelegates, elected officials and party leaders who are automatically entitled to attend the Democratic nominating convention regardless of the results of the primaries and caucuses.

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April 1, 2008

Dems Can Go the Nine Innings: A Commentary By Froma Harrop

he Democratic contest lasts until the convention in late August, so what? That leaves two months for Democrats to "coalesce" around their candidate and fight the Republican. And even that shorter time frame will seem a month too long for voters.

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March 29, 2008

Missing a Generation By Michael Barone

Most people's views of the world are shaped by the times in which they came of age. That's why we speak of a baby boom generation or a Generation X. But some people miss out on the formative experiences of most of their peers.

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March 29, 2008

Portman for VP By Robert D. Novak

While Sen. John McCain will not decide on a vice president for many months, Rob Portman gets the highest marks inside the Republican presidential candidate's organization.

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March 28, 2008

Team We Can't Trust By Dick Morris

Bill Clinton made a significant admission in Corpus Christi, Texas this month - saying he had decided to pardon Puerto Rican terrorists back in 1999 "based on the stuff I was given by the staff."

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March 28, 2008

Political Suicide By Susan Estrich

It was bound to happen, I suppose, even if everyone knows better. The fact that all you accomplish when you cut off your nose is to spite your face doesn't stop people from doing it every day. So why should Democrats be different?

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March 27, 2008

Social Security Remains Star in the Gloom By Froma Harrop

The stock market hasn't been this nasty since the 1970s. House prices continue their dive, and consumer confidence has gone splat. The rocketing federal budget deficit will probably orbit Mars by the time the government finishes cleaning up the mess left by the housing bubble it so blithely let fester.

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March 27, 2008

Slap Down 'Free Market' Pirates By Joe Conason

For many years, Robert Morgenthau has warned America that the nexus of capitalism and criminality poses a serious threat to our prosperity, security and growth.

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March 27, 2008

Ben Bernanke Is My Kind of Guy By Larry Kudlow

I have really learned to like Ben Bernanke. He's the man. And his interest-rate cuts are vastly more effective than the so-called economic-stimulus rebate plan coming out of Congress and the White House.

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March 27, 2008

The Lash of Unfair Criticism By Larry Sabato

John F. Kennedy was correct about life and politics when he famously said, "Life isn't fair." Not only is politics unfair, it may be the least fair part of life. In many election years, if we had blue-ribbon selection panels charged with considering only the qualifications and likely performance of potential presidents, governors, and senators, the list of winners would likely be quite different from the ones actually elected by the voters.

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March 27, 2008

McCain's Payroll Prize: An Inside Report By Robert Novak

A major strategist in John McCain's campaign was asked privately this week whether his candidate might propose cutting the payroll tax.

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March 26, 2008

Hillary's History of Lies By Dick Morris

The USA Today/Gallup survey clearly explains why Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) is losing.

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March 26, 2008

The Clintons' Truth Deficit Disorder By Michelle Malkin

Seinfeld's George Costanza famously quipped: "It's not a lie if you believe it." This is how a Clinton -- take your pick, Hillary, Bill or Chelsea -- makes it through the day. Better living through self-delusion.

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March 26, 2008

Why Not Optimism? By Lawrence Kudlow

What exactly is wrong with an optimistic president who has confidence in the long-run future of the American economy?

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March 26, 2008

The Robot Rule By Susan Estrich

We called it "the robot rule." I still have an old and slightly rusty pin showing a robot with a red slash through it. "Delegates are not robots" was our rallying cry in seeking to defeat what was then Rule 11(h) of the Delegate Selection Rules, or Rule f(3)(c) of the Convention Rules, which bound delegates to vote at the convention for the candidate to whom they were pledged according to the results of their state's primary or caucus.

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March 25, 2008

Bailouts -- Be Very Particular By Froma Harrop

If we're going to bail out Wall Street, shouldn't we also rescue homeowners? "Yes!" the Democrats answer. And faster than Roger Federer returns a tennis ball, conservative voices hit back with reasons -- some rather odd -- for helping the former and not the latter.

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March 24, 2008

Hillary's Irish Feast Fantasy By Dick Morris

"I was deeply involved in the Irish peace process." Those words were uttered by Hillary Clinton — with a straight face!

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March 24, 2008

Deepening Democratic Dilemma By Robert D. Novak

Barack Obama's speech last week, hastily prepared to extinguish the firestorm over the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, won critical praise for style and substance but failed politically.

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March 22, 2008

Heavy Hitter? Not Hillary by Dick Morris

Now that Hillary Clinton's schedule as first lady has been released, her near-total lack of serious involvement in the real inner workings of the government is bluntly apparent.

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March 22, 2008

Will Wright Damage Obama's Millennial Support? by Michael Barone

It's a generational thing. That was the theme of Barack Obama's speech last Tuesday, in which he both failed to renounce and at the same time separated himself from the man he has described as his spiritual mentor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.