Free Republic

'WASHINGTON - Sen. John F. Kerry's brash offer to meet privately with former foe President Bush [related, bio] to discuss foreign policy before Bush's meetings abroad next week with key European leaders has apparently fallen on deaf ears at the White House. ``We've offered to have Sen. Kerry (D-Mass.) meet with President Bush to discuss his trip to Iraq, if the White House is interested,'' Kerry spokesman David Wade said yesterday. ``There are many areas where genuine bipartisanship would make a difference in leading our country forward, whether in national security or children's health care.'' The White House declined comment...

There’s an old adage that comes to mind when reading the Governor’s budget: “When you’re up to your eyeballs in alligators, it’s hard to remember that you came to drain the swamp.” The practical application of that adage will define the success or failure of this administration, and with it, of California. The fatal mistake would be to believe that the most important budget issue facing the administration is the 2004-05 budget. It is not. A much more critical issue is whether and how fundamental reforms enacted this year will decisively shape future budgets. The Governor is right to single...