Free Republic

WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 (UPI) -- Being an otherwise slow news day, the revelation that a pre-presidential George W. Bush had been caught on tape got a lot of attention. Bush, then the governor of Texas, was surreptitiously recorded talking about life, faith and his strategy for a possible 2000 presidential campaign. In the excerpts cited by The New York Times, Bush also talks about drugs, saying, "I wouldn't answer the marijuana questions. You know why? Because I don't want some little kid doing what I tried." This statement has been taken as confirmation Bush once used illegal drugs, something the...

The Peter Principles: Torture logic By Peter Roff, UPI Senior Political Analyst Published 1/10/2005 6:24 PM WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- Consider the following scenario: Your college-age junior comes to you with plans to spend mid-winter break in Florida rather than come home. Against your better judgment but recognizing that all children eventually grow up and leave the nest, you assent and, grudgingly, even help out with some spending money. With a kiss on the forehead, you see them off at the airport, but not before extracting a promise of a phone call as soon as the plane lands in...

Commentary: Hastert is head of the House Peter Roff UPI Senior Political Analyst WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 (UPI) — The choice of a new congressional chaplain typically does not generate political heat nor light. Since 2000, when George W. Bush was elected president by the margin of five electoral votes, the times in Washington have been decidedly atypical of the modern era and have been politically supercharged to boot. It is in this context that Illinois Republican J. Dennis Hastert was introduced into big-league U.S. politics. Outside Washington, the former state legislator and high school wrestling coach was not exactly a...

Commentary: Hastert is head of the House Peter Roff UPI Senior Political Analyst WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 (UPI) — The choice of a new congressional chaplain typically does not generate political heat nor light. Since 2000, when George W. Bush was elected president by the margin of five electoral votes, the times in Washington have been decidedly atypical of the modern era and have been politically supercharged to boot. It is in this context that Illinois Republican J. Dennis Hastert was introduced into big-league U.S. politics. Outside Washington, the former state legislator and high school wrestling coach was not exactly a...

The year in politics 2004 By Peter Roff UPI Senior Political Analyst Published 12/30/2004 12:04 PM WASHINGTON, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- Most of the major political events for 2004 were connected to the presidential campaign. In that sense, therefore, the single biggest story is the re-election of U.S. President George W. Bush. That story, however, has many component parts worthy of specific mention -- beginning with the Democrats' presidential primaries. The first big story was the unexpected rise of former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean -- and his just as spectacular downfall. Running as the candidate of the "Democratic wing of...

The Peter Principles: Rumsfeld unfelled By Peter Roff, UPI Senior Political Analyst Published 12/21/2004 4:23 PM WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- There is a growing chorus of mostly Republican legislators and pundits calling for Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's head. They won't get it, and for two reasons. First, their complaints are falling on deaf ears.Rumsfeld has a constituency of one, the president of the United States, and he made it quite clear at Monday's news conference that he is squarely behind Rumsfeld -- and not to give him a shove. Second and, as things go in Washington, more importantly,...

Analysis: McCain and conflict at the FECBy Peter Roff, UPI National Political Analyst From the Washington Politics & Policy Desk - Published 7/12/2002 3:05 PM WASHINGTON, July 12 (UPI) -- Changing the way money interacts with American politics is been a difficult and contentious proposition. That the House and Senate have passed --and the president has signed into law -- one plan for reform has not diminished the rancor. On June 22, the first of six rule-makings by the Federal Election Commission was adopted by a vote of 5 to 1. Self-identified reformers who have long advocated the McCain-Feingold approach...