| September/October 2006
Politics & Government: Bush Administration | Elections | Federal Government |
Government Initiatives: Crime & Law Enforcement | Homeland Security | Tax Reform |
Politics & Government:
C1 - The Sixth Year Slump
Emery, Noemie
The Weekly Standard,
Oct 16, 2006,v12, #5; pp18-21
The author compares the current approval ratings of George W.
Bush with other two-term presidents ratings around the same time
amd concludes that public opinion generally falters around year
six. However, public opinion at the time does not necessarily
translate to long-term impressions of an administration. Truman
and Reagan both suffered low approval ratings around year six
because of unpopular foreign policy, but have since been hailed
the winners of the Cold War. According to the author, it is too
early to write President Bush off as a lame duck, becuase we lack
the perspective of time to really evaluate his decision-making.
Noemie Emery is a contributing editor to The Weekly Standard.
Fulltext
C2 - Is the Bush Doctrine Dead?
Podhoretz, Norman
Commentary, September 2006, v122, #2,
pp17-32
The author maintains that the Bush Doctrine has been misrepresented.
He attempts to define the doctrineby reviewing the speeches and
documents where it has been enunciated. He found the doctrine
was built on three pillars. First, an insistence on using unambiguously
moral categories such as right and wrong, good and evil in any
discussion of terrorism. Second, a new conception of terrorists
as the irregular troops of the nation states that harbored and
supported them. And third, the determination to take preemptive
action against an anticipated attack. He believes -- despite reports
of the end or failure of the doctrine -- that it is still too
early to judge the success of the mplementation of the new strategy.
Comparing the situation today to 1952 and the history of the Truman
Doctrine. "As with the Truman Doctrine then, the Bush Doctrine
has thus far acted only in the first few scenes of the first act
of a five-act play." Norman Podhoretz is the editor-at-large
of Commentary. Fulltext
C3 - Voting Controversies
Katel, Peter
CQ Researcher, September 15, 2006, v16,#32, pp745-768
"Vote-counting controversies in both the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections have left a cloud of concern hanging over the upcoming November 2006 congressional vote as well as the not-so-far-off 2008 presidential election. The issues range from the trustworthiness of electronic, touch-screen voting machines to fears that laws requiring more stringent verification of citizens' identities would disenfranchise minority voters. Some computer experts insist that touch-screen machines are vulnerable to hackers and that “paper trails” are needed to ensure that the vote counts can be verified if challenged. But the devices are so popular with election officials that up to 40 percent of voters will use touch-screen machines this year, many of which will not produce backup paper print-outs. Meanwhile, scrutiny of the entire voting process, from voter registration to ballot counting is intensifying in courthouses and statehouses across the country." Peter Katel is a CQ Researcher staff writer. Order Article
C4 - Will the Republicans Retain Congress in 2006?
Cook, Charles
Washington Quarterly, Autumn 2006, v29, # 4, pp153-158
The article focuses on the prospects of the Republican Party
in the 2006 midterm election in the United States. An analytic
report of the approval ratings of U.S. President George W. Bush
and previous U.S. presidents is presented. Factors that tend to
reduce the possibility for major Democrat House gains are highlighted.
Charles Cook iis a political analyst for NBC News and editor
and publisher of the Cook Political Report, a Washington-based,
nonpartisan newsletter analyzing U.S. politics and elections.
Fulltext
C5 - The Bush Referendum
Victor, Kirk; Baumann, David
National Journal, September 23, 2006, v38 #38, pp24-28
"The article focuses on the campaign strategy of the U.S.
Democrats against the Republicans for the November 2006 elections.
Democratic strategist Stephanie Cutter suggests that Democrats
should show voters that Republicans' support for the programs
of President George W. Bush ties them directly to him. The Democratic
party must win 15 House seats and 6 Senate seats to take control
of those chambers. The Bush clone strategy of the Democrats has
thrown some Republicans on the defensive. Kirk Victor and
David Baumann are both staff writer for the National Journal."
Fulltext
C6 - 'Security' Is the Cry
Cohen, Richard E. ; Barnes, James A.
National Journal, September 23, 2006, v38, #38, pp30-34
"The article discusses the use of war-on-terrorism themes
by U.S. Republican candidates as a major campaign strategy for
the November 2006 elections. According to Republican National
Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman, Republicans are united in recognizing
that the country is at war. Many Republicans conclude that it
is necessary to emphasize national security. Republican strategists
are doubting that many candidates in both parties will run extensive
advertising on Iraq war or national security." Richard
E. and James A. Barnes are both staff writer for the National
Journal. Fulltext
C7 - The Inside Agitator
Bai, Matt
New York Times Magazine, 10/1/2006, v156, #53719,
p54-94
The article discusses the attempts of Howard Dean, chairman
of the Democratic National Committee, to revitalize the Democratic
Party. Dean takes advantage of the low public approval ratings
of President George W. Bush's and his perceived mishandling of
the Iraq war to engage in states that haven't put a Democrat in
office for decades. Matt Bai, a contributing writer to the
New York Times Magazine, isat work on a book about the future
of the Democratic Party. Fulltext
C8 - Presidential Signing Statements: Constitutional
and Institutional Implications
T.J. Halstead.
Library of Congress, Congressional Research Service (CRS). September
20, 2006.
"Presidential signing statements are official pronouncements
issued by the President contemporaneously to the signing of a
bill into law that, in addition to commenting on the law generally,
have been used to forward the President’s interpretation of the
statutory language; to assert constitutional objections to the
provisions contained therein; and, concordantly, to announce that
the provisions of the law will be administered in a manner that
comports with the Administration’s conception of the President’s
constitutional prerogatives. While the history of presidential
issuance of signing statements dates to the early 19th century,
the practice has become the source of significant controversy in the modern
era as Presidents have increasingly employed the statements to
assert constitutional objections to congressional enactments..."
T.J. Halstead is a Legislative Attorney, American Law Division.
Fulltext
Government Initiatives:
C9 - Crime in the United States 2005
United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI). Web-posted September 18, 2006, online edition
This annual publication is a statistical compilation of
offense and arrest data reported by law enforcement agencies nationwide.
In 2005, more than 17,000 city, county, state, tribal, and federal
law enforcement agencies, representing 94 percent of the nation's
population, voluntarily participated in the Program. The UCR Program
collects information on crimes reported by law enforcement agencies
regarding the violent crimes of murder and non-negligent manslaughter,
forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault as well as the
property crimes of burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft,
and arson According to this year's report, last year, an estimated
1,390,695 violent crimes were reported in the U.S. The offense
of forcible rape was the only violent crime to show a decrease.
Nationwide in 2005, an estimated 10,166,159 property crimes were
reported. Burglary was the only property crime to show an increase
(0.5 percent) in the estimated volume when compared with 2004
data. Fulltext
C10 - Priorities for Homeland Security
Simon, Steven
Statement before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs, September 12, 2006, online edition
The author concentrates on three issues: first the importance
of cities as terrorist havens and terrorist targets; second, the
continuing significance to many jihadists of weapons of mass destruction
(WMD); and third, the need to preserve the good will and sense
of belonging of America's Muslim communities as a matter of national
security, beyond the intrinsic virtues of a cohesive, considerate
society in which citizens of all creeds can feel at home. Steven
Simon is the Hasib J. Sabbagh Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern
Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. Fulltext
C11 - Radicalization: Homeland
Security Implications
Woodward, John D. Jr.
Testimony presented to the House Homeland Security Committee,
Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing, and Terrorism
Risk Assessment on September 20, 2006, Rand Institute, online
edition, 8p
"U.S. Government use of biometric technoligies is a
success story, as measured by threats identified, intelligence
gained, and lives saved. Hopefully, I have provided the Subcommittee
with suggestions you may find worth pursuing. I believe we are
still in the very early stages of using biometric technologies
for homeland security, with more to do. As experience shows, the
US Government can use this significant tool for protecting the
nation while preserving civil liberties" John
D. Woodward, Jr. is a Senior Policy Analyst at Rand. Fulltext
C12 - Tax Cuts: Myths and Realities
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, September 2006, online edition
"Since 2001, the Administration and Congress have enacted
a wide array of tax cuts, including reductions in individual income
tax rates, repeal of the estate tax, and reductions in capital
gains and dividend taxes. Nearly all of these tax cuts are scheduled
to expire by the end of 2010. Making them permanent would cost
more than $3 trillion over the next decade (when the cost of additional
interest on the federal debt is included). Because important decisions
about these tax policies must be made in the next few years, it
is essential to understand their effects on deficits, the economy,
and the distribution of income. Supporters of the tax cuts have
sometimes sought to bolster their case by understating the tax
cuts’ costs, overstating their economic effects, or minimizing
their regressivity. Here, some of the myths heard most frequently
in recent tax-cut debates [are addressed]." Fulltext
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