Monday, April 30, 2007

The Daily Dose

Stephen Hadley in his West Wing office

Sheryl Gay Stolberg, a White House correspondent for the NYT, scores a West Wing interview with national security adviser Stephen Hadley. As the WP first reported, the White House is trying to recruit a war czar, someone who would brief the president every morning on Iraq and Afghanistan, then prod cabinet secretaries into carrying out policy. It seems to me, however, that with a national security adviser, a director of national intelligence and a defense secretary, the president is sufficiently staffed on the subject of war.

Former congressman Vin Weber endorses Mitt Romney as a fiscal conservative "who understands that free-market capitalism is why America grows. . . . who understands that . . . economic policies of low taxes, limited government and free trade work."

Rob Bluey links to a WP article exposing the scores of abuse by federal employees of their free metrochecks. For instance, the cards are authorized only for work-related transportation, but many are selling them on eBay. If you work in the private sector, ask yourself how long this charade would go on in your office? Also, it's not as if these people are struggling to get by: according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, salaries for federal civilian workers is twice that of their private-sector counterparts ($106K vs. $53K.)

When will Rudy (or, for that matter, McCain) stop pandering? Ryan Sager has the startling exclusive. Phil Klein and Nick Gillespie chime in, too. The Hotline provides an overview.

Who's to blame for the Bush administration's failure to craft a coherent Middle East policy? Chuck Hagel tells Bob Novak it's someone you've never heard of: Deputy National Security Adviser Elliott Abrams.

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