“Perle’s depiction of his delight at first meeting the future president reads like Fagin relating his initial encounter with the young Oliver Twist.” – Patrick Buchanan, in his new book on the neocons, as noted by Tim Noah.
FOX’S POLLING: Fox’s polling has always been pretty reliable to my mind and their data showing a razor-thin lead for Bush seems more credible to me than the Washington Post poll. Or maybe the truth is somewhere in the middle. The undecideds – once a key segment for Kerry – are still less anti-Kerry than anti-Bush but it’s close. Bottom-line: Bush has shaken some vets and independents away from Kerry and had huge success in bolstering Kerry’s negatives. But this is not an election already decided. And even the Washington Post poll shows a far closer race in the swing states.
WRITE A BUSH SPEECH! Here’s how.
CATO BALKS: Here’s an interesting quote from a new piece at TNR.com (subscribers only, alas):
“Most people at the Institute have no plans to vote for the president this time,” said one member of the Cato policy staff who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “There will be some votes for Kerry inside the Cato Institute this year.” Of course, given that Cato has only a few dozen staff members, Bush doesn’t have to worry about losing the think tank’s vote this November. To be sure, Bush’s nascent “ownership society” agenda, which is said to include renewed efforts at social security privatization, could win back some at Cato (see Jonathan Chait, “Up and Away,” page 22). But, judging by the depth of the animosity toward him at the Institute right now, it will take a lot more than a stump speech to do so. Moreover, its antipathy is indicative of a growing belief among the GOP’s fiscally conservative constituencies–not just libertarian ideologues, but big-business executives, small-business owners, virtually any voting bloc concerned with fiscal restraint–that Bush has been an abject failure. And, in a close election, that could make a difference.-
I have to say I’m delighted by Cato’s stand. Bush is slowly destroying conservatism’s small government credentials and commitment to expanding personal freedom. It isn’t “going left” to abandon his big-government philosophy; it’s staying true to conservative principles.
The Dish 