Free Republic

The Senate unanimously confirmed Leon E. Panetta as secretary of Defense on Tuesday, putting the Pentagon in the hands of a former Democratic congressman and budget expert amid growing political discontent over the cost and reach of President Obama's military engagements. Panetta, who spent two years as director of the Central Intelligence Agency, will replace Robert M. Gates, who is retiring after serving in two consecutive administrations. In a statement, Panetta thanked the Senate "for the strong vote of confidence" and said he was "deeply honored" by the 100-0 tally and the president's nomination. His confirmation comes as Obama is...

 WHY DO PRESIDENTS stumble in their second terms? Four reasons. They try to govern without a real agenda, having exhausted their policy initiatives in the first term. Their wisest and most competent aides and advisers leave and are replaced by less talented people. They suffer from bad relations with Congress as a result of past scuffles and disagreements. Or they are brought down by a scandal.President Bush need not suffer from any of these in his second term. He has an agenda, a combination of leftover issues--such as making his tax cuts permanent--and the reformed entitlements of his new "ownership...

<p>This week Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has the rare second chance to make a first impression.</p> <p>His inaugural address last November proclaimed "a new day for California."</p> <p>But the days since have been more like old business as usual: a tax cut that deepened the state's budget crisis and a proposed massive pass-the-buck borrowing that puts off hard fiscal choices. Now, in today's State of the State speech and in the budget proposal to be released Friday, the new governor will have the whole state watching for some concrete plans to make the sun shine again in California.</p>