Free Republic

By James A. Barnes, National Journal © National Journal Group Inc. Monday, March 31, 2008 If potential presidents can be judged by how they run their campaigns, then how they staff those efforts may provide important clues to the kinds of talent they would recruit for their administrations. Because Democratic front-runner Barack Obama is a relative newcomer to national politics, an examination of his inner circle of political and policy advisers offers new windows into his thinking, leadership style, and sources of expertise. The Democratic front-runner's team has a relatively shallow bench, but its political achievements thus far are quite...

Perry, Hutchison at odds over Pentagon's base-closure guidelines SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Two of the state's highest-ranking Republicans are at odds over Pentagon draft guidelines for next year's round of military base closures. A day after Gov. Rick Perry embraced the guidelines in an announcement near Fort Hood, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison sent a letter to the Pentagon rejecting them and asking for changes she thinks will help Texas bases stay open, the San Antonio Express-News reported Saturday. Lawrence Korb, assistant defense secretary during the Reagan administration, said the conflicting messages could create friction between the leaders. "Since there's...

Filed at 6:54 p.m. ET WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The missile defense system President Bush ordered to be deployed will not work and is a waste of money, critics said on Tuesday while the Pentagon acknowledged the system initially will provide only modest protection. ``I have no great confidence that it's going to work under real-world conditions,'' said Lawrence Korb, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations think tank who served as assistant secretary of defense under President Ronald Reagan. Bush directed the Defense Department to begin deploying a national missile defense system with land- and sea-based interceptor rockets to...