Free Republic

John Kerry (D-Mass.) is vetting the leading candidates to be the next Democratic National Committee (DNC) chairman, and asking them to remain neutral in the presidential selection process in 2008. It is the latest indication that Kerry is putting down markers to run again for the party’s presidential nomination in 2008. His outreach to DNC candidates also marks his return to the fray after Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, that candidate he was backing for chairman, ruled himself out of contention in November. The DNC contest is exposing the presidential ambitions of a number of Democratic politicians. In addition to Kerry,...

Enough With The Neocon And PaleoconCarping—I'll Stand With George W. Bush In 2004 Like most Toogood Reports readers, I observed this year's battles within the conservative ranks with profound discomfort. In my mind, there are far too many real enemies out there to waste time and print fighting one another. It seems that the world of conservatism has been split up between the "conservatives" and the "paleo-conservatives" or between the "conservatives" and the "neo-conservatives." Both sides present themselves as the bona fide article and the other side as the one in need of a prefix. Personally, I just want to...

<p>Moderator note: I know it's going to be tough, but, please watch the calls for violence against this creature.</p> <p>In a demoralizing message to U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq, visiting New York Sen. Hillary Clinton told them that Americans back home are growing increasingly skeptical of President Bush's decision to send them into battle.</p> <p>Describing two meetings with G.I.s over turkey dinners in Baghdad, Sen. Clinton told reporters later that soldiers wanted to know "how the people at home feel about what we are doing."</p>

<p>Americans celebrate an uneasy Labor Day. More than 2.7 million jobs have been lost since 2001, the majority in well-paying fields, especially manufacturing.</p> <p>Months of "recovery" have failed to create many new jobs. Millions more Americans have stopped actively looking for work. Or they are underemployed, frustrated that their investment in college or technical training hasn't improved prospects.</p>