Political Posturing: Bush Owes Victory to God, Cash
• Bush, empowered by victory, sets to prove compassionate conservatism at home and democracy in the Middle East. Advisor: "There were a large number of people who did not view him as a legitimate president." [ NYT ]
• Bushto establish bipartisan commission on tax reform; could result in broad changes such as national sales tax or flat income tax. [ NYT ]
•Evangelical Christian groups were more aggressive, better organized thanBC04operatives, especially on gay marriage;Rove, Mehlman, Reedhad weekly conference calls with religious leaders. [ WP ]
• Thune, Hastert, DobsonderideSpecter's comments, vow to intervene with his promotion;Specterdenies pro-choice litmus test. [ WP , LAT , WSJ , WT ]
• RovesaysBushwill "absolutely" pursue gay marriage amendment. [ USAT , WT ]
•Senior CIA official and author ofImperial Hubrissays administration "doesn't respect the threat" or understand the complexity of Al Qaeda: "We still, today, don't know the order of battle of Al Qaeda." [ NYT ]
•Campaign finance reform criticized; candidates raised 70% more than 2000.McCainon FEC: "It's a corrupt, enabling organization stacked with political hacks." [ NYT ]
•Administration to revamp environmental laws, push ANWR drilling. EPA administrator: "We will make more progress in less time while maintaining economic competitiveness for the country." [ NYT ]
•Democrats, having failed to widen battleground, need candidate with appeal in the South and rural Midwest, writesBrownstein; eyes onVilsack, Richardson, Warner. [ LAT ]
• Bushachieved 44% of Hispanic vote. [ WT ]
•Republican-supporting businesses ready for their windfall. [ LAT ]
•Media turn reflective.Roger Simon: "If we didn't write about process, my God, we'd have to start writing about policy."Jonah Goldberg: Liberals "get to be very literary and metaphorical and Freudian and flowery." [ WP ]
• Bush's tailor now thinks bulge was bullet-proof vest. [ NYT ]