Washington in July

Look past the Independence Day concerts and fireworks, and you'll see that July in Washington is a slog. I'm talking humidity, congressional recesses and... immigration policy stalemates. Nothing gets done.

So it seems an appropriate moment to take stock of where American politics lies midway through 2007.


The Bush Presidency
It may be time for journalists to start their first draft of Bush's legacy, because it appears that this president will not be getting any more legislation through congress. He will, however, continue to produce administrative rules taken directly from corporate lobbyists.

My George W. Bush obituary, not to be published until January 2009, will almost certainly focus on Iraq (an unnecessary war), extreme ideologically-driven policies, and the consequences of loyalty over competence. Look for it!


Picking Bush's Successor
Casting has kicked out 3 leading candidates from each party, with a few might-runs on the sidelines. Sadly, trends indicate that the rest of 2007 will be about raising money and not making any mistakes that get posted on youtube. Journalists will focus on the horse race. Hopefully one of the front runners or one of the laggards will say something inspirational about something important before 2008.

And yet, Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska) and Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I-New York City) may just get into the race as independents. Both would make fine presidents, or maybe they'll just be king makers.


America in the World
It's really bad out there, and you should care. The middle east is getting worse, if such a thing is possible (read up on Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Israel, the Palestinian Territories, and why it's important that this region has stability). How bad can it get? We'll see, because nothing is going to change until the United States has a new President.