Politics

ABC -- Senate Dems Face Uphill Fight in 2004

It will be very difficult for Democrats to recapture the Senate, unless there is a groundswell for Democrats they will likely lose seats.

Editor and Publisher -- Howard Dean -- The Media's Favorite Long Shot for President

The national press has anointed him the Freshest Fresh Face of the Democratic Party. He is the Cinderella it loves to discover and elevate every presidential cycle. No longer is he Howard Who? He's the Burlington, Vt., physician who was elected governor five times and cured government ills in a clean, green state whose most visible image is a Ben & Jerry's ice-cream cone. He's a politician who tells journalists what he thinks of them -- and gets what he wants.

Dean was the Democrat whom Vermont Republicans respected because he cut taxes and balanced the budget. Liberal Democrats tolerated him because he pushed through a health plan covering 91% of the state's children and signed a civil-union bill that gave gays and lesbians the same rights as married couples.

Moonie Times -- Pelosi stands by vote against Iraq war

"I have absolutely no regret about my vote on this war," [the House Democratic Minority Leader] told reporters at her weekly briefing yesterday, saying the same questions still remain: "The cost in human lives. The cost to our budget, probably $100 billion. We could have probably brought down that statue for a lot less. The cost to our economy. But the most important question at this time, now that we're toward the end of it, is what is the cost to the war on terrorism?"

...Mrs. Pelosi praised the troops, she also said their success was owed "in large measure" to former President Bill Clinton.

"This best-trained, best-equipped, best-led force for peace in the history of the world was not invented in the last two years. This had a strong influence and strong support during the Clinton years," she said.

Mrs. Pelosi did give President Bush credit for saying the United Nations should have a role in rebuilding a postwar Iraq, but she said the administration must make sure that it involves the international community.