21 Quotes by Rich Galen

If any Democrat campaigns against them by saying they are Bush clones, they can say, 'Oh yeah? What about the Dubai ports deal? For most members, they have established as much distance from the president as they need.

Having their fingers burned, they're being more active in making sure the Hill knows.

Republicans regard Dean as one of their best secret weapons, I have yet to find a Democrat who, in private chatter, doesn't think he's a problem for them.

That entire doctrine has come and gone. Now the doctrine is you respond instantaneously, and where possible with a strong counterattack. A lot of that is because of the Internet, a lot of that is because of cable TV news.

What it reminded me of the other day is 'Baghdad Bob' saying there are no Americans at the airport.

What is so frustrating is that this is a problem of their own making. I have no idea why they didn't see the politics of this.

The president is bristling because he finds it hard to believe that anybody, especially his own allies, believe that for one second he would do anything to harm American security. Hopefully, calmer heads will prevail and events will transpire that let everybody climb back from the ledge. But they better climb back pretty fast.

I've been hoping for a year that he had hit bottom and was moving up. But the bottom kept moving.

Departments didn't talk to departments, agencies didn't talk to agencies, and then, once the news reached the White House, the White House didn't think to talk to Congress. It's almost unprecedented.