by Travis Sharp The $700 billion financial bailout package has drawn the ire of citizens throughout the United States. Both conservatives and liberals have voiced concern that the package bails out Wall Street titans, who caused the financial crisis in the first place, by placing an enormous burden on middle- and working-class taxpayers. At a […]
Is this a ‘Victory’?
by Peter W. Galbraith Published by the New York Review of Books (October 23, 2008 edition) 1. We hear again and again from Washington that we have turned a corner in Iraq and are on the path to victory. If so, it is a strange victory. Shiite religious parties that are Iran’s closest allies in […]
Analysis of FY2009 Defense Appropriations in the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act (CR) for FY2009
by Travis Sharp SUMMARY With members of Congress eager to leave town for the campaign trail, and Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 starting on October 1, Congress slapped together a consolidated appropriations package that includes several appropriations bills and a continuing resolution (known as a ‘CR’) all rolled into one. A CR is designed to fund […]
Analysis of House-Senate Agreement on the FY2009 Defense Authorization Bill (S.3001)
by Travis Sharp and John Isaacs SUMMARY Facing both a full workload before leaving town for the campaign trail and ongoing member objections to earmarks, Congress decided to skip the normal conference procedure for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 Defense Authorization bill (S.3001). Working together, the House and Senate produced a joint bill that now must […]
Not Another (Cold) War: The Importance of Maintaining Positive Engagement with Russia
by John Isaacs The conflict between Russia and Georgia has brought the diplomatic and political relationship between the United States and Russia to a standstill. The Bush Administration has chosen a foreign policy stance that unconditionally supports Georgia while simultaneously condemning Russia. This policy approach has been described as adhering to a long-standing U.S. policy […]