The Washington Times

I will admit to a certain personal fondness for the federal budget surplus. It is the source of an entirely unwarranted and perhaps even irrational feeling of virtue: my country, my surplus. The sentiment is precisely the opposite of the vague feeling of tawdriness, no less warranted and no more rational, that was generated by budget deficits. Of course, one doesn’t personally deserve credit for the surplus, or blame for the deficit, nor would any serious economist tell you that a deficit is always bad and a surplus is always good; hence the unwarranted and even irrational character of the feeling. But it is, I think, fairly widespread, if only in the most inchoate terms: surplus good, deficit bad.

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The Washington Post

There is a famous convention among political commentators and practitioners never to admit being surprised by a turn of events – as if politics were so predictable that being taken by surprise is a sign of weakness.

Well, I will admit I was surprised by President Bush’s decision in favor of limited government funding for stem cell research. And I will tell you why: because it really is a new development, a break with the past. And the political implications are potentially momentous.

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The Washington Times

Let us grant, for purposes of argument, that President Bush did indeed wrestle long and hard with the issue of federal funding for stem cell research, that his quest for the best answer to a difficult problem was in earnest, that he approached the issue only on the merits, and that his conclusion was both serious and heartfelt. OK. Now, let’s talk politics.

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The Washington Times

President Bush had a good week politically, coming off of a couple of bad weeks. In itself, this serves as a useful illustration of the ebb-and-flow character of Washington politics. When Mr. Bush (or any president) is riding high, his supporters tend to think this is the natural condition of things, and when he’s stumbling, his opponents think they’re one step away from permanent victory. Neither is the case.

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