Bradenton (Fla.) Herald, Nov. 10

President Bush certainly is entitled to “spend the political capital” he earned by winning re-election. … The big question is, how much will his capital buy in what could be a contentious “marketplace,” a Congress and nation sharply divided by war, social-values issues and fiscal policy.

Bush’s tone and demeanor at last week’s post-election news conference indicated he sees his victory as a mandate for a broad agenda of domestic reforms on which he campaigned. Certainly, compared to some elections in which the victor claimed a mandate by a far smaller margin John F. Kennedy did so after beating Richard Nixon by two-tenths of 1 percent Bush’s 51 to 48 percent, 3.5 million-vote margin over John Kerry could empower the president to set ambitious goals for his second term. …

Certainly the president is entitled to push the policies that he thinks are in the nation’s best interests. But it would be a mistake to do so in a partisan atmosphere. He pledged to work across party lines to help heal the rifts caused by the campaign. If he breaks that pledge, he could find himself in the same failed-second-term syndrome as some predecessors who overreached. Bush indeed has political capital. We only hope he spends it wisely.

Soldiers remain ill-equipped


Times Union, Albany, N.Y., Nov. 4

The Bush administration’s latest appropriations request for the war in Iraq totaled $70 billion, and that was only a stopgap measure in what is expected to be a long and costly American presence. Yet for all the money that Congress has so far approved, it comes as a jolt to be reminded of how ill-equipped many soldiers in Iraq are today.

How ill-equipped? Enough so that they and their families have had to dig into their own pockets to buy vital supplies to help them wage combat with insurgents walkie-talkies, flashlights, gloves and bulletproof vests, even homemade armor for Humvees. … The support is heartening, but the fact that it is needed is disgraceful. … But what is worse is that the money to buy needed equipment was there all along. Only much of it was diverted by Congress to pay for pork items. Some examples of those projects, as revealed in a report on last Sunday’s “60 Minutes” television program, include curtailing the brown snake in Hawaii, and maintaining a marching field on a closed military base.

It’s all so outrageous. Why isn’t the Pentagon resisting every attempt by Congress to siphon funds? More to the point, where is Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld? He should be using his office as a bully pulpit to expose the lawmakers who are taking money away from our troops. Why the silence?

Cold comfort for liberals


Stavanger Aftenbladet, Stavanger, Norway, Nov. 6

It was the biggest turnout since 1960. The Kerry camp was overjoyed. Commentators in the U.S. and Europe were sure that a big turnout would help the Democrats. Instead, George W. Bush, with his message of patriotism and conservative Christian values, had the largest reserves.

For liberal America, this must be food for thought. Bush is the most controversial president since Richard Nixon. He is mired in Iraq, which costs American lives every week. He hasn’t created new jobs. He has given huge tax breaks to the rich. And he has the majority on his side anyway. …

The Republicans, the party for the economic elite, managing to mobilize average citizens is result of a weakening link between the economy and politics. …

With the economy removed from politics, values, culture and style moved in. … Bush has managed to play on the antipathy rural voters and laborers often feel toward the urbane, liberal elite.

(For the Democrats) a key question will be how to renew a dialogue with the social groups they alienated.

Hope prevails in Afghanistan


La Nacion, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Nov. 8

For the first time in 5,000 years, Afghans have freely chosen their national leaders. Hamid Karzai was declared the winner in the first presidential elections in the country, which has been plagued for years by tyranny, wars and high levels of poverty.

After three weeks of investigating, authorities determined there was no fraud that should invalidate the result of the elections. The joint electoral committee that Afghans formed with the United Nations confirmed that Karzai earned 55.4 percent of the votes cast Oct. 9. In addition, a call has been made for opponents to cease fighting and work together to rebuild the nation. …

The country’s economy has grown by 15 percent over the last three years, small businesses have multiplied, and some 3.3 million refugees living in neighboring countries have returned. These positive facts inspire hope that the first electoral process in Afghanistan will mark an opportunity to end the enormous poverty … that prevails in that society.