New Poll: Obama Dominating On Key Issues

HOME POLITICS NATIONAL NEWS WORLD ECONOMY SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT Joe Conason Carl Hiaasen Connie Schultz E.J. Dionne Gene Lyons Jonathan Alter April 11, 2012 THE BIG STORY, BY JOE CONASON George W. Wishes His Tax Cuts Weren't So Bush When George W. Bush made a rare public appearance in New York on Tuesday, his utterances perhaps revealed more than he intended. "I wish they weren't called the 'Bush tax cuts'," he said of the decade-old rate reduction bearing his name. But does he truly believe, as his words hinted, that Americans would let those cuts expire simply to spite him? Or does he secretly wish the self-serving profligacy and ideological overreach of those cuts had not so starkly defined his presidency? Whatever his inner motives, Bush's curious remark draws a sharp contrast with his predecessor Bill Clinton -- who proudly recalls the tax increase that was central to his inaugural budget two decades ago. In speeches, Clinton often says that the 1993 tax increase, supported only by Democrats, was the key to balanced growth and reduced deficits. It isn't clear whether Bush fully understands the painfully obvious effects of his tax and spending policies. Not only should the tax cuts be named after him. So should the deficit and the debt. READ MORE EXIT LITTLE RICKY Santorum Suspends Presidential Campaign Bowing to the inevitable after an improbably resilient run for the White House, Rick Santorum quit the presidential race on Tuesday, clearing the way for Mitt Romney to claim the Republican nomination. "We made a decision over the weekend, that while this presidential race for us is over, for me, and we will suspend our campaign today, we are not done fighting," he said. READ MORE FEATURED COLUMN: GENE LYONS How My Cows Explain Washington (And 'Centrist' Journalism) Sometimes I think that the more time I spend on the farm, the better I understand Washington journalists. Among cows, for example, virtually all decisions are group decisions, although it's often impossible to tell where a given idea originates. Sometimes the bull leads; sometimes he follows. READ MORE THE MYTH OF THE SOUTH BEACH Miami Manager Praises Castro Right After Opening Day Chastened Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen sat alone at a podium and began in Spanish, then halted in the middle of a sentence when his voice wavered. He took a sip of water and cleared his throat, then continued. Suspended for five games Tuesday because of his comments lauding Fidel Castro, Guillen again apologized and said he'll do whatever he can to repair relations with Cuban-Americans angered by the remarks. READ MORE POLITICS Poll: Obama Dominating Romney On Key Issues According to a new Washington Post/ABC News poll, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney is in a tenuous position as he enters the general election. He trails President Barack Obama overall by eight percentage points, and he also lags badly on many key issue comparisons. After nearly a full year of campaigning, Romney's message evidently is still not resonating with most voters. READ MORE TRAYVON MARTIN Trayvon's Killer Goes AWOL, And His Lawyers Bail The Trayvon Martin case took a bizarre turn Tuesday when George Zimmerman's attorneys quit, complaining that they have lost all contact with him and that he called the prosecutor and talked to a TV host after they told him not to speak to anyone. The lawyers portrayed the former neighborhood watch captain as erratic and his mental state as shaky -- and they expressed fear for his health under the pressure that has been building in the month since he shot and killed Martin, an unarmed black teenager. READ MORE CARTOON OF THE DAY   (c) 2012 Eastern Harbor Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. 28 West 27th Street, Suite 502 New York, NY 10001