The Heart of the Matter

Samuelson hits square in the gold.

New Team, Old Plan

The administration's central problem is its policies, not the people executing the policies. Some new players may outperform the old: They may call the right senator at the right time, cope better with unforeseen calamities (Hurricane Katrina) or provide stronger public defenses of administration actions. But these improvements, should they occur, cannot offset larger failings. These relate to Bush's agenda -- or lack of agenda. If you're driving in the wrong direction, or not driving at all, changing chauffeurs doesn't help.

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