10 Questions for James Baker

James Baker on the fight for Iraq, the death of compromise and his African-American kin

PAM FRANCIS FOR TIME

• A Foley Damage Assessment - So Far
With its finger pointing and mishandling of the scandal, the Republican leadership has given already disaffected voters another reason to throw it out of power


• 10 Questions for James Baker
Work Hard, Study ... and Keep Out of Politics!" That's what James Baker's grandfather used to say...


• Letting the President Say
A new bill lets Bush define who is an enemy combatant and denies detainees habeas corpus


• The 9/11 Blame Game
It's hard to believe the Bush and Clinton camps are still pointing fingers. But all this dynastic rumble has done is remind us that both sides are to blame


• Cover: The Ghosts Of Haditha
What happened one November morning in a dusty Iraqi town threatens to become one of the war's major debacles, an alleged atrocity committed by a small group of Marines that promises to haunt the hearts and minds of liberator and liberated alike


• Jerry Brown Still Wants Your Vote
The California dreamer has been mayor, Governor and tried for the presidency three times. Why won't he ever retire?


• The Shame Of Kilo Company
Sparked by a TIME report published in March, a U.S. military investigation is probing the killing of as many as 24 Iraqi civilians by a group of Marines in the town of Haditha last November


• The Toughest Cabinet Job in Town
Why Bush can't seem to find a good Treasury Secretary


• The Spy Master Cracks the Whip
How John Negroponte won control of the CIA, and what he plans next to consolidate rival agencies and his power


Work Hard, Study ... and Keep Out of Politics!" That's what James Baker's grandfather used to say, and it's the title of the veteran public servant's new memoir. Having led two Cabinet departments and served as White House chief of staff, Baker obviously obeyed only two of his grandfather's three instructions. At 76, he co-chairs the Iraq Study Group and spoke with TIME's Michael Duffy about Iraq, bipartisanship, election reform and his African-American relatives.

What's the mission of the Iraq Study Group? The mission is to take a fresh-eyes look at the situation in Iraq to see if we can...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!