THOSE AREN'T GHOSTS, THAT'S SPIRIT!:

The Ghosts of 1994 Loom for Obama and the Democrats: Haven't we seen this movie before? (Robert Schlesinger, June 24, 2009, US News)

Everywhere I look, I see the ghosts of 1994.

There's the young Democratic president with an ambitious (overly so, some argue) agenda, seemingly intent on doing it all at once. Bill Clinton's initially charming peripatetic policy appetite quickly became a hallmark of his lack of focus. Obama and his supporters have thus far managed to frame comparisons with ambitious predecessors using Franklin Roosevelt rather than Clinton, but that could yet change. As with Clinton, Obama's agenda is topped by a major healthcare overhaul, the likes of which predecessors have attempted unsuccessfully.

The Democratic president faces a Republican Party thirsting for a return to power. Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh is rallying the faithful while Newt Gingrich is an omnipresent face of the opposition, throwing bombs and new ideas in equal measure.

Gay issues are forcing themselves onto the agenda. Then it was gays in the military; now it's same-sex marriage and. . .gays in the military.

The president's wife is even getting drawn into a scandal involving cronyism and improper political largess.