Bush (down) Last year’s CW said, “Nowhere to go but up.” Once again, he confounded expectations.
Dick Cheney (down) Shot fellow hunter in face, kept touting “progress” in Iraq, sent popularity numbers to an undisclosed location.
Donald Rumsfeld (down) Goodness gracious! Years of arrogance and incompetence finally get him. Next: Self-serving memoir.
Karl Rove (down) Good news: Not indicted in leak case. Bad news: In midterms, the “Architect”’s house falls down.
Saddam Hussein (down) Onetime strongman gets some bad noose. He may have kept things together, but no tears for Butcher of Baghdad.
Cong. Dems (up) Pelosi et al. had no real plan for Iraq, but who needed one running against that crew? Still, no mandate for dopey liberalism.
Cong. GOPs (down) Hastert and Co. learn that sex scandals, corruption, ill-conceived war, hypocrisy and bad hair eventually cost you.
George H.W. Bush (up) 41 finally vindicated for not marching to Baghdad. Tries intervention with 43, but even he can’t get through.
Barack Obama (up) Rides out the year on a boomlet; 2007 will determine whether he’s the big bang or just a fizzle.
Hillary Clinton (equal) Leads in the polls but not in the buzz. She’s got her own Iraq quagmire, and Bubba cuts both ways.
Tom DeLay (down) In the end, the Exterminator lacked the survival skills of a cockroach. Good luck with your blog.
Mark Foley (down) From anti-child-porn crusader to teenage-page fanboy. Those who covered up for him aren’t LOL now.
Al Gore (equal) Thriving in new career as movie star and “I told you so” enviro. Inconvenient truth: He still blew it in 2000.
John Kerry (down) He’s tanned, rested and ready to be an also-ran. A smart guy, but the CW wants him to stay out of the way.
George Allen (down) Old CW: Conserv. GOP front runner for prez. New: Jewish cowboy combat-booted by macaca flap.
Benedict XVI (equal) Angers Muslims by digging up 14th-century Muhammad-bashing quote, then makes nice in Turkey. But he’s no JP II.
Vladimir Putin (down) Old CW: Bush says, “I looked the man in the eye … I was able to get a sense of his soul.” New: Polonium man is Stalin 2.0.
Katie Couric (equal) Much-hyped first woman evening anchor came out of the gate too fluffy. And hardly missed on “Today.”
Sacha Baron Cohen (up) “Borat” sets new standard in reality-based over-the-top humor. But how can he repeat the sexy time?
Tom Cruise (equal) Fired by Viacom’s Redstone after nutcase antics depress “MI 3” take. Cute baby pics, though.
‘The Wire’ (up) In fourth season, HBO’s operatic cop show (Michael Williams, left) finally recognized as best series on TV. Sorry, Tony.
Mel Gibson (down) Jesus-loving violence junkie goes on anti-Semitic DUI rant. But even the Jews love “Apocalypto.”
Barbaro (up) Kentucky Derby winner shatters hind leg at the Preakness but won’t be put down. No neigh-sayers here.
Google (up) Stock hits $500 in Oct., and its rivals still searching for a clue. Click here for this arrow’s sponsored link.
Bode Miller (down) Olympic cover-boy skier goes downhill fast in Torino. What a snow job. P.S.: Recent wins don’t matter.
James Frey (down) You can fool editors, reviewers and readers by making things up. But messing with Oprah leaves you in a million pieces.
Daniel Craig (up) It’s loony to say Clooney is sexiest man alive when new 007 has license to thrill. Paging Oscar!
Tiger Woods (up) Beloved dad dies, but he’smore dominant than ever. With Mickelson in meltdown, who will be No. 2?
Trash tarts (down) No matter how grim things get, we’ll always have Paris … and Britney, Lindsay and Nicole. What a country.
Ted Haggard (down) Leading evangelical Christian and Bush adviser steps down after gay-sex and drug scandal. What a year.
title: “2006 Edition” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-20” author: “Leeanna Davis”
Bush (down) Last year’s CW said, “Nowhere to go but up.” Once again, he confounded expectations.
Dick Cheney (down) Shot fellow hunter in face, kept touting “progress” in Iraq, sent popularity numbers to an undisclosed location.
Donald Rumsfeld (down) Goodness gracious! Years of arrogance and incompetence finally get him. Next: Self-serving memoir.
Karl Rove (down) Good news: Not indicted in leak case. Bad news: In midterms, the “Architect”’s house falls down.
Saddam Hussein (down) Onetime strongman gets some bad noose. He may have kept things together, but no tears for Butcher of Baghdad.
Cong. Dems (up) Pelosi et al. had no real plan for Iraq, but who needed one running against that crew? Still, no mandate for dopey liberalism.
Cong. GOPs (down) Hastert and Co. learn that sex scandals, corruption, ill-conceived war, hypocrisy and bad hair eventually cost you.
George H.W. Bush (up) 41 finally vindicated for not marching to Baghdad. Tries intervention with 43, but even he can’t get through.
Barack Obama (up) Rides out the year on a boomlet; 2007 will determine whether he’s the big bang or just a fizzle.
Hillary Clinton (equal) Leads in the polls but not in the buzz. She’s got her own Iraq quagmire, and Bubba cuts both ways.
Tom DeLay (down) In the end, the Exterminator lacked the survival skills of a cockroach. Good luck with your blog.
Mark Foley (down) From anti-child-porn crusader to teenage-page fanboy. Those who covered up for him aren’t LOL now.
Al Gore (equal) Thriving in new career as movie star and “I told you so” enviro. Inconvenient truth: He still blew it in 2000.
John Kerry (down) He’s tanned, rested and ready to be an also-ran. A smart guy, but the CW wants him to stay out of the way.
George Allen (down) Old CW: Conserv. GOP front runner for prez. New: Jewish cowboy combat-booted by macaca flap.
Benedict XVI (equal) Angers Muslims by digging up 14th-century Muhammad-bashing quote, then makes nice in Turkey. But he’s no JP II.
Vladimir Putin (down) Old CW: Bush says, “I looked the man in the eye … I was able to get a sense of his soul.” New: Polonium man is Stalin 2.0.
Katie Couric (equal) Much-hyped first woman evening anchor came out of the gate too fluffy. And hardly missed on “Today.”
Sacha Baron Cohen (up) “Borat” sets new standard in reality-based over-the-top humor. But how can he repeat the sexy time?
Tom Cruise (equal) Fired by Viacom’s Redstone after nutcase antics depress “MI 3” take. Cute baby pics, though.
‘The Wire’ (up) In fourth season, HBO’s operatic cop show (Michael Williams, left) finally recognized as best series on TV. Sorry, Tony.
Mel Gibson (down) Jesus-loving violence junkie goes on anti-Semitic DUI rant. But even the Jews love “Apocalypto.”
Barbaro (up) Kentucky Derby winner shatters hind leg at the Preakness but won’t be put down. No neigh-sayers here.
Google (up) Stock hits $500 in Oct., and its rivals still searching for a clue. Click here for this arrow’s sponsored link.
Bode Miller (down) Olympic cover-boy skier goes downhill fast in Torino. What a snow job. P.S.: Recent wins don’t matter.
James Frey (down) You can fool editors, reviewers and readers by making things up. But messing with Oprah leaves you in a million pieces.
Daniel Craig (up) It’s loony to say Clooney is sexiest man alive when new 007 has license to thrill. Paging Oscar!
Tiger Woods (up) Beloved dad dies, but he’smore dominant than ever. With Mickelson in meltdown, who will be No. 2?
Trash tarts (down) No matter how grim things get, we’ll always have Paris … and Britney, Lindsay and Nicole. What a country.
Ted Haggard (down) Leading evangelical Christian and Bush adviser steps down after gay-sex and drug scandal. What a year.
