Good News, Bad News and the Climate Bill

Sometimes, the old setup lines are the best ones, and with that in mind it's fair to say that the Energy Learning Curve offers good news and bad news for lawmakers working on a massive climate change bill this week.

Reform With A Capital "R"

Anyone who's even remotely following the narrative impact of our current economic woes on the deficit should be well aware that our government is living way beyond its means. And in fact, it was living way beyond its means in debt and liabilities even before this economic crisis began. Calls for reform have surfaced in many forms and been made more pressing by the multitude of crises on the horizon, from energy to health care, not to mention Medicare and Social Security.

Public Ready For Changes To Health Care System But Unclear About Necessary Trade-offs, Citizen Forums Suggest

Public Thinking About Coping With The Cost Of Health Care:
How Do We Pay For What We Need?

A new analysis of the results of the 2008-2009 National Issues Forums on Coping with the Cost of Health Care indicates that forum participants see the nation's health care system as at or near the breaking point and no longer able to be sustained. Public Agenda's report, based on discussions involving more than 1,000 citizens in deliberative forums held in 40 states and the District of Columbia, shows that U.S. citizens are so gravely concerned about the cost of health care that many worry about it daily. Their concerns are wide and varied:

Stalemate: The Worst Possible Outcome

The nation, says Ruth A. Wooden, is still in a very partisan moment, and with the public indicating overwhelmingly that the economy is the issue they most want addressed, it's important to remember that when results matter, stalemate would be the worst possible outcome.

Risky Business
The ink isn't even dry on President Obama's proposals to guard against future economic turbulence but the debate's begun, with Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner first up on Capitol Hill. The plan includes tighter regulation of financial markets and creation of a new consumer protection agency which could ban fees it considers harmful and enforce increased availability of financial products in lower income communities. Some people might pass on the offer. For the past three months, as federal debt escalated, a third of Americans told Gallup they were able to reduce their own total debt.

Gay Leaders Say Some Benefits is Not Enough

President Obama signed a federal memorandum late yesterday to extend some benefits to partners of gay and lesbian federal employees. This was the first significant move from the Obama administration regarding gay rights, which news sources report comes as a direct result of increasing pressure from advocates of gay rights. But many of these advocates say it's simply not enough -- and are demanding full benefits, including health care.

Twitter Comes Of Age: In Tehran

The digital tool that started out silly (asking users "What are you doing?") grabbed the world by the horns as Iranians doubting the integrity of Friday's announced election victory used 140-character bursts on Twitter and posts to other social networks to get the word out inside and outside Iran.

As a limited recount began and supporters of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi took to the streets, an unusual thing happened: the internal troubles of Iran became the most-discussed subject on Twitter worldwide and a hot topic in the U.S.

Some Americans deluged CNN with complaints, claiming weekend coverage of the story was too sparse. Others, horrified at reports of seven dead in post-election violence, infused their Twitter pages with green, to show solidarity with Iranian protestors.

"Suddenly, everything that's happening over there feels very close," said Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, speaking at the 140 Characters Conference in New York, where Twitter was discussed as a tool for Government 2.0 – transparency and more immediate citizen interaction – as well as citizen engagement.

One of over 17,000 photos uploaded by users of the photo-sharing site Flickr, this one described as being from the streets on Tehran on June 15, 2009.

Dorsey wasn't alone in his view of his service as a plus for democracy: Twitter got a call from the State Department, asking that a scheduled maintenance shutdown be postponed as long as possible, to keep the service up and running for the benefit of Iranian users. Twitter obliged with a switch to a one hour shutdown at 5 p.m. ET – a time when Tehran, about nine hours ahead of New York – is mostly asleep.

A few hours after that, the Iranian government succeeded in blocking access to Twitter, Facebook and MySpace, but messages – some posted anonymously for fear of reprisals - continue to fly around the globe, including over 17,000 photos posted on Flickr.

President Obama has indicated concern about the election and the violence but says it is ultimately up to the Iranian people to decide how it elects its leaders and how to establish freer debate and democratic principles.

Skepticism of the electoral process is new to many in Iran. A Gallup poll of Iranians last year found 50 percent who expressed confidence in election results: about the same as among Americans asked about U.S. elections, and higher than many nations, while lower than Europe and Asia overall.

Even before Iran moved into the top tier of the news, public awareness was already significant when it came to questions about how the U.S. should conduct itself in relation to the country which, until modern times, was better known as Persia.

A CBS News/New York Times poll in late April asked Americans whether the U.S. should or should not establish diplomatic relations with Iran while Iran has a nuclear program. Fifty-three percent said we should; 37 percent said we should not. That's in line with a winter Gallup poll and an early April CNN/Opinion Research survey. In the latter, 59 percent said the U.S. should hold direct talks with Iran, and 40 percent who favored waiting until Iran makes significant changes in its policies towards other countries.

In that same survey, Iran was viewed as a long-term threat by 60 percent of Americans, while 22 percent felt an immediate threat and 17 percent saw no threat at all. Gallup, however, found higher negatives: 80 percent of Americans said they had a very unfavorable or mostly unfavorable opinion of Iran. Even so, 45 percent said the U.S. should not take military action even if diplomatic or economic efforts fail; 28 percent said we should take military action in those circumstances; and 18 percent said simply that we should take military action against Iran.

The preference for diplomacy is similarly present in Public Agenda's 2008 Confidence in U.S. Foreign Policy Index, in which 47 percent of Americans surveyed said diplomacy is the best way to try to establish better relations with Iran. Twenty-eight percent preferred economic sanctions and 12 percent said we should threaten or take military action.

Obama's Date With The Doctors

Perhaps no meeting of the American Medical Association, at least not in recent memory, has attracted more public attention than this one. The powerful doctors' group has set the stage for a major speech Monday from President Obama at their Chicago convention by coming out against the creation of a government-sponsored insurance plan.

Administration Broaches Executive Pay With Caution

Announcing the appointment of a so-called compensation czar, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner says the Obama administration is not interested in capping pay for chief executives but will attempt to “rein in” compensation practices by linking salaries to long-term performance rather than short-term gains. That will include stricter oversight of the seven firms that received bailout funds. The move comes three months after a Gallup poll showing strong public anger over bonuses at insurance red ink king AIG. Keep up with the latest on the economy: see our Citizen’s Survival Kit.

Paygo: Useful, but Not Nearly Enough

President Obama's announcement that he'll support so-called "pay as you go" legislation is getting most of the coverage today, but if you care about the federal deficit and national debt, David Leonhardt's big-picture piece in The New York Times is the one to read.

Maxwell School/ Public Agenda Policy Breakfast: "The Way Forward: Putting Our Fiscal House in Order"

Guest:
The Honorable David Walker
President & CEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation;
former Controller General of the United States

Will Trading In be a Trade Up for Energy Policy?

Congress is getting serious about a "cash-for-clunkers" plan, essentially offering people cash vouchers to "trade in old cars for new fuel-efficient models."

Obama Sounds A New Note In The Mideast

President Obama spoke in Cairo today on the need to improve U.S.-Muslim relations, in a much-anticipated speech that touched upon a gamut of issues, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Islamic extremism, nuclear proliferation, and most of all, the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.

Obama’s most resonant statements, however, were in regard to new beginnings between the U.S. and the Islamic world, a relationship “based upon mutual interest and mutual respect.” He said, “[America and Islam] are not exclusive… they overlap, and share common principles – principles of justice and progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.”

In many ways, this was a decidedly symbolic speech, not about laying out the administration’s approach to foreign policy, as the New York Times points out. Obama spoke of a deepening divide between Americans and Muslims, plagued by mistrust and stereotypes. “I consider it part of my responsibility as president of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear," the president said. "But that same principle must apply to Muslim perceptions of America. Just as Muslims do not fit a crude stereotype, America is not the crude stereotype of a self-interested empire.”

President Obama, seen here in Cairo, attempted to directly engage the different stakeholders in the Mideast, saying it is "in Israel’s interest, Palestine’s interest, America’s interest and the world’s interest."

Indeed, the knowledge deficit here among the American public is significant – and it hasn’t improved much since 9/11. It’s critical to view survey results on this topic with caution because of the consistently sizeable share of “don’t know” responses. Brand new Gallup numbers indicate that just ten percent of Americans say they know “a great deal” about the opinions and beliefs of people who live in Muslim countries, an increase of just five percentage points since the same question was asked in March 2002. And nearly half (47 percent) say they know either “not much” or “not at all,” a seven point decrease since 2002.

Similarly, a Newsweek poll in July 2007 found one-third (32 percent) who said that they “don't know” whether the Koran condones violence or not. And 19 percent said they “don't know” whether Muslim culture glorifies suicide or not. The Pew Research Center has done a great deal of research on this topic over the years, and when they've asked whether respondents have favorable or unfavorable opinions of Muslims, “don’t know” responses have been consistently in the 20 percent range.

There is some nuance to be found in public attitudes about Muslims and U.S.-Muslim relations, particularly in the context of President Obama's Cairo speech. Last year, Public Agenda's Confidence in U.S. Foreign Policy Index found 73 percent who said only a small minority of Muslims support terrorism.

Yet eight in ten Americans were worried about the "rise of Muslim extremism in the world" (38 percent worry "a lot”), and seven in ten (73 percent) worried “a lot” or “somewhat” about growing hatred of the United States in the Islamic world (one-third worry "a lot"). And while six in ten believed improved dialogue with the Muslim world can reduce hatred of the United States, most Americans gave the government poor grades on that front. Three-quarters said establishing good relations with moderate Muslims is something the government can do something about.

Throughout our series of Foreign Policy Index reports, we found both a consistent worry by the public about U.S. relations with the Muslim world, and, a greater inclination towards diplomacy in our nation's approach to foreign policy. Two-thirds (64 percent) said they think the rest of the world views the United States “somewhat” or “very negatively,” and 87 percent said it’s important to our national security that the rest of the world sees the United States positively.

Closing The Math And Science Gap In Education

There was some positive news this week on the math-and-science education front: the New York Times reported on two studies that show progress for women. One report, from the National Research Council, shows progress for women in university science faculties, while a second from the University of Wisconsin says the math achievement gap between boys and girls has all but closed.

In Public Agenda's research and engagement work on math and science education, we've been intrigued by how little we've seen of a gender gap in attitudes about this. In our Reality Check surveys of high school students, we found no evidence that girls were less interested in math and science than boys, or less confident in their skills. Two-thirds of both boys and girls said they've "learned a lot" in math class, and similar numbers of boys (55 percent) and girls (58 percent) say increasing the number and quality of math and science courses would improve education.

So much for the good news. The bad news is that many students -- girls and boys alike – aren't are all that enthusiastic about careers in math and science. In our survey, we found just half of students felt strong math, science and technology skills are "absolutely essential" to their future. Nearly one in four had a reaction that can be roughly translated as "Yuck!" -- saying they'd be "really unhappy if I ended up in a job or career that required doing a lot of math and science."

American students may not be getting much of a push from their parents on this, either. Educators, policymakers and business leaders have been deeply concerned about the U.S. falling behind on science and technology, but the parents we surveyed seemed pretty complacent about what their children were getting.

Most parents (62 percent) do say students need advanced math like algebra and calculus to succeed in life. But majorities also say that "things are fine as they are" when it comes to the amount of math their child gets in school (57 percent). Seventy percent of high school parents say their child's school is teaching the right amount of math and science.

In fact, fewer parents worry about math and science education than in the 1990s. When Public Agenda surveyed parents in 1994, 52 percent said not enough math and science was a "serious problem" in their child's school. By 2006, that had fallen to 32 percent.

Public Agenda isn't just researching this problem – we're working to engage people in solving it as well. If you live in the Kansas City area and are concerned about these problems, you can take part in a Community Conversation planned on June 12. That's part of a three-year initiative led by Public Agenda with the Regional METS Leadership Coalition and One KC Voice, with funding from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

Time to Drop the Hammer on Troubled Schools?

Enough is enough in many of the nation's lowest-performing schools, according to Arne Duncan, the new secretary of education. He's announced that one of his major goals will be to have 250 of the worst schools closed, reorganized and reopened next year.

GM: "A Chance To Rise Again"?

That's how President Obama describes General Motors' Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, as a similarly hopeful note was also sounded on the instantly historic homepage of The Detroit Free Press. The headlines "GM begins its rebuilding process" and "Bankruptcy won't slow progress, GM exec says" are in smaller letters than those trumpeting the fate of the century-old company, or the closing of factories and dealerships. But they're the same size as word that a federal judge has approved Chrysler's plan to move out of Chapter 11 and become part of the Italian firm Fiat. Smaller type still, but in a place of silent but stern importance: news of G.M.'s exit from the Dow Jones Index.

Children first

Reprinted from BaltimoreSun.com

The Latest Tally on What You Owe

There's no shortage of depressing numbers in the news today, but one set of numbers in particular deserves to be flagged. That's USA Today's assessment of how much the average American family owes thanks to our national debt.

Not Just Talk: Community Conversations

As the school year winds down, some students, parents, teachers and community leaders are planning a better future. In Bridgeport, Ct., where we've been assisting local leaders in dialogues on community problems, students and adults will gather on June 9 to discuss ways to make the schools safer and better. [Click here for details on attending that event.] Could public engagement help address a problem in your own community? We have resources available without charge to help communities learn how dialogue and deliberation can replace partisan gridlock.

Same-Sex Marriage Hits A Wall In California

The battleground is expected to switch back to the voters, with a new referendum as early as next year, now that California's highest court has upheld the state's ban on same-sex marriage. In a 136-page-long decision, the court rejected arguments that the ban approved by the voters last fall was such a fundamental change in the California Constitution that it first needed the Legislature's approval.

Helping Hands: Not Necessarily From Above

Consumer spending continued to slide in May – a new Gallup poll shows that even the wealthy are cutting back – but what about charitable giving?

Former NFL Star Steve McNair Killed in Shooting
A medical examiner confirmed to local FOX affiliate that McNair was dead after police responded to a shooting in the city.

Madoff Hires Consultant to Find Best Possible Jail
Bernard Madoff has hired a veteran prison consultant to help him to find the best possible jail in which to serve his 150-year sentence for Wall Street’s biggest fraud.

Protests Threaten to Shut Down Shark Tours in Hawaii
Shark tours like this have become a popular visitor attraction in Hawaii, but a movement is gaining momentum to shut them down

Some Americans to Celebrate July 4 in Liberty's Crown
The Statue of Liberty's crown reopens to the public July 4.

Report: Clemens Didn't Test Positive in 2003
Roger Clemens' lawyer says the pitcher was not among the more than 100 players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003.

Fireworks Explosion Kills 2, Injures 3 in North Carolina
Authorities say a fireworks explosion on a North Carolina island only reachable by ferry has killed one worker and critically injured four others.

Woman Struck by July Fourth Parade Float in Florida
A woman who was hit in the head by a portion of a Fourth of July parade float has been airlifted to hospital in southwest Florida.

TSA Agent Arrested at Airport for Avoiding Screening
A Transportation Security Administration agent was arrested at a New Jersey airport after authorities say she avoided a pre-flight screening and boarded a plane.

Reigning Champ Chestnut Wins Third Hot-Dog Contest
Reigning champ Joey Chestnut has logged his third consecutive win in Coney Island's annual hot dog eating contest with a world-record 68 franks.

Woman Scarred by Scalding Shower Awarded $750G
The Mobile County court award to 25-year-old Treon Moorer, in late June, followed mediation with JRS Management Inc. of Florida

Ariz. Mom Allegedly Led Sons on Crime Spree
Cynthia Mary Roberson is an unemployed mother who police say led her 12- and 14-year-old sons and their friends to commit at least 20 armed robberies and assaults, including the beating of a teenage boy who had nothing more than an orange lollipop.

Author Aims to Solve 1969 Ky. Murder Mystery With DNA
Darla Jackson heard the legend of the mysterious woman and now is hoping DNA testing can help shed light on who "Caroline" really is

Police Seize 450 Pounds of Illegal Fireworks in Sting
More than 450 pounds of fireworks that were being sold illegally have been seized by authorities following an all-day sting in Miami-Dade County.

2 Children, 1 Adult Killed in Burning Kentucky Home
Officials say two children and one adult were killed in an early morning fire and three others are in critical condition.

South Carolina Town Has History of Serial Killers
A terrified rural South Carolina community hunkered down over the Fourth of July after the sheriff said a serial killer was on the loose, and longtime residents were reminded of a murderer who terrorized the town in the 1960s.

O'Malley draws line with Democrats
BALTIMORE - Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley of Boston, saying the Democratic Party has been persistently hostile to opponents of abortion rights, asserted yesterday that the support of many Catholics for Democratic candidates "borders on scandal."

A dark diagnosis reaffirmed a commitment
The fifth in a series of occasional articles examining the 2008 candidates for president. CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - On the cold Boston afternoon following the 2004 election, vice presidential candidate John Edwards took center stage at Faneuil Hall. With his wife , Elizabeth, by his side, the man who had become the flag-bearer of Democratic optimism spoke of the heartache ...

Cloning of monkey embryos a step
Researchers in Oregon say they have cracked the "primate barrier," reporting yesterday that they had cloned monkey embryos and extracted stem cells - an advance other scientists said offered the strongest proof yet that the same feat can eventually be carried out with human cells.

Congress approves Head Start measure
Congress yesterday approved a five-year Head Start bill minus the provision sought by the Bush administration to allow religious groups participating in the preschool program to hire and fire staff members based on religious affiliation. The bill, championed by Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, would expand Head Start to more low-income families, improve teacher qualifications, and take steps to ...

Palin Steps Down: What's She Thinking?
Most agree with Palin that the move is not "the same old politics as usual." But what is it?

Hot Dog Champ Sets New Record: 68
Joey Chestnut wins third consecutive Coney Island hot dog eating contest.

Cops: Bad Mom Was Modern Ma Barker
Cops say woman led sons on crime spree, like the infamous "Ma Barker."

Obama, McCain Jab in Party Addresses
Obama touts programs. McCain calls for supporting Iran opposition.

New Orleans Is Fastest Growing City
New census report shows NOLA, Texas towns making big gains in population.

4th of July Without Fireworks?
Economy causes many towns to scale back their Independence Day fireworks.

Michael Jackson: King of Sales
It's a long, final encore for an artist whose music remains a thriller.

WATCH: Jackson's Ex-Bodyguard on Drug Use

Satisfaction with Airlines Drops ... Again
JetBlue and Southwest out-perform rival airlines in customer satisfaction.

Town Pulls Together for Paralyzed Vet
Thanks to community effort, wounded soldier returns to a renovated home.

Accused Nazi Demjanjuk Fit for Trial
Accused of aiding in death camp slaughter, Demjanjuk fit for trial, say doctors.

Mays Mourned as Pitchman, Person
Ubiquitous pitchman mourned at Pittsburgh-area funeral.

Doc Slay Suspect Mails Justifications
Scott Roeder, 51, charged with first-degree murder in May 31 death of Dr. George Tiller.

Locals Divided on Fate of Cheating Gov
Some wonder if he can be trusted. Others say decision should be up to wife.

PHOTOS: World's Volcanoes Erupt
Space station astronauts caught this view of Sarychev volcano erupting.

How Safe Is Your Swimming Pool?
Get tips on how to keep your pool clean and in top shape for the summer.

Group Sotomayor Belonged to Sued Over Job Tests
Civil rights group Sotomayor advised brought case similar to Connecticut firefighters' dispute

Et Tu, Big Business?
by Jonah Goldberg

It certainly seems a fitting declaration as the coup de grace of capitalism's murder is at the hands of its most successful child: big business

OBAMAWORLD
by Victor Davis Hanson

Are you confused by all that has changed since President Barack Obama took office in January? If so, you're not alone. Perhaps, though, this handy guide to Age of Obama "logic" might be of some assistance.

Former President George W. Bush Speaks
by Jules Witcover

In a closed-door talk to businessmen in Erie, Pa., former President George W. Bush according to the Washington Times jumped into the Republican-led argument that President Obama's sweeping and expensive government interventions into the private sector are steering the country into "socialism."

Obama - A Plea for Public Patience
by Jules Witcover

The latest public-opinion polls indicate President Obama's personal popularity remains very high after five months in office. But the same doesn't go for Obama's mammoth spending plans, including the bailouts of Wall Street and Detroit

Government Intervention & Economic Risk
by Ian Bremmer and Sean West

It's no secret that politics affects economic markets. But in response to a financial crisis or economic downturn, political risk impacts markets much more broadly than just isolated policies and individual stocks.

President Obama Unquestioned Authority
by Cal Thomas

The intensity of media worship and slavish devotion by more journalists to President Obama and his policies has risen to what one might expect from members of a cult. As such, this religious-like faith in Obama has led the media not to question much of what he does.

Obama's Wrong Turn on Detention
by Robyn Blumner

As he was taking leave of Louis XIV, the French commander Marechal Villars is believed to have said: "Defend me from my friends; I can defend myself from my enemies." This is how I feel right now about President Barack Obama. As Obama tries to clean up the mess surrounding the terror suspects at Guantanamo, he is flirting with cementing in law some of the worst excesses of the Bush/Cheney regime.

Why Doesn't Obama Just Stay Home
by Bill Press

How unusual. A president and his wife who actually seem to enjoy each other's company and, no matter how difficult it may be, love getting out of the White House. Which, of course, is driving Republicans crazy. Unwilling to criticize Obama's public policies, they've decided to attack his personal lifestyle instead

Keeping Up With the Obamas
by Clarence Page

When it comes to annoying somebody or other, American presidents can't catch a break even when they decide to take a break. As predictably as potholes follow a Chicago winters, critics will pounce on presidential vacation trips as too being extravagant, too inconvenient or too self-indulgent.

The Incredible Disappearing Opposition to Sonia Sotomayor
by Bonnie Erbe

So the GOP is finally awakening to the fact that Judge Sonia Sotomayor is not as left wing as opponents might have hoped she would be

Barack Obama, We Hardly Know Ye
by Joseph L. Galloway

Who stole our change? What happened to Barack Obama on his way to the White House? The Republicans have been so busy trying to paint President Obama as a socialist, as a radical, as a Marxist, as a Muslim, as the Devil, that they haven't even noticed that he has become one of them.

Is America Premodern or Postmodern?
by Victor Davis Hanson

Brilliant engineers may have designed our laptops, cell phones, online commerce and 1-800 call lines. But someone still has to answer the phone, enter data into computers and assist customers who fall through the electronic cracks. And such human audit of the growing power of computerized commerce requires more, not less, educated workers than ever before. And here is where problems arise. Too many of us are growing more illiterate -- reading less and watching television more.

Don Wright

What Does the Future Hold for GOP?
Future of the Republican Party by Jonah Goldberg

Compare and contrast Jack Kemp, one of the architects of the Reagan Revolution, who passed away last weekend at the age of 73; and Arlen Specter, the Pennsylvania senator who switched parties.

Kemp's death should be cause for deep reflection about what the Republican Party is about. Specter's defection is much less significant.

Chuck Hagel Looks at His Party
by Jules Witcover

Former Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, now on the sidelines after two terms of impressive service voices his opinion on the future of the Republican Party. Hagel not always appreciated by the Bush administration, with whom he did not always agree, often supported the domestic agenda but evolved into outspoken critic of Bush's war of choice in Iraq.

Republicans at Crossroads
Must Find Political Compass or Go Way of Whigs
by Jamie Stiehm

The GOP needs to find the old political compass or fade like the party it replaced. It's very simple: Good old-fashioned Republicans must come to the aid of the party or it will go the way of the Whigs, a major political party from whose own ashes it rose.

Reagan Unveiled
by Cal Thomas

Many Republicans, and even some conservatives, think Reagan's ideas are passe. Before moving on, Republicans, and those conservatives who don't want to live in the past, should be asked what better ideas they have to offer.

Dick Cheney's Tower of Lies
by Arianna Huffington

Dick Cheney's recent statement to Greta Van Susteren that "On the question of whether or not Iraq was involved in 9/11, there was never any evidence to prove that" is being widely portrayed as an admission. But it's less an admission than a PR move.

Roving Towards Irrelevancy: The GOP in the Obama Era
by Chris Thomas

Dick Locher

Victor Davis Hanson, Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, once wrote that one of the features of western civilization that gave it a leg up on other cultures was the concept of self-audit, or the capacity for us to critique ourselves and our institutions.

Which brings us to the Republican Party of 2009 which has fallen.

Unfortunately the GOP is currently incapable of embracing Hanson's concept of self-audit.

Looking at My Calendar
by Andy Rooney

Most days it doesn't matter, but sometimes you can't help noticing what month it is and what day it is in that month. It's late in May now, and it occurs to me that May is a dull month. I like December, January, February, July and August, but I'm lukewarm on May

Wall Street, D.C. & The New Financial Euphoria
by Arianna Huffington

Insider consensus seems to be that the worst of the hard times is behind us and that the economy is back on track. Or at least on track to be back on track. Not even the latest employment stats showing that another 539,000 Americans had lost their jobs dimmed the enthusiasm. Call it The New Financial Euphoria.

Once Upon a Time in 2002
by Victor Davis Hanson

Opportunism, not principles, guides most in Washington. Consider also the dexterous Obama administration's own about-face. It still finds it useful to damn the old Bush government's embrace of wiretaps, military tribunals and renditions -- even as it dares not drop or completely discount these apparently useful Bush policies, albeit under new names and with new qualifiers.

The Vehicle I Never Forgot
by Andy Rooney

Beginning with the cars I drove that my mother and father owned and including all the cars and trucks I drove in the Army, I suppose I've driven more than 20 cars for more than 10,000 miles, and a few of them a lot farther than that. I'm not counting hundreds of cars I've rented and driven.

The Complex Case of Complexity
by Alvin and Heidi Toffler

In an important recent speech, months after the current financial crisis began, the chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board, Ben Bernanke, placed partial blame for the catastrophe on "the sharp increase in the complexity of the financial products offered to consumers." Unfortunately, his description of the problem comes late and underestimates its importance. ...

Why are Bankers Still Being Treated as Beltway Royalty
by Arianna Huffington

President Obama said that he's been "sobered by the fact that change in Washington comes slow" and "humbled by the fact that the presidency is extraordinarily powerful, but we are just part of a much broader tapestry of American life and there are a lot of different power centers." Well, one of those different power centers -- the entrenched special interests that continue to call so many shots on Capitol Hill -- is the main reason change in D.C. comes so slow. But despite all that I know about the reform-killing power unleashed by the nexus of lobbying, campaign cash and legislation, I have been flabbergasted by the amount of behind-the-scenes influence recently being wielded by the banking lobby.

Obama's First 100 Days:
The Good, The Bad & The Geithner
by Arianna Huffington

It's hard to believe that President Obama has only been in office for such a short time, but sometimes 100 days feels like more than 100 days. So how's it going? According to the American people, pretty darn good.

Obama's First 100 Days:
Our Jekyll & Hyde President
by Victor Davis Hanson

In matters of foreign policy during the president's first 100 days, we have seen two Barack Obamas. So which Obama persona is the real president -- Obama I, more radical than Jimmy Carter, or Obama II, a smoother centrist than Bill Clinton?

Obama's First 100 Days:
Obama's Liberal Arrogance Will Be His Undoing
by Jonah Goldberg

The most remarkable, or certainly the least remarked on, aspect of Barack Obama's first 100 days has been the infectious arrogance of his presidency. There's no denying that this is liberalism's greatest opportunity for wish fulfillment since at least 1964. But to listen to Democrats, the only check on their ambition is the limit of their imaginations.

Obama's Foreign Policy Challenge
by Henry Kissinger

The first overseas trip of a new president always has a significance beyond its itinerary.

The president has an opportunity to test the impact of his policies; his interlocutors begin to assess the leader with whom they will have to deal over at least four years.

Financial Outrages Past, Present & Future
by Arianna Huffington

Michael Osbun

Reading the business section these days is not for the faint of heart -- or those hoping to drift off to sleep.

Instead, you end up like Scrooge, visited by the ghosts of outrages past, present and future.

As a public service (I toss and turn all night so you don't have to) -- and also to make sure you haven't succumbed to outrage fatigue -- I've decided to distill some of the more infuriating recent lowlights. Warning: If you are reading this after 10 p.m., you might want to hold off until morning.

Victory at Sea
by Paul Greenberg

Home is the sailor, home from sea. Capt. Richard Phillips, his five-day ordeal happily concluded, has been rescued in the finest tradition of the United States Navy, and his captors dealt with. Effectively and summarily.

The World's Woes
by Andy Rooney

As you may have read, I read the newspaper every day and I think of myself as someone who knows what's going on in the world, but who am I kidding? Just look at some of the headlines and decide for yourself whether either you or the newspaper know what they're talking about. I read a New York paper, but you'd find these stories in any paper in the country

Some Good News About Banking
by Arianna Huffington

Nancy Ohanian

And now for something completely different: some good news about banking.

Yes, I know that an upcoming analysis by the IMF reportedly says that, when all is said and done, toxic debts on the balance sheets of banks and insurers could go as high as $4 trillion. And I realize that last weekend saw the FDIC take over two more banks -- the 22nd and 23rd takeovers of the year.

But, It's not all doom and gloom.

Obama Economic Team's Flawed Cosmology:
Still Believing Universe Revolves around Banks
Arianna Huffington

A series of recent meetings with members of Barack Obama's economic team leading to a spirited back-and-forth that made me feel like I was back at Cambridge, debating the smartest kid in the class), left me with a pair of indelible impressions:

First, these are all good people, many of them brilliant, working incredibly hard with the best of intentions to solve the country's financial crisis.

Second, they are operating on the basis of an outdated cosmology that places banks at the center of the economic universe.

My Wish List
Andy Rooney

In an idle moment, trying to come up with an idea, Humorist & Commentator Andy Rooney decided to make a list of things he should do but has not.

I Would Rather Stay Home & Not Travel
Andy Rooney

Andy Rooney would like to mount a campaign once again to encourage people not to go anywhere as he was looking at all the ads in newspapers and magazines for places to go. Sometimes, travel is quite unpleasant.

I'm Hedging Today
Andy Rooney

Andy Rooney sees the phrase "hedge fund" in the newspaper every day now and does not really know what a "hedge fund" is. A hedge fund has something to do with money. He was surprised to find "hedge fund" in one of only six dictionaries, but then read the definition.

Greening My House
Arianna Huffington

Ever since I saw the Green light, thanks to my friend Laurie David, and traded in my gas-guzzling SUV, I've tried my best to up my eco-awareness.

Larry Summers: Brilliant Mind, Toxic Ideas
by Arianna Huffington

According to most commentators, the president's press conference went a long way toward taking the spotlight off the roiling anger over AIG, bonuses and Wall Street abuses -- and putting it back where the president wants it: on the imperative need to pass his budget.

But the best laid plans of our remarkable president may be laid to waste by a bank rescue plan that is the product of exhausted ideas put together by men far too beholden to Wall Street.

To understand why a man as brilliant and accomplished as Summers can be so wrong about what to do with the banks and Wall Street, it would be useful to turn to "The Innovator's Dilemma," by Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen.

On the Road to Buenos Aires
Even the United States can Manage Itself into Irrelevance
Chris Thomas

America has been the greatest of all nations for a long time. But we should not forget, especially at a crucial juncture like this, that with enough bad decisions and enough political incompetence, we can indeed manage ourselves into decline. Even we can become Argentina.

What if Jon Stewart, Instead of John King,
Interviewed Dick Cheney
Arianna Huffington

Jon Stewart's Jim Cramer interview was a pivotal moment -- not just for Stewart, Cramer and CNBC, but also for journalism. Stewart kept popping into my head as I watched John King interview Dick Cheney three days later.

King opened the interview by showing clips of President Obama saying that his administration had "inherited an economic crisis" and "inherited a big mess." He then asked Cheney: "Did you leave him a mess?"

"I don't think you can blame the Bush administration for the creation of those circumstances," responded Cheney. "It's a global financial problem. . . . So I think the notion that you can just sort of throw it off on the prior administration, that's interesting rhetoric but I don't think anybody really cares a lot about that."

The AIG Bailout:
European Free Riding Enters New Realm
Chris Thomas

No wonder the Fed acted like the National Security Agency and now we know why Fed Vice Chairman Kohn refused to release to Congress the names of all of AIG's counterparties in his recent testimony.

The Rush and Rahm Show
Chris Thomas

This past week, while iconic American enterprises like GE and Berkshire came under substantial market pressure, our "Leadership" in Washington became preoccupied with talk show host Rush Limbaugh. Rahm Emmanuel (left), a brilliant partisan tactician, and Clinton retreads Paul Begala and James Carville formulated a plan to make Limbaugh the face of the GOP.

After all, its much more fun than wondering why the Credit Default Swap market is treating GE like Citibank or weather we can spend ourselves out of a recession that we got into by ... well ... spending too much. Rush is much more fun to listen to than Jeff Immelt anyway.

Rove Pontificating on Economy Like Madoff Pontificating on Investing

Although anointed as "the intellectual force and energy behind the Republican Party," Rush Limbaugh is just a massive shiny object that distracts our attention from the real intellectual force and energy behind the Republican Party, Karl Rove.

Tim Geithner, CNBC &
The Second Coming of Known Unknowns
Arianna Huffington on Tim Geithner, Economic Crisis & Obama Budget

Besides being awash in toxic paper, credit default swaps, and collateralized debt obligations, we seem to be drowning in unknowns. Only, I get the sense that there are fewer unknowns than we're being told. Instead, we're greeted with a wall of manufactured complexity by the people whose job it is to make known unknowns into known knowns.

The Credit Card Crisis: The Next Economic Domino

Hot on the heels of the banking crisis, the employment crisis and the mortgage-foreclosure crisis, the country is on the verge of experiencing a credit-card crisis.

Time to Treat American Homeowners as Well as Wall Street Bankers
Arianna Huffington

"The banks are too big to fail" has been the mantra we've been hearing since September. But when you consider the millions of American homeowners facing foreclosure, aren't they also too big to be allowed to fail?

Despite being treated as an afterthought, foreclosures are actually a gateway calamity: every foreclosure is a crisis that begets a whole other set of crises.

So why hasn't the foreclosure crisis gotten the attention it deserves? A combination of perverse priorities and flawed thinking

America's Best Bet: Municipal Redemption Fund (MuRF)
Stopping Foreclosures & Protecting Investors

An original economic stimulus plan developed by a real estate agent in New Jersey that is currently in the hands of the House of Representatives and every Senator in Washington D.C. The Federal Government purchases NO interest in any private property and may take NO assignment of any lien under this plan. This plan is strictly a transparent "time-out" and "reset" of the national tax lien industry for the sake of stopping foreclosures while simultaneously protecting investors by shoring up the absolute bedrock of the capitalist economy which emanates directly from real property values and the taxes thereon.

Bipartisanship vs What's Best for America:
President Obama Needs to Choose

The first question at President Obama's primetime press conference should have been: "Mr. President, what is your priority -- bipartisanship or what is best for America? And when the two are in conflict, which are you going to choose?

Although the answer should be obvious, the president's actions over the last couple of weeks have left many wondering.

Stimulus Package: If You Jump Halfway Across a Chasm, You Fall Into the Abyss
Arianna Huffington

Here's a thought: If we are going to spend $2 trillion trying to deal with the economic crisis, shouldn't we do it right? The price of getting it wrong is, after all, extremely high.

John Thain, Poster Child for Era of Irresponsibility
Arianna Huffington

There is plenty of debate about what President Obama's stimulus bill should look like -- as well there should be, given all that is at stake. But there is a growing consensus that the guiding principle in that debate should be Obama's call for a "new era of responsibility."

Helping fuel that consensus is the saga of the rise and fall of former Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain, the poster child for the Era of Irresponsibility. The condemnation of his behavior is completely bipartisan.

Barack Obama Sober Sermon on the Steps
Arianna Huffington

The new president and the throng that turned out to cheer him and hear him on Inauguration Day were on two very different missions.

The crowd had come to celebrate. Obama had come to deliver a sober sermon.

Inaugural Address By President Barack Hussein Obama
President Obama's Inauguration Speech in text & video

President Barack Obama gives his inaugural address after taking the oath of office in Washington, D.C., Jan. 20, 2009. The presidential inauguration is a tradition dating back to George Washington's 1789 inauguration. President Obama's Inauguration Speech in full in text & video.

On January 20, 2009 Barack Obama will stand before Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and swear the oath prescribed in Article II, Section 1, of the Constitution as the 44th President of the United States.

Reviewing Presidential Inaugural History

The inauguration of the first black president will long be remembered as a momentous day in history, but many past inaugurals also have had their memorable moments. Inaugurals are a mixture of pomp, festival and gravity, the American equivalent of a coronation. Their rituals are laden with symbols of national purpose, continuity and unity. For 220 years, they have marked the peaceful transfer of power, a feat few other countries have achieved.

Obama Presidential Inauguration Schedule & Events

With all of the excitement surrounding the event, it�s easy to forget there have been many inaugurations before it. Over the years, the inauguration has become highly formalized, with the day�s scheduled events taking on almost ritualistic significance. A look at the Obama Inauguration schedule, events from past inaugurals and how & when certain inaugural events became part of Inauguration Day.

Obama Inauguration Facts, Trivia and Information for Kids

Parade, luncheon, ball. Being inaugurated sounds like fun. But what exactly is an inauguration? What happens? Here are answers to your most pressing questions. Plus Inauguration Trivia, Presidential Pets and the Obama Girls

Obama's new Home was Slow to Integrate

Not too long ago, Barack Obama would have found when he moved his family to Washington that his daughters couldn�t attend the same schools white children could. They couldn�t try on clothes or shoes at most local department stores, or eat at downtown lunch counters. Or see a play at the National Theatre or a movie just a block or two from the White House.

Obama Isn't the Only One Being Inaugurated on January 20th
Arianna Huffington

Barack Obama is not the only one being inaugurated on January 20. And that's not just because Obama has promised to make a call to service "a central cause" of his presidency.

Bye-Bye 2008: Things I Want to Forget
Arianna Huffington

2008 was a very memorable year, featuring one of the most unforgettable presidential campaigns in history. I'd like to take a moment to focus on the things that happened over the last 12 months that I'd love to forget.

Laissez-Faire Capitalism Should Be as Dead as Soviet Communism
Arianna Huffington

The collapse of Communism as a political system sounded the death knell for Marxism as an ideology. But while laissez-faire capitalism has been a monumental failure in practice, and soundly defeated at the polls, the ideology is still alive and kicking.

Does the Madoff Debacle Finally End the 'Who Could have Known' Era?
Arianna Huffington

An ambitious and risky undertaking carried out with hubris, and featuring the weeding out of anyone who raises alarms, little-to-no transparency, an oversight system in which no central authority is accountable, and the deliberate manufacturing of ambiguity and complexity so that when it all falls to pieces, the excuse who could have known can be used

Rewarding Those Who Got It Right
Arianna Huffington

Among its myriad failings, the Bush administration has repeatedly gotten it wrong when it comes to getting it right.

Over the last eight years, there has consistently been no penalty for those who have gotten things -- even the most important things -- wrong, and no reward for those who have gotten things right.

Call it Bush Darwinism: Survival of the Unfittest.

The Economic Meltdown Will Be Blogged
Politics Arianna Huffington

Losing your job -- or even fearing that you might -- can make you feel powerless. But at the same time you are looking for work -- or learning a new skill -- you can take up blogging. It doesn't require anyone's permission, there is no application process. You just need blogging software (some of the best is free) and the will to express yourself.

Hillary Plus Obama Equals High Drama
Obama Cabinet, Secretary of State Clinton, Politics, Arianna Huffington

It's too early to tell what changes Hillary Clinton will bring to Barack Obama's foreign policy, but she's already had an enormous effect on his brand.

Barack Obama's Call to Service Meets the Economic Meltdown
Arianna Huffington on Politics & President-Elect Barack Obama

Obama's high-tech outreach has been instrumental in getting people across the country to donate millions of dollars and contribute millions of hours working on the campaign. Will it now become a hub for civic action

Obama has always said that a call to service would be a central cause of his presidency. We will ask Americans to serve," he said in a signature speech in July. "We will create new opportunities for Americans to serve. And we will direct that service to our most pressing challenges.

Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy
G20 Leaders gather in Washington DC to address the Global Economic & Financial Crisis

President Bush and world leaders gathered for the first in a series of meetings to discuss efforts to strengthen economic growth, deal with the financial crisis, and to lay the foundation for reform to help to ensure that a similar economic crisis does not happen again.

President-Elect Barack Obama: Can Obama Pull Off A Historic Presidential Double Play
Arianna Huffington on Politics & President-Elect Barack Obama

Change was driven by two things: our remarkable capacity for regeneration, and Barack Obama's remarkable ability to tap into the better angels of our nature. You know something extraordinary is happening when even Michele Bachmann, Sarah Palin and Joe Lieberman trip over themselves -- and their hastily discarded invective -- to say nice things about Obama and the tremendous signal sent by his election.

Barack Obama Wins: Why All Americans Have a Reason to Celebrate President-Elect Obama
Arianna Huffington on Politics & President-Elect Barack Obama

Even if your candidate didn't win Tuesday night, you have reason to celebrate. We all do. Ten months ago, when Barack Obama won in Iowa, we had a glimpse of what was possible and what became real Tuesday night.

What I wrote then about one state is now true for the whole country: Barack Obama's impressive victory says a lot about America, and also about the current mindset of the American voter.

Barack Obama Closing Arguments Election 2008 Eve
FactCheck.org & the 2008 Election

With the finish line in sight, Obama serves up familiar, pie-in-the-sky promises. In the last few days, Obama has wrapped up his pitch to the electorate with some misleading claims we've heard before: He continued to ask voters to believe he can pay for every dime of an ambitious health care plan and other spending proposals while cutting taxes for all but the most affluent. Budget experts say that's unlikely. He also kept up the drumbeat on a promise to end "tax breaks for sending jobs overseas," as though that could do much to keep jobs at home. Experts say it can't.

John McCain Closing Arguments Election 2008 Eve
FactCheck.org & the 2008 Election

John McCain and Sarah Palin close their campaign with a new set of dubious attacks. In the final week, the McCain-Palin campaign unleashed some all-new misleading attacks on Obama: McCain strained to tie Obama to a Palestinian professor whose views on Israel are quite different from Obama's. McCain and Palin both distorted a seven-and-a-half-year-old radio interview with Obama concerning the court system and civil rights. McCain and the GOP ran ads claiming Obama's military budget would mean huge job cuts in Virginia, despite Obama's proposal to increase the size of the Army and Marine Corps � and McCain's own calls for ending wasteful weapons programs.

Barack Obama It�s Official Obama Born in the USA and The Truth About Obama's Birth Certificate
FactCheck.org & the 2008 Election

Of all the nutty rumors, baseless conspiracy theories and sheer disinformation that we�ve dealt with at FactCheck.org during campaign 2008, perhaps the goofiest is the claim that Barack Obama is not a "natural-born citizen" and therefore not eligible to be president under the constitution.

There has never been anything but rumor and speculation to support such a claim, and zero hard evidence.

Barack Obama Should Spill a Little Red Ink to Turn a Few More Red States Blue
Arianna Huffington on Politics & the 2008 Election

Republicans, while still holding out hope for a "McCain Miracle," are increasingly worried that McCain is losing in a way that, as David Frum put it, "threatens to take the entire Republican Party down with him." Democrats, while being careful not to count their electoral chickens before they're hatched, are privately worried about winning without enough of a majority in the Senate to really change things.

John McCain The Internet and the Death of Rovian Politics
Arianna Huffington on Politics & the Internet's Impact

Age has finally become an issue for John McCain. But the problem isn't the candidate's 72 years; it's the antediluvian approach of his campaign. McCain is running a textbook Rovian race: fear-based, smear-based, anything goes. But it isn't working. The glitch in the well-oiled machine? The Internet.

What McCain May Be Planning & What Obama Can Do to Ruin It
Arianna Huffington on Politics & the 2008 Debates

Political horse-race fans are focusing on Obama's 11-point lead in the new Newsweek poll. But I'm focusing on the 10-point lead McCain has on national security and terrorism -- the only remaining issue voters believe the Republican candidate would be more adept at handling. As the one arrow left in McCain's quiver-- other than appealing to racists -- national security becomes the likeliest playing field for that GOP fall tradition, the October Surprise.

The Winner of Presidential Debate II? 'That One'
Arianna Huffington on Politics & the 2008 Debates

In Debate II, John McCain twice laid out the criteria for how the American people should judge the candidates: In tough times, we need someone with a steady hand on the tiller. By that measure, Obama was the clear winner.

Does John McCain Still Agree with Ronald Reagan that Government is the Problem
Arianna Huffington on Politics & the 2008 Economic Crisis

Ronald Reagan, in his first inaugural address, famously declared that "government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem." Twenty-seven years later, in the midst of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and seven-plus years into the reign of Bush and Cheney, Reagan's anti-government battle cry should be on trial.

But, stunningly, it is not. This needs to change. The presidential candidates' view of the role of government should be one of the central questions of the last 36 days of the campaign.

The Bailout Plan: Welcome to Economic Shock & Awe
Arianna Huffington on Politics & the 2008 Economic Crisis

Welcome to Economic Shock and Awe (or as some have dubbed it, according to Paul Krugman, "the Authorization for Use of Financial Force"). Even the amount of taxpayer money being bandied about -- $1 trillion -- is similar. Think you got your money's worth for the Iraq war? Congratulations -- you're about to buy another pricey debacle. We've seen how negligent the Bush administration is with our money -- flushing billions on wasteful, mismanaged Iraq reconstruction and Katrina recovery projects.

The Palin Doctrine: Why the Neocons are So Excited
Arianna Huffington Politics & the 2008 Presidential Elections & Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin may not have known what the Bush Doctrine was, but we're getting a pretty good idea of what the Palin Doctrine is. Or will be -- because it's still currently under construction. And what is it going to look like? Let's just say, it's going to seem familiar. According to London's Daily Telegraph, the architects of the Palin Doctrine are a group of people who have been singularly wrong about virtually everything in the last decade -- the neocons, who have been briefing Palin for weeks. As predicted, the fact that she didn't know anything wasn't a bug, it was a feature. She's perfect for the neocons: likeable on the outside, a blank slate on the inside. To borrow from an old cliche, if Sarah Palin didn't exist, the neocons would have had to invent her.

Sarah Palin: A Trojan Moose Concealing Four More Years of George Bush
Arianna Huffington Politics & the 2008 Presidential Elections

Did Sarah Palin wrongfully push to have her ex-brother-in law fired? Was she really against the "Bridge to Nowhere?" Did she really sell Alaska's plane on eBay, or just list it on eBay? Did she actually have any substantial duties commanding the Alaska National Guard?

The correct answer to all these questions is: Who cares?

Saving the GOP & The Unbearable Lightness of Being Sarah Palin
Arianna Huffington Politics & the 2008 Presidential Elections

You can see why Sarah Palin is such an appealing pick for John McCain. Along with all the things she brings to the table -- fresh face, mother of five, hockey mom -- Sarah Palin is notable for what she doesn't bring: a track record. If John McCain had picked any of the far more experienced candidates on his short list, they would have come fully equipped with a long paper trail

McCain Vs. Biden: Not All 'Foreign Policy Experience' Is Created Equal
Arianna Huffington Politics & the 2008 Presidential Elections

What's great about the Biden pick isn't just that he has "foreign policy expertise," it's the kind of expertise he has, how he uses it, and how useful his expertise is for the unique challenges we currently face around the world. His approach favors diplomacy and engagement. Contrast that with the approach of John McCain, who also has "foreign policy experience."

Making The Case That McCain Isn't 'Ready To Lead' on National Security

What I'm really hoping is that Obama will use this downtime to regroup, recharge, and come back ready to relentlessly make the case to the American people that McCain isn't "ready to lead" on national security. Voters trust McCain on the war on terror; Obama needs to show them every day why they shouldn't.

"Swing Vote": What It Tells Us About the Race, and Why Obama Needs to Put Kevin Costner on His Ipod

The makers of Swing Vote, the new film starring Kevin Costner, have pulled off a rare double play, producing a smart political satire that is also heartfelt and moving. It's also a film that turns out to be remarkably relevant to the 2008 race.

Obama's Trip Bounce - Media Obsession With Polls Leads to a Bad Case of Premature Pontification

Isn't it strange that Barack Obama didn't get a bounce from his wildly well-received overseas trip? Of course, almost all of this analysis is based on polls taken before the end of Obama's trip -- a serious case of premature pontification.

Tell Me Again, Why is Obama's Popularity With Our Allies A Bad Thing?

I understand why John McCain's campaign is desperately looking for negatives in Obama's overseas trip. But why have so many in the media internalized the McCain campaign's claptrap?

The Latest Media Blind Spot: Viewing All Criticism of Obama Through a Right-Left Prism

In the last two weeks, there has been a flurry of stories that has tried to portray criticism of Barack Obama's recent stands as the sole province of disenchanted members of "the left" -- also referred to as "the far left", "left-winger bloggers", ...

Surge Amnesia : The Media's Newest Affliction

John McCain, aided and abetted by his loving protectors in the media, is running a victory lap on Iraq. Buoyed by a reduction in violence in Iraq, war supporters are crawling out from the shadows and beating their chests

Memo to Obama : Moving to the Middle Is For Losers

I looked at the Obama campaign not through the prism of my own progressive views and beliefs but through the prism of a cold-eyed campaign strategist who has no principles except winning. From that point of view, and taking nothing else into consideration, I can unequivocally say: The Obama campaign is making a very serious mistake. Tacking to the center is a losing strategy.

McCain's Campaign Funding Hypocrisy: Why are the Media Looking the Other Way?

Isn't it interesting how, after largely ignoring the issue for the last 30 years, during which the GOP consistently outfundraised and outspent Democrats in election after election, the media are suddenly all atwitter about whether the campaign finance system is "basically fair"? How dare Obama inspire 1.5 million donors, giving an average of $197 apiece, to help him raise more money than McCain?

John McCain: The Second Coming of Bob Dole

"Prominent Republicans . . . have been for the first time openly critical" of John McCain's "floundering campaign." An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll released last week asked the question, "Who do you think will win?" The answer: Barack Obama 54; John McCain 30. Obama is unlikely to win in such a landslide, which means that millions planning to vote for McCain expect him to lose -- as was the case with Dole.

Scotty Come Lately - Seven Takes on Scott McClellan's New Book

In his book "What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception," Scott McClellan offers withering portraits of George Bush, Karl Rove, Condi Rice and Scooter Libby, confirms that we went to war in Iraq under false pretenses, and that we were serially lied to about the outing of Valerie Plame.

Unmasking McCain: His Reactionary Record on Reproductive Rights

We've seen the exit polls. I get the anger and the disappointment. Really? In Clinton vs. McCain. And nowhere is the difference more profound than with reproductive rights.

Hillary Clinton's Defeat: A Historic Triumph

A front page story in Monday's New York Times wonders whether Hillary Clinton's flagging run for the presidency is "a historic if incomplete triumph or a depressing reminder of why few (women) pursue high office in the first place."

Political News Commentary and Opinion by Arianna Huffington