United States: Single-eyed Vision
Robert C. Koehler

The promise the United States once represented to the world has spent itself, and what we have to offer in terms of opportunity, or at least hope, is overshadowed by the spreading shadow of our hubris. And it's all coming home to roost.

Shock and Sadness After Fort Hood Shootings
Anna Mulrine

It was not a place they expected to be attacked. Soldiers tote their rifles with them everywhere when they are at war but generally not when they are in America. "As a matter of practice, we don't carry weapons here," said Army Lt. Gen. Robert Cone, the base commander of Fort Hood in Texas. "This is our home."

Jihadists in the Military - Fort Hood Shootings
Cal Thomas

No amount of evidence -- from Koran verses urging the killing of 'infidels,' to cries of 'God is great,' reportedly shouted by the alleged Ft. Hood shooter, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan -- will cure our self-deception. Sun Tzu famously wrote that all war is deception. But it takes two to deceive and the United States is behaving like a willing partner

Human Survival The Twin Brother of Nuclear Annihilation
Robert C. Koehler

Whether the underlying premise is faulty or valid, the nuclear weapons industry is here to stay as long as people believe in sufficient numbers that our survival is 'the twin brother of annihilation.'

What the Census Will Get Wrong
Mary Sanchez

The 2010 U.S. Census will shortly be upon us, and by now you may have heard one of the patriotic pitches to comply. Every breathing soul must be tallied during the massive federal endeavor, the national headcount taken every decade. The census is central to the functioning of our democracy, we're told.

Military Contractors and the Perils of Outsourcing War
Alex Kingsbury

Half the U.S. presence in Afghanistan and Iraq is made up not of soldiers, marines, and airmen but of private contractors. And although contractors are not combat troops, almost 1,800 of them have been killed since 9/11. Allison Stanger says this is a dangerous and unprecedented outsourcing of foreign policy that bodes ill for the future of the nation. Her latest book, One Nation Under Contract

Woman's Place Is at the Pentagon
Anna Mulrine

The ranks of American women in defense have grown over the years. Michele Flournoy, the under secretary of defense for policy, is the No. 3 civilian in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, outranking all of the U.S. military combatant commanders. Women now make up 37 percent of the Defense Department's civil labor force and about 12 percent of its active-duty military rank

Today's U.S. Army and Its Ambitions
William Pfaff

It is possible that the creation of an all-professional American army was the most dangerous decision ever taken by Congress. The nation now confronts a political crisis in which the issue has become an undeclared contest between Pentagon power and that of a newly elected president.

Viewing the Cost of War
Jules Witcover

President Obama's middle-of-the-night visit to Dover Air Force Base to view the return of 18 Americans killed in Afghanistan was a dignified recognition of their sacrifice. But it also was a reminder to him of the human stakes in his long deliberations on the course to take in the war triggered by the 9/11 terrorist attacks of eight years ago.

Voting Present on Illegal Immigration
Victor Davis Hanson

Immigration activists are demanding that President Obama deliver on his promised comprehensive package of immigration reform. However, expect the public to oppose any so-called comprehensive immigration reform even more vehemently than it did George Bush's 2007 doomed proposals. Here's why ...

Three Dangerous Stooges: Gadhafi, Ahmadinejad & Chavez
Victor Davis Hanson

Recenty, three dictators -- from Iran, Libya and Venezuela -- delivered lunatic hate speeches at the UN General Assembly. Why do these dictators feel so free to damn America from downtown New York? Why do their abettors spurn our requests for help? And why do creepy regimes plot to get nukes, and fund terrorists? Easy. They do not fear, much less listen ...

A Simple Plan for Killing al Qaeda
Alex Kingsbury Interviews Howard Clark

Howard Clark's answer is to both amplify the nihilism of its message and promote moderate Islamic voices. Clark, a former marine who served two tours in Iraq, now works as a consultant on counter-terrorism problems for the Department of Defense. He is also president and founder of Seventh Pillar, a nonprofit that seeks to combat al Qaeda's ideology. He recently spoke about his three-part plan for strengthening moderates and defeating extremists

Golden Opportunity to Declaw Patriot Act
Robyn Blumner

You remember the USA Patriot Act, don't you? It was that 342-page bill that sped through a supplicant Congress within weeks of 9/11, dismantling our privacy rights like a castoff Hollywood set. A reauthorization in 2006 made some things better and some worse, but mostly the law stayed the same -- really bad for American freedom. Well, it is time to revisit the Patriot act

The Long War (September 11, 2001 -- )
Paul Greenberg

This long, long war now enters its ninth year, counting from that fateful September morning when everything changed, or was supposed to change. After that terrible morning, not even the blindest could deny that America had been attacked. Yet this war had been going on for years. The same enemy had launched earlier attacks in Somalia, against U.S. embassies in Africa, and off the coast of Yemen against the USS Cole.

Culture War, Literally
Leonard Pitts Jr

I don't know who coined the term 'culture war' to describe our political divisions, but I'm reasonably sure he or she intended it only as a figure of speech. It feels like something else in light of a new report which monitors extremist groups. 'Terror From the Right' is a listing of bombers, killers, would-be assassins and insurrectionists motivated by anger over abortion, gays, taxes, blacks, Muslims and illegal immigrants. Which raises an obvious fair and balanced question: What about terror from the left?

Why Do I Mistrust Fox? Let Me Count the Ways
Leonard Pitts Jr

Fox News is in a class by itself. In its epidemic inaccuracy, its ongoing disregard for basic journalistic standards of fairness, its demagogic appeals and its blatantly ideological promotions it is, indeed, unique -- a news source in name only. That's not just an opinion: a 2003 study found Fox viewers more likely to be misinformed than those who get their news elsewhere.

How the Lowest-Paid Workers Get Ripped Off
Liz Wolgemuth

According to a new study, the average low-wage urban worker earning $339 a week is cheated out of $51 of that amount by an employer committing one or more workplace violations--such as paying less than minimum wage, refusing overtime pay, requiring off-the-clock work, or preventing workers compensation claims.

Pitchfork Populists Play Press for Putzes -- Again
Mary Sanchez

The shame of the health care reform debate is not that citizens are coming unglued -- although some of them certainly are. It's that the media can't seem to get enough of the outbursts of a handful of vocal people at town hall meetings across the country. We seem to have lost our way, suckered into showing the footage over and over again, so that the protests are the story, period.

No Charity for Child Predators
Leonard Pitts Jr.

We lack consensus on what to do with sexual predators. From the Catholic Church shielding pederastic priests to the profusion of databases that let you check if your neighbor is a sex offender, to the pseudo celebrity enjoyed by Mary Kay Letourneau when she married her former student Vili Fualaau, whom she raped when he was 12 and she was 34, our responses scream irresolution.

Michael Leiter Works to Keep Tabs on Terrorists
Alex Kingsbury

In his current job as head of the National Counterterrorism Center, Michael Leiter is again in the business of interfering with the enemy. But instead of radar units in the former Yugoslavia or air defenses in Iraq, the adversary is global terrorist networks. And rather than scramble enemy communications, he is coming up with new strategies to match the new attitudes in the intelligence community.

Biofuel Technology and Performance Issues Could Slow Acceptance
Ari Axelrod

Biofuels are a conundrum. Their potential advantages are undeniable: reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, lessening of our dependency on imported oil, support of domestic agriculture. And they certainly have their supporters. The Obama administration repeatedly affirmed its backing of rapid development of alternative energy sources, including biofuels. Still, the hurdles are high.

America's 10 Best Places to Grow Up
Luke Mullins

Low crime, strong schools, green spaces, and fun activities are key ingredients for a happy childhood. So we dug into our database of 2,000 different places all across the country and pinpointed the locales that met these criteria. We then examined these communities more closely to determine which places offered the best combination ...

Frustrated Baby Boomers Alienated from the Political Debate
by Mary Kate Cary

There's a big disconnect in politics right now. The older baby boomers, the ones in their 50s and 60s, are increasingly left out of the political discourse. That crowd is part of the biggest demographic segment of our population -- more than a quarter of our citizens. They're dismayed that their local newspaper -- if it still exists -- places more emphasis on obituaries and local real estate news. Any national news is buried somewhere far from the front page. They feel like they can't get issue-oriented policy news anymore and are ...

GT RT BCK TO U -
(c) Dana Summers

Put the Brakes on Driving While Texting
Leonard Pitts Jr.

The amazing thing about the debate over the need for laws to ban texting while driving is that there is a debate over the need for laws to ban texting while driving. In the first place, you'd think you wouldn't need a law, that simple common sense would be enough to tell us it's unsafe to divert attention to a tiny keyboard and screen while simultaneously piloting two tons of metal, rubber, glass and, let us not forget, flesh, at freeway speeds -- or even street speeds.

The Call of the Highway (From a Cell Phone)
Garrison Keillor

In Minnesota it's illegal to text-message while driving -- trying to type on a tiny keypad at 70 mph is crazy -- but it's legal to make calls while driving, which in my case means removing my glasses so I can see to scroll down the directory while steering with my knees at 70 mph. I call up my mother while driving, which is exciting for her since she is 94 and remembers when phones were attached to the wall and you talked on them while standing still. 'Is that safe?' she says.

Working to Improve the Economy
Kenneth T. Walsh Interviews Christina Romer

Christina Romer -- chairwoman of the president's Council of Economic Advisers -- recently spoke with Kenneth T. Walsh about what has gone wrong, when an economic recovery might occur, and what it's like to work with President Obama.

Our Angry Aristocracy
Victor Davis Hanson

Scolding Americans for our various sins is proving popular among an elite group of self-appointed moralists. Take well-meaning environmentalists who warn us that our plush lifestyles heat up and pollute the planet. Elite critics in the business of racial grievance offer the same contradictions. Then we have other aristocrats on the barricades railing about the economic inequality of America.

America's Homeland Security Surplus
William Pfaff

Janet Napolitano, Barack Obama's secretary of Homeland Security gave a talk at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, meant to convince American civil libertarians and security specialists that the country can be kept safe, and neighborly as well.

Janet Napolitano's Tough Job at Homeland Security
Alex Kingsbury

Chief among the issues Janet Napolitano will have to address is defining a mission for her agency. Rather than a well-oiled machine responsible for keeping America safe after 9/11, as Bush administration officials claimed, Homeland Security is actually an organizational mess, says homeland security expert Stephen Flynn

Declassified Documents Reveal KGB Spies in U.S.
Alex Kingsbury

In the two decades since the end of the Cold War, various archives in formerly Communist countries have been opened to historians, who have eagerly pored over their files in the hopes of fitting more pieces into the Cold War's most vexing jigsaw puzzles. A new history of Soviet espionage in America full advantage of a brief peek at one of the crown jewels of Cold War history, the brown and green file folders of the KGB's American Department.

California's Dysfunctional Democracy Leaves Bleak Budget, Future
Mortimer B. Zuckerman

For decades, California was the state of dreams, the home of Hollywood, sunshine, and a boom that extended from defense spending to dot com and high tech, one that produced the revenue to invest state dollars in schools, universities, and freeways. It became America's fastest-growing large state. Now it is an object lesson for the whole nation on what not to do.

President Obama
(Samantha Appleton)

Obama's Approval Ratings Show a Summer Slump
Kenneth T. Walsh

President Obama got some good news this week.

His nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court was approved by the Senate on a 68 to 31 vote. She is the first Latina on the high court, and her confirmation is a definite victory for the new administration.

But Sotomayor's approval masks some serious problems for Obama. In short, he is in a summer slump as the President's first priority, legislation to overhaul the health-care system, is still running into trouble on Capitol Hill.

Obama Doctrine: Spread Freedom? Not so Much
by Jonah Goldberg

The Obama Administration has made it clear that spreading freedom is so much ideological foolishness. Before the inauguration, he told The Washington Post that he was concerned with "actually delivering a better life for people on the ground and less obsessed with form, more concerned with substance." There's merit to this view in principle, though Obama seems to be thinking about "economic justice" more than a free society. But in practice, when American presidents say they don't care about democracy, tyrants rejoice.

House Buys Time for Transportation Overhaul
Amanda Ruggeri

By passing a $7 billion patch for the Highway Trust Fund, many in the House of Representatives hope they've bought themselves enough time to pass a massive transportation spending bill that would reshape both how America's transportation operates and how it's funded. But with the administration and the Senate opposed to passing the larger bill now, it might not be enough to get the $500 billion package through Congress -- at least not before the current law expires this fall.

Women Sell Their Eggs, So Why Not a Kidney
Amanda Ruggeri

I was as upset as anyone by the allegations of organ selling associated with New Jersey's recent corruption scandal resulting in more than 40 arrests. But a Wall Street Journal column this week calling for more incentives for folks to donate organs makes the issue seem more complex than at first blush.

Is the Economic Marriage Between China and U.S. on the Rocks?
Niall Ferguson Interview

China and America had effectively fused to become a single economy: Chimerica. The Chinese did the saving, the Americans the spending. The Chinese did the exporting, the Americans the importing. The Chinese did the lending, the Americans the borrowing. As the Chinese strategy was based on export-led growth, they had no desire to see their currency appreciate against the dollar. The unintended effect of this was to help finance the U.S. current account deficit at very low interest rates. Without that, it's hard to believe that U.S. financial markets would have bubbled the way they did from 2002 to 2007.

Boomers, Housing and Retirement:
A Symbiotic Relationship Unravels
By Mark Miller

The housing market is showing some tentative signs of recovery. But if you're a baby boomer relying on housing wealth to help fund retirement, don't hold your breath. True, the most recent Standard and Poor's/Case-Shiller home price index showed that U.S. home prices rose in May on a month-to-month basis for the first time since July 2006. But that shouldn't be taken as a sign that the market is going to rebound to pre-crash levels anytime soon. At best, the Case-Shiller index hints that we may have found a bottom in housing. Maybe

 

healthcare reform

Hard Choices on Healthcare Reform
by Mortimer B. Zuckerman

In the 1980s, if you had a heart attack and got to the hospital, you had about a 60 percent chance of living a year. Today, it is over 90 percent. We have been able to transform the health of the American public because of the rapid development of new medicines and technology. These innovations have come at a cost: They are responsible for as much as two thirds of the annual spending increases in healthcare. We'd like to get back to the costs of 1980, but nobody is willing to go back to 1980 medicine

Healthcare Reform's Effect on You
by Bernadine Healy M.D.

Some elements might change before a final healthcare bill is in hand, but enough common threads have emerged for people to look beyond the headlines for an idea of how the new healthcare system will affect them personally. For starters, consider these seven ways in which your healthcare experience is apt to change ...

Ruth Bader Ginsburg and a Question of Eugenics
by Jonah Goldberg

Ginsburg was surprised when the Supreme Court in 1980 barred taxpayer support for abortions for poor women. After all, if poverty partly described the population you had "too many of," you would want to subsidize it in order to expedite the reduction of unwanted populations. Left unclear is whether Ginsburg endorses the eugenic motivation she ascribed to the passage of Roe v. Wade or whether she was merely objectively describing it

Walter Cronkite On Assignment
(c) Paul Conrad

Walter Cronkite Dies at 92
Brian Lowry

Walter Cronkite died Friday at the age of 92, but the kind of journalism he represented -- tough, spare, serious -- has been on the wane since he left the anchor's chair.

As anchor of 'The CBS Evening News,' Cronkite was often referred to as 'the most trusted man in America.'

When he spoke out against the Vietnam War on the air, President Lyndon Johnson famously remarked, 'If I've lost Cronkite, I've lost Middle America.' TV news anchors in those days were deeply respected figures on the American landscape -- Cronkite most of all. Today, the leading news anchors have been seriously diminished.

 

We're Too Self-Absorbed Today to Dream of the Moon
Mitch Albom

We heard Neil Armstrong say "One small step for man ... one giant leap for mankind" and when the shadowy spaceman seemed settled on ground, we all clapped, because it felt like that's what we should do, clap for something great. And it was something great. I have been trying to figure out why that moment, July 20, 1969, still resonates with me, still gives me goose bumps 40 years later, and why, on the anniversary of that event Monday, it seems as if I'll never feel that way again.

 

Political History of the Stars & Stripes
by Andrew Burt

The history of the American flag is the story of a nation struggling to find its identity, Woden Teachout argues in her new book, Capture the Flag: A Political History of American Patriotism. Teachout, a professor of graduate studies in history and culture at the online Union Institute and University, recently spoke about the evolving meaning of the flag in American culture.

On Terror 'No-Fly' List, But Still Buying Guns
Clarence Page

For gun purchasers, should "no-fly" mean "no buy?" People on the government's terrorist watch list tried to buy guns almost 1,000 times in the last five years, a federal study finds. In nine out of 10 cases, federal authorities let them do it, the report finds, because there was no legal way to stop them. And that appears to be OK with the gun lobby

Break Political Traffic Jam on Transportation Overhaul
Joshua Schank and Matthew Dallek

Any transportation project, including the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere" in Alaska, creates jobs. However, transportation has become a policy orphan amid the healthcare tsunami that's overwhelmed the news coverage of Obama's America. Thus, stalling all the economic benefits that flow from enacting a revitalized transportation policy.

Supreme Court: Strip Search of 13-Year-Old Unconstitutional
by Zach Miners

In a decision that could have significant implications for school administrators' ability to keep their campuses safe, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, 8 to 1, this week that the strip search of a 13-year-old Arizona girl by school officials who were looking for prescription-strength drugs violated her constitutional rights.

America's New Energy Dependency: China's Metals
by Kent Garber

America's Clean-energy economy needs rare-earth metals to succeed and China has a near monopoly. In 2007, a standoff unfolded between China and several American companies. China was threatening to withhold supplies that keep refiners in business. A worried State Department intervened. Because the metals come almost exclusively from China, if the government had not acted, sources say, oil refineries could have been forced to shut down, possibly triggering shortages across the country.

Yucca Mountain: Harry Reid Declares Nevada Nuclear Containment Facility Dead
Robert Bryce

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has declared that Yucca Mountain, the site in Nevada where the federal government has been planning to store high-level radioactive waste, is "never going to open." Reid may be right. President Obama's 2010 budget nearly zeroes out federal funding for the waste site.

Bulldozing American Cities: Shrink to Survive Flint, Michigan Program
by Cal Thomas

There are perhaps dozens of small towns and failing neighborhoods beginning to resemble ghost towns. The Obama administration reportedly is considering whether to broaden an experimental shrink to survive program in Flint, Mich., -- one of the nation's poorest cities -- that proposes to raze districts within some cities and towns while bulldozing others in their entirety.

Immigration Reform Now Moves to Center Stage
Nikki Schwab and Paul Bedard

It has been delayed twice and is flying in under the healthcare debate, but the president and a select group of lawmakers are finally talking about immigration reform.

5 Things to Know About the Employee Free Choice Act
Liz Wolgemuth

The heated debate over the merits of the Employee Free Choice Act is particularly poignant for both union leaders and business interests, as it plays out during a recession that has ransacked corporate profits but sharpened the perception of high times that excluded workers in favor of shareholders and executives.

The Pentagon's Wasting Assets
by Andrew F. Krepinevich, Jr.

Several events in recent years have demonstrated that traditional means and methods of projecting power and accessing the global commons are growing increasingly obsolete--becoming "wasting assets," in the language of defense strategists

Safety Board Says D.C. Metro Should Have Replaced Train: Nine people died in the worst crash in the Metro's 33-year history
by Queenie Wong

A federal safety investigator says that the older subway train that slammed into the back of another on Washington's Metro system yesterday, killing nine people and injuring at least 70, should have been replaced years ago because of safety concerns.

10 Pricey Cities That Pay Off: The 'Amenity Value' of 10 cities
by Matthew Bandyk

When you pay a lot of money for something, you hope to get a lot of value in return. So why are people willing to pay a fortune to live in certain places. According to a recent working paper from University of Michigan economist David Albouy, there's a great deal of value to be found in those high prices -- in other words, "amenity value," which measures the amount of satisfaction the asset brings to its owner.

Editorial Cartoon by David Horsey

Waiting for the Payoff:
Debate Continues Over Obama's Recovery Plan
by Justin Ewers

When Obama took office, many economists were skeptical about how the largely untested former senator would handle the array of economic problems before him. While there certainly has been no shortage of quibbling about the specifics of his recovery plans and there continues to be little certainty about what lies in store for the economy

Ray LaHood: 'Transformational' Time for U.S. Transit System
Amanda Ruggeri

Four months into his new position as secretary of transportation, Ray LaHood has a great deal on his plate. Given everything that is going on right now, is this a watershed moment for transportation?

Tax Cuts: Why Obama is Leaving the Reagan Era Behind
by Justin Ewers

As similar as the economic challenges facing Reagan and Obama may sound, the fiscal solutions proposed by the two presidents could not be more different. Obama has gone on a Keynesian spending spree, raising taxes on the highest-income earners and pouring money into energy, healthcare, and a massive stimulus bill. Reagan took the opposite path during his first few months in office, pushing through the biggest tax cuts in history, while massively increasing the defense budget. Politicians have been arguing ever since about which approach works better.

In Defense of Civil Rights:
Justice Department renews fight against discrimination after years of neglect
by Alex Kingsbury

It is a telling reflection of the priorities of the last president that one of the few civil rights cases before the nation's high court this year is a reverse discrimination case.

Facing the Race Factor:
Civil rights leaders want Obama to talk more about racial inequality
by Justin Ewers

It took a remarkably long time before someone finally popped the question. At a press conference in March, two months after he had moved into the White House, Barack Obama was asked for the first time to describe how his race has affected his presidency.

Sonia Sotomayor Confirmation - Supreme Folly
Jules Witcover

Those 31 Republican senators who stretched out on the tracks and let the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor run over them may somehow feel better for the gesture. But the political pain could linger afterward.

Chances are her confirmation in spite of them as the first Hispanic-American on the highest court will be remembered -- with help from the Democrats -- when the nation's largest-growing ethnic bloc troops to the polls next year, and again in 2012.

Saint Sonia the Obscure - Triumph of the Opaque
Paul Greenberg

The Sonia Sotomayor Show before the Senate Judiciary Committee has ended, yet it lingers in the mind -- like a fading hangover. Yet it is still capable of setting off a sudden jab of pain somewhere in the cerebral cortex. Especially when recalling how Her Honor could dive into the murkiest legalese to avoid answering the simplest question.

Sotomayor Hearings Remind Us Republicans Can Be Judicial Activists
Robert Schlesinger

"Judicial activist" typically refers to judges who go beyond ruling according to the existing law by using their decisions to create new laws from the bench, disregarding legal precedents and legislators' intent. Judicial activists, critics complain, discern heretofore unseen rights and governmental powers in the Constitution. It is a long-standing conservative cudgel. However, ...

Moving Beyond Bush's War on Terrorism
Obama Changed Tone, But There is Some Surprising Continuity
by Alex Kingsbury

Perhaps the most dramatic shift when it comes to terrorism is simply that it is not dominating the White House agenda in the same way it did for the past seven years. Intelligence officials warn that al Qaeda remains a persistent national threat, but the terrorist network has been overshadowed in Obama's early months by the global economic crisis, among other challenges.

Editorial Cartoon by David Horsey

Obama's Uphill Battle to Reform Healthcare
by Kent Garber

President Obama stood at a podium flanked by six healthcare leaders and announced what he called "a watershed event in the long and elusive quest for healthcare reform." Obama, by almost any account, had just scored what appeared to be a major concession from several of the country's biggest healthcare players

 

When Healthcare Reform Hits Grandma
by Bernadine Healy M.D.

Obama has laid the groundwork for a massive overhaul of America's healthcare system into a more publicly managed, cost-conscious enterprise that focuses more on wellness than sickness. Driving most government outlays, however, are the many millions of Americans, particularly the elderly, with extremely resource-intensive chronic diseases.

However, what's tried and true, is the government's power to restrict reimbursement and change medical behavior. Medicare, which covers virtually all of the elderly, can say "No" to expensive treatments. That's great if the care is unnecessary. But you can't always tell if you're not at the bedside.

Government-run Healthcare Insurance Program Sure to Backfire
by Phil Gingrey, M.D.

My fear is that creating a government-run health insurance plan wouldn't guarantee quality care by physicians -- in fact, it will not guarantee care at all. The quality of care in a government-run health plan may seem irrelevant to those individuals who are happy with the coverage they currently have -- after all, President Obama promised during his campaign that, "If you like the plan you have, you can keep it." But most individuals don't really have their own health coverage -- they get it from their employers.

Obama Blazing New Trail With His Bold Moves on Economy
by Kenneth T. Walsh

For most Americans, Barack Obama 's most vivid presidential moment came on election night. Since that electric Chicago night back in November, he has pivoted from poetry to prose, playing down charisma and emphasizing competence. And he has moved with impressive speed to focus on the nation's No. 1 problem: the recession and the collapsing financial industry, widely considered the worst economic calamity since the Depression. In the process, Obama is pushing the political pendulum from the conservative approach of Ronald Reagan, who said government was the problem, to a more liberal philosophy that holds that only Washington has the wherewithal to provide the answers.

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.

The Jack Kemp I Knew
by Cal Thomas

Many have commented on the life and legacy of Jack Kemp -- the former Buffalo, N.Y., congressman, former vice presidential candidate, former HUD secretary, former professional football star and a friend for life to all those who knew him. Next to Ronald Reagan, Jack Kemp was probably the most optimistic Republican I knew.

We Need a Hero
Future of the GOP & Conservatives by Jonah Goldberg

We conservatives are having one of our grand, knock-down, drag-out fights over the future of conservatism and the GOP. Should conservatives compromise on gay marriage or abortion rights? Should we jump on the environmental bandwagon? Are there ways to reform health care without abandoning our principles? What would Reagan do?

Frankly, I love these arguments. I think they are healthy and good for conservatism and the country. One of the things I love about conservatives is that we have these internal debates more often than the Five Families went to war in "The Godfather."

We Are What We Are
by Garrison Keillor

When I heard former Vice President Cheney talk about the meaning of Republicanism the other day -- "We are what we are," he said -- I felt drawn to the simplicity and dignity of that. And I have never been a Republican, just as I've never been to South America, and that makes it tempting.

A 'Kinder, Gentler' Recession for Seniors
Mark Miller - Retire Smart

Is the Great Recession bypassing seniors? The Pew Research Center poll reports that Americans over age 65 are less likely to have been forced to cut their spending by the downturn than middle-aged people.

 

What's in the Headlines
by Andy Rooney

Look at these headlines. Does everyone know what the editors are talking about

ALSO from andy rooney:

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 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

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.

Could America Suffer Lost Economic Decades?
by Paul A. Samuelson

I am a macro-economist and a realist who expects that, despite excellent programs by the Obama teams and the Democratic Congress, the U.S. and global recovery of real GDP growth and high employment will probably follow a slump measured in years rather than months.

Suppose, however, that I am being too optimistic? Maybe the U.S. could have a "lost decade" like Japan's "lost decade."

 

 

President Obama's First 100 Days

Sears Tower plot leader is jailed
The leader of a plot to blow up the Sears Tower in Chicago is sentenced to 13-and-a-half years in prison.

Peru arrests 'human fat killers'
Police in Peru arrest members of a gang accused of killing dozens of people to sell their fat for use in cosmetics.

Oprah announces end of talk show
A tearful Oprah Winfrey announces her talk show will end in September 2011 after 25 years on the air.

Honduras leader 'to step aside'
Honduras interim leader Roberto Micheletti says he will step aside briefly ahead of polls scheduled for the end of the month.

Italian sex scandal woman 'dead'
A Brazilian transsexual prostitute linked to a sex row involving an Italian politician is found burned to death, officials say.

Killings prompt US Army inquiry
A review of US Army and Pentagon policies is ordered by the defence secretary in the wake of the Fort Hood shootings.

US father 'shot child abuse son'
A US man is charged with murder for allegedly shooting his teenage son dead on suspicion he had inappropriate contact with a three-year-old girl.

Kercher murder trial nearing end
Italian prosecutors in the trial of two people accused of killing British student Meredith Kercher begin their closing arguments.

China 'steps up US cyber-spying'
Chinese spies are aggressively stealing secrets to help build up China's military and economic power, a US advisory panel says.

Why children writing to Santa at the North Pole won't get a reply
US children who write a letter to Santa at the North Pole are unlikely to get a reply because of child abuse fears.

Star Trek 'phaser' becomes reality - but only worms need be afraid
Scientists show off an effect not unlike that of "phasers" in Star Trek - but it only works on tiny worms called nematodes.

Political analysis and a British perspective on life in the US
Mark Mardell's take on politics and life in the US and North America.

Obama's diplomatic dance with America's banker
It should come as no surprise that President Obama is dancing deftly around some thorny issues on his trip to China, says Matt Frei, presenter of BBC World News America.

Sniper denied victims' families a story
Matt Frei, presenter of BBC World News America, argues that the Washington sniper's refusal to explain his actions cuts across the need for a healing narrative.

Uruguay take last World Cup spot
Uruguay secure the final place at the 2010 World Cup by drawing 1-1 with Costa Rica in Montevideo to seal a 2-1 aggregate win

Roddick pulls out of Tour Finals
World number six Andy Roddick withdraws from the World Tour Finals at London's O2 Arena with injury, and is replaced by Robin Soderling.

'Five killed' in Pacific island shooting
At least five people are killed in a shooting incident on Saipan, one of the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific.

Thousands of Vicks spray recalled
Procter & Gamble is recalling 120,000 bottles of Vicks Sinex nasal spray after small traces of bacteria were found.

Venezuela accused over bridges
Colombia accuses neighbouring Venezuela of blowing up two pedestrian bridges on its shared border.

Obama engages with Cuba blogger
US President Barack Obama replies to a dissident Cuban blogger who asked him about future US-Cuba relations.

Dell sees quarterly profits fall
US computer giant Dell reports another decline in its quarterly profits, sending its shares 7% lower.

Computer glitch hits US flights
A computer glitch affecting aircraft flight plans causes cancellations and delays across the eastern US.

US Army corps blamed for Katrina floods
A US judge rules that negligence by army engineers led to massive flooding in part of New Orleans as Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005.

Ex-smoker wins $300m in damages
Tobacco firm Philip Morris is ordered to pay out $300m in damages to a former smoker.

Surprise fall in US home building
Construction of new homes and apartments in the US unexpectedly fell in October, to the lowest level in six months.

Microsoft hit by Chinese ruling
A court in China orders Microsoft to stop selling versions of Windows that include fonts designed by a Chinese firm.

Mexico's 'giant underwater museum'
Mexico's mega sculpture park aims to protect reef

Hurricane Palin rolls into town
Sarah Palin's fanbase builds despite defeat

Guantanamo calm as deadline shifts
Guantanamo Bay takes closure delay in its stride

Television queen
Is Oprah's talk show move the end of an era?

In pictures
Celebrations recall ancestral settlement in Belize

Lights out
What's causing big power cuts in Latin America?

Militants' grip
US Somali youths recruited by homeland radicals

Magic moments
Some of Oprah's most memorable shows

Coaxing Karzai
Will Clinton's approach to Afghan leader pay off?

BBC News | Americas | World Edition
Get the latest BBC News from the Americas: breaking news, features and analysis plus audio and video content from the United States and the Americas.

 

Leader Of Sears Tower Plot Sentenced To 13 Years
Narseal Batiste, who faced a maximum of 70 years in prison, was convicted in May of conspiracy to provide material support to al-Qaida, plotting to blow up buildings and conspiracy to wage war against the U.S. Officials acknowledged the plot never got past the discussion stage and the group never acquired the means to carry it out.

Insurance Mandate Could Spur Walk-In Clinic Boom
As it gets more difficult to see a primary care doctor, walk-in medical centers are picking up the slack. And if Congress succeeds in passing a nationwide health insurance mandate, the urgent care industry expects even more growth.

Scientist: 'Don't Give Up' On Stopping Asian Carp
Two Asian carp species that could devastate the Great Lakes ecosystem may be a few miles from Lake Michigan. To halt their migration, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built an underwater electric fence on a canal 20 miles south of the lake. But tests conducted by David Lodge at Notre Dame indicate that they have gotten close to the lake despite the barrier.

Lawsuit Adds To Tumult At 'Washington Times'
The Washington Times has long thought to be immune from the economic forces challenging the rest of newspaper industry because of the deep pockets of its founder and owner, the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, head of the Unification Church. But the recession has taken a toll on the paper and now an apparent power struggle among Moon's sons is adding to the paper's challenges.

Boeing Breaks Ground In S.C.
For the first time in the company's history, Boeing will manufacture a commercial jet in a state other than Washington. The company broke ground Friday for a new factory in South Carolina, where it plans to manufacture its long-delayed 787 passenger plane. Boeing was lured to the south by a generous state incentive package, and by South Carolina's right-to-work law, which makes it less likely its employees will be unionized.

In Massillon, High School Football 'Is Who We Are'
The Ohio school has a 20,000-seat stadium, a $3 million indoor practice facility and a live tiger for a mascot. Massillon teams have won 22 state championships and they're in the running for another one. It's football "sunup to sundown," the head coach says.

Chicago Schools Chief's Death Raises Questions
Mourners are paying tribute Friday to the president of the Chicago School Board who earlier this week was found dead, partially submerged in the Chicago River. The death of Michael Scott has touched some raw nerves. Mayor Richard Daley is lashing out at the medical examiner, and others in the city still have questions about Scott's death.

Hard Lessons From Two Mass Killings In Texas
The Senate is conducting hearings into the recent shootings at Fort Hood — a tragedy that took place just miles from the site of a deadly 1991 attack. That episode, in which a gunman killed 23 people at Luby's Cafeteria in Killeen, Texas, reshaped how police, medical and psychological personnel respond to such tragedies.

'Botax' In Senate Health Bill Upsets Plastic Surgeons
Levies on liposuction, breast augmentation and other cosmetic procedures would generate billions of dollars to help cover the uninsured.

Senate Ethics Committee: No Punishment For Burris
The Senate Ethics Committee on Friday admonished Sen. Roland Burris, D-Ill., for making "inconsistent, misleading or incomplete" statements about the circumstances surrounding his appointment to the seat once held by Barack Obama. The committee didn't recommend any punishment.

Army Mom Refuses To Deploy
Army Specialist Alexis Hutchinson is facing a special court martial for missing her deployment to Iraq. The army says Hutchinson went AWOL. But she says she deliberately didn't4 go because she couldn't find adequate child care for the year that she would be away. Host Michel Martin speaks to Hutchinson’s civilian attorney Rai Sue Sussman about the charges.

Palin Does Oprah, Oprah Calls It Quits ... For Now
Freelance journalist Jimi Izrael, civil rights attorney Arsalan Iftikhar, syndicated columnist Ruben Navarrette and NPR Political Editor Ken Rudin give their take on the latest headlines. This week, the guys discuss former GOP vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin's return to the national stage, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder's decision to try 9/11 co-conspirators in civilian court and Oprah's big announcement that "The Oprah Winfrey Show" will end In 2011.

Without Further Ado, Sarah Palin Returns
Cultural and political phenomenon Sarah Palin returned to the national spotlight this week to promote her memoir "Going Rogue" and fielded questions about a possible run for the White House in 2012. Host Michel Martin talks with Mary Kate Cary, a columnist with U.S. News and World Report, and Matt Continetti, author of "The Persecution of Sarah Palin: How the Elite Media Tried to Bring Down a Rising Star" about what might be next for the former Alaska governor.

Senate Health Bill Faces Saturday Showdown
Democrats will need to vote in lockstep to overcome GOP opposition in a key procedural vote to move the $848 billion measure to full debate. But it's not yet clear whether Majority Leader Harry Reid can round up enough support.

Students Rail Against University Of California Fees
UC regents, meeting at UCLA, approved fees that will bring the average annual cost to about $10,300 — a threefold increase in a decade. In protest, University of California Berkeley students barricaded themselves in part of a campus building on Friday.

NPR Topics: U.S.
NPR coverage of national news, U.S. politics, elections, business, arts, culture, health and science, and technology. Subscribe to the NPR Nation RSS feed.

 

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

Is America Premodern or Postmodern?
by Victor Davis Hanson

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

Chuck Hagel Looks at His Party
by Jules Witcover

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

Reagan Unveiled
by Cal Thomas

Dick Cheney's Tower of Lies
by Arianna Huffington

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

Looking at My Calendar
by Andy Rooney

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

Once Upon a Time in 2002
by Victor Davis Hanson

The Vehicle I Never Forgot
by Andy Rooney

The Complex Case of Complexity
by Alvin and Heidi Toffler

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

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

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

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

Obama's Foreign Policy Challenge
by Henry Kissinger

Financial Outrages Past, Present & Future
by Arianna Huffington

Victory at Sea
by Paul Greenberg

The World's Woes
by Andy Rooney

Some Good News About Banking
by Arianna Huffington

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

My Wish List
Andy Rooney

I Would Rather Stay Home & Not Travel
Andy Rooney

I'm Hedging Today
Andy Rooney

Larry Summers: Brilliant Mind, Toxic Ideas
by Arianna Huffington

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

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

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

The Rush and Rahm Show
Chris Thomas

Rove Pontificating on Economy Like Madoff Pontificating on Investing

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

The Credit Card Crisis: The Next Economic Domino

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

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

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

John Thain, Poster Child for Era of Irresponsibility
Arianna Huffington

Barack Obama Sober Sermon on the Steps
Arianna Huffington

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

INAUGURATION 2009

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

Obama Presidential Inauguration Schedule & Events

Obama Inauguration Facts, Trivia and Information for Kids

Obama's new Home was Slow to Integrate

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

 

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

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

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

Rewarding Those Who Got It Right
Arianna Huffington

The Economic Meltdown Will Be Blogged
Politics Arianna Huffington

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Surge Amnesia : The Media's Newest Affliction

Memo to Obama : Moving to the Middle Is For Losers

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

John McCain: The Second Coming of Bob Dole

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

Unmasking McCain: His Reactionary Record on Reproductive Rights

Hillary Clinton's Defeat: A Historic Triumph

Political Commentary and Opinion by Arianna Huffington

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