America's Afghan Mission: The Wrong Front Line?
The world's most important terrorist safe haven is visibly not Afghanistan, but instead next-door Pakistan. After the death of Osama bin Laden, the U.S. is now faced with a difficult question. My latest column for CNN.com asks: Is the commitment of 100,000 troops in Afghanistan hurting our ability …Cross-Border Manhunts Put the Heat on Al Qaeda
As any student of history knows: countries have regularly ignored international borders when in hot pursuit of their enemies. Many pundits are pointing the finger at America for breaking international law with its unilateral incursion into Pakistan to eliminate Osama Bin Laden. But as any student …GOP Freshmen: Job Numbers Still Too Weak
GOP freshmen were dismissive of Friday's report that the economy had added jobs. Instead, they pushed the White House to do more to boost the recovery and cut energy prices. Friday’s unemployment numbers were greeted almost unanimously by discontentment from freshmen Republican Congressmen over …Goodbye, Michael Scott
With their pointless jobs and unimportant lives, the characters of The Office have managed to remind us of how replaceable we all are. In Michael Moore's ultimate propaganda masterpiece, Capitalism: A Love Story, Moore rhetorically asked how someone who got as many things wrong as Timothy …Palin: The GOP's LeBron James?
Each of the GOP’s leading 2012 contenders seems to have a strangely similar counterpart in the sporting world. Back in 1979, my late law professor, Robert Cover, wrote a much-cited piece in the New York Times twining Supreme Court Justices and baseball players. For example, John Marshall was …GOP Retreats From Ryan Medicare Plan
Two weeks of recess, complete with ginned-up demonstrations against Medicare and Social Security reform were enough to lead to a GOP collapse on the fiscal front. That’s all it took for House Republicans to begin to scatter like a covey of quail? Two simple weeks of recess, complete with …Don't Censor Bin Laden's Photo
There’ve been so many versions of what went on when the SEALS invaded Osama bin Laden’s compound, that it’s important to settle the matter of his death. The question of the moment is whether photos of a dead Osama bin Laden should be released to the public? And the next question is, if they …Remembering Richard Cornuelle
Richard Cornuelle death was a great loss. In his writing and work, he tried to fashion a libertarianism that paid attention to the humane consequences of capitalism. Richard Cornuelle, a renegade libertarian, died on April 26—a terrible loss. Early on, Dick had been a doctrinaire free-marketeer …Why is Pawlenty On Stage With These Crazy People?
As the GOP got ready for its first primary season debate in South Carolina, one question stuck out: Why was Tim Pawlenty even participating? Closing Thoughts: Credit goes to the Fox News anchors who moderated the debate. They did their research and managed to ask tough questions that …Worst Week Ever for Birthers
The birther libel has taken a bad beating this week according to a new poll. The birther libel has taken a bad beating this week, according to a new Washington Post poll . The number of Americans saying President Obama was born in another country has been sliced in half, according to a new …Daniels' School Reforms: Too Smart for Tea Party?
In Indiana, Gov. Mitch Daniels has instituted a broad set of education reforms. Unlike many on the right, he’s not out to destroy public education but to save it. Mitch Daniels is regularly held up as one of the best examples of a “serious” and policy-minded conservative. Wednesday in Washington, …