The New Republic

Politico: Conservatives don't like their 2008 White House choices. And am I the only one who missed RedState's entertaining "They All Suck" tirade? Also: NR's Lowry rips Romney! --Michael Crowley READ MORE >>

by David Bromwich Alberto Gonzales in testimony several days ago before the Senate Judiciary Committee denied that the Constitution gave American citizens the right to habeas corpus. The story was overlooked by most of the mainstream news outlets, perhaps on the theory that no exorbitant statement by Gonzales is news any longer. But this was an astonisher. READ MORE >>

In a Newsweek interview released today, Dick Cheney was kind enough to give his opinion of Chuck Hagel: READ MORE >>

Last week, a U.S. official told Laura Rozen that the Bush administration was planning to "confront Iran in every way but direct armed conflict, using all means short of war." No mention, though, of how the White House planned to ensure that these new moves--confronting Iranian networks in Iraq, doubling its naval power in the Gulf, finding "covert ways to counter Hezbollah in Lebanon"--actually do stop short of war. READ MORE >>

No, not on actual policy. But at least someone seems to have told the president that "decider" isn't much of a word. --Christopher Orr READ MORE >>

by Melissa Harris-LacewellThe Bears are going to the Super Bowl! Although no longer living in Chicago, I am cemented enough to the city that I am ridiculously excited about it. But I must admit that the best part of this new Super Bowl shuffle is its that it has distinctly more soul. Two African American head coaches are going meet one another in this great American dance of masculinity. No matter what happens (although we know the Bears will win) a brother is going to hoist that trophy in triumph. And, Barack Obama is running for president. He is really running for president. READ MORE >>

Ben Smith has a story in the Politico about Clinton's relative strength--and Obama's relative weakness--when it comes to appealing to black voters. It's a good piece, but there was one part of it that I didn't quite get. Smith makes a big deal of the fact that the Clintons spent a recent vacation in Anguilla schmoozing with Bob Johnson. Smith writes: READ MORE >>

Forget the shoddy memory defense. It looks like Scooter Libby's settled on a new strategy to avoid the slammer: blame the White House and Karl Rove. Byron York reports from the Libby trial: READ MORE >>

Two weeks ago, President Bush said, "Iran is providing material support for attacks on American troops. We will disrupt the attacks on our forces." Presumably he'll hit those notes during the State of the Union tonight, vaguely hinting that escalation with Iran might be in the fold. READ MORE >>

I'm sure most readers have seen this New York Times headline: "REBUKE IN IRAN TO ITS PRESIDENT ON NUCLEAR ROLE." It seems that Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, now wants Mahmoud Ahmadinejad "to stay out of all matters nuclear." As with all things in Iranian politics, the move's hard to decipher: Does Khamenei actually want to defuse tensions with the West, or is he just trying to improve Iran's public image? READ MORE >>