The New Republic

Right after the mid-terms, I wrote a churlish little piece for TNR predicting that John Dingell, the incoming chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, would pose an obstacle for Democrats trying to do something about global warming. That's partly because he's always been skeptical about emissions controls, especially on automobiles (hey, he represents Dearborn!). READ MORE >>

In his radio address last Saturday, President George W. Bush described "benchmarks" that "the Iraqi government must meet...or lose the support of the Iraqi and American people." Second on the list after "taking responsibility for security in all of Iraq's provinces" was "passing legislation to share oil revenues among all Iraqis." That sounds pretty good: a guaranteed annual income for all Iraqis. But that's not exactly what the oil law is about. READ MORE >>

by Sanford Levinson READ MORE >>

This morning I'm watching the silly sit-down that "Good Morning America"'s Diane Sawyer did with the 16 women senators, and the first topic of discussion is (surprise!) how the decidedly non-female Barack Obama puts a kink in Senator Clinton's plans to become the first Madame President. As Diane framed the situation, here's a woman Senator looking to break one glass ceiling, only to run up against a black Senator aiming to break another type of glass ceiling. READ MORE >>

The United States helped found the World Bank in 1945. It was designed initially to aid in postwar reconstruction, but it has developed a focus on alleviating extreme poverty and encouraging development in the world's poorest countries. American officials did not conceive of the bank as a vehicle for carrying out a particular administration's foreign policy objectives. When Robert Macnamara left the Pentagon to become World Bank president in 1968, for instance, he did not use his tenure to advance the American war effort in Vietnam. READ MORE >>

This article in today's Hill highlights Rahm Emanuel's Hillary-Obama dilemma: READ MORE >>

by Sanford Levinson READ MORE >>

Fred Barnes's reporting is always informative, though usually in ways unintended by the author. His latest is no exception. Here, for instance, is a throwaway line about how President Bush vetted General Casey: "[Bush] invited Casey and his family to a meal at the White House last year, partly to size him up by seeing how he interacted with his wife and kids." P.S. I was also somewhat confused by this passage: READ MORE >>

by Jeffrey Herf READ MORE >>

Apropos of Ryan's "Macho Dems" piece in last Sunday's NYT, here's a story Democratic Congressman Steve Kagen of Wisconsin recently told about himself to some of his constituents. From the Oshkosh Northwestern (via PoliticalWire): READ MORE >>