The New Republic

The New York Times's Michael Gordon reports that even the ISG's own military advisers are dubious about its military recommendations, not to mention its goal of a large troop withdrawal by 2008: READ MORE >>

I don't see John McCain quoted on the Iraq Study Group in today's Times or Post. But he issued a statement yesterday: READ MORE >>

The Editors argue that the Iraq Study Group simply doesn't have all the answers; Britt Peterson thinks that Mel Gibson, in his own plodding way, has become a multiculturalist; Dennis Ross says that engaging Iran and Syria could help, but it won't solve our problems in Iraq; Co READ MORE >>

Following up on Mike's post about McCain's response to the ISG, Baker and Hamilton have now responded to McCain. In a back-and-forth they had with the Arizona Senator at the Armed Services Committee hearing this morning, Baker said (c/o The Caucus): READ MORE >>

Greatest New York Post cover in years. READ MORE >>

Call it the Rick Warren Test for 2008 hopefuls. This from a Salon story on a joint Brownback-Obama appearance at the famously purpose-driven Saddleback Church: READ MORE >>

Via Political Wire, President Bush had this to say today about the ISG: Some reports are issued and just gather dust. And truth of the matter is, a lot of reports in Washington are never read by anybody. To show you how important this one is, I read it. --Jason Zengerle READ MORE >>

For those who weren't excited enough about Tom Vilsack's entry into the '08 sweepstakes, Bill Richardson has just announced he too is running for president. Update: Richardson is now denying that he said he was running. Either he made a faux pas, or Fox News made a mistake in reporting the story. Because America's favorite news network is fair and balanced, I'd imagine it was Richardson's error. READ MORE >>

Isaac Chotiner shows that Nelson Mandela has become a shill for the diamond industry; Bradford Plumer says that labor might finally be making inroads in the South; Michelle Cottle wonders whether Jeb Bush would really make a better president than his brother; and Michael Currie READ MORE >>

There's an assumption--a safe assumption, in my opinion--that John Edwards will have little trouble in the fundraising department given his built-in constituency among trial lawyers. But I did raise an eyebrow at a snippet from this AP story: READ MORE >>