The New Republic

It looks like the G20 on Friday will emphasize its new “framework” for curing macroeconomic imbalances, rather than any substantive measures to regulate banks, derivatives, or any other primary cause of the 2008-2009 financial crisis. This is appealing to the G20 leaders because their call to “rebalance” global growth will involve no immediate action and no changes in policy--other than in the “medium run” (watch for this phrase in the communiqué). When exactly is the medium run? READ MORE >>

It seems like everyone involved in Afghanistan policy is pulling in a different direction. To name just a few: General McChrystal wants a major troop increase, Robert Gates has flipped positions, Biden is skeptical, and Hamid Karzai is preoccupied with the fate of Hamid Karzai. Click through this TNR slideshow for a catalogue of who wants what in Afghanistan. READ MORE >>

This just in: A career diplomat from Bulgaria won a suspenseful and drawn-out race to lead the U.N. agency for culture and education on Tuesday, beating out an Egyptian candidate whose one-time threat to burn Israeli books had galvanized opposition.... READ MORE >>

Check out the new Pew poll about Afghanistan. Most Americans don't believe things are going well there, and support for withdrawal is rising. But a surprisingly high number still believe strongly in the basic objective: READ MORE >>

Newt Gingrich, who in 2007 called bilingual education "the language of living in the ghetto" and in 1995 argued that bilingualism poses "long-term dangers to the fabric of our nation," has now launched a bilingual website, The Americano, to attract Hispanic voters to the GOP. Here's betting he won't be penning any articles about Sonia Sotomayor's "racism" for the site. READ MORE >>

Over the past few months, there have been several reports to the effect that Barack Obama's plan for drastic cuts to the U.S. nuclear arsenal is dead in the water. Newsweek reported that a draft of the new Nuclear Posture Review (NPR)—which, when released next year, will determine the shape of the U.S. READ MORE >>

Josh Marshall is the latest prominent liberal commentator to come out against an all-out engagement in Afghanistan. Along the way, he makes this point: But even if the Taliban again ruled the country, it's difficult to imagine that with our forces in the region and our army of drones, we'd have much problem raining down a ton of ordinance the first time they really put up their head. READ MORE >>

A pop-up ad at The American Spectator, reprinted here in its entirety: Hello, I’m Mark Levin. The far left hates Spectator.org. That’s why I love reading it. Help spread their message. CLICK HERE and Donate Just don't call them reactionary... READ MORE >>

Michael "Mission Creep Watch" Cohen takes issue with my last print piece, which foreshadowed the growing tension between the White House and some Pentagon officials over Afghanistan troop levels. Whereas I warned the Obama team against the temptation of setting an ambitious mission while limiting painful troop increases--much as George W. READ MORE >>

My Duke hatred generally knows no bounds, but I'm now willing to grant Reggie Love an exemption (via the HuffPo). READ MORE >>