The New Republic

WaPo: Meanwhile, McChrystal has finished drawing up his request for what is expected to be thousands or tens of thousands of additional trainers and combat troops for Afghanistan, but he is awaiting instructions before submitting the request to the Pentagon. Senior defense officials said that, in effect, McChrystal has been asked to delay submitting the request. READ MORE >>

The Massachusetts house approves an interim Senator, and it looks like the state senate will follow suit. We could see a Senator Dukakis (or someone else, that much is still unsettled) by next week. READ MORE >>

Beyond the Baucus Bill: How Liberals Can Still Win on Health Care Reform, by Jonathan Cohn READ MORE >>

Ruy Teixeira, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and the Century Foundation, argues that the detailed presentations of health reform in the president’s speech last week and the Baucus plan this week have been critical to moving the process forward. Check out the latest on TNRtv: READ MORE >>

Yesterday, facing public discontent over the war in Afghanistan, President Obama held a private meeting with one of Washington's venerable "wise men"--former Secretary of State Colin Powell. In doing so, Obama was participating in an age-old tradition. Click through this slideshow to see some notable "wise men" who have been summoned to the Oval Office. READ MORE >>

Steve Coll analyzes, and asks good questions: READ MORE >>

It's worth noting that the Obama administration sent no one to testify during the past two days of Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearings about Afghanistan. I'm told it wasn't for a lack of an invitation. READ MORE >>

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From the Boston Globe: When the housekeepers at the three Hyatt hotels in the Boston area were asked to train some new workers, they said they were told the trainees would be filling in during vacations. READ MORE >>