Political Relationship
Scarborough And The Courageous Republicans
In Politico, Joe Scarborough flays President Obama for ignoring entitlement spending and the deficit crisis: For two years now, I have been assured by Obama’s closest aides that their man is going to get serious about the deficit — and soon. But in Obama’s White House, “soon” never comes. READ MORE >>
Romney Death Watch
Republican candidates have been taking turns kicking around Mitt Romney over health care reform, and the latest up is Haley Barbour: Add Haley Barbour to the list of presidential contenders who have gone after Mitt Romney over RomneyCare. On Capitol Hill Tuesday, Barbour said Massachusetts had a state insurance plan it liked — and that his state, Mississippi, had no interest in it. READ MORE >>
Pawlenty Walks Back Criticism of Snowe
Minnesota governor and potential 2012 presidential nominee Tim Pawlenty made headlines yesterday when he criticized fellow Republican Olympia Snowe for her "deviations" from conservative GOP orthodoxy, and refused to say whether or not he was happy that she was a Republican. READ MORE >>
Brave Man
An Iranian student criticizes Supreme Leader Khaminei to his face, in public: It was near the end of a meeting Wednesday between Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and a group of university students when the man who is Iran's highest political and spiritual authority asked if there were any other questions. READ MORE >>
The Fork in J Street
The self-declared mission of J Street, the dovish "pro-Israel, pro-Peace" lobby that just concluded its first national conference this week, includes redefining the meaning of the term "pro-Israel." For too long, the organization's founders and supporters argue, right-wing elements in the Jewish community have abused the term to hijack the debate and tarnish mainstream, sensible advocates of a two-state solution. READ MORE >>
Who Came out of the Honduran Crisis Looking the Best? Hillary.
Francisco Toro and Juan Nagel write the Venezuelan news blog Caracas Chronicles. A version of this post originally appeared there. READ MORE >>
The Obama Factor
WASHINGTON--Memo to Democrats: You will be defined by President Obama whether you like it or not, so you might as well embrace him for the benefits he can bring you. Memo to Republicans: Talk a right-wing game in your ideological magazines and at your tea parties if that makes you happy. But to win elections, your candidates had better look like middle-of-the-road problem-solvers. READ MORE >>
The Race Man
Up from History: The Life of Booker T. Washington By Robert J. Norrell (Harvard University Press, 508 pp., $35) I. READ MORE >>
