A Foreign Policy Election?

A competent leader versus a lunatic would seem an easy choice. Alas.

Israeli Strikes Kill Hamas Commander, Women, and Children

Ali Qadhi, who led the terrorist attack on Israel last week, has been killed by the IDF. So have fleeing civilians.

US to Cooperate with Hague on Russia War Crimes

President Biden has ended a months-long impasse.

DeSantis v. The DOE/SACSCOC

Another entry into the ongoing performative politics of Ron DeSantis.

Trump and the Presidential Records Act

A legal defense without merit.

Presidential Press Conference Play-Acting

The process is much more stage managed than advertised.

Pentagon Opposes Helping Prosecute Russian War Crimes

A wrongheaded if longstanding position.

Ukraine: Too Much Is Not Enough

The appetite for more resources approaches infinity.

Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded

Michael Barone on out-migration from some Blue states.

China Trade Wars the New Normal

The elite consensus that free trade would bring them around is gone.

Congressional Control Still Too Close to Call

We likely won’t know on Election Night.

Ben Sasse to Leave Senate to Become Florida President

The Nebraska Republican got an offer he can’t refuse.

Trump Tipping Point?

As more details emerge about the documents he stole, defenders are falling away.

Mar A Lago Mar A Lago

Politics, Law, and the Mar-a-Lago Search

That’s some catch, that Catch-22.

Flag Ukraine Silhouette Ruins Soldier War Flag Ukraine Silhouette Ruins Soldier War

Doves Split Over Ukraine

Foreign policy makes strange bedfellows.

This image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0 via pXhere. This image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0 via pXhere.

Lawyers Win SCOTUS Case, Forced to Leave Firm

A rather bizarre coda to yesterday’s big Supreme Court decision.

Justices Didn’t Lie About Abortion in Hearings

Susan Collins and other Senators claiming otherwise are just wrong.

Hezbollah in Latin America! (Part Gazillion)

A possible murder plot in Colombia embedded into a problematic multi-decade narrative.

Max Cleland, 1942-2021

The Vietnam War hero and one-term Georgia Senator has died at 79.

Colin Powell, 1937-2021

The trailblazing soldier-statesman has died at 84.

Debt Ceiling Thoughts

American exceptionalism at its worst. (Plus some history!).

The Psychology of Internet Fame

Our brains are wired to seek approval but may not be equipped to handle our modern existence.

Joseph Galloway, 1941-2021

A legendary journalist is gone.

Donald Rumsfeld, 1932-2021

He was both the youngest and oldest man to run the Pentagon.

Working From Home and Polarization

Yet another thing driving Americans apart.

Bipartisan Commission Dies From Lack of Bipartisanship

The country is in peril.

Sullivan on Biden (and a Discussion of Fiscal Policy)

On fiscal policy and historical comparisons.

Democrats Have 9 Point Advantage

49 percent of Americans lean Democratic, compared to 40 for Republicans. Yet a plurality identify as Independent.

On Coups, Insurrections, and Security Theater

Reflections on the events of 6 January two months later.

Student Debt and the For-Profit Connection

The loaners, the dreamers, and schemes.

Eighteen Years of Blogging

Some reflections

The Leaderless GOP

The Republican Party is not really a thing.

President Donald J. Trump disembarks Marine One at Joint Base Andrews, Md. Friday, Sept. 18, 2020, and is escorted to Air Force One by U.S. Air Force personnel. (Official White House Photo by Tia Dufour) President Donald J. Trump disembarks Marine One at Joint Base Andrews, Md. Friday, Sept. 18, 2020, and is escorted to Air Force One by U.S. Air Force personnel. (Official White House Photo by Tia Dufour)

Trump On ‘Peaceful Transition’

Whether the delusions of a madman or a deliberate scheme to poison the waters, there’s cause for concern.

Brent Scowcroft, 1925-2020

The National Security Advisor to Presidents Ford and GHW Bush has died.

The Filibuster is Going Away

The writing is on the wall for simple-majority voting in the Senate.

Intel Briefers Stopped Telling Trump about Russia

The President didn’t want to hear about bad behavior from Moscow, so he wasn’t told.

US Signs Deal with Taliban

It’s not clear what has been achieved.

Trump Cutting NSC Back for Wrong Reasons

A smaller staff is arguably a good idea. But not this way.

lego people crowd lego people crowd

Analysis vs Advocacy

A recurring source of friction in the OTB conversation.

Trump’s Threat To Sanction Iraq Is Ridiculous And Stupid

President Trump is making ridiculous threats against the regime in Iraq that are likely to draw it closer to Iran.

In Attacking Iran, Trump Is Losing Iraq (Again)

The assassination of a top Iranian official on a visit to Baghdad is having the expected negative impact on our relationship with Iraq and the fight against ISIS.

Iraqi Protesters Storm U.S. Embassy

Amid protests over American airstrikes, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad has become a target.

Federal Court Rules Against White House On Witness Subpoenas

A Federal Judge in Washington, D.C. has ruled against the Trump Administration’s latest effort to stonewall Congressional inquiries.

Trump Ignores International Law, Hands Israel Another Gift

Reversing decades of policy, the Trump Administration reversed decades of policy on settlements in disputed territory.

William Barr Is Exactly The Kind Of Attorney General Trump Always Wanted

Late last week, Attorney General William Barr demonstrated quite aptly the extent to which he has become just another Trump loyalist.

No, Trump’s Courting of Senators isn’t ‘Bribery’

The President is committing enough high crimes and misdemeanors without us manufacturing them.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Wins Nobel Peace Prize

This year’s Nobel Peace Prize Laureate comes from a part of the world that most people almost never think about.

Trump Names Robert O’Brien To Be National Security Adviser

President Trump has named his fourth National Security Adviser in less than three years.

In A Turn Away From Federalism, Trump Will Revoke California’s Clean Air Act Waiver

In a rebuke to traditional conservative views of Federalism, the Trump Administration intends to revoke California’s authority to set its own clean air standards,

Bolton Was A Bad Consigliere, But Trump Is A Bad Don

John Bolton was not a good National Security Adviser, but the real problem with Trump Administration foreign policy comes from the man at the top.