Outside the Beltway

The second half of the President’s political strategy is in place. Don’t mistake it for a serious legislative effort.

As more details roll in on President Obama’s millionaire tax hike, it’s looking like it was drawn up by J. Wellington Wimpy: “I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.”

The cable networks and the political parties will tell you otherwise, but the 2012 isn’t quite as important as they’re saying.

The U.S. War in Afghanistan sounds disturbingly similar to the Soviet one.

Far from being an existential crisis, the recent rise in public distrust in government is easily explained.

NATO is still seen as essential by 62 percent of both EU and U.S. respondents, demonstrating that the transatlantic military bond is still, despite a rough decade, firmly entrenched in American and European views of the world.

Top Democrats are starting to voice public concerns about 2012.

Accusing someone of “politicizing” a discussion of 9/11 is like accusing someone of “athleticizing” a discussion of football.

Paul Krugman chose to mark the the 10th anniversary of September 11th with an odd blog post.

The short-lived national unity spawned by the attacks of a decade ago was re-kindled for a few hours as former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush joined with Vice President Joe Biden to honor Flight 93.

Measuring our progress a decade after the 9/11 attacks

For a peace envoy, Blair has some nonpeaceful ideas.

There were eight people on the stage last night, but the GOP field has narrowed significantly.

Killing’s our business and business is good.

What does the apparent outcome of the war in Libya mean for the so-called “Responsibility To Protect” doctrine?

Steve Clemons highlights former first lady Laura Bush’s continuing work in promoting education and international engagement.

Ron Paul is again making the argument that American foreign policy has contributed to terrorism. He’s more right than wrong.

Why Big Army has trouble with small wars.

Dick Cheney’s long-awaited book’s out and he promises lots of bombshells that will have heads exploding in DC.

Success in Libya does not make the American mission any less unjustified than it was on the day President Obama announced it.

The Atlantic has published an essay I wrote yesterday morning titled “Libya After Qaddafi: Lessons from Iraq 2003.”

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta gave the strongest signal ever that there will be some U.S. military presence in Iraq after December 31st.

Iraq has become so dependent on Iran for its survival that it is endorsing the brutal tactics of Bashar Assad.

Examining the impact of current events requires stepping back from them just a little bit.

Honoring the fallen by ensuring that the didn’t die in vain is a recipe for getting more good men killed.

The defense spending lobby is already engaging in fear-mongering over very modest defense cuts.

Will the trial of Hosni Mubarak actually change anything?

The cuts to Pentagon spending in the new debt deal are further revealing a split in the GOP over foreign policy and military spending.

A take on the conflict that’s probably different from the one you’ve been reading.

It is always useful to go inside the numbers.

John Boehner and Harry Reid introduced their debt plans. Now, where do we go from here?

By choosing to go it alone on a debt ceiling plan, the GOP is taking a big risk.

A legendary American soldier, General John Shalikashvili, has died.

The Army is fielding tiny blast sensors to gauge the effects of explosions on individual soldiers.

Is NATO prepared for what happens when they win?

Thomas Ricks makes the case that JFK was the worst President of his century but his argument misses the mark.

How much of an American can you be if you are willing to wreck the economy for political gain.

While it’s true that the South and the Heartland disproportionately contribute to our all-volunteer force, the notion that our forces are mostly Nebraska farmboys is false.