Where Have the Thoughtful Conservatives Gone?

OTB’s comment section as a microcosm of the American political landscape.

CIA’s Counterterror Chief a Muslim Convert

A profile of the chief of the CIA’s Counterterrorism Center.

Joe Biden: Bin Laden Raid Was “Most Audacious Plan” In 500 Years

Joe Biden got a little braggadocious last night.

Obama Approval at Record Low

47 percent of Americans disapprove of President Obama’s performance.

Are Republican Politicians Afraid Of Rush Limbaugh?

The GOP has sold its soul.

Afghan Protests Prove, It’s Time For Us To Leave

The latest round of protests in Afghanistan prove yet again that it’s time for us to leave.

The American Public Is Not SEAL Team Six

Last night’s State Of The Union Address contained another unfortunate example of the prevalence of militaristic rhetoric in domestic politics.

State of the Union Post Mortem

The speech did exactly what it was supposed to do: kick off Obama’s re-election campaign while disguised as a call for unity.

State Of The Union Address Obsolete

In a 24/7 media climate, there is no single presidential thought that isn’t endlessly aired and debated.

Ron Paul Steps In It In South Carolina

Once again, Ron Paul showed last night why he could never win the Republican nomination.

Republicans Clash In The Battle Of Myrtle Beach

Mitt Romney’s rivals scored a few hits on him last night, but nothing that’s likely to make a difference.

The GOP’s Ridiculous Appeasement Argument

To Republicans, even thinking about engaging in diplomacy is enough to accuse the President of appeasement.

The Presidency That Republicans Would Rather Forget

The Republican candidates for President have apparently forgotten that this guy was their party’s nominee twice.

Obama Approval Surging

Don’t look now but President Obama’s approval ratings are closing in on levels that point to re-election.

Ron Paul’s Past Will Catch Up With Him

Ron Paul is rising in Iowa, which means he will soon face the scrutiny he’s avoided so far.

The War In Iraq Is Finally Over

After 3,193 days and more than 4,000 lives, the American war in Iraq is officially at an end.

Ads Pulled From Muslim-American Reality Show After Conservative Groups Complain

Conservative groups are upset because a new reality show depicts Muslim-Americans as, well, normal Americans.

GOP National Security Debate Live Blog

I’ll be liveblogging tonight’s Republican national security debate over at RealClearWorld along with a solid team of foreign policy analyst

Associated Press Reporters Reprimanded For Using Twitter To Send Out Breaking News

The Associated Press is trying to fight Twitter rather than engage it.

Republicans For Waterboarding

The most disturbing part of Saturday’s debate came when most of the GOP candidates endorsed torture.

Republican Foreign Policy Debate: Winners and Losers

Huntsman will gain little if any traction and none of the frontrunners really helped or hurt themselves.

Foreign Policy Mostly Missing From Republican Race

The Republican candidates for President have been mostly silent about foreign policy issues. That changes starting tonight.

Defense and State Reining in CIA Drone War

The CIA’s drone war in Pakistan has gotten so out of hand that the Pentagon and State Department are reigning it in.

Obama’s Poll Rebound: Almost As Many Approve as Disapprove!

By popular demand: An assessment of the latest polling numbers.

What Is Iran Up To, If They’re Up To Anything?

What’s the logic behind Iran’s alleged plot to commit terrorist attacks inside the United States?

Afghanistan War at Ten

Ten years ago tomorrow, President Bush announced that “the United States military has begun strikes against al Qaeda terrorist training camps and military installations of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.”

There Really Is A Death Panel

We’re learning more about the Obama Administration’s decision to kill Anwar al-Awlaki

OTB Caption Contest Winners

The Custard’s Last Stand Edition OTB Caption ContestTM is now over.

The Death Of Anwar Al-Awlaki And The Imperial Presidency

Giving the President the unchecked power to kill American citizens raises some serious red flags.

Fact Checking Mitt Romney’s Claim That the President Has “Apologized For America”

During last night’s debate, Mitt Romney repeated a charge that has become part of the conservative zeitgeist. But is it true?

Does The 2012 Election Really Matter? Probably Not As Much As You Think

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

“We’ll Fight Against America For A Thousand Years If We Have To”: The Folly Of Afghanistan

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

Paul Krugman: 9/11 Has Become “An Occasion For Shame”

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

Are We Safer?

Measuring our progress a decade after the 9/11 attacks

America’s License to Kill

Killing’s our business and business is good.

Know Thine Enemy

Understanding why your enemy hates you seems to be an important thing, but some people would rather believe in caricatures.

Obama Re-Election Keys

A political scientist whose formula has correctly picked every presidential winner since 1984 says Barack Obama will be re-elected.

Mitt Romney’s Vanilla Foreign Policy

Romney’s VFW speech was filled with tropes and bromides but nothing that should raise eyebrows.

Ron Paul: American Foreign Policy Is The Primary Motivation For Terrorism

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