Every presidential campaign will be going full tilt until the last minute before midnight Saturday. That’s the deadline for first-quarter fundraising–and the first objective measure of how well they are doing at building the financial infrastructure to compete in a 2008 election where many experts say it will take $75 million or more just to [...]

This excellent piece by Edward Wong, the story of the casual assasination of a Sunni woman, is heartbreaking. It speaks to the difficulties in stopping the ethnic cleansing of neighborhoods, even though the Shiite militias have gone to ground. Note that the Iraqi troops involved are Kurds, not Arabs. Kurds are not native Arab-speakers, which [...]

Direct from the Judean Hills, a discussion middle east peace prospects. Is it possible that the United States is actually discouraging the Israelis from talking to the Syrians? (Of course it is.) Also from the Judean Hills, an exclusive interview with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Update: They don’t want American politicians talking to the [...]

After so many commenters last week smacked me and professed what is apparently an insatiable demand for coverage of health care policy (you know who you are, Jake Gittes and Brad DeLong), I thought I should provide a link to my story in this week’s dead-tree TIME. There will be a quiz. P.S. There’s plenty [...]

Today’s story in the Hill about John McCain’s flirtation with joining the Democratic Party certainly is astonishing, and yet no so. If I remember correctly, John Weaver was in a totally disgusted, party-switching mood himself around that time, and did some work for the DLC. (The presence of Bull Moose Marshall Wittman–who pointedly refused to [...]

The violence in Tal Afar is all the more depressing because that city was the site of the most recent, pre-Baghdad experiment in counter-insurgency tactics. The estimable scholar-warrior Col H.R. McMaster led the effort, and Bush praised it at the time…and it fell apart as soon as the Americans left. The point is, as I’ve [...]

Rugh-row: Sen. Charles Schumer then asked about Gonzales also claiming that he saw no documents on this matter. Sampson replied: “I don’t think it’s entirely accurate.” Schumer: “There was repeated discussions?” Sampson : “Yes.” Schumer: “As many as, say, five.” Sampson: “Yes.” Schumer then asked if Gonzales was truthful in saying Sampson’s information on the [...]

Well, not debate exactly, but definitely prep, which I can always use… Commenter Terrapin writes: Karen – I am thrilled to see that you are scheduled to appear on the Diane Rehm Show tomorrow morning at 10am EST. Although conservative voices consistently outweigh progressive voices on her panel it is still one of the best [...]

Last night was the second-biggest cocktail weenie roast of the year: The Radio and Television Correspondents’ Association Dinner, also known as “Junior Prom.” It’s a lot like the White House correspondents’ dinner, but with fewer fake famous people and worse entertainment. But the wine is free and if you, like me, get a kick out [...]