David Brooks has an excellent column today, and not for the usual reasons that liberals praise Brooks (and he drives conservatives crazy): because he comes halfway toward us. It’s because, in discussing the US Attorneys story, he nails a distinction that I, at least, was struggling with. (This is undoubtedly because I’m old and used [...]

Husband just asked me what I think of the Edwards’ decision. I don’t know anyone who is not a member of that family can speak to the actual wisdom or merits of their choice (is there anything more personal?) but I can say what I felt when I heard the news: It felt right to [...]

Several readers have wondered why I’m wasting my time with Eric Alterman. (Here’s today’s attack on me, by the way). Here’s why: I’ve noticed that a fair number of readers have, shall we say, a slightly inaccurate impression about who I am and what I care about. Where do they get these ideas? From intellectually [...]

Jay has a slightly counterintuitive thought on the Edwards announcement: John said that when the two of them were alone, Elizabeth was concerned about everyone but herself—her children, her husband and her country, in that order, but not herself. He clearly meant it to be inspiring, but there is also something discomfiting about that statement. [...]

Leahy gets persnickety with Specter’s claim that the WH has given them “something” by offering the off-the-record, unsworn, pre-scripted testimony of Rove and Meirs: No, no, what we’re told we can get is nothing, nothing, nothing. We’re told we can have a closed door meeting, with no transcript, not under oath, limited number of people [...]

Nothing else needs to be said. She’ll fight it–anyone who’s read her remarkable book knows she’ll fight it, and live with it, make jokes about it, blog about it, and talk and listen to others about their cancers obsessively. What a wonderful spirit she has.

Yesterday, I wrote–based on incomplete reporting of ongoing testimony (no criticism of live-blogger Brian Beutler; the hearing was in midstream when I posted)–that Al Gore seemed to be backing away from his carbon-payroll tax swap. I haven’t seen the complete testimony, and the press reports are not sufficiently wonky to give all the relevant details, [...]

I’m heading out today to Las Vegas, where I will be moderating a candidate forum on health care this Saturday, sponsored by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; SEIU, and the Center for American Progress Action Fund. All the candidates from both parties were invited, and the following Democrats accepted: Hillary Clinton, Chris Dodd, Barack [...]

The pan-partisan support and well-wishes for Mrs. Edwards has have been heartening to see — the other side of the political aisle has seen a similarly gracious if less highly visible wave of sympathy for the untimely passing of columnist Cathy Seipp. I didn’t know Cathy well, but I don’t think I’m going out on [...]