There’s a major, old-fashioned U.S. offensive taking place in Diyala province, north of Baghdad. Phillip Carter has an excellent account of the operation. But the most troubling aspect of the offensive was reported in the NY Times yesterday: Because at least half the insurgents escaped before an offensive last June, American planners deliberately kept most [...]

Some strange developments today: On the Republican side, Mitt Romney’s transparently hilarious campaign continues. When he lost Iowa, he arrived in New Hampshire aping the Iowa Democratic winner’s–Obama’s–message: change. Now he arrives in Michigan, aping the New Hampshire Democratic winner’s–Clinton’s– message: “We’re going to make sure this state gets on the move again,” Mr. Romney [...]