This is a terrific piece by Aryn Baker, Time’s intrepid Afghan correspondent, about a candidate who could have been a real contender in the Afghan presidential election–but suddenly chose not to run.

Here’s a story from me about the choice of Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions for ranking member of the Judiciary Committee. It’s an interesting gamble for Republicans because they’ll need a base-pleasing bomb thrower in that role — something Sessions has much practice in — but he’s going to be watched like a hawk by Civil [...]

As soon as the New York Times’ David Barstow won a Pulitzer Prize this year for his stories about how the Pentagon co-opted retired military officers who worked as television pundits and analysts, aides to former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld started complaining. This is how U.S. News summarized their complaint: “Does the Pulitzer give prizes [...]

In today’s WSJ, Brody Mullins and Brad Haynes show how some politicians become immortal.

Politico’s Mike Allen has this fascinating look at the talking points that pollster/wordsmith Frank Luntz has crafted for the House Republicans, as they consider how to approach health care reform. Luntz warns them that public sentiment in favor of fixing the broken system is too strong for them to oppose it directly: “The status quo [...]

Dom DeLuise There are so many moments. And another.

Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions has been named to replace Arlen Specter as the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee just in time to vet President Obama’s first Supreme Court nominee. This should make life lively as Sessions is hardly known as a wall flower (see links).

Time.com has published an excerpt from Elizabeth Edwards’ new book, which deals in some detail with the extramarital affair of her husband, former Democratic candidate for president John Edwards. Like most wives — or husbands — in my position, I wanted to believe his involvement with this woman had been as little as possible. A [...]