Friction Among Dems is a Good Thing - Markos Moulitsas, Newsweek
Rapid Rise of Hillary's Fortune - Sarah Baxter, Sunday Times
Ready for a Nomination Battle - Joan Vennochi, Boston Globe
McCain's Housing Restraint - George Will, Washington Post
Does Petraeus Have a Political Future? - Steven Myers, New York Times
Validating Foreign Policy Folly - Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune
Iraq Is a Mess. But Germany Was, Too - David Stafford, Washington Post
Bhutto and the Future of Islam - Fareed Zakaria, New York Times
What's Wrong at the CIA - David Ignatius, Washington Post
Shame on You, Mayor Kilpatrick - Leonoard Pitts, Seattle Times
Charlton Heston 1923-2008 - R. Welkos & S. King, Los Angeles Times
McCain Gives Unvarnished View of His Past - Laura Meckler, WSJ
The Democratic Tribes at War - Michael Barone, US News & World Report
Can Rendell Deliver For Clinton? - Karen Tumulty, Time
Last Call For Hillary - Mark Steyn, Orange County Register
It's All About White Guys Now - Gail Collins, New York Times
For Clintonites, It's Time For Obama - Tripp Jones, Boston Globe

Editorials
Some Truth About Trade - New York Times
A 2008 Contraction? - Washington Times
The Future of Entitlements - Washington Post
A Fence We Can Live With - Boston Herald

Political News & Analysis
'Warmonger' Comment Sets Off McCain/Obama Dispute - New York Times
Many Superdelegates in No Hurry To Pick Candidate - Washington Post
McCain Calls for Bipartisanship - Prescott Daily Courier
McCain Vocal on the War, But Silent on Son's Service - New York Times

Hillary's Kamikaze Campaign - Jonathan Chait, The New Republic
If System Made Sense, Clinton Would Be Far Ahead - Sean Wilentz, Salon
Obama's Gun Dance - Robert Novak, Chicago Sun-Times
Exit the Clinton Strategist - Mark Halperin, Time
The Shape of the Race to Come - William Kristol, New York Times
Falling Out of Love With Bill - Kurt Andersen, New York Magazine
The Three Revolutions - Henry Kissinger, Washington Post
What Happens After We Close Gitmo? - Jeffrey Toobin, The New Yorker
Iraq and Its Costs - Sens. Joe Lieberman & Lindsey Graham, Wall St. Journal
Iraq's Shiite Power Vacuum - Mohamad Bazzi, Christian Science Monitor
The Iraqis Step Up - Ralph Peters, New York Post
Zimbabwe's Razor Edge - Morgan Tsvangirai, The Guardian
The Colombia Trade Stakes - Sec. Condoleezza Rice, Wall Street Journal
The Coming Food Crisis - Paul Krugman, New York Times
The Cleansing Power of Recessions - Lawrence Kudlow, RealClearPolitics
Two Views on the Financial Crisis - Sebastian Mallaby, Washington Post
Europe's Overreaction to Climate Change - Nigel Lawson, Financial Times
Sunday TV: McCain on FNS | Casey, Rendell on MTP | Dean on This Week
RCP Blog: Daily 2008 / Politics Nation: AM Thoughts: Penn Axed

Editorials
Clinton Throws Penn Under the Bus - New York Sun
Washington's Spending Habit - San Francisco Chronicle
Tehran's Murderous Role - Washington Times
Price Shock in Global Food - Christian Science Monitor

Political News & Analysis
Under Pressure, Penn Leaves Post - New York Times
Obama May Not Have Contained Wright Damage - Wall Street Journal
The Next Campaign Stop: Iraq Hearings - Washington Post
Democrats Look to Fatten Lead in House, Senate - San Francisco Chronicle

'Strike Force' Exposes Obama's Defense Weaknessby Jennifer RubinThe more Barack Obama talks about Iraq, the more obvious it is that he has not the foggiest notion of the basics of military strategy. Obama's Extreme Liberalism Still Under the Radarby Sean P. TrendeThe Virginia governor's race of Republican Jerry Kilgore against Democrat Tim Kaine is a lesson on how to combat Obama.

Hornberger’s Blog
Tuesday, April 8, 2008

What Motivates the Terrorists?
by Jacob G. Hornberger

Immediately after 9/11, U.S. officials, led by President Bush and Vice-President Cheney, announced that the attacks were motivated by hatred for America’s freedom and values.

Not so, responded we libertarians. Instead, the anger and hatred that people have in the Middle East for the United States is rooted in U.S. foreign policy, specifically the bad things that the U.S. government has done to people in that part of the world.

What libertarians were referring to were such things as the ouster of Iran’s democratically elected prime minister, the support of Saddam Hussein, the Persian Gulf intervention, the intentional destruction of Iraq’s water-and-sewage treatment plants, the more than a decade of brutal sanctions, the statement by UN Ambassador Madeleine Albright that the deaths of half-a-million Iraqi children from the sanctions were “worth it,” the illegal and deadly no-fly zones, the stationing of U.S. troops on Islamic holy lands, the support of authoritarian monarchies, and the unconditional financial and military support of the Israeli government.

Recently, eight British Muslim men were put on trial for terrorism in London. Consider the following statements made by these men, as reported in an article in last Saturday’s Washington Post:

“This is revenge for the actions of the U.S.A. in the Muslim lands and their accomplices, such as the British and the Jews.”

“This is a warning to the nonbelievers that if they do not leave our lands, there are many more like us.”

“Sheik Osama has warned you many times to leave our lands or you will be destroyed, and now the time has come for you to be destroyed.”

“Stop meddling in our affairs.”

“I say to you disbelievers that as you bomb, you will be bombed, and as you kill, you will be killed. And if you want to kill our women and children, then the same thing will happen to you.”

Now, I ask you: In all those statements, how much hatred for America’s (or Britain’s) freedom and values do you find? On the other hand, how much anger and hatred for U.S. (and British) imperial and interventionist foreign policy do you find?

At the very least, don’t the American people and the British people owe it to themselves to accept reality with respect to their governments’ foreign policies rather than live lives of falsehood and delusion? At least then, they would have a better grip on what their troops and citizenry are killing and dying for and what they are losing their liberty for.

Mr. Hornberger is founder and president of The Future of Freedom Foundation.

Obama's Happy, Drama-Free Appeal - Roger Simon, The Politico
The Errors Haunting Clinton - E. J. Dionne, Washington Post
McCain's Foreign Policy Problem - Pat Buchanan, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Neocon Nation: Neoconservatism, c. 1776 - Robert Kagan, World Affairs
Obama's Wife & Their Spiritual Adviser - Stuart Taylor, National Journal
Obama Must Give Another Race Speech - Richard Cohen, Washington Post
Mark Penn's Missed Microtrends - Peter Feld, Portfolio
Candidates May Draw New Map - Gerald Seib, Wall Street Journal
In Iraq, A Network of Truces - David Brooks, New York Times
Another Crocker-Petraeus Show - HDS Greenway, Boston Globe
Resist the Urge to Leave Iraq - Max Boot, Los Angeles Times
Dangerous Dozen Open House Seats - Stuart Rothenberg, Roll Call
21-Gun Salute for Charlton Heston - Mick Hume, Times of London
Economic Crisis: A Deficit of Leadership - Joseph Stiglitz, The Guardian
Misreading Japan, Misdiagnosing U.S. - Carl Schramm, RealClearMarkets
The Political Threats to Globalisation - Gideon Rachman, Financial Times
Politics Leaves Colombia in the Cold - George Will, Washington Post
RCP Blog: Clinton Slippage in PA | Dly 08 / Politics Nation: Petraeus Day

Editorials
The Sin of Speaking Truth - Washington Post
The Petraeus Effect - Wall Street Journal
More Time for More of the Same? - New York Times
China's Blind Spot Over Olympics and Tibet - Daily Telegraph

Political News & Analysis
Congress to Hear of Gains in Iraq - Washington Post
War in Spotlight, Campaigns Converge on Washington - New York Times
McCain Rebukes Democrats on Iraq - Los Angeles Times
Clinton Wants Bush to Skip Olympic Open - USA Today

Americans Are Buying the McCain Illusion - Margaret Carlson, Bloomberg
Increasingly Shrill Attacks on McCain - Steve Huntley, Chicago Sun-Times
Colombia Trade Pact's Promise - Edward Schumacher-Matos, Boston Globe
The Bottom Line: Paying for War - Ronald Brownstein, National Journal
Taking a Stand Against Iran - Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post
Freedom Losing Out to Authoritarianism - Gerard Baker, Times of London
The Iraq Conundrum - Robert Robb, Arizona Republic
Turning No Corners in Iraq - E. J. Dionne, Washington Post
Democrats and Heretics - Kimberley Strassel, Wall Street Journal
Conflicting Realities In McCainland - Jason Zengerle, The New Republic
The Story of Barack Obama's Mother - Amanda Ripley, Time
The Perfect Pope for the Internet Age - Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal
The Turmoil Olympics - Ian Bremmer, RealClearPolitics
The Superclass: Running the World - David Rothkoph, Newsweek
George Soros: Face of a Prophet? - Louis Story, New York Times
The New York Times Bombs in Basra - Mickey Kaus, Slate
Press 1, Troops 0 - Ralph Peters, New York Post
RCP Blog: Interview with Carly Fiorina | The Best Weekend of the Year

Editorials
Carter's Foolish Journey - Chicago Tribune
The Wartime Economy - Los Angeles Times
Pelosi's Colombia Sellout - New York Post
Drop Dead, Colombia - Washington Post

Political News & Analysis
McCain Reverses on Mortgage Position - New York Times
Democrats Signal Plan of Attack on McCain - The Hill
In Indiana: Obama Goes North, Bill Clinton South - Indianapolis Star
Clinton Basks in Local Leaders Support - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Blessing vs. Damning America
Paul Kengor
The spiritual mentors of Ronald Reagan shaped his understanding and vision of America's role in the world. Why would anyone assume the same does not hold true for Barack Obama? More

Diplomacy is not the Dr. Phil Show!
Peggy Shapiro
The going theory in the world of media psychology is that people need to confront their demons and talk over problems in order to repair relationships. The next logical step is to conclude that what works on the personal level can be applied to the political More

Xinjiang Province - The Islamic Jihad Battlefront in China
Janet Levy
Tibetans are not the only unhappy minority in China. Islamic jihadists are battling Beijing, too. More

While senators fiddle
April 11, 2008
Everything about this week's Senate hearings was disgraceful. Senator Carl Levin, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, started the hearing by reading his conclusions. More

Important comments from General Keane
April 11, 2008
Former Vice-Chief of Staff General Jack Keane Keane had some very interesting things to say about the Iraq conflict. On, of all places, PBS. More

How do you solve a problem like Petraeus?
April 11, 2008
General David Petraeus is a problem for the Left. Not only has he falsified their predictions of a quagmire and facilitated the emergence of a new democratic political system in Iraq, he is brilliant, accomplished (PhD from Princeton) and strikingly handsome. More

Spy Photos Reveal Secret Iran Missile Site
April 11, 2008
Bad news about Iranian ICBM development. More

Bill Clinton Spins Hillary's Bosnia Caper
April 11, 2008
Showing that the public perception of Hillary Clinton took a hit as a result of her lies about landing in Bosnia under fire, Bill Clinton sought to "explain" what Hillary was really trying to say. More

Teaching Jihad in the Heartland
April 11, 2008
What would you say about a public charter school using taxpayer money, founded by a group with ties to the radical Muslim Brotherhood, and operating out of a mosque? More

Evidently the Olympics aren't about Freedom
April 11, 2008
The Olympic farce continues to unfold More

Taxpayers Fund Bill Clinton Spending
April 11, 2008
Leave it to Bill Clinton to take advantage of the system and outdo all of his predecessors by digging in and helping himself to goodies at the taxpayer's expense: More

Mixed Muslim message in 'war on terror'
The majority of the 57 member states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference lend territorial or military assistance of different shades to the United States' "war on terror". This appears to belie any imminent "clash of civilizations". Yet while the governments side with the US, their citizens have vehemently anti-American positions. - Sreeram Chaulia (Apr 11, '08)

A US war at the polls
While the George W Bush administration claims its Iraq policy is not beholden to public opinion polls in the United States, it is increasingly difficult to view US strategy, as unveiled in congressional hearings this week, as doing anything more than reducing violence now to quell domestic dissent against the war. (Apr 11, '08)

COMMENT
US candidates ride the China bogey
Democratic presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have both seized on China as potentially being able to damage the United States' foreign policy, as well as its economy. They are correct, but for all their rhetoric they avoid naming the US's many problems or offering solutions. - Dmitry Shlapentokh (Apr 11, '08)

US edges closer to engaging Iran

Iran has condemned attacks on the Green Zone in Baghdad, distancing itself from provocative acts against the United States, while also downplaying Israel's massive military exercises. This comes as Tehran acknowledges the receipt of an official Washington suggestion for a next round of talks on Iraq. With the US position eroding fast in Iraq, there is a strong sense the George W Bush administration is taking the plunge for unconditional talks with Iran. - M K Bhadrakumar (Apr 11, '08)

Tehran keeps its options open
Iran's reluctance to jump into another round of dialogue with the United States over Iraq stems from its belief that no tangible results can be gained as long as Washington constantly demonizes Iran and fails to appreciate its true role in Iraq. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi (Apr 11, '08)

Mixed Muslim message in 'war on terror'
The majority of the 57 member states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference lend territorial or military assistance of different shades to the United States' "war on terror". This appears to belie any imminent "clash of civilizations". Yet while the governments side with the US, their citizens have vehemently anti-American positions. - Sreeram Chaulia (Apr 11, '08)

A US war at the polls
While the George W Bush administration claims its Iraq policy is not beholden to public opinion polls in the United States, it is increasingly difficult to view US strategy, as unveiled in congressional hearings this week, as doing anything more than reducing violence now to quell domestic dissent against the war. (Apr 11, '08)

COMMENT
US candidates ride the China bogey
Democratic presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have both seized on China as potentially being able to damage the United States' foreign policy, as well as its economy. They are correct, but for all their rhetoric they avoid naming the US's many problems or offering solutions. - Dmitry Shlapentokh (Apr 11, '08)

BOOK REVIEW
Beyond the statue's cold frown
Young Stalin by Simon Sebag Montefiore
The early years of Joseph Stalin make for an exotic tale. Widowed at 22, Stalin's heart turned to socialism and he soon grew into a gangster chief, a four-time political exile and a talented poet. In evocative prose, Montefiore casts new light on a man whose name is a byword for ruthless and dictatorial government and at the same time adds depth and context to a dominant 20th century leader. - Fraser Newham (Apr 11, '08)

SEX IN DEPTH
My big, fat Triad wedding
Hong Kong's sex trade exists under the omnipresent influence of notorious Triad crime syndicates, and what better way to find the facts than to attend a high-ranking Triad wedding? Call it an invitation one couldn't refuse, but the results were intriguing - and as illuminating as the city's famous Wan Chai district on a Saturday night. - William Sparrow (Apr 11, '08)



The Taliban talk the talk
Another spring, another promised Taliban offensive in Afghanistan. This time it will be different, claim the Taliban, bolstered by hard-nosed tacticians and seasoned fighters who have honed their skills in Kashmir and the Pakistani tribal areas. Coalition forces in Afghanistan, while concerned over disruptions to their supply lines, are unmoved: bring them on, they say. - Syed Saleem Shahzad (Apr 10, '08)

Carryings on up the Khyber
The Taliban have identified the town of Torkham, at the Afghanistan end of the fabled Khyber Pass, as a crucial weak point in the supply lines that maintain the international military presence in Afghanistan. Significantly, the first in a planned series of six joint intelligence centers along the border has been opened at Torkham, in what the US describes as "a giant step forward". If only Pakistan would play along. (Apr 10, '08)

Tibet a defining issue for China
The uprising in Lhasa and the ensuing demonstrations in areas of China populated by ethnic Tibetans created a series of issues for the future of the country. These challenges go beyond the simple scope of the protests and far beyond the pressing issue of assuring the peaceful completion of the Beijing Olympic Games in August. The issues are radical - those of history, geography and the role of China in the world. - Francesco Sisci (Apr 10, '08)

Dollar can be saved from self-mutilation
The US dollar has been continuously debased for three decades, despite the damage this was doing to America's industrial capital. Such self-mutilation is not irreversible. But it calls for discipline, a cutback on wasteful consumption, savings, and, above all, monetary leadership. - Antal E Fekete (Apr 10, '08)

THE MOGAMBO GURU
Perched on an economic fault line
Weird things are getting ever weirder as the US financial system cracks and crumbles - and we're not just talking about plans to give the economy-wrecking Federal Reserve even more sweeping powers, even as the gravy flows and flows through its emergency lending spigot. There's this: Wall Street's big guns are now booking gains on the declining value of their own debt! (Apr 10, '08)

War and peace, Israeli style
Israel's massive military exercises on the Syrian border have significantly raised tension between the two countries, even as their leaders downplay the development. At first glance, it is in nobody's interest to see yet another war. Yet in their relentless pursuit of Hezbollah, the Israelis have good reason to wage a limited battle on the group's natural ally, Syria - and then seek peace on their own terms. - Sami Moubayed (Apr 9, '08)

THE ROVING EYE
Evil Iran, the new al-Qaeda
The recent opinion piece by senators Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham was soothing for George W Bush administration supporters in its assurances that the "surge" in Iraq is successful as well as noble. It also served as a convenient demonizing of Iran. As for the majority of the American public, which has had enough of an endless war, it's nothing but an insult to their collective intelligence. - Pepe Escobar (Apr 9, '08)

The Return of Big Gov't - James Pethokoukis, US News & World Report
It's a Crisis, and Ideas Are Scarce - Floyd Norris, New York Times
The Lazy, Crazy Middle Class - Christopher Caldwell, Financial Times
Uncle Sam Pays? Sure, Whatever - Michael Barone - RealClearPolitics
Opponents Paint Obama as an Elitist - Bacon & Murray, Washington Post
If Obama Wins, Clinton's Legacy Looks Smaller - Eleanor Clift, Newsweek
Identity Politics Has Divided Dems - Jerry Bowyer, Wall Street Journal
Dem Race: Preparation vs. Inspiration - David Shribman, Pittsburgh PG
John McCain: Mr. Conservative - Jonathan Rauch, The Atlantic
Can McCain Win Massachusetts? - Anil Adyanthaya, RealClearPolitics
The Popular Vote's Margin Of Error - Mark Blumenthal, National Journal
Semantics Can't Mask Bush's Chicanery - Robert Fisk, The Independent
Vultures of the Left - Dean Barnett, Weekly Standard
The Futile 'Lights Out' Campaign - Byorn Lomborg, The Guardian
Spying on Greenpeace - James Ridgeway, Mother Jones
Attack of the Preschool Perverts - Mark Steyn, Orange County Register
Obama as an Art Form - Meghan Daum, Los Angeles Times

The 'New Math' in Election 2008 - Howard Fineman, Newsweek
Obama's Slight a Big-Time Error - Michael Goodwin, New York Daily News
12 Reasons 'Bitter' is Bad News for Obama - Mike Allen, The Politico
Calling Obama An Elitist Is A Stretch - David Brody, CBN News
Carter and Gore to End Clinton's Bid? - Chris Stephen, The Scotsman
Inventing John McCain - Sasha Issenberg, Boston Globe
The Year of Taking Offense - Fred Barnes, Weekly Standard
Bill's Back - And Hillary Cringes - Maureen Dowd, New York Times
Economy Always in 'Crisis' in Election Yrs - George Will, NH Union Leader
Does Obama Know the World? - Richard Wolffe and Michael Hirsh, Newsweek
Bush Fires Off Warning to Foes - Greg Sheridan, The Australian
Is This the Year We Get Bin Laden? - Steve Coll, Los Angeles Times
The Best Route to Airline Safety - Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune
War at the Pentagon - Jim Hoagland, Washington Post
Perseverance Pays Off in Baghdad - Melik Kaylan, Wall Street Journal
Is It Time To Ask Milton Friedman? - Peter Goodman, New York Times
Making the World A Billion Times Better - Ray Kurzweil, Washington Post

Hillary Clinton's Last Big Opening
April 12, 2008
Barack Obama's elitist remarks about God, guns, and bigotry represent Hillary Clinton's last chance to alter the dynamics of the campaign More

Sen. Obama, meet Dr. Freud
April 12, 2008
Let's see if Obama and his inner circle have any of the same qualities he attributes to small town America More

Who is happier?
April 13, 2008
Now that Senator Obama has placed bitterness of political factions on the national agenda, it is time to revisit the literature on the happiness and optimism of conservatives versus liberals. More

The bitter left
April 13, 2008
Politician, heal thyself (and thy electoral base). More evidence Senator Obama is projecting his own side's anger onto others. More

Bob Barr: Obama Doesn't Understand Freedom
April 12, 2008
Former Representative Bob Barr, who is reportedly giving a run for the presidency as a Libertaran serious consideration, said that Obama's remarks about God and guns shows him to be "simplistic and very arrogant: More

McCain Campaign Will Be a Long Balancing Act - Al Hunt, Bloomberg
Obama's Mask Slips - William Kristol, New York Times
What Would Hillary Clinton Presidency Look Like? - Carl Bernstein, CNN
Four Big Problems with Obama's "Cling" Gaffe - Mickey Kaus, Slate
The Politics of Condescension - Noemie Emery, Weekly Standard
Is John McCain Bob Dole? - John Heilemann, New York Magazine
McCain's Electoral College Math - Richard Baehr, American Thinker
Is Bob Barr the GOP's Ralph Nader? - George Will, Newsweek
Clinton's Debt to Penn - Robert Novak, Chicago Sun-Times
A Crisis of Confidence - Paul Krugman, New York Times
The Health Insurance Mafia - Jonathan Kellerman, Wall Street Journal
Don't Feed China's Nationalism - Fareed Zakaria, Newsweek
Is America Being Overtaken by the Rest? - Ian Buruma, The New Yorker
Hope for Iraq's Meanest City - Michael Totten, City Journal
What Can We Expect From Benedict? - Stephen Prothero, USA Today
What Clinton Wishes She Could Say - John Harris & Jim VandeHei, Politico
Obama's Slight a Big-Time Error - Michael Goodwin, New York Daily News

Editorials
Complex Tax Code Creates Jobs -- for Accountants - USA Today
What Happened to Barack Obama's Promise? - Washington Post
The Wrong Way on Housing - Chicago Tribune
The Danger in 'Anecdotalizing' - Los Angeles Times

Political News & Analysis
Obama Goes On Offense Over Remarks - Wall Street Journal
Clinton, Obama Share Views of Faith at Forum - Harrisburg Patriot News
Rendell Says Obama Doesn't Know People of Pa. - Pittsburgh P-G
Clinton Visits Scranton, Renews Attacks on Obama - Scranton Times

Outside Forces Will Detemine McCain's Fate - Right Wing Nut House
Obama's Trade Pandering - The Corner
You Bitter? - Talking Points Memo
McCain to staff: Hands off of Hillary - Michelle Malkin
Partisanship vs. Post-Partisanship - Booman Tribune

Bill Clinton's $30 million German paymaster
April 14, 2008
That astounding figure represents what John Rosenthal calculates Bill Clinton may have received from German publishing giant Bertelsmann More

Hillary up by 20 in New PA Poll (updated)
April 14, 2008
A new poll in Pennsylvania may be the first indication that Obama's verbal gaffe last weekend in San Francisco is not going over well with the public. More

Obama and Allies Dodging the essence of his remarks
April 14, 2008
Obama has been spinning like a top since it was revealed that he doesn't think much of white middle class voters who won't vote for him because they "cling" to God, guns, and racism. More

Obama's Posters: Message in the Image
April 15, 2008
There is something unsettling and very familiar in the Obama poster campaign which has plastered his image over the country. More

Rezko mention on 60 Minutes
April 14, 2008
There was a passing reference to Tony Rezko on last night's 60 Minutes broadcast in a report concerning corruption in Iraq. More

What's the message here?
April 14, 2008
The Huffington Post ran a photo montage that absolutely stuns me More

• McCain's Electoral College Math - Richard Baehr

• Norman Hsu Who? - Lee Cary

• Obama Chic - James Lewis

Faith in Spotlight, Candidates Battle for Catholic Votes
By ROBIN TONERDemocrats, who lost among Catholics in the 2004 presidential election, are trying to woo them back.

April 15, 2008
Some Perspective on ‘Bitter’
By BOB HERBERTBarack Obama should be advised to meet as often as possible with skeptical, and even hostile, working people in Pennsylvania and elsewhere.

April 15, 2008
At Developer’s Trial, Witness Recalls Seeing Obamas at 2004 Party for Investor
By CHRISTOPHER DREWBarack Obama’s campaign has said that he does not recall meeting the investor, who has been convicted on fraud charges in Europe.

April 15, 2008
A Speech About Nothing
By DAVID BROOKSBarack Obama’s speech on Monday on the economy put him in the no-man’s land between Lou Dobbs-style populism and Bill Clinton-style free trade.

April 15, 2008
McCain Joins Fray on Obama
By ELISABETH BUMILLER and JEFF ZELENYIn his first public remarks on the issue, John McCain said that comments by Barack Obama about working-class voters were “elitist.”

April 15, 2008

Faith in Spotlight, Candidates Battle for Catholic Votes
By ROBIN TONERDemocrats, who lost among Catholics in the 2004 presidential election, are trying to woo them back.

April 15, 2008
At Clinton’s Side in Pennsylvania, a Dedicated and Often Blunt Promoter
By KATHARINE Q. SEELYEGov. Edward G. Rendell is an undeniable asset for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in Pennsylvania.

April 15, 2008

Some Perspective on ‘Bitter’
By BOB HERBERT Barack Obama should be advised to meet as often as possible with skeptical, and even hostile, working people in Pennsylvania and elsewhere.

Faith in Spotlight, Candidates Battle for Catholic Votes
By ROBIN TONERDemocrats, who lost among Catholics in the 2004 presidential election, are trying to woo them back.

April 15, 2008
Rice Rules Out Spot on McCain Ticket
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSSecretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she would return to academic pursuits at the end of the Bush administration.

April 15, 2008
McCain Joins Fray on Obama
By ELISABETH BUMILLER and JEFF ZELENYIn his first public remarks on the issue, John McCain said that comments by Barack Obama about working-class voters were “elitist.”

April 15, 2008

Obama's Gaffe and the November Election - John Judis, The New Republic
Small Town Whites & the Super Delegates - Jay Cost, RealClearPolitics
Dems Making It Too Easy for GOP - E. J. Dionne, Houston Chronicle
Is Obama Ready for Prime Time? - John Fund, Wall Street Journal
Critics Needed Ammo to Drag Down Obama - Ed Kilgore, RealClearPolitics
Candidate on a High Horse - George Will, Washington Post
Some Perspective on 'Bitter' - Bob Herbert, New York Times
A Living Lie - Thomas Sowell, RealClearPolitics
Hillary Clinton the Straight Shooter - Roger Simon, The Politico
The Rich and Their Taxes - Steven Malanga, RealClearMarkets
They Should Be Called Dues, Not Taxes - Richard Conniff, New York Times
Even a Slowdown Brings Some Good News - Philip Stephens, Financial Times
What Price Freedom? - Larry Kudlow, RealClearPolitics
Iceland's Deep Freeze - James Surowiecki, The New Yorker
Blaming It On Trade is the Easy Way Out - David Brooks, New York Times
Mugabe Must Be Brought to His Knees - Graham Boynton, Daily Telegraph
Benedict's Charge for America - John O'Sullivan, New York Post
New Democratic Polls: PA: Clinton +6 | NC: Obama +20 | IN: Clinton +16
RCP Blog: PA #'s | Politics Nation: DNC vs. Mac | Videos: New '08 Ads

Editorials
Welcoming Pope Benedict - New York Daily News
Southern Africa Fails Zimbabwe - Financial Times
The Tax Loophole Factory - Wall Street Journal
Complex Tax Code Creates Jobs -- for Accountants - USA Today

Political News & Analysis
McCain To Show Mixed Approach to Economy - Wall Street Journal
Labor Wants Action on Jobs, China - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Faith in the Spotlight, Candidates Court Catholics - New York Times
Clinton Outlines Views on Manufacturing - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Tax Loophole Factory - Editorial, Wall Street Journal
The Rich and Their Taxes - Steven Malanga, RealClearMarkets
Tax Freedom Day Is Eight Days Away - Editorial, Investor's Business Daily
Why I Love the Taxman - Mark Gimein, Slate
McCain Came Late to Tax Cutting - R. Gordon & J. Kvaal, New Republic
Obama Straddles Populism and Free Trade - David Brooks, NY Times
Even Slowdowns Bring Good News - Philip Stephens, Financial Times
Politicians Won't Properly Discuss Trade - The Economist
The Taming of Merrill Lynch - Gary Weiss, Portfolio
What Warren Buffett Thinks... - Nicholas Varchaver, Fortune
Interview with Cerberus's Stephen Feinberg - A. Ross Sorkin, NYT
Trichet Spells Out G7 Dollar Policy - Gerard Baker, Times of London

Obama: Silence in the face of evil
Peggy Shapiro
Barack Obama, the eloquent speaker who mesmerizes the media, falls strangely silent when his words are needed to stand up against evil, intolerance or injustice. More

Good grief, Gordon Brown!
James Lewis
Just before Prime Minister Gordon Brown's trip to Washington, he leaked a gratuitous media insult to George W. Bush, with whom he meets today. More

Obama, CEO Pay, and the Politics of Class Envy
Lee Cary
Populism uses the politics of discontent. Barack Obama's recurring comparisons between CEO and average worker salaries is a class-warfare play on resentment More

Has 'Peak Oil' Arrived
April 15, 2008
A Vice President of Russia's largest independent oil company says that oil production in that country has peaked and in the future will begin declining: More

Right Fight, Wrong Word - Dan Schnur, New York Times
Of Bitterness and Boilermakers - Barbara Ehrenreich, Slate
Dems Enter the Dead Zone - Michael Goodwin, New York Daily News
Clinton's Last Chance: Go Negative - Doug Schoen, Washington Post
The Comeback Kid on a Comedown Tour - Jason Horowitz, NY Observer
The Age of Nonpolarity - Richard Haass, Foreign Affairs
Enlarging the Anglosphere - Gordon Brown, Wall Street Journal
Legitimizing Hamas - Matthew Levitt, Weekly Standard
Is Berlusconi the Savior That Italy Needs? - Ivor Roberts, The Independent
Has Gay Marriage Been a Mistake for Canada? - Mike Coren, National Post
Cost of Green Tinkering is Famine, Starvation - Simon Jenkins, Guardian
We Are All Global Alarmists Now? - Tony Blankley, Washington Times
Ignoring Economic Reality on Trade - Robert Samuelson, Newsweek
Reverse Snobbery on the Campaign Trail - Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune
The Politics of Bitterness - Michael Gerson, Washington Post
Dems Shoot For June Solution - Scot Lehigh, Boston Globe
Quarrelsome Nation: The 13 American Arguments - Heather Wilhelm, RCP
LA Times/Bloomberg: PA: Clinton +5 | IN: Obama +5 | NC: Obama +13

Editorials
McCain-omics - Wall Street Journal
Obama's Moment of Truth - San Francisco Chronicle
Jimmy Carter and Hamas - Washington Times
Virginia Tech Massacre: One Year Later - Newport News Daily Press

Political News & Analysis
Obama's Claim of Independence Questioned - USA Today
McCain Details Economic Plans - Wall Street Journal
Obama Narrows Gap In State - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
'Bitter' Flap Regrettable Obama Says - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Obama Aesthetic
Thomas Lifson
Barack Obama's campaign has been all about image. The well-dressed, impeccably groomed, and elegantly articulate speaker was able to speak of hope, change, and unity, and for awhile the public bought it. More

Stalking Barack Obama
James Lewis
There are striking parallels between the Obama "bitter bomb" that Hillary brought up again in the debate Wednesday night and the dirty tricks campaign last year that shot down Republican George Allen's campaign for US Senate from Virginia. More

Compassion, Conception, and the Democrats
Paul Kengor
The media's double standard in its treatment of Republicans and Democrats who talk faith is truly remarkable. Last weekend's "Compassion Forum" for the Democratic presidential contenders provided a great example. More

McCain Floats Above the Fray - Joe Klein, Time
How Obama's Misstep Has Changed the Race - Kimberley Strassel, WSJ
Hillary Shamelessly Won't Let It Go - Mary Mitchell, Chicago Sun-Times
Obama Looks More and More Like Kerry '04 - Michael Hirsh, Newsweek
McCain Readies Unorthodox Campaign - Jonathan Martin, The Politico
The End of Nonproliferation - Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post
In Praise of Papal Criticism - Kathleen Parker, RealClearPolitics
The Pontiff's Counterculture - E. J. Dionne, Houston Chronicle
How Obama and Ayers Became News - Joanna Weiss, Boston Globe
Dem Candidates Scoring with 'Bitter' Voters - Stuart Rothenberg, Roll Call
McCain Bucks Congress' Waste of Dollars - Steve Huntley, Chicago ST
Italy's Conservative Comeback - Amir Taheri, New York Post
The Rising Impact of High Oil Prices - Ron Scherer, CS Monitor
Too Few Funds to Fight Cancer in U.S. - Weiner & Berg, SD Union-Tribune
Risky Business of Regulating Risk - Henry Miller, Investor's Business Daily
Banks Looking Up, from Deep Hole - Floyd Norris, New York Times
Race Magnifies Internet's Media Role - John Ibbitson, Globe and Mail
RCP Blog: PA Poll: Clinton Edges Up | Leno, Letterman & Colbert

Editorials
Toughen Penalties for Serial Drunk Drivers - San Diego Union-Tribune
Pope Benedict & President Bush: Fellow Warriors - Investor's Business Dly
Still Awaiting an Accounting from the Pope - New York Times
The Delta-Northwest Deal - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Political News & Analysis
Clinton's Goal: Win Big in Pa., Sow Doubt About Obama - WSJ
'Really Nice' Clinton Woos Philly Suburbs - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
DNC Poring Over Agencies' Records For Dirt on McCain - The Hill
McCain's Plans for Tax Cuts, Balanced Budget Don't Add Up - Bloomberg

Obama Fights on Two Fronts - Shailagh Murray and Perry Bacon, Wash Post
The Democrats' Road Map to Defeat - Bob Herbert, New York Times
The Rules Change for Obama - Michael Barone, US News & World Report
Conservatives Perfect Working-Class PC - Jonathan Chait, New Republic
Obama's Secret Weapon: The Media - Harris and VandeHei, The Politico
Hillary Falling Away - Michael Hirsh, Newsweek
God and Guns? Heck, Yes - Mark Steyn, Orange County Register
Tough Questions or Just Plain Bias? - Derrick Jackson, Boston Globe
Krugman's Latest Attack on Obama - Alan Abramowitz, RealClearPolitics
South Carolina's Contender - Brendan Miniter, Wall Street Journal
How to Pick a VP - Carl Leubsdorf, Dallas Morning News
Whither Hagel Endorsement - Robert Novak, Chicago Sun-Times
Whose Portrait Will Hang in White House? - David Shribman, Pitt P-G
Bush Lame, But Still Game - Fred Barnes, Weekly Standard
The False Hope of Embracing Hamas - Robert Satloff, Los Angeles Times
What We Learned From the Surge - Jonathan Rauch, National Journal
Benedict and Bush - Rich Lowry, New York Post
Dem Polls: Newsweek: Obama +19 | Gallup: Obama +3 | Ras: Obama +5

Editorials
The Intellectual Poverty of Free-Trade Opponents - Washington Post
Playing 'Gotcha' Politics - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Benedict's Mission of Healing - St. Petersburg Times
Time's Green Bomb - Investor's Business Daily

Political News & Analysis
Hundreds Vote Early in Charlotte - Charlotte Observer
Clinton Works to Win Back Black Women - Charlotte Observer
Clinton, Obama Pick Up Endorsements - Wall Street Journal
Obama Fights on Two Fronts - Washington Post

Brush It Off: Obama's Hip-Hop Moment - Maureen Dowd, New York Times
Will Clinton's 'Republican' Tactics Backfire? - Sarah Baxter, Sunday Times
Elite Democrats Lose - Salena Zito, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
The Case for Obama and Clinton - John Kerry & Ed Rendell, Newsweek
An Endless Primary Destroyed Both Candidates - Kirsten Powers, NY Post
About Obama's Terrorist Acquaintance - Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune
Why Did He Stick by Tony Rezko? - David Ignatius, Washington Post
Obama: Can't 'Swift Boat' Me - M. Hosenball and M. Isikoff, Newsweek
Shoddy! Tawdry! A Televised Train Wreck! - Frank Rich, New York Times
Obama Fights on Two Fronts - Shailagh Murray and Perry Bacon, Wash Post
The Rules Change for Obama - Michael Barone, US News & World Report
Obama's Secret Weapon: The Media - John Harris & Jim VandeHei, Politico
God and Guns? Heck, Yes - Mark Steyn, Orange County Register
Conservatives Perfect Working-Class PC - Jonathan Chait, New Republic
The Democrats' Road Map to Defeat - Bob Herbert, New York Times
Why Not Blame Obama? - Larry Kudlow, RealClearPolitics
Hillary Falling Away - Michael Hirsh, Newsweek

Editorials
When to Talk to Thugs - New York Post
The Intellectual Poverty of Free-Trade Opponents - Washington Post
Playing 'Gotcha' Politics - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Benedict's Mission of Healing - St. Petersburg Times

Political News & Analysis
Obama Whistle-Stops Through Southeast Pa. - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
McCain: A Question of Temperament - Washington Post
Clinton Seeks New Sources of Cash - New York Times
Clinton Finds Friends in the Mon Valley - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Best of the Blogs
Clinton Trashes "Activists" and MoveOn at Fundraiser - Daily Kos
Thomas Jefferson at 265 - Power Line
Commodity-Price Bubble - Redstate
Explaining Michigan and Florida - Open Left
MoveOn, Clinton and Obama - Marc Ambinder, Atlantic

President Obama and a Nuclear Iran
James Lewis
Assume for a moment: It's January, 2009, and Barack Obama has just been inaugurated as President of the United States. Ahmadi-Nejad explodes his first Bomb More

The Taxpayer Frog In the IRS Pot
Randall Hoven
You know the story. Put a frog in hot water and he'll jump out, but put him in cooler water and slowly raise the heat and he'll stay in even as he boils to death. More

Barack Obama & the Wisdom of Forrest Gump
Lee Cary
The simple yet profound wisdom of the movie character Forrest Gump has entered the Democratic race for the nomination. This time, though, the lesson is: arrogance is as arrogance does. More

Cliché alert
April 21, 2008
Watch out for "Wal-Mart women" as the newest demographic group group "holding the key" to the election. More

Rice Pokes al-Sadr with a Pointy Stick
April 21, 2008
File this one under "Gaffes - Secretary of State:" More

Rejoice! Jimmy Carter Says Hamas Wants Peace
April 21, 2008
The former President, it turns out, has everything all worked out and all that Israel needs to do is surrender to the Hamas terrorists More

Terrorists and the Dem candidates
April 21, 2008
Disturbing documents ocuments captured from FARC show that the movement has been in touch with people it believes are connected with the Obama campaign. But Obama is not the only Dem needing to be questioned about Latin terrorists. More

Perspective on Pennsylvania economy
April 20, 2008
To hear the Democrats talk, one would think that Pennsylvania is a basket case economy. That doesn't seem to be the case More

New Poll has Clinton holding lead in PA
April 20, 2008
A new MSNBC-McClatchy poll shows Hillary Clinton maintaining a small lead in Pennsylvania in the lead up to the primary there on Tuesday: More

Military urges more Pakistan attacks
April 20, 2008
Military commanders in Afghanistan are urging Bush Administration officials to allow them to attack Pakistani extremists in the tribal areas on the Afghan border. More

Clinton's Last Chance to Stop Obama - Clive Crook, Financial Times
The Keystone Primary Stakes - Michael Barone, Wall Street Journal
Obama Goes For the Kill, Negatively - Jason Horowitz, New York Observer