The Calculations of Barack Obama - Steve Kornacki, New York Observer
The Evolution of John McCain - David Whitford, Fortune
Barack Obama, Serial Flip-Flopper - Bonnie Erbe, US News & World Report
A Conversation with Justice Antonin Scalia - Charlie Rose Show
A Supremely Problematic Court Decision - Fred Thompson, Pajamas Media
The Supreme Court: A User Guide - Dahlia Lithwick, Slate
Padding Obama's Resume - Yuval Levin, National Review Online
Experience: Does Obama Trump McCain? - Alan Ehrenhalt, Newsweek
Will Dems Revive Fairness Doctrine? - Janet Albrechtsen, The Australian
How George Carlin Changed Comedy - Richard Zoglin, Time

Editorials
Tim Russert, New Yorker

The Obama Left
J.R. Dunn
The American left can be divided into three distinct strands, each with its own characteristics, identifiers, and methods of operation: the wimp left, the weird left, and the hard left. More

Obama's lack of ordinary modesty
James Lewis
In his victory speech over Hillary, Barack Obama soared rhetorically about his feelings of humility. And yet he hardly sounded humble More

James Hansen: Abusing the Public Trust
Brian Sussman
Monday, James Hansen, Director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), addressed Congress and brought a new twist to his tired global warming song and dance routine. More

SCOTUS Going to the dogs...er, Whales
June 23, 2008
Save the people - First! More

Blood for Oil okay by Blitzer?
June 23, 2008
Wolf Blitzer wants to know "should the Iraqis be selling oil to the United States at a discounted price?" More

Will Obama be able to hide his liberalism?
June 23, 2008
Is it the Democrat's message that's garbage or just their candidates? More

The Real Command Influence
June 23, 2008
In dismissing the very dubious war crimes charges against Marine LTC Jeffrey Chessani, his trial judge, COL Steven Folsom, said this: "Unlawful command influence is the mortal enemy of military justice" More

Condensed Version of McCain's Ottawa Speech
June 23, 2008
On June 20, John McCain delivered a 2,000-words speech to the Economic Club of Canada. In case you missed it, he's a paraphrased condensed version More

Decline and fall of the New York Times (cont.)
June 23, 2008
Another milepost is passed in the fall of the house of Suzberger, as a major publisher of conservative books announces it will no longer send review copies to the New York Times. More

Obama's Terrorism Cred is Non-existent
June 23, 2008
Scott Johnson has a piece in the New York Post today taking Onama to task for being unaware of history and the law when it comes to terrorism: More

Where in the World is Michael Totten?
June 23, 2008
If this is Monday, I think he's in the Balkans. More

Global Warming Inquisition
June 23, 2008
We shouldn't be surprised that a "scientist" who is an advocate for anthropogenic global warming theories wants to arrest and try oil company executives. More

George Carlin, R.I.P.
June 23, 2008
His politics were abhorrent. But if we were to judge people solely by their political views, the world would be a very boring place. More

How Close is Israel to Attacking Iran?
June 23, 2008
The Wall Street Journal thinks they are very close: More

Poll: Israeli Arabs Want to live Where?
June 23, 2008
How do Israeli Arabs feel about Israel? More

Obama's Clearest Path to the Presidency: Talk About Wages

By David Sirota, Creators Syndicate

If Obama counters the GOP's race-baiting by promoting working-class interests and a fairer trade agenda, he will win the White House.

Eat "expletive deleted" and Die: Contaminated Veggies Are the Meat Industry’s Fault

Allison Kilkenny, Buffalo Beast

Environment: The latest salmonella scare shows that even vegetarians are still at the mercy of the meat industry.


Body Fat Holds The Key to Energy Independence

Barbara Ehrenreich, Barbaraehrenreich.com

Obese America is literally sitting on vast energy reserves -- all we need to do is extract it.


America's Debt Complex: FBI Finally Cracks Down on Mortgage Crime Wave

Danny Schechter, AlterNet

Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: With trillions already lost, is the FBI's action too little too late?

Paying More, Getting Less: Just Where Do America's Health Care Dollars Go?

Joel A. Harrison, Dollars and Sense

Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: If people grasped the size of the health care bill they already pay (through taxes), opponents of a universal single-payer system would be in trouble.

How a Shady Citigroup Subsidiary Secretly Makes Billions in the Oil Market

Pam Martens, CounterPunch

Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: Crude oil has risen 700 percent in seven years; the lack of oversight has allowed companies like Phibro to pull in huge and questionable profits.


Abuse of the Filibuster: Republicans Play Dirty 'Block and Blame' Game

Christopher Moraff, The Philadelphia Tribune

It works like this: Republicans hijack the Senate, block important legislation, then complain nothing is getting done.


When Riding the Bus Turns into a Ticket to Jail

Caroline Kim, Jenna Loyd, ColorLines

Immigration: Border Patrol agents are checking the citizenship status of travelers passing through by bus and train every day in New York, deporting immigrants.


Religious Right Groups Want Pastors to Cross the Partisan Line and Spark Court Showdown

Rob Boston, Church & State Magazine

Democracy and Elections: The nation's most prominent Religious Right legal group is looking for a pastor who will knowingly break the law and spark an IRS penalty.

What Obama Means for Business - Nina Easton, Fortune
Can He Repeat His '04 Convention Brilliance? - Sam Anderson, NY Mag
10 Concerns About Barack Obama - William Bennett, National Review
McCain Straight Talk Needs Sizzle - Debra Saunders, San Fran Chronicle
Are Senate Races Moving in One Direction? - Stuart Rothenberg, Roll Call
Obama Brings Race Into the Sunlight - Eugene Robinson, Washington Post
The Bush Paradox - David Brooks, New York Times
Gitmo Trial Looms in Election Homestretch - Avi Zenilman, The Politico
Dems Fall 'Victim' to Countrywide Financial - Rich Lowry, New York Post
An Election of Likability and Character - Richard Cohen, Washington Post
Why Should We Imitate Europe? - Thomas Sowell, RealClearPolitics
Big Oil Isn't the Big Problem - Jacob Heilbrunn, Los Angeles Times
Battle Wounds You Can't See - Bob Herbert, New York Times
The Bush Doctrine Is Relevant Again - Bret Stephens, Wall Street Journal
Krugman, Protestors Wrong on US Beef - Froma Harrop, Providence Journal
Microsoft After Gates (And Bill After Microsoft) - Steven Levy, Newsweek
Paths Out of Zimbabwe's Dead End - Gideon Rachman, Financial Times
RCP Blog: Phase Two Aborted | Obama w/Big Lead in S. Fla

Editorials
McCain, Obama Shoot Price Messengers - Wall Street Journal
Fruitless 'Lobbyist-Free' Campaigns - USA Today
Mugabe Will Stay in Power - Washington Post
Get Mugabe Out - Los Angeles Times

Political News & Analysis
Dobson Accuses Obama of "Distorting" the Bible - Associated Press
Aide: Terror Strike Would Help McCain - Washington Post
Obama, Clinton to Unite Friday in Unity, NH - N.H. Union-Leader
Obama Tacks Toward Center - The Hill

Transcripts & Speeches


McCain on Energy Security and National Security - John McCain
Obama's Remarks to Working Women - Barack Obama
Panel Discusses Obama Moving to the Middle - Special Report w/Brit Hume
Fortune Writer on Obama & Business - Hannity & Colmes
June 23 White House Briefing - The White House

Best of the Blogs
We Should Fear Huffington - Patrick Ruffini, Next Right
The 'Enthusiasm Gap' - Steve Benen, Carpetbagger Report
TV News in the Post-Russert Era - Steve Boriss, PJM
Charlie Black and the 'Terror' Card - Chris Cillizza, The Fix
Obama's Alternative Energy Plan - Pejman, Redstate

Why Israel's Latest Negotiation Spree Is Doomed To Fail
by Martin Peretz
Barack Obama Didn't Kill Campaign Finance Reform. He Reminded Us That Even Good Ideas Need Fixing.
by E.J. Dionne, Jr.
McCain's Campaign Has Badly Damaged Obama Recently--No Matter What The Pundits Tell You
by Jonathan Chait and Jonathan Cohn

Bush's Executive Priviilege
As the Bush era winds down, the President is asserting executive privilege to impede congressional oversight of his administration. With a contempt of Congress vote looming by Rep. Henry Waxman's (D-CA) House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, President Bush asserted executive privilege last Friday morning, blocking the committee's subpoenas for documents relating to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) decision to reject California's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to override scientific recommendations on ozone standards. Waxman found Bush's action on Friday "extraordinary," especially since EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson "has repeatedly insisted he reached his decisions on California's petition and the new ozone standard on his own." In a separate case, lawyers for Congress tried yesterday to convince a federal judge to take the "unprecedented step" and compel the administration to obey subpoenas related to the U.S. Attorneys scandal -- the first lawsuit ever "filed by either chamber of Congress seeking to force the executive branch to comply with a subpoena." Bush had cited executive privilege to prevent former White House counsel Harriet Miers from testifying and White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten from turning over documents. As with President Nixon's attempts to block the Watergate investigation and President Reagan's efforts to hide the EPA dioxin scandal, Bush appears to be using his assertion of executive privilege as a tool to cover up his administration's illegal actions.

'ABOVE THE LAW': Bush's assertion of executive privilege on Friday put a halt to the contempt vote that Waxman's committee had scheduled for Johnson and White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulatory administrator Susan Dudley. Despite the White House's complaint that such a vote represented a "sudden, significant escalation," Waxman was investigating the EPA's decisions for months. His committee's investigations have revealed that Johnson's decision to reject California's waiver petition was made only after discussions with the White House. Similarly, the Washington Post reported that Bush personally intervened in a between Dudley's office and the EPA, prompting the EPA to reject scientific recommendations for smog standards. What is being withheld is Bush's legal justification for his actions -- important because the Clean Air Act strictly defines permissible considerations for air quality standards and waivers. The documents withheld from Congress include 1,956 OMB documents regarding Bush's ozone decision, 25 EPA documents on the California waiver, and 71 more that are being turned over with the "identities of the meeting participants" redacted. On May 20, Johnson and Dudley appeared before the committee without the subpoenaed documents and refused to answer questions about Bush's involvement. At the hearing, Waxman sharply criticized Bush's role, saying, "The president does not have absolute power, and he is not above the law."

WHAT'S NEXT: Following Bush's executive privilege claim, Waxman declared that he would "talk with my colleagues on both sides about this new development and consider all our options before deciding how we should proceed." Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) said the "committee should approve a contempt resolution immediately," and "reiterated his call to impeach the president" to hold the administration accountable. The courts are reluctant to get involved, as Judge John D. Bates said in Monday's hearing on congressional subpoeanas: "Whether I rule for the executive branch or I rule for the legislative branch, I'm going to disrupt the balance." The House counsel asked the court to "order Miers to testify and allow her to invoke executive privilege only on a question-by-question basis" and for Bolten "to provide a log of White House documents and to explain why each was being withheld." Lawyers for the administration argued top advisers deserve "absolute immunity" and Congress should use political tools instead of the courts, such as "withholding funds for the Justice Department or stalling presidential appointments." When asked in March if Congress would continue the U.S. attorneys investigation if it continues into the next administration, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said, "Absolutely. ... [W]e might as well just shred the Constitution and forget about taking the oath of office if we’re just going to do it for a Republican President and not a Democratic President." RARE 'PRIVILEGE': The invocation of executive privilege, needed to protect presidential confidentiality to preserve separation of powers, is relatively rare. Nixon and Reagan claimed it in three cases; Ford, Carter, and George H. W. Bush each once. President Clinton invoked executive privilege repeatedly during the investigations of the White House during his second term. Friday's assertion of executive privilege marks Bush's fourth case. Bush invoked the privilege in the U.S. Attorneys scandal to prevent Josh Bolten from turning over documents, and to protect Harriet Miers, Sara Taylor, Karl Rove, and Scott Jennings from being forced to testify. This February, the House voted to hold Miers and Bolten in contempt of Congress. Attorney General Michael Mukasey, however, declined to investigate the issue, spurring the civil lawsuit. In May 2004, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the documents were not covered by executive privilege. Although the administration has resisted turning over documents relating to several other cases, such as the Pat Tillman and Energy Task Force investigations, executive privilege was not explicitly asserted. Instead, the White House has used what the Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press dubbed "quasi-executive privilege," invoking phrases like "Executive Branch confidentiality interests" and the "constitutional duties of the Executive Branch."

IRAQ -- GAO REPORT SAYS BUSH ADMINISTRATION OVERSTATES PROGRESS IN IRAQ: A report released yesterday by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) criticized the Bush administration's lack of planning for post-surge Iraq, and said that "several crucial measures the Bush administration uses to demonstrate economic, political and security progress are either incorrect or far more mixed than the administration has acknowledged." While the GAO agreed with the administration's assessment that violence has decreased in recent months, it notes that "many other goals Bush outlined a year and a half ago in the 'New Way Forward' strategy remain unmet." The report pointed to laws passed by the Iraqi parliament that have not been implemented and oil and electricity production in Iraq that has not met U.S. targets. The GAO also said that "the American plan for a stable Iraq lacks a strategic framework that meshes with the administration's goals, is falling out of touch with the realities on the ground and contains serious flaws in its operational guidelines." The Pentagon, State Department, and Treasury Department all objected to the report.

ADMINISTRATION -- WHITE HOUSE BLOCKS ARMY'S EFFORT TO INCREASE OVERSIGHT OF DEFENSE CONTRACTORS: Last fall, a blue-ribbon panel examining waste and fraud in defense contracts for Iraq recommended adding five active-duty generals to oversee purchasing and monitor contractor performance. Now that the Army is trying to implement the change, the White House's Office of Management and Budget has shot down the effort, giving no reason for rejecting the Army's proposal. The additional generals would add a mere $1.2 million a year in personnel costs. By contrast, a Defense Contract Audit Agency found $4.9 billion "in overpricing and waste" in Iraq contracts since 2003, a figure that doesn't include an additional $5.1 billion in "expenses charged without documentation." In other words, the White House is blocking a reform that would cost only .012 percent of the $10 billion already lost to contract waste. Last year, President Bush opposed legislation that would limit no-bid contracts and increase congressional oversight of the most lucrative contracts. Despite his opposition, the House passed the bill with 347 votes, and the Senate approved it unanimously.

JUSTICE -- APPEALS COURT REJECTS DETAINEE'S 'ENEMY COMBATANT' DESIGNATION: Last Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled that the U.S. military improperly labeled Huzaifa Parhat, an ethnic Uighur Chinese national, an "enemy combatant" and ordered that he be released, transferred, or granted a new hearing. Parhat, a former fruit peddler who claims to have fled oppression in his native China, was captured in Afghanistan in 2001 and held in detention for six years, despite the fact officials recommended releasing him in 2003 and a tribunal found no evidence that Parhat was a member of a radical group known as the East Turkistan Islamic Movement. While Parhat maintains that he was never "against the United States," one of his lawyers suggested that U.S. officials "hadn't released him in part to avoid harming diplomatic relations with China," where many Uighurs are actively seeking autonomy and have clashed with Chinese government forces. The ruling, which marks the first successful appeal of a Guantanamo detainee's status as an enemy combatant, is the latest in a series of legal setbacks for the Bush administration's detention program.

Another first for W
June 24, 2008
If Hillary Clinton made "18 million" cracks in the glass ceiling during her campaign for the presidency, how much glass has George W. Bush shattered during his administration? More

Bobby's Choice
June 24, 2008
Bobby Jindal, Louisiana's governor, faces a major decision, one that could set the tone for the rest of his governorship, if not his political career More

TNR's Peretz Misstates Obama's NIE-Iran Position
June 24, 2008
TNR's Marty Peretz apparently has never read what Barack Obama's position on the widely discredited Iran NIE which states the Iranians stopped development of nuclear weapons in 2003 More

War, Hell and Civilian Juries
Kyle-Anne Shiver
Until a few weeks ago, I wasn't even aware that our Congress had enacted legislation in 2000 to require civilian prosecution for criminal acts committed in war More

It's Time McCain Picks Up The Glove
Lee Cary
Senator Obama's statement at a Jacksonville, Florida fundraiser last Friday is being heralded as a brilliant political move by many in the MSM. It was, in fact, a shameless and unjustified insult to all Republicans, and all Americans. The man... More

Barack Obama's Diplomatic Code Words
Rick Richman
Barack Obama apparently has trouble with diplomatic code words. More

Your UN Tax Dollars at Work: Milquetoast on Zimbabwe
June 24, 2008
Did you really expect the UN to do anything substantial about Zimbabwe? More

Edwards Touts Obama to ACORN Group
June 24, 2008
Former Democratic senator and perpetual presidential candidate John Edwards was the keynote speaker at the annual gathering of the radical group ACORN More

UNICEF now working with terrorist groups
June 24, 2008
Oh the twisted logic used by the U.N. to justify its biases and racism. More

'Just Drill, Baby' - Governor Palin
June 24, 2008
Alaska's governor Sarah Palin - mentioned as a possible running mate for John McCain sent a letter to Harry Reid telling him what needed to be done as far as helping to solve the energy crisis More

The Strange and Tragic Case of Raed Mahmoud Ajil
June 24, 2008
What happened in Madain, Iraq that got two Americans needlessly killed? More

Clinton-Obama to Campaign Together
June 24, 2008
You have to wonder what will be going through each of their minds as they appear together on stage. More

Latest State Polls Show McCain Competitive
June 24, 2008
It's early yet, but McCain is showing surprising strength in key states. More

Top 10 Reasons Obama shouldn't be President
June 24, 2008
This piece by Bill Bennett and Seth Leibsohn at NRO reads more like an indictment than a top ten list. More

SCOTUS Going to the dogs...er, Whales
June 23, 2008
Save the people - First! More

The group blog of The American Prospect
Our service women.[/color]
Posted at 3:00 p.m.


A respectable liberal blog
The country club.
Posted at 4:28 p.m.


Dean Baker's economic commentary
[color="#800000"]Inflation in Europe: workers gone wild?
Posted at 5:57 a.m.

Smearing Michelle
Paul Waldman
June 24, 2008 | web only
Frustrated by their inability to successfully call Barack Obama's character into question, his opponents have seized on the next best option -- attacking his wife.

Larry Johnson's Strange Trip
Dave Weigel
How a onetime hero of the liberal blogosphere and the Democratic Party spread perhaps the most damaging anti-Obama smear of the primary.

The Year of Passion
Paul Starr
June 24, 2008
In this year's primaries, for the first time in many election cycles, Democrats were carried by inspiration, rather than political calculation.

Anti-War Soldier Jonathan Hutto: People, Not Politicians, Will End the War in Iraq

By Liliana Segura, AlterNet

War on Iraq: The author of Antiwar Soldier discusses the GI movement, the election and why "the military needs racism" to fight its wars.

The American Workplace Is Stuck in the 50s

Sarah Sattelmeyer , Margy Waller, AlterNet

Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: Wages are in the gutter. Work-life balance is out of whack. When will workplace policy catch up with the changing landscape of America's workforce?


Retired General: "The Current Administration Has Committed War Crimes"

Amy Goodman, Juan Gonzalez, Democracy Now!

Rights and Liberties: As Congress pieces together the White House torture program, former Army General Antonio Taguba condemns Bush's "systematic regime of torture."


Is Your City Going to Be Bottled Water-Free?

Tara Lohan, AlterNet

Water: A new resolution from leading U.S. mayors shows that more cities may be ditching the bottled stuff in favor of tap.

Barack Obama and the Left

by Kathy G - 1:10 PM

Further Adventures of 22-Year-Old Arms Dealer Efraim Diveroli

by Lindsay Beyerstein - 11:58 AM

Liberals "Deselected" for Plum Jobs at the Department of Justice

by Christy Hardin Smith, Firedoglake - 11:29 AM

Former NYC Prosecutor Threw Case to Help Innocent Prisoners

by The Innocence Project, The Innocence Blog - 11:11 AM

George Carlin Can Burn In Feminist Hell

by , Echidne of the Snakes - 10:43 AM

A Transportation Crisis, Not An Oil Crisis

by , AlterNet

Media Tell Us About Iraq War-Oil Connection Five Years After the Fact

Tom Engelhardt, Tomdispatch.com

Media and Technology: If Iraq's main product had been video games, the media might have been quicker to ask tough questions about the war's effects on our kids' lives.


Obama Goes Soft on Free Trade

John Nichols, TheNation.com

Election 2008: Obama campaigned against NAFTA during the primaries. Now he's backpedaling and reassuring Wall Street about that same policy.


It's Time To Get Rid of the Good-People-vs.-Bad-People View of Drug Use

Maggie Mahar, Niko Karvounis, Health Beat

Health and Wellness: When discussing treatments for drug addiction, instead of arguing about ideology, let's look at science.

Obama's Clearest Path to the Presidency: Talk About Wages

David Sirota, Creators Syndicate

If Obama counters the GOP's race-baiting by promoting working-class interests and a fairer trade agenda, he will win the White House.


Contaminated Veggies Are the Meat Industry’s Fault

Allison Kilkenny, Buffalo Beast

Environment: The latest salmonella scare shows that even vegetarians are still at the mercy of the meat industry.


Body Fat Holds The Key to Energy Independence

Barbara Ehrenreich, Barbaraehrenreich.com

Environment: Obese America is literally sitting on vast energy reserves -- all we need to do is extract it.


The Key to Driving Energy Prices Down

Marie Cocco, Washington Post Writers Group

In the absence of a reliable Congress, we need to make personal sacrifices. Turn down the thermostat. Ditch the SUV.


George Carlin, American Radical

John Nichols, TheNation.com

No one, not Obama, not Hillary Clinton and certainly not John McCain, caught the zeitgeist of the vanishing American dream so well as Carlin.


Paying More, Getting Less: Just Where Do America's Health Care Dollars Go?

Joel A. Harrison, Dollars and Sense

Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: If people grasped the size of the health care bill they already pay (through taxes), opponents of a universal single-payer system would be in trouble.


America's Debt Complex: FBI Finally Cracks Down on Mortgage Crime Wave

Danny Schechter, AlterNet

Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: With trillions already lost, is the FBI's action too little too late?

Is War Good For the Economy?: Justin Raimondo

Change We Can Believe In?: Charles Peña

Don't Miss the Train: William S. Lind

Court Tosses Gitmo Case 6 Yrs Late: A. Worthington

US-Sunni Ties Fear Undercut Talks: Gareth Porter

The Pentagon's Stealth Corporations by Nick Turse and Tom Engelhardt

Hitchens Demands an Eye for an Eye by Patrick Buchanan

Six Years Late, Court Throws Out Guantánamo Case by Andy Worthington

Lieberman's Revenge
by Michael Brendan Dougherty

Don't Miss the Train by William S. Lind

The Bolton-Telegraph Scare by Jim Lobe

DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA
The Pentagon's merchants of war

Forget about the United States Department of Defense's Stealth bombers and its "black budget" which swallows billions of dollars without accountability, there's another stealth side to the Pentagon - the corporate side where little-known companies gobble up US tax dollars at phenomenal rates. Most of the time, large or small, they fly under the radar and are seldom even identified as defense contractors. Nick Turse pins down five of the billion-dollar babies that profit from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.(Jun 25, '08)

US pushes Iraqi Shi'ites closer to Iran
Beyond the issue of permanent United States bases in Iraq, the Shi'ite government of Nuri al-Maliki objects to a new security agreement with Washington on the grounds that it does not guarantee Iraq against foreign aggression. The Shi'ites fear possible US collaboration with Sunni Arab regimes to try to overthrow their administration, a fear that pushes them closer to Iran. - Gareth Porter (Jun 25, '08)

Neo-con redux?
There's a mini revival of the neo-conservatives in the United States as they attempt to put the record straight about their policies that led to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the alliance with Pakistan. By contrast, the presidential hopefuls, Barack Obama and John McCain, are silent on key issues in these countries at a time the US's interests are under threat. - Ehsan Ahrari (Jun 25,

US helps Thailand rub out fake passports
United States security agents have joined their Thai counterparts to break counterfeiting rings producing passports and other documents in Thailand. The US fears the gangs may have done business with al-Qaeda and other terrorists, but new laws and technology are aimed to crack down on the rampant underground trade. - Richard Ehrlich (Jun 25, '08)

More cracks in Abdullah's crumbling facade
Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi's administration managed to ride out the widespread public ire over the removal of fuel subsidies. Now members of parliament from two key energy producing states are threatening to defect from Abdullah's ruling coalition. It is not a hammer blow yet, but it is a situation ripe for opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to exploit. - Anil Netto (Jun 25, '08)

Obama's Transformation - Jay Newton-Small, Time
What Happened to Maverick McCain? - Jason Horowitz, New York Observer
Mr. Cool vs. Old Reliable - Jim Geraghty, National Review Online
The Debate McCain Must Force - Dick Morris, The Hill
Not Even Close: Obama Should Pick Clinton - Bob Beckel, RealClearPolitics
America's Next Chapter - Gary Hart, New York Times
Obama's Social Security Fine Print - Donald Luskin, Wall Street Journal
Does McCain Understand Markets? - John Stossel, RealClearPolitcs
I'm for McCain, but Not the GOP - Ralph Peters, USA Today
How to Put the Heat on Mugabe - Paul Wolfowitz, Wall Street Journal
Finally Taking Ownership of Iraq - Thomas Friedman, New York Times
Was Iraq Worth It? - Tony Blankley, Washington Times
A Surprise From Syria And Israel - David Ignatius, Washington Post
The Kelo Decision, Three Years Later - Steven Malanga, RealClearMarkets
The Return of Inflation - Robert Samuelson, Newsweek
Seeing the World Economy Through 2 Crises - Martin Wolf, Financial Times
In Cyberspace, China's People Find Their Voice - Ian Bremmer, RCP
RCP Blog: At Least It's Not Arugula!

Editorials
Terror Gaffe is a Blot on McCain Campaign - Seattle Times
Insulting Our Troops: Moveon.org Strikes Again - NH Union Leader
NCLB Gets a Passing Grade - USA Today
McCain, Obama Shoot Price Messengers - Wall Street Journal

Political News & Analysis
Obama Assails McCain Energy Plan - New York Times
McCain Campaign Seeks Independents for Town Halls - USA Today
McCain Plans Greener Government - Washington Post
Clinton Returns to the Senate - New York Times

Transcripts & Speeches


McCain's Speech in Santa Barbara - John McCain
A Serious Energy Policy for Our Future - Barack Obama
McCain on Energy Security and National Security - John McCain
Obama's Remarks to Working Women - Barack Obama
Panel Discusses Obama Moving to the Middle - Special Report w/Brit Hume

Best of the Blogs
The Case for Hillary Clinton - Chris Cillizza, The Fix
Barack Obama: A Muse-ing - Kimberly Rescigno, Politirazzi
Clinton's Half-Hearted Endorsement - Matthew Spence, Across the Pond
Shamnesty Republican Defeated in Utah - Michelle Malkin
No Country for GOP Incumbents - Josh Marshall, TPM

Scalia Cites False Information in Habeas Corpus Dissent

by: Marjorie Cohn, t r u t h o u t | Perspective

OPINION



Billion-Dollar Babies

by: Nick Turse, TomDispatch.com

OPINION



India's Obama Issues

by: J. Sri Raman, t r u t h o u t | Perspective

OPINION



Energy Talk

by: Julian E. Zelizer and Meg Jacobs, The Washington Independent

OPINION



Home Not-So-Sweet Home

by: Paul Krugman, The New York Times

OPINION

Home Not-So-Sweet Home

by: Paul Krugman, The New York Times

OPINION



Campaign Finance Reform Has Failed

by: Robert Parry, Consortium News

OPINION



No Blood for... er... um...

by: Tom Engelhardt, TomDispatch.com

OPINION



Festival Puts Spotlight on Need for Fish Restoration

by: Dan Bacher, t r u t h o u t | Perspective

OPINION



The Price of Hunger

OPINION



John McCain Wants to Drill in Your Toilet

by: Dean Baker, t r u t h o u t | Perspective

• US General Accuses Bush Administration of War Crimes
  
  by: Matt Renner and Maya Schenwar, t r u t h o u t | Report
  
  TRUTHOUT ORIGINAL
• The Real McCain
  
  by: Paul Harris, The Observer / Guardian UK
• The Return of the Neocons
  
  by: James Risen, The Washington Independent
• Kucinich: Impeachment Not "Off the Table"
  
  by: Christopher Kuttruff, t r u t h o u t | Report
  
  TRUTHOUT ORIGINAL
• Congressional Resolution Demands Bush Act on Iran
  
  by: Maya Schenwar and Matt Renner, t r u t h o u t | Report

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS & WILLIAM D. HARTUNG
Time to End Waste at the Pentagon politico.com — As Congress prepares to consider the annual Department of Defense authorization bill and other military spending legislation totaling more than $700 billion, the need for more aggressive scrutiny is abundantly clear. At a time when we have a $9.3 trillion national debt and large unmet social needs, oversight of these enormous and ever-increasing sums has failed to keep up. DEAN BAKER

The Housing Crash and the End of Granny Bashing tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com — This collapse was entirely predictably, and those who were concerned about the country's long-term financial situation should have been out in the forefront warning of the dangers posed by an $8 trillion housing bubble. Unfortunately, these folks were too busy trying to cut benefits for the elderly to pay attention to such trivial developments. PAUL KRUGMAN

Home Not-So-Sweet Home nytimes.com — Why should ever-increasing home ownership be a policy goal? How many people should own homes, anyway? ROBERT WEISSMAN

High Flyers and Soaring Inequality huffingtonpost.com — Soaring private jet use reflects and is emblematic of skyrocketing wealth inequality, in the United States and globally. Private jet sales grew in parallel with commercial air travel until 1997. Then as wealth inequality began to ascend to stratospheric levels, so did private jet use. MARIE COCCO

Oil Mania truthdig.com — As usual when it comes to energy politics, we have failed to meet the enemy and conclude that it is us. Remember how Jimmy Carter was ridiculed and reviled for putting on a sweater and telling us to lower our thermostats? Well, what if we had done so three decades ago rather than a few months ago? JOSEPH ROMM

Nibbling the Hand That Supplies You gristmill.grist.org — Since when do we deal with our addiction by going to summits hosted by drug suppliers? MICHAEL MOYNIHAN

Oil Price Woes ndnblog.org — Increasing the addict's supply does not break the addiction. Only a sensible, comprehensive energy policy to break the addition and exchange fossil fuels for a distributed network of renewables can end our dependence on this most interruption-prone and volatile of commodities. SARAH SATTELMEYER AND MARGY WALLER

The American Workplace Is Stuck in the 50s alternet.org — Wages are in the gutter. Work-life balance is out of whack. When will workplace policy catch up with the changing landscape of America's workforce?

Rebate Checks: Stimulus for Lenders
As much as 60 percent of the $107 billion in rebates being sent to individuals and families starting this week as part of the Bush administration's economic stimulus plan will be used to pay down debt, according to a survey by Goldman Sachs. Another survey by the University of Michigan and Reuters said that only three in 10 rebate recipients plan to spend their rebate checks.

IRAN
Talk, Talk, Talk, Talk To Iran
Despite growing international pressure, including three Chapter 7 U.N. Security Council resolutions -- the last of which was adopted in April of this year -- Iran continues to move forward with its nuclear program. Iranian government officials have repeatedly said that they will not agree to suspend uranium enrichment, which they insist is their right. Though Tehran "maintains the program is exclusively for electricity-producing purposes," the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported in May that Iran was "still withholding critical information that could determine whether it is trying to make nuclear weapons." The U.S. National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iran last December concluded that Iran had "halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003," but the United States and its international partners continue to "accuse Iran of using its nuclear program as a cover for weapons development."

THE DIPLOMACY: The latest package of incentives was presented to Iran during a recent visit to Tehran by EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and "gives Tehran the opportunity to develop alternate light water reactors, trade and other incentives, in return for dropping the enrichment." However, the countries represented "alongside Mr Solana were Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China. Nobody from the US." There are also disincentives to match the incentives for Iran. On Monday, EU states agreed to impose new sanctions prohibiting Iran's largest bank from operating in Europe" and adding to the list of banned individuals and organizations. With the Iranian economy in tatters, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is politically weakened, and defiance on the nuclear issue represents a way for Ahmadinejad to maintain his political relevancy. Former diplomat Peter Galbraith wrote that, "from the inception of Iran’s nuclear program, prestige and the desire for recognition have been motivating factors," and he "has made uranium enrichment the centerpiece of his administration and the embodiment of Iranian nationalism." Ahmadinejad has thus far "successfully used the threat of war to suppress dissent and divert attention from domestic woes."

UNHELPFUL RHETORIC: The release of the NIE on Iran last December effectively removed the short-term prospect of military action against Iran. But the last few months have seen a renewed effort on the part of pro-war conservative extremists to lay the groundwork for what they see as an inevitable armed conflict. Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol recently suggested that President Bush might consider bombing Iran, depending on the outcome of the U.S. presidential election. Former U.S ambassador to the U .N. John Bolton also said a U.S. military strike against Iran "is really the most prudent thing to do." IAEA Director General Mohamed El-Baradei warned in an interview last week, "I don't believe that what I see in Iran today is a current, grave and urgent danger. If a military strike is carried out against Iran...it would make me unable to continue my work." In a recent panel discussion, former ambassador James Dobbins suggested that threats force against Iran were unproductive and that the United States should "get busy with the job of diplomacy."

RECOGNIZING NEED FOR DIRECT DIPLOMACY: In May, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates stated, "We need to figure out a way to develop some leverage...and then sit down and talk with them [Iran]." Recently retired CentCom chief, Admiral William Fallon, took "public positions favoring diplomacy over force in Iran," suggesting "a navy-to-navy relationship with Iran as a way to begin a sustained dialogue with the country." A new report from the United States Institute of Peace asserted that "Iran's goals appear to be largely defensive: to achieve strategic depth and safeguard its system against foreign intervention, to have a major say in regional decisions, and to prevent or minimize actions that might run counter to Iranian interests." The report also concluded that "it is hard to envision" any kind of lasting peace in the region "without a reduction in tensions between the United States and Iran." Citing recent polling evidence, National Security Network policy director Ilan Goldenberg wrote that "diplomatic engagement with Iran...is the consensus position" among Americans. In what could represent a significant policy shift that accords with this consensus, yesterday the Associated Press reported that the Bush administration is considering "opening a U.S. interests section in Tehran," the first U.S. diplomatic outpost in Iran in nearly thirty years.

SURVEILLANCE -- DODD AND FEINGOLD PLEDGE TELECOM IMMUNITY FILIBUSTER: Sens. Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Russ Feingold (D-WI) proposed an amendment yesterday to Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) reform legislation that would strip retroactive immunity provisions for telecommunication companies. They declared their intention to filibuster the bill, which passed the House 293-129 last week: We will oppose any efforts to end debate on this bill as long as it provides retroactive immunity." Speaking on the Senate floor last night, Dodd declared, "This is about illegal, unwarranted, unchecked domestic surveillance," adding, "I will not and cannot support this legislation." Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Barack Obama (D-IL) have also endorsed efforts to strip retroactive immunity from the bill, and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) indicated he will support a filibuster. Yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said that he would cosponsor the Dodd-Feingold Amendment but would not stop the bill from coming to a vote on the floor. The Senate is expected to vote on cloture on the bill as early as this morning.

AFGHANISTAN -- INSURGENT ATTACKS, U.S. CASUALTIES INCREASING IN AFGHANISTAN: According to new U.S. military data, "insurgent activity is increasing sharply in Afghanistan and has spread into once stable areas, with attacks up almost 40 [percent] in the eastern provinces alone." The data covers "the first five months of the year in an area of Afghanistan that senior Pentagon officials, including Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, have repeatedly cited as a success story." The violence marks "the latest in a series of troubling developments that have led to markedly higher U.S. casualties." Officials have cited a lack of resources as a major contributor to the rising violence. A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that "despite a U.S. investment of more than $10-billion since 2002, only two of 105 [Afghan National Army] units are 9B0FEE45278EBC13544523F4EB"." The GAO said that "the ANA lacks equipment, leaders, recruits, trainers and weapons" and that "[p]art of the shortfall in trainers and weapons is tied to U.S. deployments in Iraq." Citing the need for more troops, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Michael G. Mullen acknowledged that Iraq is diverting crucial resources for Afghanistan: "I am constrained on forces I can generate quite frankly because of Iraq."

ADMINISTRATION -- WHITE HOUSE REFUSED TO READ E-MAIL WITH EPA'S GREENHOUSE GAS CONCLUSIONS: The New York Times reports today that in December, the White House "refused to accept the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) conclusion that greenhouse gases are pollutants that must be controlled, telling agency officials that an e-mail message containing the document would not be opened." The document thus sat unreleased for six months. In the past five days, "the White House successfully put pressure on the EPA to eliminate large sections of the original analysis that supported regulation," resulting in "a watered-down version of the original proposal that offers no conclusion" that will be released this week. The original EPA analysis "showed that the Clean Air Act can work for certain sectors of the economy, to reduce greenhouse gases." But according to a senior EPA official, "that's not what the administration wants to show. They want to show that the Clean Air Act can't work." The document is part of the EPA's effort to comply with a 2007 Supreme Court ruling requiring it to "determine whether greenhouse gases represent a danger to health or the environment."

Our Troops Deserve All We Have to Give
Kyle-Anne Shiver
Our American troops have given us all they have to give. Today with the From the Frontlines webathon, we have a chance to give something back in a meaningful way. More

James Dobson and Obama's Theory of Abortion Relativity
Lee Cary
In his confrontation with James Dobson, Senator Obama faces a degree of absolutism that pales in belligerent intensity compared to what he could, as President, face from America's most hostile adversaries. More

The Maturing Presidency of Barack Obama
Miguel A. Guanipa
The awesome responsibilities of the presidency has the potential to bring out the best in a person. How might Barack Obama, currently the frontrunner, react to a defining challenge in office? More

Obama's Switcheroo on the DC Gun Ban
June 26, 2008
Pardon Senator Obama but last year, he says he made an "inartful" statement on the DC gun ban. What exactly did our artfully challenged Obama have to say about it? More

Arctic ice melt may be due to undersea volcanoes
June 26, 2008
The Arctic ice that is supposedly melting, stranding those cuddly looking polar bears, just might be affected by a newly-documented wave of volcanic eruptions on the ocean floor under the Arctic ice cap. More

FISA Cloture a sign of rationality from the Democrats
June 26, 2008
The fact that the FISA bill successfully cleared the cloture hurdle in the Senate by a 80-15 margin, is significant. More

What is SecState Rice up to?
June 26, 2008
Judith Apter Klinghoffer raises that disturbing question More

Der Spiegel blames 'US NeoCons' for Irish Vote.
June 26, 2008
Is there no limit to the the influence of these neo-cons? The German newsweekly apparently thinks not. More

Outsourcing journalists' jobs
June 25, 2008
The future just keeps getting dimmer and dimmer for American print journalists. More

Sub-Prime Bounty Hunters
June 25, 2008
With so-called "housing bill" being debated, and the primacy of the economy as an issue in this year's election the hunt is on for the "sub-prime villain(s)." More

Obama's anti-smear site relies on a phony document
June 25, 2008


Bush Administration to Remove North Korea from Terror Watch List
June 25, 2008
This gives me a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach: More

The group blog of The American Prospect
Lightning round: the black and white campaign.[/color]
Posted at 4:58 p.m.


A respectable liberal blog
The FISA farce.
Posted at 9:32 a.m.


Dean Baker's economic commentary
[color="#800000"]Post declares the downturn modest.
Posted at 6:49 a.m.