"This was the voice of moderation until 13 Sept, 2025"
by von Andrew Sullivan: McCain On Afghanistan It's a good sign that Obama cannot win. If he exerts caution, he's an incrementalist, as in Vietnam. If he withdraws, he's flying the white flag of surrender. And so the man who won the election is being goaded by the man who lost it. This isn't what … Read more
by Eric Martin The unfortunate truth about nuclear non-proliferation is that any country that is determined enough to obtain nuclear weapons – and that has the resources and the technological savvy to complement the will and economic means – can eventually become a nuclear-armed power. However, there are good reasons for the US and the … Read more
by Eric Martin For several months there has been speculation (both on the right and left) that General David Petraeus might throw his hat in the ring as a would-be contender for the Republican nomination in 2012 or 2016. Considering the uninspiring roster of GOP hopefuls (from Palin and Huckabee to Romney and Jindal), it's easy to … Read more
by hilzoy From CongressDaily, via the Wonk Room: "Senate Majority Leader Reid said today he would drop a cram-down provision from a House-passed banking bill if the language threatened to keep the Senate from passing the overall bill. The provision would allow a bankruptcy judge to reduce a homeowner's mortgage principal. "If we can't get … Read more
by publius Noted climatologist George Will shifted gears to constitutional law yesterday, arguing that the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA) (i.e., the bailout) is unconstitutional. The specific claim is that it violates the nondelegation doctrine, which holds that "legislative" acts cannot be "delegated" to other entities, particularly the executive branch. There are at … Read more
by hilzoy Rod Dreher has a very puzzling post about gay marriage. There are some bits I will not engage with — for instance, while believing that gay sex is sinful might be part of Dreher's religious tradition, I do not think it's at all integral to the Bible; in fact, I have always thought … Read more
by hilzoy Andrew Klavan in the LA Times: "If you are reading this newspaper, the likelihood is that you agree with the Obama administration's recent attacks on conservative radio talker Rush Limbaugh. That's the likelihood; here's the certainty: You've never listened to Rush Limbaugh. Oh no, you haven't. Whenever I interrupt a liberal's anti-Limbaugh rant … Read more
by publius Evan Bayh's working group hasn't exactly taken the liberal blogosphere by storm. The reaction has been critical, and the most common complaint is that it's simply a tool for business interests. That fear may prove correct. But let me be devil's advocate for a moment and at least try to present a more … Read more
by hilzoy I wonder why people are so angry about bonuses. Do they hate the rich? Do they want to punish success?Are they eaten up inside with resentment? Do they just not want to admit that some people work harder and are more talented than they are? Or could it be one too many stories … Read more
by hilzoy From CNN: "Thousands of buildings at U.S. bases in Iraq and Afghanistan have such poorly installed wiring that American troops face life-threatening risks, a top inspector for the Army says. (…) "It was horrible — some of the worst electrical work I've ever seen," said Jim Childs, a master electrician and the top … Read more