Start the day at C&L. Since we last did a summary of what’s happening in Iraq and how the President’s plan to send more troops is faring in Congress, the situation has become even more complicated and confusing than before, if that is possible. The violence has not decreased; if

  (I found this lovely picture of Molly at NNDB — had no idea she was a fellow Smithie, but my love of her snark suddenly has more context.  Molly Ivins passed away this afternoon at her home.  We send our condolences to family and friends, and a whole lot of

From the lead front page article in Tuesday’s NYT: WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 — President Bush has signed a directive that gives the White House much greater control over the rules and policy statements that the government develops to protect public health, safety, the environment, civil rights and privacy. In an

  (Photo of soldiers on patrol in Baghdad by Erik de Castro via Reuters and Yahoo News.  Note the textbook formation of the soldiers entering a hostile zone, with all four facing a different angle to cover the whole group.  You tell me — flowers and candy or hostile landscape? 

For the umpteenth time, George Bush felt compelled to remind the press that he is in charge by declaring, "I am the decision maker." I would have thought that being the President of the United States and the Commander in Chief and all would have settled the matter, but apparently

Reporting from the Left Coast today, but the news is the same. It is astonishing how much of today’s “other” news is a reflection of the story of the Libby case. The headlines in Sacramento today, just like those three years ago, are focused on the Iraq war, the credibility

  How credible is the notion that George W. Bush is a brilliant, perceptive military analyst capable of thinking through the weaknesses and illogic of military strategies formulated by the nation's senior military officials and almost single-handedly moving them to see the wisdom of his new plan for moving forward

  (AP Photo, via the DOD/R.D. Ward.) This story concerns the outrageous statements by the Bush Administration's deputy assistant secretary of defense Charles "Cully" Stimson, disparaging attorneys who provide pro bono legal representation to detainees at Guantanamo. Last week, the Times and other reports revealed that Mr. Stimson willingly participated

The trial of Scooter Libby is a story of government officials lying to the American people, smearing those who tried to reveal the truth and then lying further to cover it up. Lawbreaking, smearing opponents and lying seem to be recurring themes of the Bush Administration, but this story may

  (This amazing photo via The Epoch Times International, and taken by Ali Youssef for AFP.  Stunning image, poignant and tense — captured in a click of a shutter.   Just brilliant. — CHS) As Congress continued the debate this week about how to respond to the President’s Iraq plan, the