Marty Peretz and the American political consensus on Israel  —  Opinions about the Israeli-Palestinian dispute are so entrenched that any single outbreak of violence is automatically evaluated through a pre-existing lens, shaped by one's typically immovable beliefs about which side bears …

She's a Kennedy, But She's a Lot Like Us  —  Amid all the recent buzz about Caroline Kennedy's bid for a U.S. Senate seat, there has been a great deal of talk about her connections, her power, her wealth.  But the way I see it, if you strip away the glamour, the name and the money, then Caroline is . . . me.

Obama bristles as the bubble closes in on him  —  HONOLULU - The media glare, the constant security appendage and the sheer production that has become a morning jog or a hankering for an ice cream cone - it's been closing in on Barack Obama for some time.  —  Now the president-elect appears …

You're Likable Enough, Gay People  —  IN his first press conference after his re-election in 2004, President Bush memorably declared, “I earned capital in the campaign, political capital, and now I intend to spend it.”  We all know how that turned out.  —  Barack Obama has little in common …

2008 was the year manmade global warming was disproved  —  Looking back over my columns of the past 12 months, one of their major themes was neatly encapsulated by two recent items from The Daily Telegraph.  —  The first, on May 21, headed “Climate change threat to Alpine ski resorts” …

Scientific illiteracy all the rage among the glitterati  —  When it comes to science, Barack Obama is no better than many of us.  Today he joins the list of shame of those in public life who made scientifically unsupportable statements in 2008.  —  Closer to home, Nigella Lawson …

Axelrod: Warren prayer ‘a good thing’  —  Top Obama adviser David Axelrod strongly defended the selection of evangelical pastor Rick Warren to deliver the opening prayer at the inauguration, telling moderator David Gregory on NBC's “Meet the Press” that the nation needs to get beyond “shaking our fists” across a political divide.

RNC Rivals Discuss Racial Song  —  Would-Be Chairman Who Sent CD With Parody Blames Media  —  Republicans who are vying to lead the national party offered a mix of reactions yesterday to the decision by one candidate for the job to mail out a music CD including the song “Barack the Magic Negro.”

All I Wanted for Christmas Was a Newspaper  —  Bloggers are no replacement for real journalists.  —  Newark, N.J.  —  When my colleague at the Newark Star-Ledger John Farmer started off in journalism more than five decades ago, things were very different.