W.H. fears liberal war pressure  —  White House officials are increasingly worried liberal, anti-war Democrats will demand a premature end to the Afghanistan war before President Barack Obama can show signs of progress in the eight-year conflict, according to senior administration sources.

No Will, No Way  —  George Will is dismayed by American casualties in Afghanistan, unhappy about the length of our effort there, dismissive of the contributions of our NATO allies, contemptuous of the Afghan central government, and struck by the country's backwardness.  —  I share many of these sentiments.

Beltway culture, checks on journalists and secrecy obligations  —  I'm ambivalent about whether even to acknowledge this obviously disturbed, Cheneyite rant from Joe Klein.  On the one hand, I don't want to be dragged down into what is, for him, quite clearly a deeply emotional and personal matter …

Why Does Nancy Pelosi Have a Problem With Patriotic Music?  —  If you've ever been stuck on hold with a congressional office in the past, at least you've been able to enjoy some good patriotic music, as opposed to the lilting tones of generic smooth jazz that have been driving elevator users insane for decades.

EXCLUSIVE: Gonzales defends Holder's decision on CIA  —  Former U.S. Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales on Tuesday defended the decision of his current successor, Eric H. Holder Jr., to investigate alleged prisoner abuse by CIA interrogators over President Obama's desire to look forward.