Top Items:
Max Boot / Los Angeles Times:
Obama can't downsize to success in Afghanistan — The president appears to be dragging his feet on more troops for the struggle, but that's what an effective counterinsurgency strategy requires. — During last year's campaign, Barack Obama stressed that while he wanted to withdraw from Iraq, he was no pacifist.
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Karen DeYoung / Washington Post:NATO Officials Say They Will Back Afghan Effort to Turn Insurgents Against Taliban
Evan Thomas / Newsweek:McChrystal's War — Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal believes he can win in Afghanistan.
Discussion:
marbury
Drudge Report:
FOX-TV CHICAGO ORDERED NOT TO RUN ANTI-OLYMPICS STORY — A local TV station that reported on Chicagoans NOT wanting the Olympics has been told NOT to run the report again, insiders tell the DRUDGE REPORT! — The Chicago Olympic Committee told FOX Chicago that its broadcast “would harm Chicago's chances” to be awarded the games.
Discussion:
Michelle Malkin, Reuters, Breitbart.tv, Scared Monkeys, Don Surber, Gates of Vienna and HotAirPundit
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Mark Silva / The Swamp:
Obama: Copenhagen-bound for IOC — by Mark Silva and updated again at 9 am EDT — President Barack Obama, who initially planned to let First Lady Michelle Obama represent the United States in Copenhagen this week, when the International Olympic Committee chooses a site for the 2016 summer games, plans to travel there too.
Mike Allen / The Politico:
Obama to make Olympics pitch — President Barack Obama will travel to Copenhagen, Denmark, later this week to make a final push to get the International Olympic Committee to choose his hometown of Chicago for the 2016 Summer Games, the White House tells POLITICO.
Patterico's Pontifications:
WaPo Columnist Has Undisclosed Conflict of Interest on Roman Polanski Matter — In an earlier post I noted substantial inaccuracies and omissions in a post by Washington Post pundit Anne Applebaum in support of Roman Polanski. (For example, she said Polanski fled during his trial; in fact …
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Anne Applebaum / PostPartisan:
The Outrageous Arrest of Roman Polanski — Of all nations, why was it Switzerland — the country that traditionally guarded the secret bank accounts of international criminals and corrupt dictators — that finally decided to arrest Roman Polanski? There must be some deeper story here …
Discussion:
Crooked Timber, Outside The Beltway, Washington Post, Alas, a blog, Moonbattery, Don Surber, Hot Air and Pajamas Media
Mark Leibovich / New York Times:
New Cheney Taking Stage for the G.O.P. — NASHVILLE — Liz Cheney looks nothing like her father, but it is clear who he is. She was introduced as “our favorite vice president's daughter” at a recent gathering of conservative women here. She kept invoking him in her speech …
Robert D. McFadden / New York Times:
William Safire, Nixon Speechwriter and Times Columnist, Is Dead at 79 — William Safire, a speechwriter for President Richard M. Nixon and a Pulitzer Prize-winning political columnist for The New York Times who also wrote novels, books on politics and a Malaprop's treasury of articles on language …
Discussion:
Think Progress, Shot in the Dark, The Reaction, Macleans.ca, Scared Monkeys, driftglass, TBogg, On Deadline, Political Byline, Mediaite, TPMCafe, JammieWearingFool, Truthdig, Redhot and Gothamist
RELATED:
Joe Holley / Washington Post:William Safire, 79; Celebrated Columnist for N.Y. Times
Discussion:
The Nation
Paul Begala / The Politico:
Bet on health care reform passing — Hey, fellow progressives, I have a secret for you: We're winning on health care. — As a battle-scarred veteran of President Bill Clinton's health care fight, I know there are many dangers, toils and snares ahead. But I am optimistic that President Barack Obama …
Discussion:
ABCNEWS
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Claus Christian Malzahn / Spiegel Online:
Welcome to the New Germany — After Sunday's election, Germany's political landscape has been shaken up, perhaps for ever. Angela Merkel's conservatives will be able to form a coalition government with the business-friendly FDP, but the balance of power between the two parties has fundamentally shifted.
Discussion:
MyDD
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Dan / Riehl World View:
Was Census Worker Bill Sparkman A Child Predator? — Update: Before any more people start going bonkers that I'm accusing Sparkman of anything, take a breath. I've done a fair amount of crime blogging mixed in with politics over time. One doesn't rule anything in or out without some firm answers.
Eliot A. Cohen / Wall Street Journal:
There Are Only Two Choices Left on Iran — An Israeli or U.S. military strike now, or a nuclear Tehran soon. — Printer — Friendly — Unless you are a connoisseur of small pictures of bearded, brooding fanatical clerics there is not much reason to collect Iranian currency.
NY Daily News:
John Edwards' ex-mistress, Rielle Hunter, targeted by Elizabeth Edwards in blog comments - source — Former presidential candidate John Edwards is said to be ready to admit that he fathered a love child. But Hades may have a skating rink before his wife, Elizabeth, signs off on such a confession.
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