Officials: U.S. Aware of Hasan Efforts to Contact al Qaeda  —  Army Major in Fort Hood Massacre Used ‘Electronic Means’ to Connect with Terrorists  —  U.S. intelligence agencies were aware months ago that Army Major Nidal Hasan was attempting to make contact with people associated with al Qaeda …

Paranoia Strikes Deep  —  Last Thursday there was a rally outside the U.S. Capitol to protest pending health care legislation, featuring the kinds of things we've grown accustomed to, including large signs showing piles of bodies at Dachau with the caption “National Socialist Healthcare.”

Life After the End of History  —  For most of the last century, the West faced real enemies: totalitarian, aggressive, armed to the teeth.  Between 1918 and 1989, it was possible to believe that liberal democracy was a parenthesis in history, destined to be undone by revolution …

Chavez steps up Colombia war talk  —  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has urged his armed forces to be prepared for possible war with Colombia amid growing diplomatic and border tensions.  —  He said the best way to avoid war was to prepare for it.  In response, Colombia said it would seek UN help.

Murdoch may block Google searches  —  Murdoch's plan for paywalls ‘raises questions of anti-trust law’  —  Rupert Murdoch says he will remove stories from Google's search index as a way to encourage people to pay for content online.  —  In an interview with Sky News Australia …

Obama Doesn't “Get” the Military He Commands … Life is full of mysteries, but chief among them in this Marine wife's mind at the moment is, “Just how stupid does this White House think we are?”  If the events of the past few months have shown us anything, it's that Barack Obama has little enthusiasm for …

Iran Said to Ignore Effort to Salvage a Nuclear Deal  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration, attempting to salvage a faltering nuclear deal with Iran, has told Iran's leaders in back-channel messages that it is willing to allow the country to send its stockpile of enriched uranium …

Fred Hiatt on stepping closer to universal health care — and bankruptcy  —  The House passage of health-care reform Saturday night should be a moment of celebration.  In a country as wealthy as America, no one should have to go without medical care.  As in other developed nations …

DEFENDING THE ARSENAL  —  In an unstable Pakistan, can nuclear warheads be kept safe?  —  America's dealings with Pakistan may be increasing the risk of radicalization.  —  In the tumultuous days leading up to the Pakistan Army's ground offensive in the tribal area of South Waziristan …

Corzine recovering from loss in St. Barts  —  He must love getting roasted.  —  New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, seen here slouching on the healing sands of St. Barts, has retreated to the Caribbean to recover from his crushing defeat at the polls Tuesday.  —  Helping him lick his wounds …

Gorbachev gives Obama advice on Afghanistan  —  Washington (CNN) - As the American public and the global community await the completion of the Obama administration's extensive review of U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan, Mikhail Gorbachev, the former president of the Soviet Union …

Women could spell trouble for the GOP  —  Conservatives say they pushed Dede Scozzafava out of the House race in New York's 23rd District a week ago because of her left-of-Republican social views — and not because she is a woman.  —  But the growing schism between the Republican Party's ascendant right wing …

Calling All Bloggers  —  I'm delighted to be collaborating with Joe Trippi, one of my favorite liberals, on a bipartisan project to support America's veterans.  The project is called the Eleven Eleven campaign; the objective is to get 11 million Americans to contribute $11 apiece to support America's vets.

The Fort Hood massacre was rhetorical flourish as Obama urged House Democrats to vote for health care.  —  His idea was: Soldiers make sacrifices for the good of the country, so congressional Democrats should put their concerns about the next election aside for the good of the country.