Maurice Clemmons, man wanted for questioning, has troubling criminal history  —  Maurice Clemmons, the 37-year-old Tacoma man being sought for questioning in the killing this morning of four Lakewood police officers, has a long criminal record punctuated by violence, erratic behavior and concerns about his mental health.

An Open Letter to President Obama from Michael Moore  —  Do you really want to be the new “war president”?  If you go to West Point tomorrow night (Tuesday, 8pm) and announce that you are increasing, rather than withdrawing, the troops in Afghanistan, you are the new war president.  Pure and simple.

Today's GOP is both united and divided  —  Opposition to Obama is strong, but Republicans are split on GOP's direction and leaders  —  The Republican rank and file is largely in sync with GOP lawmakers in their staunch opposition to efforts by President Obama and Democrats …

7 stories Obama doesn't want told  —  Presidential politics is about storytelling.  Presented with a vivid storyline, voters naturally tend to fit every new event or piece of information into a picture that is already neatly framed in their minds.  —  No one understands this better …

Americans Still Leaning Against Healthcare Legislation  —  Majority disapprove of Obama's handling of the issue  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Americans currently tilt against Congress' passing healthcare legislation, with 49% saying they would advise their member to vote against a bill …

Ensign: Resignation would distract resources from defeating Reid  —  Embattled Republican Sen. John Ensign (Nev.) on Monday shot down calls for his resignation as ethics concerns continue to grow.  —  Ensign claimed his absence would only hamper the GOP's ability to unseat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in 2010.

Rick Warren, Silent Enabler Of Hatred  —  One of Rick Warren's (and president George W. Bush's) longtime allies in Uganda, Martin Ssempe, is the author of a classic piece of minority-baiting legislation.  Its details belong in the history of genocidal hatred:

Palin's Latest Rogue Gaffe  —  There have been so many lies and distortions pointed out in Sarah Palin's Going Rogue since it was released last week that her memoir has already become something of a gag line.  —  But perhaps the most embarrassing gaffe so far is her mis-attributed quote to UCLA basketball legend John Wooden.

The Jobs Imperative  —  If you're looking for a job right now, your prospects are terrible.  There are six times as many Americans seeking work as there are job openings, and the average duration of unemployment — the time the average job-seeker has spent looking for work — is more than six months, the highest level since the 1930s.

My mixed feelings about the war in Afghanistan.  —  Columnists are supposed to have firm views and express them with steadfast certainty.  Since I write a column called “War Stories,” the least a reader might expect from me is a clear opinion on whether the United States should escalate or pull out of the war in Afghanistan.

A surprisingly dark day for gay rights in New Jersey … Support for gay marriage in Trenton is draining away like water from a tub as nervous legislators scurry towards safer political ground.  —  “I can't say I'm confident now,” says Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen), a lead sponsor.

A Generation in the Balance  —  Do downturns create Democrats?  The Great Depression certainly did: The generation that came of age in the 1930s has cleaved to the Democratic Party like no population before or since.  And it makes intuitive sense that experiencing a recession at a formative age …

More on Climategate  —  In my previous post on Climategate I blithely said that nothing in the climate science email dump surprised me much.  Having waded more deeply over the weekend I take that back.  —  The closed-mindedness of these supposed men of science, their willingness …

Hamas Bans Women Dancers, Scooter Riders in Gaza Push  —  Nov. 30 (Bloomberg) — The Islamic Hamas movement banned girls last month from riding behind men on motor scooters and forbade women from dancing at the opening of a folk museum.  Girls in some public schools must wear headscarves and cloaks.

The face of rotted Washington  —  Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh — who was one of the most vocal cheerleaders for the invasion of Iraq, talks excitedly about punishing, and even bombing, Iran, and is now demanding full-scale escalation in Afghanistan — was on Fox News yesterday and highlighted …

NYT's Labaton, Lewis taking buyouts  —  New York Times staffers have until next Monday to apply for the current buyout offer, and already two veteran reporters are planning to leave the Washington bureau: Stephen Labaton and Neil Lewis.  —  In late October, executive editor Bill Keller held …

Obama Lost, Obama Found  —  How the president finds his way out of the woods.  —  The Thursday before last, President Barack Obama came home from his eight-day trip to Asia and received a welcome even frostier than the subfreezing temperatures that had greeted him in Beijing.