Isn't It Ironic?  —  It's funny how things work out sometimes.  —  The two men running the White House have very different relationships with the press; one is warm and one is frosty.  —  One's relationship is more JFK, and one's has self-pitying echoes of Nixon.

Obama: Gulf spill ‘echoes 9/11’  —  Sounding reflective as he heads into a bruising electoral season, President Barack Obama told POLITICO columnist Roger Simon that the Gulf disaster “echoes 9/11” because it will change the nation's psyche for years to come.

Flemish Separatists Win in Belgium  —  BRUSSELS — The move to break up Belgium gathered momentum Sunday as separatists won an emphatic election victory in Flanders, the prosperous Dutch-speaking half of the fiercely divided nation.  —  A stunning electoral success for Bart de Wever's Flemish …

Boehner: Lift the Cap  —  House Minority Leader John Boehner on This Week today said he's now in favor of lifting the cap on BP's liability in the Gulf oil spill.  Though currently law makes BP responsible for cleaning up the actual oil, it limits its liability to $75 million.

Students Instructed to Chant “I Am an Obama Scholar” (Video)  —  What is with these leftists?  —  Students are directed to chant “I am an Obama scholar.”  —  From Tom Ficklin in New Haven  —  Via P/Oed Patriot:  —  Obviously, that separation of church and state rule only applies to Christianity.

Abbas to Obama: I'm against lifting the Gaza naval blockade  —  The Palestinian president reportedly told Obama that lifting the naval blockade of Gaza would bolster Hamas, a move that shouldn't be done at this stage.  —  Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is opposed to lifting …

Teachers Are Fair Game  —  I started covering education reform in 1983, with the release of the “Nation at Risk” report.  In those days everybody had some idea for how we should reorganize the schools or change the curriculum—cut school size, cut class size, create vouchers, create charters …

The President's Moment  —  If ever there was a test of President Obama's vision of government — one that cannot solve all problems, but does what people cannot do for themselves — it is this nerve-racking early summer of 2010, with oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico and far too many Americans out of work for far too long.

This Time Is Different  —  My friend, Mark Mykleby, who works in the Pentagon, shared with me this personal letter to the editor he got published last week in his hometown paper, The Beaufort Gazette in South Carolina.  It is the best reaction I've seen to the BP oil spill …

Defence chief to be axed  —  BRITAIN'S most senior military officer is to be axed as the new government seeks to draw a line under past failures in Afghanistan.  —  Liam Fox, the defence secretary, told The Sunday Times the chief of the defence staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup …

Does Fiscal Austerity Reassure Markets?  —  Here's a thought I should have had earlier about the debate over whether now is a good time to start fiscal austerity.  —  For the most part, this debate has been between those like me and Brad DeLong, who assert that budget-cutting …

Gaza, Through Fresh Eyes  —  GAZA — For some, it's the relative modernity — the jazzy cellphone stores and pricey restaurants.  For others, it's the endless beaches with children whooping it up.  But for nearly everyone who visits Gaza, often with worry of danger and hostility …