Crisis Flummoxes White House  —  President Mubarak's Refusal to Step Down Signals a Loss of Western Influence; Sense of ‘Disbelief’ After Speech  —  WASHINGTON—The defiant tone taken by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak—and widespread confusion about the meaning of his speech …

Obama Faces a Stark Choice on Mubarak  —  WASHINGTON — President Hosni Mubarak's refusal to step down on Thursday, after a day of rumors galvanized the crowds in Cairo, confronts the Obama administration with a stark choice: break decisively with Mr. Mubarak or stick to its call for an …

Responding to the Worst Speech Ever  —  It's hard to exaggerate how bad Hosni Mubarak's speech today was for Egypt.  In the extended runup to his remarks, every sign indicated that he planned to announce his resignation: the military's announcement that it had taken control …

Mubarak Flees Cairo for Sharm el-Sheikh  —  Embattled President Leaves Capital after Defying Protesters' Demands for His Ouster, but He Is Expected to Return  —  Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has temporarily left Cairo, a day after transferring some power to Vice President Omar Suleiman …

CPAC 2011: Whose Bright Idea Was it to Put Rumsfeld and Cheney in Front of Screaming Libertarians?  —  WASHINGTON — First, a word about hecklers: It's awful that they get so much attention.  A few bad apples in a room of thousands can create the impression of massive dissent, when it really isn't there.

Abraham Lincoln, Inflationist  —  There was a time when Republicans used to refer to themselves, proudly, as “the party of Lincoln.”  But you don't hear that line much these days.  Why?  —  The main answer, presumably, lies in the G.O.P.'s decision, long ago, to seek votes from Southerners angered by the end of legal segregation.