Source: The New York Times | Author: Judith Warner | Date: 6 Jun 2008

Warner delivers a shot to the gut with her Domestic Disturbances blog and this stinging indictment of rampant American misogyny. The juxtaposition of the collapse of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign with the smash-hit success of "Sex and the City" is more powerful and decidedly less cutesy than the headline suggests. A brief walk through the sexist cottage industry that sprung up around Sen. Clinton (nutcrackers, anyone?) brings the point home, as does a collection of nasty quotes from assorted talking heads. "It’s nothing other than an expression of woman-hate — and the degree to which such expressions have flourished ... has added up to be a real national shame."

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Source: The New York Review of Books | Author: Thomas Powers | Date: 20 May 2008

“Invading the Middle East is the kind of imperial overreach that breaks the spine of great powers.” That’s the point Powers repeatedly brings home in this lengthy essay. Drawing from ten books about current and past Middle East wars, Powers is pessimistic about America’s prospects for success in Iraq and Afghanistan. He further argues that even though the Democratic presidential candidates have pledged to begin troop withdrawals in their first year in office, political realities will make that impossible and we will be having the same argument in four years' time. There's nothing fun about this essay, but it feels important nonetheless.

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Source: The Washington Post | Author: Dana Milbank | Date: 14 May 2008

If you're a Monty Python fan, you've likely already guessed the story here. Milbank compares Hillary Clinton to the deceased parrot in the legendary sketch -- specifically the insistence that her campaign is still alive. The press corps is deserting the campaign trail, and her predictable win in West Virginia was about as much a reviving force as nailing a dead bird's feet to a perch. It's an entertaining piece and a creative way to present a widely made argument.

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Source: Vanity Fair | Author: Michael Dobbs | Date: 14 May 2008

This gripping excerpt from Dobbs' new book One Minute to Midnight: Kennedy, Khrushchev, and Castro on the Brink of Nuclear War, reads like a thriller. During the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, U-2 pilot Charles Maultsby began a routine flight in Alaska but accidentally veered off-course and entered Soviet airspace. Dobbs' excerpt is brief, but it clearly captures the tensions surrounding not just American and Russian leaders, but also Maultsby and his commanders as they raced to avoid an escalation of military powers. Well-written, humanizing, and likely to interest the reader in the book itself.

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Source: The Wall Street Journal | Author: Stephanie Simon | Date: 14 May 2008

In an attempt to bring more diversity to a campus so liberal that its hot-dog stand sells tofu weiners, the chancellor of the University of Colorado at Boulder is planning to create an endowment for a Professor of Conservative Thought and Policy. Considering that the university's 800-member faculty contains only 32 Republicans, Peterson's move may be justified, but it has been met with much criticism. Even conservatives have taken issue with the idea, arguing that the token-like nature of the position will "brand the person as a curiosity, like 'an animal in the zoo,'" in the words of author David Horowitz. Simon fleshes out the story with some reporting on similar schools' actions.

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Source: The New York Times | Author: William Yardley | Date: 14 May 2008

The people of Juneau, Alaska have cut their electricity use by 30 percent in the past month -- not through environmental conscientiousness, but because prices rocketed after an avalanche wiped out the hydroelectric dam that provided four-fifths of the town's power. With only diesel power available, the price of electricity is nearly five times higher than before, and everything from a public sauna to drying laundry by machine is a target for savings. Yardley's piece is a powerful demonstration of environmental change, though there's surprisingly no mention of whether climate change itself could have contributed to the avalanche.

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Source: The New York Times | Author: George McGovern | Date: 14 May 2008

George McGovern writes an article in which he clearly has experience: He notates several instances in which the Democratic party divided, giving elections to the Republicans. Although he commends both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton for continuing their campaigns, he is concerned that the same thing could happen again in this election. As a solution McGovern proposes that the two candidates campaign without criticize one another and make quick stops each state with a remaining primary to strengthen the party.

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Source: The New York Times | Author: Edward Wyatt | Date: 14 May 2008

Former Secretary of State Warren Christopher, Al Gore's spokesman during the 2000 Florida recount, is none too pleased with a new HBO film depicting him as a wimp whose weak strategy was largely to blame for Gore's ultimate loss. Other members of Gore's team, and even Bush adviser James Baker, say Recount is unfair to Christopher, but director Danny Strong insists the portrayal is accurate. Wyatt doesn't firmly take sides, but he does refer to Jeffrey Toobin's book Too Close to Call, which asserted Christopher was urging Gore to concede by the end of the recount's first week.

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Source: Slate | Author: John Dickerson | Date: 14 May 2008

Looking ahead to the possibility of a John McCain-Barack Obama town hall tour, Dickerson posits the outside chance of two politicians eagerly embracing substantive debates. He speculates that both parties have pundits who will likely kibosh the idea. One vulnerable ill-timed remark and they'd be plastered all over YouTube -- both an Achilles heel and a powerful campaigning platform. Dickerson succinctly outlines the advantages to both parties but deems it unlikely the presidential hopefuls will be given the opportunity to speak candidly because the inherent risks outweigh the public's desire for authenticity and brisk truths.

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Source: The Daily Show | Author: Jon Stewart | Date: 14 May 2008

Moyers decries the "sound bite-obsessed media" as he discusses his new book, Moyers on Democracy, a collection of his speeches with commentary that puts them in context. He takes the same tack in discussing his own recent interview with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. He points out that Wright is angry that more than 200,000 minutes of sermons have been collapsed into 20 outrageous seconds -- when Wright was on Bill Moyers' Journal, able to put his remarks into context, he came across as a reasonable man. Moyers makes a powerful argument against snap judgments, even if he's preaching to the choir on The Daily Show.

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Source: Tavis Smiley | Author: Tavis Smiley | Date: 14 May 2008

Bill Moyers speaks intelligently about his interview with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and says it's "tragic" that modern political guilt-by-association attacks had forced a parishioner to disown his pastor -- something that’s never before happened in American politics -- but affirming that Barack Obama made the right decision to do so. He also sympathizes with Wright for devoting his life to preaching at a small church in Chicago's South Side (instead of going into academia), growing its congregation from 60 to 600 -- and then having his life's work judged on a 30-second sound bite.

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Source: Tavis Smiley | Author: Tavis Smiley | Date: 14 May 2008

Senator Harry Reid discusses his book The Good Fight: Hard Lessons from Searchlight to Washington, detailing his remarkable journey from a poor childhood in Nevada to Senate majority leader. Reid talks about his hometown (prostitution was the primary industry), his first experience in Washington as a Capitol police officer juggling full-time school, his job, and a young family, and the challenges he faced on the Nevada gaming commission -- including an attempt by organized crime to kill his family. Reid's story has a depth that is a surprising turn from the clichéd tale of how a local boy made good.

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Source: Meet the Press | Author: Tim Russert | Date: 14 May 2008

In this round-table segment, four analysts agree that Barack Obama is likely to garner the Democratic nomination, but all also subscribe to the axiom, "anything could happen." Norris says that Hillary Clinton, often praised for her perseverance, is probably defining the next phase of her life as she seeks an exit strategy. Seib notes that "how the loser loses" is important. No one thinks Clinton has a shot at the vice president slot, which requires experience but no baggage. Russert smoothly hosts this upbeat discussion featuring experts generally in accord on issues like ageism, campaign fallout, and voter influences.

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Source: Newsweek | Author: Calvin Woodward & Nancy Benac | Date: 14 May 2008

At the outset of the nomination race, Hillary Clinton looked like an inevitable winner, armed with experience, money, connections and dogged determination. However, these advantages turned out to be more of a liability for Clinton, spurring an overconfidence that, combined with the "love her or hate her" view Americans have about her, ruined her chances. In this massive piece, the authors discuss Clinton's rise and fall, analyzing her appearances and weighing what went wrong. While this thorough feature is well-written and informative, it may be too lengthy for readers already exhausted from the extended nomination battle.

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Source: New York | Author: Chris Smith | Date: 14 May 2008

New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn has had a dramatic rise to power, and has long been considered one of the front-runners in next year's mayoral race. Yet, as Smith intelligently points out, her meteoric rise may be halted due to a scandal involving the council's slush fund, which funneled millions of tax dollars into council members' pet projects. All too often, scandal-related articles are far too one-sided; Smith does an admirable job of trying to explain Quinn's nuances, her political future, and the slush fund scandal.

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Source: Fresh Air | Author: Terry Gross | Date: 14 May 2008

Deborah Kanafani, ex-wife of Yasser Arafat's personal adviser Marwan Kanafani, discusses her forthcoming memoir, Unveiled, in this deeply personal piece. Speaking of her husband's controlling tendencies, her divorce, and the ensuing messy custody battle (she eventually had her children spirited out of Jordan by the US government without her husband's knowledge), Kanafani gives listeners a sense of the challenges inherent in marrying into a completely different world. Though she touches briefly on the work she's done to promote peace in the Middle East, her story would shine better in a broader context.

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Source: Marketplace | Author: American Public Media | Date: 14 May 2008

Commentator Todd Buchholz warns of a stock market crash due in 2011 -- that's when the first Baby Boomers hit 65. He predicts that for steady income, Boomers will dump their stocks and buy bonds, sending stock prices into a tailspin. The solution? Keep the capital gains tax low (he calls them "dividend taxes" to confound the issue). Buchholz makes sure to throw in reminders that the new retirees are likely to live into their 90s, and that it will be everyone younger left holding devalued stocks, but it's basically all a coating to make his agenda -- don't raise capital gains taxes, please -- innocuous.

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Source: The Washington Post | Author: Richard Cohen | Date: 13 May 2008

Hamas leader Ahmed Yousef has praised Barack Obama for his JFK-like vision, even though Obama himself considers Hamas a terrorist organization. McCain has latched onto the comments to practice some dirty politicking of guilt by association, and claiming he himself is "Hamas' worst nightmare." Most editorialists would fashion a pretty good column from that, but Cohen skillfully propels the debate from mudslinging to the deeper issue of which candidate truly has the chops: "The Middle East needs supple minds that are not mired in the past," Cohen remarks, noting that McCain's admirable qualities aren't suited to solving persistent diplomatic wrangles.

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Source: The New York Times | Author: Bob Herbert | Date: 13 May 2008

"Millenials," people born in the '80s and '90s, are likely to bring about a tectonic shift in politics in coming elections. The young generation is the first to face a lower standard of living than their parents, marked by an evisceration of well-paying middle-management jobs from the workforce with bleak outlook for improvement, and an increasing lack of employer-provided health insurance. It's because of this that the Millennials are the most politically progressive generation in history, and Herbert predicts -- perhaps too rosily -- that soon their influence will loosen the stranglehold that conservatism has held on American politics.

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Source: The New Yorker | Author: Hendrik Hertzberg | Date: 13 May 2008

Hertzberg muses about Hillary Clinton's long, strange journey from seemingly inevitable victory to imminent defeat. She could have locked up the nomination easily had she opposed the Iraq War in 2003, Hertzberg says, or if she had run for the Senate from Illinois instead of New York. Instead, she was forced to fight on the defensive, resorting to negative campaigning and transparent political ploys like the gas tax holiday. Now, her only choice is in how she exits the race. Unfortunately, the article mirrors the election itself: engaging at the start, but ultimately unfocused and a little dispiriting.

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Source: Marie Claire | Author: Paul Cruickshank | Date: 13 May 2008

Naive and searching for direction, a 24-year-old Maureen tells her unbelievable story of marrying a man later suspected of supporting terrorists involved in the deadly 2004 Madrid bombings. The young couple ventured from an enthusiastic immersion into Islamic views, to choosing to wear a burka, to tightening their circle of fundamentalist friends, to an increasingly zealous husband who suddenly went abroad to "help a friend." During her husband's trial Maureen steadfastly defends his innocence, is viewed with suspicion as a potential suicide bomber, fears imprisonment, and struggles to convince authorities that her intentions are pure. It's an interesting, worldly account of a young mother still finding herself.

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Source: Fortune | Author: Fortune | Date: 13 May 2008

Fortune briefly highlights 25 people who answer the all too common question: "What's the best advice you ever got?" From General David Petraeus, who was told to move out of his "intellectual comfort zone", to Tina Fey, who wants to be the only person to sign her paychecks, people share the advice that helped them succeed. Much of the advice is customary -- use humor, don't panic, be yourself, pay attention -- and the people featured could be more diverse. Still, this may appeal to those in need of some entrepreneurial inspiration.

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Source: Salon | Author: Louis Bayard | Date: 13 May 2008

In the '80s, hating Ronald Reagan was as integral to the liberal experience as hating George W. Bush is today. Lately though, Reagan is regarded differently, as seen in liberal historian Sean Wilentz's latest book, The Age of Reagan: 1974-2008. The book is more of a "survey course in current and not-so-current events," and Reagan goes missing for half of it, making this volume significant mostly because of its author, a liberal who now recognizes that the former president redefined politics and left his mark on government. Bayard's account is half flabbergasted and half accepting, as well as genuine and relatable.

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Source: The New Yorker | Author: Adam Gopnik | Date: 13 May 2008

French playwright Yasmina Reza was allowed to follow Nicolas Sarkozy in his campaign for the French presidency and published her account of the man in the recently translated book titled Dawn Dusk or Night. Her portrait is one of stasis and "mostly mindless, or, anyway, undirected, energy," such as the future president asking for candy, then struggling to open the plastic wrapping. Reza reveals that she was initially interested in a quite different politician, but Sarkozy intrigued her as the "absolute political animal." With a short review of Reza's book and a smirking profile of Sarkozy, Gopnik succeeds in both entertaining and informing his readers.

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Source: This American Life | Author: Ira Glass | Date: 13 May 2008

Glass and the crew produce an engaging "housing crisis for dummies" by drawing an aural map of a mortgage's "trip" from the giant pool of over $70 trillion (the entire world's savings) to the defaulting homeowner, and interviews the individual at each stop who gave it the green light to continue it's death march. Not surprisingly, the common theme of each participant's story was that they ignored their conscience, regulations, or traditional financial logic when they made their respective decisions. It's a riveting description of the crisis, and likely the most lucid, illustrative explanation of it you'll find.

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Source: Los Angeles Times | Author: Jonah Goldberg | Date: 13 May 2008

Writing as fervently as the title suggests, Goldberg tackles nuclear waste and terror suspects -- as he puts it, both need to be contained until we work out what to do with them. He argues that nuclear power is unavoidable if the US is to meet carbon emission targets, and if the Yucca Mountain disposal site will keep it safe for a few thousand years, that's good enough. Meanwhile, Guantanamo Bay may be controversial, but the pre-2001 strategy of treating terrorists like bank robbers clearly didn't make America safer. Goldberg's views may not be to everyone's taste, but there's certainly little room for misinterpretation.

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Source: The Washington Post | Author: Anne Applebaum | Date: 13 May 2008

For Burma's generals to refuse international aid is despicable -- and perfectly logical once you realize they are more concerned with their political survival than their citizens' lives. That means we have to assume they won't relent their blockade, even when cholera and dysentery become widespread killers. Politically, no one country can act alone on the issue, but the time has come for an international coalition to deliver aid directly, perhaps by helicopter drops. Applebaum's article doesn't make for comfortable reading, but she offers a sharp, pragmatic assessment.

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Source: Charlie Rose | Author: Charlie Rose | Date: 13 May 2008

Ambassador Susan Schwab, United States Trade Representative, discusses misconceptions about trade issues, benefits to companies and consumers of effective trade policies, and threats to US trade. Schwab highlights the strong export sector of the economy, how politicians "demagogue" trade and unfairly blame foreign workers for taking too many US jobs, the effect of opening markets of developing countries, and the why the threat of other countries shutting out key US trade opportunities is looming. Schwab, despite her own political perspective, clearly delineates that the trade issue is more complicated than the sound bites from the presidential campaigns.

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Source: The Economist | Author: The Economist | Date: 13 May 2008

This article is little more than a list of the British prime minister's problems; that it's possible to fill a column that way pretty much sums up the Economist's position. Some things have been beyond his control -- the revival of the opposition Conservative party and the global economic slump -- but many problems, including the collapse of Northern Rock, stem from his own actions as Chancellor. It's not really credible that he'll be replaced before the next election, but he's going to have to do a much better job expressing what he stands for if his party is to avoid electoral carnage.

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Source: The Economist | Author: The Economist | Date: 13 May 2008

With infant mortality at 76 of 1,000 births and one-third of the country living under the poverty line, Myanmar is among "the world's neediest and least-helped countries," not least because its leadership is more interested in its own survival than its citizen's prosperity, The Economist effectively criticizes. In the wake of a devastating cyclone, the editors call for wisdom in humanitarian aid, as well as for pressuring China and Thailand to approach the junta about its scheduled constitutional referendum. Providing an excellent analysis of the post-cyclone crisis, the editors roundly condemn the junta for its "criminal" neglect of its citizens.

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Source: The Economist | Author: The Economist | Date: 13 May 2008

This brief, pragmatic editorial recommends a wait-and-see approach to dealing with new Russian president Dmitry Medvedev. For one thing, Vladimir Putin is still around as Prime Minister, and he may hold the real executive power. How Medvedev manages looming economic troubles, including problems with oil production, and chooses policies for relations with Western nations will determine whether the new regime is liberal or stuck in neutral, reluctant to modify attitudes toward free speech, political prisoners, or neighboring Georgia. What this bear (Medvedev) does, more than what he says, will make things clear soon enough.

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Source: The Economist | Author: The Economist | Date: 13 May 2008

Supporters of the planned Federal Housing Administration say its scheme to reinsure home loans could help 1.5 million people keep their homes and prop up house prices. The Economist backs this view to a point: In many cases, renegotiation is better than the time-consuming and costly foreclosure process. But the voluntary scheme will make little difference in practice, and in most cases foreclosure is the correct market outcome for people who can't afford to live in their homes. The real solution is to make foreclosure a quicker process, but that's probably politically untenable. This frank opinion should at least provoke discussion.

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Source: Gourmet | Author: Barry Estabrook | Date: 13 May 2008

Estabrook's brief commentary on food politics this week covers three diverse topics. First, there's the odd anti-conservationist stance of National Fisheries Institute President Connelly, who apparently suspects that the multi-member environmentalist coalition, Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions, is intending to sideline actual seafood industry workers. Estabrook also slips in a bare mention of the developing crisis in the honey-bee pollination situation. But, on a further topic, his stab at Monsanto for requesting a higher allowance for herbicide residues on sugar beets is unnecessarily alarmist and is certainly not backed up with enough science, just a bald statistic.

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Source: The Economist | Author: The Economist | Date: 13 May 2008

Sixty years after Israel's birth, Palestinians are still waiting for their promised independent state. But while world leaders have dragged their heels -- America in particular seems reluctant to aid a cause that has such strong support among Islamic radicals -- Palestinian forces must also shoulder some of the blame. Until Hamas accepts that Israel has a right to exist and backs a two-state solution, little change is likely. The article is hardly groundbreaking, but it's a useful reminder of the big picture.

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Source: Time | Author: Karen Tumulty | Date: 13 May 2008

How did former front-runner Hillary Clinton wind up the also-ran to fresh-faced underdog Barack Obama? Tumulty identifies the five blunders chiefly responsible for corroding Clinton's aura of inevitability: she packaged herself as the consummate Washington insider when voters wanted change; she bet on big-state victories even though democratic delegates are awarded proportionately; she overlooked the caucus states; she failed to grasp the Internet's power as a fundraising tool; and she didn't have a post-Super-Tuesday strategy. All valid points -- and they've all been made repeatedly. One suspects Tumulty wrote this article in March and then waited for Clinton's doom to be sealed before submitting it.

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Source: Time | Author: Anita Hamilton | Date: 13 May 2008

A reported 30 percent of Americans have changed summer vacation plans thanks to high fuel prices. Some change destinations, while others are replacing driving holidays with cycling trails. Even those already on low budgets are cutting back: Many campers are taking tents rather than RVs. Perhaps the most extreme is a money-saving website's founder who admits using corrugated plastic underneath her car to cut down drag. Hamilton's piece doesn't tell the reader much; it's more of a list than an in-depth report.

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Source: Time | Author: Michael Weisskopf | Date: 13 May 2008

Pegging a 2000 Congressional election defeat as the turning point of his career, Weisskopf charts Barack Obama's unlikely return to win a Senate seat in 2004. In a calculated strategy he steered several laws in the state senate that appealed to working class black voters, a base he'd failed to capture in 2000. He spent more time in black churches learning the art of successful public speaking, particularly to an African-American audience. And he tapped donations from every conceivable source to make sure he could finance a strong campaign. Weisskopf's lengthy piece is tremendously effective, reading like a particularly relevant extract from a full-length biography.

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Source: The Economist | Author: The Economist | Date: 13 May 2008

With mathematics against her, the only reason for Hillary Clinton to continue to fight is if she genuinely believes Barack Obama would be either unelectable or a poor President. The Economist, while still skeptical about Obama's policies, argues that his primary performance shows he has leadership capabilities. Further, claims that race will lose him votes seem overstated -- and in any case, he's proven he can bring new voters to the polls. While a well-balanced editorial in its own right, the real highlight is the reasoned and articulate debate in the site's comment section involving readers from around the world.

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Source: Time | Author: Joe Klein | Date: 13 May 2008

In this compact political analysis, Klein confesses he thought Hillary Clinton had the advantage over Barack Obama in Indiana and North Carolina. With the wisdom of hindsight, Klein realizes he and his press colleagues fell for Clinton's "bowling and tamale-eating" and "shameless populism" while Americans focused on substance. Meanwhile, Obama simply seemed more honorable than Clinton, denouncing her proposed gas-tax holiday as pandering and patiently enduring the Jeremiah Wright flap. Klein advises Obama to maintain his reputation for honor by sitting down with John McCain to negotiate sane ground rules for the general election and urges candidates and reporters alike to focus on substance over style.

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Source: Time | Author: Michael Kinsley | Date: 13 May 2008

Congress recently passed a bill forbidding employers and insurers from discriminating against individuals based on genetic test results. Kinsley says the law's a good thing, but worries it could go too far. Some, like musically gifted Yo-Yo Ma, simply have better genes than others. To deny that, Kinsley argues, would smack of communism -- a governmentally enforced equality amounting to oppression. But he misses the point; the new law doesn't champion second-rate cellists gunning for Yo-Yo's orchestra seat. Rather, it protects average workers who have, for instance, a greater chance of developing cancer sometime in the future from being denied insurance or a job.

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Source: The Washington Post 'Outlook' | Author: David S. Broder | Date: 12 May 2008

Broder queries Senate majority whip Dick Durbin on why nearly half of the Democratic senators have yet to endorse a presidential candidate. Warning that "time lost can never be completely recovered", Broder helpfully details underpublicized consequences of the long primary, including how John McCain is using time out of the national spotlight to target diverse interest groups (an option unavailable to Obama). Broder draws parallels to the 1968 election, where an exhausted Hubert Humphrey lacked time to catch Richard Nixon.

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Source: The New York Times | Author: Michael Slackman | Date: 12 May 2008

While the teenage years are a time for rebellion in many Western societies, similar behavior is not accepted in the Muslim world, where strict religious and cultural demands create an extremely conservative society. Slackman speaks with a pair of young Saudi men attempting to navigate the already tricky terrain of love while remaining within the confines of what is acceptable behavior in their culture. The lengthy feature is engaging until the very end, as Slackman offers an interesting perspective on facets of young Muslims' life from family loyalty to love, which one Saudi female notes "can ruin your reputation."

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Source: The Washington Post 'Outlook' | Author: Jim Hoagland | Date: 12 May 2008

Hoagland argues that Chinese President Hu Jintao's five-day visit to Japan heralds a new era of friendliness between the two countries. He extensively cites an interview with Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who emphasizes the importance of economic utility over traditional political enmity. Over the last five years, Japan's economic growth has been bolstered by its exports to China, which is now Japan's largest trading partner and potentially more important to Japan's economic future than the oversaturated markets of the West. In the years to come, Japan must strike a careful balance between promoting China's stability and preserving its own political and economic leverage.

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Source: The Washington Post 'Outlook' | Author: Lally Weymouth | Date: 12 May 2008

In extracts from a Newsweek interview, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says a new US President would take time to become familiar with Middle Eastern politics and therefore urges George W. Bush to speed up American assistance for Israeli-Syrian negotiations. He says it's unlikely he'll step down, despite potential criminal action over campaign contribution breaches. And while he distrusts Iran's specific claims, he warns that the country is moving closer towards possessing nuclear weapons. It's a hugely disappointing interview, as Olmert gives curt answers to most questions and says virtually nothing unexpected.

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Source: The Washington Post 'Outlook' | Author: Cameron W. Barr | Date: 12 May 2008

Five years after the toppling of Saddam Hussein, Emad Yousif, a successful Baghdad businessman, is finding that survival under the threat of insurgent kidnapping is not very different from the Baathist government. The key to survival in both instances is discreetly keeping to yourself. Yousif, whose family has lived in Jordan since 2004, did not look for the American-led invasion, but now, as the situation remains unstable, he finds himself pleading for a continued American presence. Barr's article about the difficulties of change in Iraq is another reminder of the dilemma that has been created there.

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Source: The Washington Post 'Outlook' | Author: Jake Adelstein | Date: 12 May 2008

Adelstein, a longtime crime reporter for Japan's largest newspaper, offers an insightful, personal glimpse into the realities of the yakuza, or Japanese mafia. In Tokyo alone the yakuza holds an estimated 800 front companies in a variety of sectors, but has traditionally been involved in drugs, prostitution, and pornography. The 80,000-strong yakuza is able to stay in power due to a lack of laws Americans take for granted, such as plea bargaining and witness protection. This weakness has allowed the yakuza's power to affect America and its citizens; Adelstein himself is under threat by the yakuza for his publishing his exposé, and is incredulous at the powerlessness of Japanese law enforcement to gain control of the situation.

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Source: The New York Times Magazine | Author: William A. Galston & Pietro S. Nivola | Date: 12 May 2008

Conventional wisdom says Americans are weary of political divisiveness and yearn for a "post-partisan" ideological homogeneity. But Galston and Nivola say the American public is more politically polarized than ever. Both Republicans and Democrats are abandoning the center for the extreme right and left of their party's ideological spectra. Meanwhile, those of like-minded political views are clustering together geographically, creating districts and states no longer considered competitive in general elections. Galston and Nivola make interesting points, but their analysis is over-generalized -- they state, without qualification, that the "lower-educated" are more family-oriented -- and they fail to supplement their data and research with real-world examples.

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Source: The Washington Post | Author: Amy Goldstein & Dana Priest | Date: 12 May 2008

The immigration custody system was designed to quickly get offenders behind bars and then out of the country, but 33,000 detainees remain scattered around the country in a variety of makeshift facilities (including former World War II POW camps), some staying for months or years. Highlighting a female detainee with cancer, the Post details how this unwieldy and bureaucratic system proves unable -- even unwilling -- to provide adequate medical care. With a wealth of personal testimonies and official documents, Goldstein and Priest uncover a shocking pattern of inadequate care. Their vivid report is even more effective with scanned images of primary source documents, including one heated letter of protest from a prison warden.

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Source: The New York Times | Author: Jim Rutenberg & Jacques Steinberg | Date: 12 May 2008

Karl Rove's leap from White House adviser to Fox, Newsweek and Wall Street Journal pundit is the latest example of the blurring line between the media and politics. Ever since George Stephanopoulos joined ABC, observers have questioned whether such jumps are like gamekeepers becoming poachers. Democrats remain suspicious when Rove offers "independent" advice for the Barack Obama campaign, but editors insist there's little danger of audiences seeing him as truly unbiased. Newsweek's Joe Meacham points out, "No one on the planet who is reading Newsweek is at all puzzled as to what Karl's politics are." The writers raise some interesting points while avoiding the natural traps of journalists discussing their own profession.

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Source: The New York Times Magazine | Author: Tim Weiner | Date: 12 May 2008

General Vang Pao, the leader of the Hmong people in their American-financed fight against Communism and a hero of the Vietnam War, has been indicted in California on charges of conspiring to violently overthrow the Laotian government. Though he has been "painted as a Laotian bin Laden" by federal prosecutors, he seems to have at best a tangential relationship to the plot, which was instigated by undercover officers as part of a dubious sting operation. Colorfully populated with mystics and con men, Weiner's story leaves the reader with the impression that the case against the aging general is "a fever dream created and stoked by the government."

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Source: The Washington Post 'Outlook' | Author: Alan Wolfe | Date: 12 May 2008

The media coverage and public involvement in the Democratic primary race has brought a resurgence in democratic participation and civic duty; voter efficacy is high, and people are interacting with the government in record numbers. Wolfe responds to criticisms of the Democratic Party's indecisiveness by listing the benefits to democracy as a whole, and discussing the major factors that have shaped the race for the White House, such as legitimate policy discussions. Wolfe joins the "that which does not kill us" chorus of pundits -- citing mostly the same talking points -- but he adds a little with predictions of Republicans' likely strategies to portray Barack Obama as an extreme liberal.

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Source: The Washington Post 'Outlook' | Author: Joe Mathews | Date: 12 May 2008

Much of television news in the US seems sensationalized to the point of vapidity, forsaking good journalism in favor of dancing dogs or celebrity gossip. Spanish-language broadcasts, however, are an often overlooked exception to this trend, presenting news that is more civic-minded, with a greater focus on local politics and analysis than that offered by their English counterparts. Mathews convincingly demonstrates his thesis with examples from Los Angeles-area programming, but devotes scant attention to the reasons for this trend.

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Source: The New York Times 'Week in Review' | Author: Jack Bass | Date: 12 May 2008

Since Barry Goldwater's Southern strategy, the South has been a bastion of conservative Republican politics, but discontent with the Bush administration and the nation's economic troubles have been pulling more and more white Southerners back into the Democratic Party. Bass identifies encouraging signs of a post-racial electoral map in the South, with whites proving willing to vote for black candidates for the first time in large numbers: "Race itself is receding as a divisive issue." Unfortunately, Bass devotes no attention to the Republicans' response to this development.

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Source: Face the Nation | Author: Bob Schieffer | Date: 12 May 2008

Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe's glibness is almost too much for Schieffer, but he keeps returning to Clinton's much-quoted and ill-advised remark about "hard-working whites" supporting her candidacy -- and McAuliffe finally admits that he hates discussion of race and wants to stick to issues. On what happens if Barack Obama wins the nomination, the interviewee insists that the party will unify behind him. And as for the final delegate count, McAuliffe keeps pushing "let the process finish," and is unembarrassed about considering the Puerto Rico votes even though voters there will have no say in November.

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Source: Charlie Rose | Author: Charlie Rose | Date: 12 May 2008

Bill Moyers jokes that the Democratic nomination race "isn't over until this particular lady sings," but he suggests Hillary Clinton should avoid "capsizing the boat" for Barack Obama. Rose tenaciously tries, and fails, to get Moyers to admit that he should have questioned Obama's former pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright about his most inflammatory statements when he appeared on Bill Moyers Journal. This thoughtful conversation, which touches on politics, history, and religion, provides a refreshing antidote to sound-bite journalism.

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Source: The New York Times Magazine | Author: Christopher Caldwell | Date: 12 May 2008

While many first- and business-class passengers are able to bypass long security checkpoint lines in many airports, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has begun a program to implement 600 whole-body imagers that may speed the lines. The new imaging technology reveals everything that a person is carrying, down to very intimate detail. Caldwell's discussion about the inequalities of airports, inequalities that are supported by TSA policy, is interesting if academic, and he makes some very salient points about airlines' treatment of passengers.

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Source: Meet the Press | Author: Tim Russert | Date: 12 May 2008

Senator Chris Dodd appears confident that Hillary Clinton supporters will see the substantive similarities between her and Barack Obama and support Obama in the general election. Dodd also revokes previous comments questioning Obama's qualifications and is convinced that the party will unite behind him. Clinton campaign manager Terry McAuliffe, however, comes out on the defensive, insisting that the race is far from over and that Clinton's coalition in the big states is key for the Democrats to win in November. Russert doesn't hesitate to hit hard with both former Democratic Party Chairmen.

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Source: Face the Nation | Author: Bob Schieffer | Date: 12 May 2008

Political analyst VanderHei's take on why Clinton has decided to remain in the race for the Democratic nomination is a very basic "anything can happen" plus "politics is unpredictable." Vanderhei allows that Clinton's recent gaffe about "working-class whites" supporting her is actually a valid point that just needs to be more carefully stated. Discussing Barack Obama, VanderHei comes up with a few names for potential vice presidents, including Senators Sam Nunn of Georgia and Mark Warner of Virginia -- he says Clinton is unlikely to make this list.

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Source: This Week | Author: George Stephanopoulos | Date: 12 May 2008

Senate majority leader Harry Reid emphasizes how the nomination race has been great for democracy and for the Democratic Party. He talks positively about both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, but the focus on Obama reflects how the race has shifted in his favor. He discusses John Kerry's failure in the 2004 election and how the candidates have changed their campaign strategies to rectify these electoral ineptitudes. Reid also reiterates some contra-John McCain talking points without much substantive analysis, making for a fairly dull interview.

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Source: The New York Times 'Week in Review' | Author: Jad Mouawad | Date: 12 May 2008

While many politicians have floated proposals to ease American oil issues, such as the gas tax holiday and "environmentally friendly" drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge, Mouawad insightfully argues that "not much" can be done about high gas prices. Despite the fact that America is the world's biggest consumer of oil, the market is "largely immune to Washington's machinations," and the increased consumption of China and India has just as significant an effect on prices. The only real solution lies in reducing demand or increasing supply, but American policies promote just the opposite, encouraging consumption by attempting to keep prices low.

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Source: The New York Times 'Week in Review' | Author: Mark Leibovich | Date: 12 May 2008

Leibovich takes on the "wiseguys" who believe Barack Obama's battle with Hillary Clinton has left him exhausted and diminished, providing six reasons why the opposite might be true. First, the prestige of slaying the giant Clinton machine will prove to strengthen the candidate. His fight with Clinton also vanquishes any perception of Obama being "soft." Third, he now knows he needs to work to win over blue-collar Dems. While Leibovich aptly contrasts Obama from last election's "unscathed" John Kerry, most of his arguments simply mirror those coming from the Clinton podium.

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Source: Fresh Air | Author: Terry Gross | Date: 12 May 2008

Emmanuel Jal recounts being an 8-year-old soldier in the Sudan People's Liberation Army and how he evolved into the musician he is today, recently releasing a new album called Warchild. As a child, he was trained to operate an AK-47 and attack a town, and this training "killed feelings" and taught him to obey mindlessly, but his life began to change when an aid worker adopted him and he transitioned from a life of violence. Gross' compelling questions and Jal's horrific recollections of his childhood -- and his keen insight -- make for a discussion as inspiring as it is heartrending.

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Source: Face the Nation | Author: Bob Schieffer | Date: 12 May 2008

John Edwards expresses a relaxed confidence that Barack Obama's growing lead will result in the Democratic nomination. Refusing to endorse any candidate, Edwards credits Hillary Clinton for her efforts but sees the inevitability of her pulling out and supporting the party behind Obama. Edwards then touches on the idealistic plan to cut poverty in half over ten years by raising the minimum wage and implementing other social and economic changes. He claims that he has received support from the presidential candidates but provides little detail. Schieffer asks some poignant questions but never pressures Edwards into giving direct answers.

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Source: Fox News Sunday | Author: Chris Wallace | Date: 12 May 2008

Hillary Clinton's top strategist Howard Wolfson continues to push the campaign rhetoric that she will be the eventual nominee. Wallace asks why Clinton continues to attack Obama, expressing concerns about hurting the Democratic Party. Wolfson eloquently replies that this spirited campaign has been great for Democrats -- bringing new, passionate voters into the process that will unite behind one nominee against John McCain. The strategist reveals that Clinton has $20 million in campaign debt, but he evades questions about retiring the debt, or who would fill the vice president slot, calling them premature as Clinton focuses on winning in West Virginia on Tuesday.

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Source: Fox News Sunday | Author: Chris Wallace | Date: 12 May 2008

David Axelrod, Barack Obama's chief strategist, joins Wallace to discuss the state of the Democratic primary. Now only 161 votes short of the nomination, Obama finally is looking to emerge with a victory. The interview is mostly predictable questions until Wallace brings up the possibility that the Obama campaign could help the Clinton campaign with some of its debt. Axelrod said there will be no money transfers but seems to choose his words carefully while also avoiding the oddness of such a move. Overall, the interview is packed with a typical Q&A.

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Source: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists | Author: Siegfried S. Hecker | Date: 12 May 2008

The writer has visited North Korea's Yogbyon nuclear facilities three times and believes the government there is trying in good faith to disable the site, which would be key to any weapons manufacturing. By storing rather than destroying equipment, they are keeping the option to restart the program, though this would take six months to a year. If they do decide to eliminate all materials, it will be a major undertaking involving decontamination and redeploying workers, some of whom have knowledge that could aid would-be terrorists. Hacker demonstrates extensive expertise, though the piece will really only interest those with a serious thirst for science or politics.

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Source: The Washington Monthly | Author: Jason Berry | Date: 12 May 2008

"What a waste." Those were the words of Louisiana Rep. William Jefferson when the FBI showed him the government video of his acceptance of an alleged bribe. This sad yet engaging tale of a man who couldn't escape his hardscrabble background reviews Jefferson's life, from his upbringing as a farmer's son to the beginning of his promising political career in 1979 to the episode that made him infamous: an FBI raid that found $90,000 in cash stored in his freezer. Berry writes with elegant sympathy of Jefferson's taking-care-of-family motive, while at the same time pointing out the character flaws that led to his inevitable fall.

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Source: The Washington Monthly | Author: Michael Waldman | Date: 12 May 2008

The Electoral College system has seen four presidents elected on a minority vote and regularly forces candidates to pay disproportionate attention to a small number of swing states. Few if any believe it's still the best system, but it would take a constitutional amendment to replace it. The most practical reform proposal is the ongoing campaign for each state to agree its Electoral College members will back the candidate who wins the national popular vote; the deal won't take effect until enough states sign up that it's guaranteed to produce the "right" winner. Waldman's article is an intricately detailed, highly readable look at a timely subject.

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Source: The Washington Monthly | Author: Greg Anrig | Date: 12 May 2008

Since the 1950s, conservatives have backed the idea of school voucher schemes, in which the government would offer every child a set fee toward private school fees. The theory is that children from lower-income families could get a better education in private schools, while public schools would up their games in the face of stronger competition. However, studies of such schemes suggest neither benefit pans out; the most important factor for educational success remains personal background, and vouchers do little to overcome society's racial and economic segregation. Anrig's piece is well-written, though its intense depth might discourage some readers.

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Source: Foreign Policy | Author: Ivan Krastev | Date: 11 May 2008

In many ways, the Soviet Union was easier to deal with than present-day Russia. The question is one of motivation: Threatened by the proximity of the postmodern empire of the European Union, and the historical empire of the United States, what does the increasingly insular Russia really want? Betting on an American collapse that would look very much like their own, Vladimir Putin and lapdog president Dmitry Medvedev long for a pre-World War II order, where superpowers would operate in their "spheres of influence." Krastev's well-written article admirably navigates the complex issues that shape the Russian viewpoint.

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Source: The Onion | Author: The Onion | Date: 11 May 2008

The Onion covers a plan by presidential hopeful and senatorial badass John McCain to slash millions from the budget, and it goes beyond his penchant for fisticuffs -- McCain will also replace White House security with a system of homemade booby traps made out of sticks and wire. The senator also hopes to prove his manliness in a new form of debate, one that involves fighting Barack Obama in the woods, naked. But the highlights are even better than jokes about McCain extinguishing cigarettes on his tongue; deft use of the pause button reveals that the security plan will target "Viet Cong and other Middle Eastern/Asiatic enemies."

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Source: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists | Author: Jurgen Scheffran | Date: 11 May 2008

The environmental stress of global warming could affect not only living conditions but also worldwide security and stability. Research doesn't offer a definite cause-and-effect relationship, but from the Bronze Age to the Anasazi, history is littered with civilizations that collapsed under the strain of trying to adapt to a changing environment. Still, Scheffran asserts that the international community has the opportunity to come together in a united effort to mitigate the effects. Scheffran presents a sobering assessment of the complex effects of climate change, taking a clear-eyed, research-supported look at potential security concerns, but his conclusion seems too rosy.

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Source: Commentary | Author: Algis Valiunas | Date: 10 May 2008

Upton Sinclair, renowned socialist and author of the monumental 1906 novel The Jungle, will be admired in perpetuity for both his passionate railings against economic inequality and the Soviet Union's unspeakable atrocities, Valiunas argues. He offers a compelling, multifaceted review of the author's sordid life, from his impoverished background to his political idealism and scandalous love life. A professional muckraker, commune founder, and supporter of the Vietnam war, Sinclair's life is filled with contradictions. Valiunas describes these nuances from an admirer's perspective.

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Source: Foreign Policy | Author: Gershom Gorenberg | Date: 9 May 2008

Gorenberg presents a moderate overview of Israel's past, present, and future, clinging neither to exaltation of the Jewish state or fearmongering over its enemies. Israel is a democracy, Gorenberg says, but a flawed one, withholding rights and national identity to Arabs and without a constitution to enshrine many liberties -- its political parties desperately need new blood. Gorenberg punctures the myth of religious control of the state and minimizes the Holocaust's role in the state's creation. And while Hamas and a nuclear Iran are threats, each is unlikely to try to destroy Israel, he writes. Gorenberg's description convincingly emphasizes Israel is a real place, not a "country of myth."

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Source: Foreign Policy | Author: Christopher Hitchens | Date: 9 May 2008

Hitchens discusses what a public intellectual is and decides that it's a term for someone who "makes his or her living through the battle of ideas," a title earned by the approbation of others. The nature of public intellectualism is changing, no longer strictly tied to the left or secularism. Television has become a battleground of mere pundits and opinion makers, while the Internet "selectorate" has driven down the standards of intellectualism. Hitchens keeps the article from drifting into hagiography by being self-effacing even while glorifying the intellectual.

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Source: Foreign Policy | Author: Richard Lacayo | Date: 9 May 2008

Many of the best and most daring architects in the world are working with the most restrictive governments, such as China, Russia, and Saudi Arabia. The reason, paradoxically, is freedom; the architects are given carte blanche, and their often stunning visions are not hampered by zoning boards, environmental concerns, or community groups. These architects hope their forward thinking will help these restrictive governments evolve, or that the governments will evolve without them. Lacayo worries these futuristic designs will only encourage other developing nations to continue their less-than-democratic ways. The author hopes that top architects stop working with totalitarian governments, but that doesn't make his argument of why they do so any less compelling. Great pictures, too.

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Source: The Washington Monthly | Author: Kevin Carey | Date: 9 May 2008

Carey presents a day in the life of Margie Yeager -- the director of the "critical response team" for Washington, DC Public Schools -- and more specifically, her email inbox. Yeager's goal is to provide at least an initial response to every email within 24 hours, and as an officer in the worst public school district in America, she gets a lot of email. Special ed is a mess, nearly 30 percent of the district's public school students have moved to charter schools over the last decade, and some public schools are now half empty. Violence, poverty, and drug abuse are rampant. Carey cleverly renders a vivid profile of a brave woman and the insurmountable task she faces.

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Source: Commentary | Author: Efraim Karsh | Date: 9 May 2008

From a Zionist viewpoint, Karsh attempts to refute decades-old conspiracy theories by anti-Zionists. He takes aim at the theory that, during Israel's 1948 beginnings, Zionist leaders plotted to displace the Arab population. Karsh, however, offers quotes from the most ardent Zionists of the day, who believe in preserving equal rights for Arab citizens. Karsh blames conspiracy theories and extremist anti-Jewish views on Palestinian leaders as well as on neighboring Arab countries like Egypt. While Karsh posits many valid opinions, his claim that most Palestinians of the time held views contrary to their leaders needs more support.

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Source: The Washington Post | Author: Michael E. Ruane | Date: 9 May 2008

The US Commission of Fine Arts says a proposed statue of Martin Luther King, Jr. resembles something you'd see in a totalitarian state. Ironically the statue, planned for Washington DC, is the work of Lei Yixin, a Chinese sculptor who has previously produced monuments to Chairman Mao. The designers say the 28-foot statue, which would feature King with crossed arms, shows him as a "warrior for peace." But the commission says it makes him appear too hostile -- and the project can't go ahead without their approval. Ruane's piece does a reasonable job of explaining the dispute, but the accompanying photograph makes the piece.

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Source: The Wall Street Journal | Author: Maureen Aung-Thwin | Date: 9 May 2008

It's tough to imagine an upside to thousands of deaths, but Aung-Thwin writes that the Burma cyclone's fallout puts the global spotlight back on the country's military dictatorship. There's growing outrage as relief teams from 18 different countries wait for permission to enter the country. And the anger is further fueled by reports that the government had two days' warning of the storms but failed to prepare the public. It's a tragic column, made all the more depressing because Aung-Thwin clearly isn't confident anything will really change.

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Source: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists | Author: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists | Date: 9 May 2008

Weart, whose 2001 study The Discovery of Global Warming is considered an equal to An Inconvenient Truth, says dealing with climate change is like insuring against fire: though it's not a certainty, it's too risky to leave to chance. Most people are more worried about nuclear terrorism, partly because it can be expressed in simple terms with easily identifiable heroes and villains. Ironically such fears limit the adoption of nuclear power, meaning more fossil fuels and a higher chance of genuine damage from climate change. It's a fascinating interview that discusses immense scientific issues without requiring any expert knowledge from the reader.

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Source: Commentary | Author: Terry Teachout | Date: 9 May 2008

The paucity of Russian culture in the 21st century speaks volumes about the nation's democratic crisis, art critic Teachout argues in this philosophical essay. Ruminating about the insights of Solomon Volkov's new book, The Magical Chorus, Teachout writes that Russian art is inseparable from politics -- especially considering the Soviet Union was the dominant patron for artists. He asserts that Americans tend to identify with apolitical Russian artists such as Anton Chekhov, whose "aesthetically persuasive portrait[s]" of Russia paint over its barbarity, offering convenient fictions about a Russia that never existed.

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Source: The Washington Post | Author: Eugene Robinson | Date: 9 May 2008

According to Robinson, Hillary Clinton's assertion that Barack Obama doesn't have a wide enough appeal to carry a national election is dangerously close to playing on racism. Her argument seems to be that most black voters will vote for any Democrat, while working-class whites are at genuine risk of defecting -- unless she's the candidate. But to assume poor white people are racist, while blacks will blindly back her, typifies the arrogant attitude that has left her desperately scrambling to stay in the contest. The article does employ a few straw man arguments, but it's a well thought-out opinion.

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Source: Slate | Author: Jack Shafer | Date: 9 May 2008

Shafer sharply notes the "dramatic exuberance" of the TV and magazine pundits who eagerly declared Barack Obama Democratic nominee after Tuesday's primaries in North Carolina and Indiana even though the outcome was widely expected. The pundits love to be first in declaring a winner and pack an "assortment of pithy insights" they're dying to deliver, but must wait for the right moment. When MSNBC's Tim Russert couldn't resist declaring Obama the indisputable victor on Tuesday night, it opened the floodgates for the rest of punditocracy to follow suit.

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Source: Salon | Author: Mark Benjamin & Christopher Weaver | Date: 9 May 2008

US army sources say desperation to bump up enemy body counts could be pushing honorable soldiers to participate in illegal killing. Documents from a recent prosecution of three soldiers accused of killing an unarmed man with sniper fire suggest senior officers are pressuring them to cause as many casualties as possible because that's the best statistic to show the US is "winning." But officials highlight the difficulties faced by soldiers trying to apply traditional rules of combat in a guerrilla warfare situation. The authors clearly did their homework, relating several anecdotes of soldiers testifying to inflating casualty rates.

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Source: The Washington Post | Author: Judith Rodin | Date: 9 May 2008

How can Americans become richer, happier, and save the environment? According to Rodin the answer is fixing the roads. She argues that proposed programs to repair structurally deficient bridges and improve existing highways could create hundreds of thousands of jobs. They'd also mean commuters would spend less time in congested traffic -- and save the estimated 2.9 billion gallons of gas wasted in hold-ups each year. In the long term, though, the real solution is better, more affordable mass transit. The article makes a logical-sounding case, though the minute details sometimes get in the way of the big picture.

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Source: The New York Times | Author: David Brooks | Date: 9 May 2008

For decades British conservatives took cues from their American counterparts, but no longer: the British have "moved beyond Thatcherism, while American conservatives pine for another Reagan." As Brooks intelligently explains, the main focus of political debate has moved from the economy to society at large, with a conservative focus on "community, relationships, civic engagement and social responsibility" taking precedence over financial matters. Brooks details some of the policies under consideration in Britain, such as smaller, decentralized, interactive institutions, and wonders when a stubborn Republican Party and American conservatives will embrace them -- sooner, or later, "after a decade or so in the wilderness."

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Source: The New York Times | Author: Eric Schmitt | Date: 9 May 2008

The Pentagon has canceled plans to assign a former Guantanamo Bay commander as the senior US officer in Pakistan. The decision follows sustained criticism by the local media, which reported the force-feeding tactics used to break hunger strikes during Maj. Gen. Jay W. Hood's time in charge of the Cuban detention center. They also repeated allegations that officers had defaced the Koran. The issue had become particularly sensitive after former detainees returned to Pakistan. Schmitt's piece adopts a dry, unemotional style, though given the subject it's appropriate.

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Source: Commentary | Author: Richard Pipes | Date: 9 May 2008

"Russian democracy" seems to be a misnomer, and the deficit of democracy-loyal citizens accentuates the class conflict. Pipes notes that only 10 percent of Russians say they would resist another Communist takeover -- and many are wistful for a long-past Soviet Union that provided the military prestige, economic security, and social order of a modern superpower. He attempts, with limited success, to accessibly explain the belligerent Russian mentality, surveying a variety of topics from President Medvedev's undemocratic election to the nuclear-backed national sentiments of a paranoid regime angered by NATO encroachment.

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Source: Foreign Policy | Author: Serge Michel | Date: 9 May 2008

It seems like a perfect match: China is looking for new markets and oil, Africa is looking to complete a severely lacking infrastructure. But China is having difficulty maneuvering in democratic countries where corruption is rampant. Many African leaders, wary of the increasing Chinese presence, are more apt to leverage cheap Chinese construction bids to illicit competition from western companies. Michel, who writes an insightful and accessible article, notes that even as contracts evaporate, China is planning to invest another $20 billion in African nations over the next three years, which would make it the largest international interest in the continent.

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Source: Marketplace | Author: American Public Media | Date: 9 May 2008

While regular passengers undergo wanding and store approved amounts of liquids in see-through bags, foreign employees board planes at British airports without a criminal records check. British law does require background searches -- but only of UK records, not foreign records. Foreigners comprise an unknown number of Britain's 200,000 airport employees, and the security loophole looms large -- news that has caused an "absolute furor." Even so, the British government won't take any action until a security review is issued sometime in late summer. The news is not very comforting, as Scott Jagow comments in a remarkable understatement.

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Source: The Colbert Report | Author: Stephen Colbert | Date: 9 May 2008

Arianna Huffington joins Colbert to discuss her book, Right is Wrong: How the Lunatic Fringe Hijacked America, Shredded the Constitution and Made Us All Less Safe (And What You Need to Know to End the Madness). She rails on McCain for being hijacked by the Republicans and giving up on his policy stances on immigration and torture -- a scenario akin to Colbert joining the Grizzly Bear Fan Club. The old maverick is in the past, she says: "it's like Happy Days, like Fonzie: he's gone." Huffington sticks to her McCain talking points despite frequent joke interruptions from Colbert.

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Source: Fresh Air | Author: Terry Gross | Date: 9 May 2008

Adam Liptak of The New York Times discusses the incarceration rates in the United States as part of his recent series of articles American Exception, which delves into unique aspects of the American justice system. Liptak explains that the election of judges, the number of nonviolent offenders who are locked up, and the surge in tougher crime laws and violence in the late 1970s contribute to the US having the highest incarceration rates in the world. Liptak includes many pertinent elements in this survey -- from policing to the bizarre bail bondsman culture -- that give a disheartening but informative portrait of US incarceration practices.

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Source: The Washington Post | Author: George F. Will | Date: 8 May 2008

Caustically preempting Hillary Clinton's potential arguments about the delegate counts, Will points out that that she might as well argue that a baseball team losing the World Series 4-3 could claim to have won on aggregate runs scored. And you can bet that if the Democrats had a winner-take-all system and she'd already clinched the nomination, she wouldn't be raising the issue of fairness. The column is let down by analogies that clearly aren't effective parallels, and there's a particularly nasty cheap shot on the race issue that references the three-fifths compromise.

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Source: The Washington Post | Author: Dana Milbank | Date: 8 May 2008

No, it's not a story about Iraq -- the headline refers to Hillary Clinton's continued campaigning in the face of mounting calls to stand aside. There are plenty of signs that the end is nigh, including a volunteer in one West Virginia town finding just five confirmed Clinton backers. But she's already got her route planned all the way to the convention -- with perhaps a stop-off in court to challenge the Florida and Michigan exclusions. The article doesn't bring up anything unexpected, though there's a neat phrase where a Clinton adviser says she'll defy the "punditocracy."

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Source: The Wall Street Journal | Author: Karl Rove | Date: 8 May 2008

In the wake of Hillary Clinton's disappointing showings in North Carolina and Indiana, Rove pronounces Obama the presumptive nominee and makes some observations, mostly recapping what the public's been hearing ad nauseam from the talking heads: Clinton will battle on until June; Michigan and Florida remain a problem; and the interminable Democratic primary season has revealed both candidates' weaknesses, particularly Obama's. Rove does make a few insightful points that haven't yet been flogged to death on cable news, arguing the prolonged nomination battle actually benefits the Democrats and noting that Clinton runs better against McCain than Obama does in key battleground states.

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Source: The Washington Post | Author: Elllen Nakashima | Date: 8 May 2008

The FBI issues around 50,000 demands for phone and Internet companies to hand over customer details each year -- but they recently withdrew a claim for what's thought to be only the third time. Normally firms receiving such "national security letters" (NSLs) must keep quiet about the request, but the Internet Archive (which stores archived copies of web pages) spoke out after appealing against the order, citing a Patriot Act provision exempting libraries. The gag rules are so tight that people served with an NSL are not even allowed to discuss it with colleagues via telephone. Nakashima gives a clear explanation of a complex and secretive process.

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Source: Esquire | Author: John Ridley, Ernesto Quiñonez, Scott Raab, Mark Warren | Date: 8 May 2008

This collection of four essays explores the current state of bigotry in the US. Quiñonez writes of the black-brown divide; he reports one telling statistic that 48 percent of Hispanics checked themselves as white in the 2000 census, and only 2 percent as black. Raab interviews leaders of the Anti-Defamation League, who say that about 35 million Americans hold strong anti-Semitic views. Lots of fun bigotry graphics are sprinkled throughout, including pie charts on what's the most offensive slur of all and a map of per capita incidences of hate crimes (Nevada holds the title). The authors provide refreshingly honest takes on those nasty -isms.

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Source: The Washington Post | Author: Peter Carlson | Date: 8 May 2008

Carlson chronicles the efforts by the National Security Archive, a nongovernmental institution that preserves the odds and ends of history gleaned from 23 years of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. These efforts have yielded more than five million