Another Judge Dismisses Birther Case; Slams Orly Taitz Hard

David Weigel has the story: Central District of California Judge David O. Carter has dismissed Barnett et al v. Obama et al, Orly Taitz’s most successful lawsuit — that is, the one that got the furthest through the legal system — demanding proof of the president’s citizenship.The entire decision is...

Peace and Nationalism in the Middle East

Matthew Yglesias has some interesting thoughts on conflicting values for progressives in the Israel-Palestinian conflict: I was debating with Jon Chait at a J Street panel this morning on the subject of “what does it mean to be pro-Israel?” As expected, we disagreed on a number of points, most of which...

The Surge a Success? Ask an Iraqi.

Chris Floyd links to an opinion piece by Sami Ramadani, an Iraqi exile who opposed the U.S. invasion. Ramadani writes about post-surge Iraq in the context of Sunday’s suicide bombing, which at most recent count has killed over 150 people — including an unknown number of children — and...

White House Is Discouraging Senate Dems From Pursuing Opt-Out Public Option

This really is bizarre. I don’t know what to make of it: President Barack Obama is actively discouraging Senate Democrats in their effort to include a public insurance option with a state opt-out clause as part of health care reform. In its place, say multiple Democratic sources, Obama has indicated a...

Peggy Noonan: Obama “Own’s” Bush’s Failure

Steve’s right — the tangled web of Peggy Noonan’s neural pathways are particularly difficult to navigate this week (italic is Steve’s, quoting Noonan): At a certain point, a president must own a presidency. For George W. Bush that point came eight months in, when 9/11 happened. From...