Regulating the regulators

So I was going to write about who I am, and the direction I wanted to take the blog.  Ok, thats not true, I really did not want to do that, so instead I decided to procrastinate by writing about a sexy scandal that I hope we all know about already Over the past few weeks, I have talked to quite a few...

Pres. Obama’s Speech in Cairo

I thought it was superb — one of his best speeches ever. It had all the usual hallmarks of an Obama speech: soaring language, emphasis on themes of unity, interconnectivity, and mutual respect. It laid out a grand vision for what Obama called “a new beginning,” and identified seven specific...

Russia, Europe, and the Natural Problem

Having now denied many European countries gas for 10 days, Russia may have brutally exposed the vulnerability of the European Union. But it has also shot itself in the foot and forced the EU to get serious about cutting its exposure to Russian provisions. In the end, Moscow’s only long-term reward may...

Did Palin “Establish Debating Parity” with Joe Biden?

David Brooks thinks she did: There are some moments when members of a political movement come together as one, sharing the same thoughts, feeling the same emotions, breathing the same shallow breaths. One of those occasions occurred Thursday night when Republicans around the country crouched nervously...

Redefining Greed

And who else but an oil company to do such? Exxon Mobil reported second-quarter earnings of $11.68 billion Thursday, the biggest quarterly profit ever by any U.S. corporation, but the results fell well short of Wall Street expectations and shares fell in premarket trading. Well, at least those high gas...

John McCain, the Bush Administration, and Iraq

Interesting developments going on over the past few days vis à vis plans and agreements for Iraq’s future. On Monday, Iraq’s Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, announced that he wanted to work out a timeline for withdrawal of U.S. troops: Iraq said for the first time yesterday that it wanted to...