Archives: November 2006

10:35 a.m. EST — Sam Seder and I will discuss America’s Middle East mess.

I participated in a study group last night — and one of the scenarios discussed was the increasing probabability of a psychology-altering event having enormous impact on the vast majority of Americans. One of the scenarios was the prospect of Iraqi police and troops in a gun conflict with U.S.

It’s late. I should be asleep — but I was reading the Stars and Stripes tonight online and ran across a couple of letters to the editor by Spc. Khai Krumbhaar. I don’t know this soldier — but see that he has folks praying for him in St. Andrew’s Parish in Western Mexico.

Sometimes in Washington after years of networking and bridge-building, doors are opened to some extraordinary meetings where elite political players and policy makers really do discuss how to govern the world while sipping wine.

Desperate and frustrated detainees, US soldier/guards who were children just months before the hard core roles they are playing on the front line of this affair on behalf of the American taxpayer, and other shocking but illuminating images are worth reading in this sober piece (the first of two parts) in The Globalist by my…

(President George and Laura Bush at casket of President Ronald Reagan) Ms. Dowd has a strong, smart piece on the battle between Bush administration insider realists and idealists and juxtaposes Bush’s inflexibility with Reagan’s dramatic turns. Read the whole thing, but here’s the best: Bush junior cast himself as the Reagan heir.

Another controversial recess appointment made by President Bush was C. Boyden Gray, White House Counsel in the Bush 41 administration and Director of the Transition Team for Bush 43, who now serves as the unconfirmed Ambassador of the United States to the European Union.

Issued today by Senator Harry Reid’s office: AGRICULTURE — Tom Harkin APPROPRIATIONS — Robert Byrd ARMED SERVICES — Carl Levin BANKING — Chris Dodd COMMERCE — Daniel Inouye ENERGY — Jeff Bingaman ENVIRONMENT & PUBLIC WORKS — Barbara Boxer FINANCE — Max Baucus FOREIGN RELATIONS — Joseph Biden HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOR & PENSIONS — Edward…

Here are copies of two letters that Congressmen Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Jim Walsh (R-NY) have distributed today to Members of Congress calling for the President to nominate Congressman Jim Leach as US Ambassador to the United Nations “in the event that Ambassador Bolton’s term is not extended.” Here is the “Dear Colleague“.