This is a guest post on Japan’s political scene by Mindy Kotler, Director of Asia Policy Point in Washington, D.C. Originally, TWN posted a pre-version of this piece that has since been adjusted. Kotler’s prediction about Sunday’s election outcome was dead on target.
Having attended the launch for Matt Yglesias’s new book on foreign policy on Friday, I might have to break a rule of mine. I might have to read a book whose thesis I fundamentally agree with. I made that rule after reading Jared Diamond’s Collapse a few years ago.
Excellent news. Faiza Saleh Ambah reports for the Washington Post that Fouad al-Farhan, one of Saudi Arabia’s most popular bloggers, has been released.
On This Week with George Stephanopoulos, conservative commentator George Will can generally be counted on to offer a stoic, offshore perspective of the internecine Democratic battles. Today, he made the point that Barack Obama has not won a single ‘major’ political contest against Hillary Clinton since Wisconsin on February 19th.
WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS’ DINNER Tonight, the mega-insider dinner party for White House-tethered media — and increasingly, bloggers, and their friends — is being held at the Washington Hilton.
What follows is the transcript of the “background briefing” with Senior US officials on Syria’s alleged nuclear program. (pdf here) Office of the Director of National Intelligence Background Briefing with Senior U.S. Officials on Syria’s Covert Nuclear Reactor and North Korea’s Involvement April 24, 2008 SENIOR INTELLIGENCE OFFICIAL 1: Hello.
Gallup says that Hillary Clinton’s surge from the 40% level is primarily from undecided voters. Obama’s numbers seem steady — not falling, but also not rising.
University of Maryland Professor Shibley Telhami presented this week results from the 2008 Annual Arab Public Opinion Poll. This project was jointly undertaken by the Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace and Development at the University of Maryland and Zogby International. Here as a pdf file is the entire 110 page powerpoint presentation.
I have a few really cool opportunities for TWN readers. To attend the meetings in Washington, please RSVP with my colleague Ben Katcher at katcher@newamerica.net. On Tuesday, I’m up in Boston for an event at which I’m speaking, and there is no need to RSVP for that.
CHESTERTOWN MUTT STRUT Tomorrow at 9 am, the colonial era town that the National Trust for Historic Preservation listed in 2007 as a top 10 place to visit — Chestertown, Maryland — will host the 11th Annual “Mutt Strut” benefit for the Humane Society of Kent County.