John Bolton’s UN Honeymoon is Over: US Ambassador Gets Spanked by Great Britain

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John Bolton is having a public feud with Great Britain over his effort to withhold the UN’s budget until various reforms are adopted. This was a classic Jesse Helms tactic of the past and shows that Bolton is tipping towards bludgeoning the United Nations rather than using diplomatic skill to achieve his objectives.

Idaho & Utah Stand Strong in Support for Weakened Bush Presidency

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This is an interesting geographic depiction of George W. Bush’s favorability levels. It’s not all that surprising that Bush’s popularity is worst in “blue states” and markedly better in the south and midwest. However, if the election in November 2004 had been held tomorrow, George W. Bush could not win with a map like this….

Institutional Suicide at Brookings: Carlos Pasqual Selected by Strobe Talbott to Succeed Jim Steinberg as Brookings Foreign Policy Czar

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I just wrote this piece for TPM Cafe and invite any debate about what I’m suggesting. I have recently received some friendly criticism for focusing on things that are “too inside DC.” I think my writing and commentary are pretty diverse — but I’ll think about broadening the subject matter in coming months.