Not sure what I really think about this video — it’s sort of a free ad (without the gloss) for Chris Dodd. But it is interesting to hear about firefighters taking their role in the Iowa caucuses as seriously as these guys do.

Reza Aslan, author of the excellent No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam has a must-read opinion piece in today’s Washington Post, titled “He Could Care Less About Obama’s Story.

From Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance: I’d been feeling this way all through my stay in Europe. . . For three weeks I had traveled alone, down one side of the continent and up the other, by bus and train mostly, guidebook in hand.

I’ve always respected Bill Richardson‘s diverse public service background and his ability to work out deals with global thugs. But just truth in advertising, I’ve not been supportive of his ambitions to get the keys to the White House. I would like to see him serve in a senior position in the next government, however….

Harlan Ullman is a defense strategist best known as the conceptual architect of the “shock and awe” military strategy. He is also a strident critic of the Bush administration. And he was one of Benazir Bhutto’s closest friends and advisers in Washington.

Obama — and perhaps all of the presidential candidates — have been maintaining an incredible speaking and travel schedule. Yesterday, Obama started his first program at 9:45 am and finished at 10 pm. He spoke in five cities — and traveled an accumulated 185 miles.

One of the best al Qaeda watchers, Paul Cruickshank, thinks the Bhutto assassination has all the markings of al Qaeda. The Pakistan government has now accused al Qaeda of the crime. But others are noting that many in Pakistan — even in government circles — wanted Bhutto done away with.

I have just had an interesting discussion with someone close to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. This person says that Bloomberg isn’t giving away anything regarding whether he might run for the presidency — or whether he’ll pour into concrete his non-denial denials.

It’s snowing quite a bit here in eastern Iowa today, a not all that unremarkable fact this time of year, except. . .

If this is a time of policy and not politics — prove it. Work together. Pakistan is in confusion about its future — and whether we want to admit it or not — America has real stakes in the course Pakistan takes and very, very few options in affecting that course.