These pics should inspire some “open thread” chatting. The first is clearly a comment on “body languange.” The next below misinterprets canine-eze as my read of “grrrrr, bark, woof” is that the dogs are just excited about the likelihood soon of new representation at the UN. Open thread.

The Washington Post has run an article this morning stating that the administration’s effort to get John Bolton “confirmed” is now essentially dead — though Condoleezza Rice seems ready to deploy some theatrics to try and get Senator Lincoln Chafee to change his mind.

Today, 14 September, at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill (400 New Jersey Avenue, NW; Washington, DC), a conference titled “U.S. Strategy Towards Iran: Thinking Through the Unthinkables — Beyond a Binary Choice?” will take place from 10:30 a.m. sharp til 2:00 p.m.

Lincoln Chafee has triumphed in his primary vote count tonight. While many will groan about Chafee’s victory because it makes the Rhode Island contest a greater hurdle for the Democratic challenger, I am pleased that Chafee has knocked out the far-right Laffey.

I am chairing an event on Wednesday afternoon titled “Dismantling the ‘Global War on Terror’ Metaphor: Thoughts on Mending America’s Global Position” with George Soros. Soros will address themes in his recent book, The Age of Fallibility: Consequences of the War on Terror, which will be available at the event.

(photo credit: Serge Giachetti) I really enjoyed the meetings today in Iowa City. About 180 people showed up at the Iowa City Public Library and another dozen or so at the Prairie Lights Bookstore where TWN had a blog salon.

As I reported earlier, I am getting the full outside the beltway treatment in Iowa and Wisconsin. I’m actually having a great time and have met some fascinating folks out here — but because I had some toothpaste, deoderant, shaving cream and all that, I checked in my small bag.

My colleague in the American Strategy Program at the New America Foundation and CNN’s terrorism analyst Peter Bergen is broadcasting live intermittently today on CNN from the Afghanistan/Pakistan border from a U.S. base camp there.

Vice President Cheney has come out of the shadows to defend his role as hardliner-in-chief in the so-called “war on terror.

It’s taken a bit of doing. I flew into Chicago. Connecting flight to Cedar Rapids was cancelled. Told there were no more flights until tomorrow. Rented the last car they had available for a one-way trip to Iowa City. Drove four hours.