I USED TO THINK THAT SEBASTIAN MALLABY WAS A MANIC NEOLIBERAL.

THE WASHINGTON POST IS TAKING NOMINATIONS for the best political blogs. Obviously, I think that Josh Marshall’s www.TalkingPointsMemo.com ought to sweep the categories, but I think that there may be a couple of sections that www.TheWashingtonNote.com might be competitive in.

THE POST’S BRADLEY GRAHAM AND THOMAS RICKS also finger Pentagon staffer Larry Franklin (confirmed to me by two sources as well) as the FBI’s spy probe target in an article today.

A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE ASKING ABOUT LARRY FRANKLIN in the next few days. Josh Marshall has been working on a related story for a long time and will be offering a lot on this — so do check what he says about this when he posts.

TWO YEARS AGO, LE MEMORIAL DE CAEN INVITED ME TO DEBATE RICHARD PERLE on the conduct and direction of U.S. foreign policy at a star-studded event attended by about 4,000 people. The entire meeting was terrific, and on another day I will share some of the juicier moments of the exchange.

DID YOU KNOW THAT REP. RANDY “DUKE” CUNNINGHAM (R-CA-50) was an official attendee at the scandalous 1991 Tailhook Association Meeting in Las Vegas? I had no idea that this repugnant ideologue in the House of Representatives was part of that misogynist mess.

“ABUSE REPORT WIDENS SCOPE OF CULPABILITY” blares over the full top page of the Washington Post this morning. One of the subtitles reads “Generals Point to Contractors, Military Intelligence Soldiers.” The author, Josh White, writes: Gen. Paul J. Kern, Lt. Gen. Anthony R. Jones and Maj. Gen. George R.

AS IF THE COSTS OF THE IRAQ WAR WEREN’T HIGH ENOUGH, the battle over a new roster of permanent UN Security Council members may add to the tally. Some of America’s allies see their cooperation with America in Iraq as enhancing their bona fides for possible permanent Security Council membership.

STILL NOT ABLE TO GET ON LINE HERE IN LONDON, but I have had an interesting week, some of which is worth reporting. . .discreetly. First of all, the British are overall not pleased with Bush or the U.S.

REMEMBER WHEN GEORGE SOROS BET AGAINST THE BRITISH POUND and raked in more than one billion dollars for his efforts? I do. I was in London at that time, and the currency was going through the floor. Although the pound is much higher against the U.S.