The Weekly Standard is reporting he did. My quick take here. McQ goes into greater detail. And as of 8:55 am Central Time, it’s the top story at memeorandum, generating considerable buzz. Check it out.

Earlier today, Jeb Koogler pointed to a post at his blog (Foreign Policy Watch) re: the imminent failure of the surge “unless there is a major shift in focus.” That post was excellent, and if you haven’t read it, you should. It certainly made me think and inspired another riff on the matter at Central Sanity.

A NYT op-ed piece today, by the Brookings Institution’s Michael E. O’Hanlon and Kenneth M. Pollack, puts the questions about Iraq and time front and center. Currently, neither O’Hanlon nor Pollack are apologists for this conflict, just the opposite in fact: Here is the most important thing Americans need to understand: We are finally getting somewhere in Iraq, at least in military terms. As two analysts who have harshly criticized the Bush administration’s miserable handling...

After a quick scroll down the line up of today’s posts, it does not appear that my colleagues have directly posted on the subject of the Interim (Iraq) Benchmark Assessment Report (as officially released vs. leaked and/or speculated), nor on the President’s related press conference earlier today. So for those of you who are hungry for the basics but have not yet had a chance to go scavenging around for the them, I thought the following set of links might be helpful … The Report The...

“It is a dire situation … I don’t think it has gotten any better. It just breaks your heart. . . . Iraqi people are dying, American soldiers are dying. So far it does not seem we have achieved any kind of security there.” -Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, a member of the Iraq Study Group, commenting on Iraq in a front-page WaPo story today by the incomparable Bob Woodward. The compassion coursing through this comment is reflective of the traits that...

I respect Shaun Mullen, one of my co-bloggers here at TMV. He’s an exceptionally good writer, and generally, he’s a sharp, critical thinker. That said, I disagree with his take on Christine Todd Whitman, relative to her role at the EPA in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Hence, I’m compelled to respond, but let me be clear: This is not an attack on Shaun, only a difference of opinion, an alternative view, on the matter at hand. The...

If you’ve indicated in the comments section of earlier posts, here or at Central Sanity, that you’d like to sign “The Letter” — as either a Republican or Independent voter — I need to confirm several things, namely … Your First and Last Name Your Email Address (or Mailing Address) Your City and State I did a check on the various comments and e-mails received, so far, and while I can identify (or recall) eight or more who have indicated at least preliminary...

A few weeks ago, a TMV reader suggested we evaluate and post on the health care reform strategies of the leading Democratic candidates. By now, those strategies are semi-old news and others having already chimed in. But I was reminded of the request after reading an analysis of the Clinton, Obama, and Edwards plans in a recent edition of The Economist. The article offers a number of useful insights and summaries for those who have not yet had an opportunity to do their own analysis of these plans...

This exercise has certainly generated more interest than I originally expected, not only here, but also at Michael vdG’s place, Liberal Values, Jinchi, and elsewhere. Hopefully, that’s a good sign. I know several commenters have expressed an interest in signing the final letter. Here’s how, if you remain interested. (Please read the various qualifiers and the note at the end of the linked post.)

Last Saturday, I asked for inputs on a draft letter to Republican leaders. While the feedback was certainly diverse, it generally sorted out into a handful of common themes: Why bother? What’s the desired action by the recipients? It’s too general; get more specific. Make it apply to both parties, not just Republicans. What’s the larger plan; the related “organizing activity”? (Or, as one reader put it, the implied effort is “a daunting challenge. You won’t...

I recognize that many TMV readers are centrist or left-of-center, Independent or middle-leaning Democrats, but I think I’ve demonstrated that I still value your opinions (even those with which I disagree) — and for that reason, I’d greatly appreciate any contribution you’re inclined to offer to this exercise, even if it’s to remind me that I’m mildly insane and perhaps misguided.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this inquiry, with a special nod to Dave Schuler for his links to the NTI summaries. After reading through the basics, I offer my conclusion to the matter, here. ORIGINAL POST Four years ago, as the U.S. invaded Iraq, I was caught up in my own turmoil, allowing a change-of-jobs milestone to distract me from larger events of far greater importance. Accordingly, what I think I remember of those larger events is horribly muddled, and just how muddled those memories...

Well … Maria apparently does, for one, as well as a few others, including yours truly, albeit with a entirely different kind of “love.” Then, there are those who are simply fond of him, like Dennis Sanders, and those who are intrigued enough about him to write a book, like Daniel Weintraub, columnist for The Sacramento Bee. Granted, the Govuhnator doesn’t make everyone happy, and he’s not as staunch an advocate of individual liberties as some might like him to be, but...

UPDATE: As of 11:45 am Central Time, Thompson’s announcement was the top story at memeorandum. Check there for expanded coverage and commentary. UPDATE: The WaPo now has a story online, here. ORIGINAL: I have a quick report at Central Sanity, as does Michael vdG at his place. More later, as this story develops.

Earlier this year, we launched our “Facing the Music Project” — an effort to objectively profile the major party candidates vis-a-vis their positions on five broad policy questions. Those questions were suggested by TMV readers and intentionally focus on core governance issues rather than social/cultural issues. Although we decided to wait until this fall to publish the bulk of the resulting candidate profiles (closer to the start of the primary season), we also decided to publish...

[For more information on the subject of the following essay, please see the brief interview I conducted yesterday with Brooks Jackson -- the director of FactCheck.org; co-author of a new book, unSpun: Finding Facts in a World of Disinformation; and a former journalist whose 34-year career included stints with the AP, Wall Street Journal, and CNN.] In roughly eight short months, the various Presidential campaigns will start their advertising assault on primary election voters — a prospect that...

When I was in college, the tired joke behind the title of this post was a question: “Is it sunlight or an oncoming train?” And that’s precisely what we don’t know about Iraq. What we do know is this: With a majority of the democratically elected Iraqi government voting for us to leave, and with 11 moderate Republicans stepping up to look Bush squarely in the eye and tell him (effectively) “time’s up” — the end game is near. We can definitely see...

This interview was conducted on April 16 and has been published exclusively at TMV. Background on James Surowiecki and The Wisdom of Crowds — as well as a review of the book’s politically oriented twelfth chapter — are available at Central Sanity. The book can be purchased from either Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Surowiecki is also available as a guest speaker, via the Leigh Bureau.

Those who regularly read my posts know that I am sickened by what the Republican Party, under current leadership, has become. You may also recall that I made the decision a month or so ago (after much soul-searching) to re-engage with the Party, via the Republican Leadership Council, and attempt to advance reforms that will help moderate the Party and refocus it on certain core principles. In the meantime — on my own, separate from my collaboration with the RLC — I’ve been wrestling...

[For the record: I do not believe Jesus votes Republican. I simply thought the image above was an appropriate illustration for the topic that follows.] If you’re old enough to remember Dragnet, you should also remember Joe Friday and one of his signature lines: “Just the facts.” Long before the amazing science employed by the fictional members of the CSI crews in Las Vegas, New York, and Miami, Joe knew the value of objective analysis when it came to solving crimes. And so...