george will

Ah, the varieties of opposition to the Afghanistan war. Last week, conservative columnist George Will argued that the Obama administration needed to scale back its Afghanistan involvement, turning away from an expected increase of troops and civilian resources and toward “what can be done from offshore, using intelligence, drones, cruise missiles, airstrikes and small, potent [...]

So reports Mike Allen. I’m not really sure how many minds this will actually change. Will’s never been much of a hawk, though he does represent something of a curmudgeonly conservative establishmentarianism. Dave can correct me if I’m off-base here.

At least according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll, the results of which were released over the weekend. From The Times:
The national telephone survey, which was conducted from June 12 to 16, found that 72 percent of those questioned supported a government-administered insurance plan — something like Medicare for those under 65 — [...]

Washingtonian names the 50 best journalists in D.C., with some singled out as “best at explaining what the news means.”
George Will, Washington Post. An expert on games from baseball to politics, Will is one of the best-read people in a smart city.
George Will’s column today:
The incessant [...]

There has been a lot of speculation lately about how The Washington Post, as one of the world’s preeminent news organizations, could actually allow columnist George Will’s recent factually challenged and much-maligned climate change denialist rant to be published. Many suspect it is due to the cheerleading of The Post’s powerful editorial page editor, Fred [...]

Satellite measurements released yesterday reveal that Arctic sea ice is shrinking more rapidly than expected, and an older, thicker type of ice is now at its lowest level since scientists began recording these data 30 years ago, according to The Washington Post.
Because Arctic sea ice floats partially submerged in the ocean, its decline does not [...]

One of the more frustrating aspects of counterinsurgency is talking to the people who were recently shooting at you — sometimes while they’re shooting at you. Often that gets misinterpreted as softness, but it’s more of a recognition that the only way to achieve a true victory is by coopting your opponents. What looks like [...]

The most interesting angle on President-elect Barack Obama’s bread-breaking with conservatives last night was the intrigue on Rush Limbaugh’s Website.
Speculation swirled all over the EIB: Obama asked for ideas to save the economy, Rush had some good ones on Monday, and Tuesday he’s mysteriously in Washington… coincidence?
Sadly, Sam Stein reports that “Limbaugh was definitely not [...]

Here’s how the latest pool report (courtesy of Ken Bazinet of The New York Daily News) from the Obama transition team ends:
This is for real, folks. The bloggers are going to love this one.
Boy, you’ve got that right.
The PEOTUS departed Hay-Adams at 6:17 p.m. and at arrived at 6:34 p.m. at [address redacted]. Thanks to [...]

My TWI colleague, Ari Melber, raises an interesting point in response to a comment Sen. John McCain made in that interview with the editorial board of The Des Moines Register. Defending Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin against charges that she is not ready to assume the presidency, if needed, McCain responds:
“If there’s a Georgetown cocktail party [...]