http://www.realclearpolitics.com/ en Copyright 2008 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:19:17 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=3.33 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:53:03 -0500 03/17/2010/00/00/00 ]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/17/this_is_no_way_to_enact_far-reaching_change_231048.htmlhttp://orangepunch.freedomblogging.com/2010/03/16/a-vote-we-dont-need-no-stinking-vote/19115/ 100231048 PM Update Alan Bock, OC Register Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:03:08 -0500 03/17/2010/00/00/00 Dear wavering House Democrats, I feel your pain. Eighteen years ago, I was elected on the coattails of a popular young Democratic president who promised a post-partisan Washington. A year later, with partisan gridlock capturing the Capitol, there was a razor-thin vote on the House floor over legislation that Democrats said would remake the country and Republicans promised would bankrupt it. I was pressed on all sides: by constituents opposed, my president needing a victory and Republicans promising my demise. I was in the country's most Republican district represented by a Democrat. I...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/17/democrats_vote_your_conscience_231081.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/17/AR2010031701496.html 100231081 PM Update Marjorie Margolies, Washington Post Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:32:04 -0500 03/17/2010/00/00/00 Enter Your E-Mail Address to Sign UpTuesday, March 16, 2010Misleading Points   [Ramesh Ponnuru]Talking Points Memo, living up to its name, is providing the White House’s talking points on health care. Obamacare is to be voted on amid a final orgy of misinformation. Talking point: The plan gives Americans, rather than government or health insurers, more control over their health insurance.Reality: While you may want to go without insurance—especially once the government is done remaking it—the government will make you fork over cash to the...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/17/white_house_talking_points_vs_reality_231077.htmlhttp://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MjAxMWE2MDUzYjU0YjY2ZjMxMTE5NGM4YjExOTBjYzA 100231077 PM Update Ramesh Ponnuru, National Review Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:11:58 -0500 03/17/2010/00/00/00 ]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/17/pelosi_makes_her_move_231088.htmlhttp://www.thenation.com/doc/20100329/beyerstein 100231088 PM Update Lindsay Beyerstein, The Nation Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:12:54 -0500 03/17/2010/00/00/00 ]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/17/middle_class_not_rich_hit_by_health_plan_231082.htmlhttp://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/middle_class_squeeze_XqHUhXIjnjVB48DYLXhRDK 100231082 PM Update Scott Gottlieb, New York Post Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:47:24 -0500 03/17/2010/00/00/00 The case for fixing today's backward student loan system is simple: According to the Congressional Budget Office, the federal government is wasting $67 billion on subsidies to banks. President Obama and lawmakers, including some Republicans, believe these dollars could be better spent directly helping families pay for college. Not surprisingly, banks are waging a ferocious battle to save their sweetheart deal by playing fast and loose with the truth. If they succeed, they will put at risk tens of billions of dollars that we would use to increase Pell Grants for students, boost college...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/17/college_loan_fix_fits_with_health_reform_231086.htmlhttp://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/17/EDKM1CGOU3.DTL 100231086 PM Update Rep. George Miller, SF Chronicle Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:37:11 -0500 03/17/2010/00/00/00 Clearly, President Obama blew his famous cool when Israel announced new apartments in East Jerusalem during a visit by Vice President Biden last week. The U.S. response -- White House advisor David Axelrod called Israel's move an "affront" and an "insult" -- included some of the harshest official language in recent memory toward a country with which the United States was not actually at war.However, I'm not sure Israel's gesture, provocative though it may have been, was even the most offensive thing a foreign government did or said with...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/17/obama_hard_on_israel_easy_on_china_231084.htmlhttp://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2010/03/obama_hard_on_israel_easy_on_c.html 100231084 PM Update Charles Lane, Washington Post Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:36:04 -0500 03/17/2010/00/00/00 Enter your email address:Enter the recipients' email addresses, separated by commas:Message: AP Photo (2) A slap in the face to Biden on settlements, and now a new insult: Israel is playing a dangerous game with America. Leslie H. Gelb on how the dispute badly damages U.S. power. Israel’s right-wingers are congratulating themselves on their announcement of new construction in East Jerusalem during Vice President Biden’s visit last week. They think this stance, so unwelcome in Washington, this public and gratuitous...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/17/israel_plays_with_fire_231090.htmlhttp://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-03-16/israels-stupid-move/?cid=bs:featured1 100231090 PM Update Leslie Gelb, The Daily Beast Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:36:01 -0500 03/17/2010/00/00/00 ]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/03/17/reform_threatens_alternative_medicine_104797.htmlhttp://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/03/17/reform_threatens_alternative_medicine_104797.html 100231078 PM Update Curt Levey and Jim Turner, RCP Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:41:56 -0500 03/17/2010/00/00/00 Register now for free, or sign in using your AIM or Google account! By Michael P. Riccards/Star-Ledger guest columnist The days of wine and roses are over, but the New Jersey hangover has just begun.Gov. Chris Christie’s budget for the coming fiscal year is balanced, and it does that the only way one can — with massive cuts in the areas that consume most of the state’s expenditures. Schools and municipalities have all been among the major recipients of state largesse year after year.The budget still does not deal with the pension mess which the Hall...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/17/gov_chris_christie039s_039tough_love039_231079.htmlhttp://blog.nj.com/njv_guest_blog/2010/03/for_new_jersey_no_real_alterna.html 100231079 PM Update Michael Riccards, Star-Ledger Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:23:03 -0500 03/17/2010/00/00/00 As lawmakers clashed fiercely over major health care legislation on the House floor, Democrats struggled Tuesday to defend procedural shortcuts they might use to win approval for their proposals in the next few days.What are the chances that a national health care overhaul will be approved this week?A blog from The New York Times that tracks the health care debate as it unfolds.Share your thoughts about the health care debate.Top Discussions: The Public Option | Medicare and the Elderly | The Senate BillRepresentative Louie Gohmert, Republican of Texas, at a rally Tuesday in Washington...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/17/democrats_consider_new_moves_for_health_bill_231047.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/17/health/policy/17health.html?hp 100231047 AM Update Herszenhorn & Pear, NYT Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:23:54 -0500 03/17/2010/00/00/00 Not even three or four pipes full of Hopium could have convinced me that the Congress of the United States would ever start looking like the Chicago City Council.But now, with the Chicago Way White House twisting arms for its federal health care legislation, Democrats in Congress and Chicago aldermen are beginning to share a remarkable resemblance.They're starting to look like fall guys."The Congress? They're acting like aldermen. Like fall guys. And we know all about fall guys in the city of Chicago," said Jim Laski, a former Chicago alderman and former federal inmate who...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/17/health_care_reform_meets_the_chicago_way_231054.htmlhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-met-kass-0317-20100316,0,3195139,full.column 100231054 AM Update John Kass, Chicago Tribune Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:02:10 -0500 03/17/2010/00/00/00 The most troubling aspect of "deemed to have passed" -- the oddball procedure that the House Democratic leadership is considering as an alternative to the normal rules in passing healthcare reform -- is that it gives the Republicans something else to talk about aside from the bill itself and the issues it is designed to address. From the beginning, subtraction by distraction -- whether framed as "death panels" or "backroom deals" -- has been the fundamental Republican strategy. Rarely have the Democrats answered with the forceful scorn that was appropriate.The...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/17/suddenly_the_gop_cares_about_process_please_231071.htmlhttp://www.salon.com/news/healthcare_reform/index.html?story=/opinion/conason/2010/03/16/change 100231071 AM Update Joe Conason, Salon Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:00:27 -0500 03/17/2010/00/00/00 For weeks, President Obama has been demanding an "up or down vote" on health care legislation. So where is the president now that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she would like to pass the Senate health care bill in the House without allowing an up or down vote on it?  Pelosi signaled on Monday that she favors Rep. Louise Slaughter's proposal to pass the health care bill, in the words of the Washington Post, "without having members vote on it." Using a House rule called a "self-executing rule," members would vote on a package of amendments to the...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/17/democrats_against_democracy_231070.htmlhttp://spectator.org/archives/2010/03/17/democrats-against-democracy 100231070 AM Update Andrew Cline, The American Spectator Wed, 17 Mar 2010 06:39:58 -0500 03/17/2010/00/00/00 Forget about reconciliation and other parliamentary maneuvers. Forget, too, about Cadillac plans and the Cornhusker Kickback. On health care, we're down to the heart of the matter: Can Democrats act like a disciplined, cohesive political party? For decades, they've fought for the principle of universal and affordable health coverage. If they don't pass health reform now, with medical costs mounting, with a president willing to go for broke and with sizable "” and perishable "” majorities in Congress, you have to wonder if they ever will....]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/17/can_dem_tribes_unite_for_the_good_of_the_nation_231058.htmlhttp://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34533.html 100231058 AM Update Will Marshall, Politico Wed, 17 Mar 2010 05:59:38 -0500 03/17/2010/00/00/00 The Democratic leadership's struggle to pass the Senate health care bill in the House looks like a great case study for political scientists. They have many examples of the leaders of a party majority trying to push controversial legislation through a balky chamber. But seldom have the political incentives of the party leadership and the party's members been so differently aligned.There is always some misalignment. Even when the party's president and policies are widely popular, some of its House members will be representing districts where that is not so, where they win...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/17/good_for_pelosi_not_so_good_for_her_members_231055.htmlhttp://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/What_s-good-for-House-leaders-is-bad-for-members-87861547.html 100231055 AM Update Michael Barone, Examiner Wed, 17 Mar 2010 07:02:00 -0500 03/17/2010/00/00/00 JERUSALEM—Suddenly, my city feels again like a war zone. Since the suicide bombings ended in 2005, life in Jerusalem has been for the most part relatively calm. The worst disruptions have been the traffic jams resulting from construction of a light rail, just like in a normal city. But now, again, there are clusters of helmeted border police near the gates of the Old City, black smoke from burning tires in the Arab village across from my porch, young men marching with green Islamist flags toward my neighborhood, ambulances parked at strategic places ready for this city's...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/17/did_obama_create_conflict_wisrael_on_purpose_231065.htmlhttp://www.tnr.com/article/world/the-crisis 100231065 AM Update Yossi Klein Halevi, TNR Wed, 17 Mar 2010 05:06:07 -0500 03/17/2010/00/00/00 WASHINGTONMaureen Dowd So, Barack Obama can lose his temper without a teleprompter. And we have the supremely aggravating Bibi Netanyahu to thank for that. On St. Patrick's Day, of all days, we wouldn't want to think that our president did not know how to pick his donnybrooks. The American government did unfortunately apologize to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, who got mad when a State Department spokesman correctly observed that the Libyan leader doesn't always make sense. But in the case of a defiant Israel, the White House has not yet retreated into its usual compromising...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/17/bibi039s_tense_time-out_231046.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/17/opinion/17dowd.html 100231046 AM Update Maureen Dowd, New York Times Wed, 17 Mar 2010 07:43:45 -0500 03/17/2010/00/00/00 Last Updated: 3:44 AM, March 17, 2010 Posted: 3:14 AM, March 17, 2010 A favorite guessing game for the last year concerned Hillary Rodham Clinton. Is she a true Obama loyalist, or is she a double agent, pretending to be a team player while plotting a 2012 challenge? Game over. Given the zeal with which she picked up a flame-thrower in the administration's war with Israel, her allegiance is no longer in doubt. By enthusiastically holding Israel to the same double standard that its enemies always do, she made her bones as a member of the Obama Family. ...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/17/israel-bashing_hillary_loyal_to_a_fault_231053.htmlhttp://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/israel_bashing_hill_is_loyal_to_HSXkr1XUDMoxQ3FbSj48gN 100231053 AM Update Michael Goodwin, New York Post Wed, 17 Mar 2010 05:06:53 -0500 03/17/2010/00/00/00 Enter your email address:Enter the recipients' email addresses, separated by commas:Message: Richard Drew / AP Photo The country's top-notch credit rating is in danger of being downgraded, Moody's is warning"”and if a ratings agency that completely failed to predict the financial crisis is sounding the alarm, we should all be afraid.Here's how you know the massive amounts of debt compiled by the Bush administration, and the even greater debt loads promised as part of Barack Obama's agenda, is reaching...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/17/america039s_debt_gets_scary_230980.htmlhttp://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-03-16/americas-debt-gets-scary/?cid=bs:archive2 100230980 AM Update Charles Gasparino, The Daily Beast Wed, 17 Mar 2010 06:45:26 -0500 03/17/2010/00/00/00 In January the U.S. Treasurer, Rosie Rios, traveled to Dallas to join local officials at the construction site of a new convention hotel being built with money raised through Build America Bonds. The purpose was to celebrate the success of the so-called BABs, which are federally-subsidized bonds created by the 2009 stimulus package.Of course, what no one at the Dallas "celebration" pointed out is that the $388 million in BABs that the city floated with federal aid were necessary because no private developer would cough up the money for the risky project. In fact, local officials...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/17/bankrupting_of_united_states_bonds_231056.htmlhttp://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2010/03/17/bankrupting_of_the_united_states_bonds_98386.html 100231056 AM Update Steven Malanga, RealClearMarkets Wed, 17 Mar 2010 05:05:30 -0500 03/17/2010/00/00/00 Am I crazy, or is the commentariat ignoring our biggest economic threat?Right-wing talk radio these days is carrying fewer commercials for second mortgages. (Consolidate your debts, lower your monthly payments, and have enough left over for that dream vacation!) They've been replaced by commercials for gold. Gold bugs have long had a small place on the map of the American right, but to most people gold seems like a crazy investment. It doesn't produce anything, unlike a company in which you might own shares. It can't provide shelter, like a house. It's too expensive to use...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/17/my_inflation_nightmare_231015.htmlhttp://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/04/my-inflation-nightmare/7995 100231015 AM Update Michael Kinsley, The Atlantic Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:26:13 -0500 03/17/2010/00/00/00 I like my hometown, but I must admit that New York has problems: high taxes, noise, traffic. Forbes magazine just ranked my city the 16th most miserable in America. Ouch! Of course, that makes me wonder: What's America's most miserable city?Cleveland, says Forbes. People call it "the Mistake by the Lake. " Cleveland, once America's sixth-largest city, has been going downhill for decades. Receive news alertsWhy do some cities thrive while others decay? One reason is that some politicians smother their cities with the unintended consequences of their grand visions,...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/03/17/politicians_smother_cities_104796.htmlhttp://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/03/17/politicians_smother_cities_104796.html 100231043 AM Update John Stossel, RealClearPolitics Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:24:27 -0500 03/17/2010/00/00/00 Supreme Court Justices are remembered for their opinions, but they are revealed by their questions. For many years, Sandra Day O'Connor chose to open the questioning in most cases, and thus show the lawyers"”and her colleagues"”which way she, as the Court's swing vote, was leaning. Today, Antonin Scalia often jumps in first, signalling the intentions of the Court's ascendant conservative wing, and sometimes Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., makes his views, which are usually aligned with Scalia's, equally clear. New Justices tend to...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/17/what_will_the_court_be_like_after_stevens_231017.htmlhttp://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/03/22/100322fa_fact_toobin 100231017 AM Update Jeffrey Toobin, New Yorker Wed, 17 Mar 2010 05:07:34 -0500 03/17/2010/00/00/00 ]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/03/17/reading_tea_party_leaves_104799.htmlhttp://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/03/17/reading_tea_party_leaves_104799.html 100231044 AM Update Jonah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times Wed, 17 Mar 2010 06:38:19 -0500 03/17/2010/00/00/00 Just days before the climactic vote on health-care reform, the "tea party" movement issued an unexpected surrender.It came Tuesday at the "Code Red" rally across the street from the Capitol, just a few minutes after a man dressed in a Captain America costume served as the color guard for the singing of the national anthem. Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.), a favorite of the tea partiers, leapt onto a bench to address the few hundred activists. He pressed what he thought was the "on" button on the electronic bullhorn.But the lawmaker evidently hit the wrong button,...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/17/gop_faces_off_against_pelosi039s_hc_deem_team_231057.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/16/AR2010031604251.html?hpid=opinionsbox1 100231057 AM Update Dana Milbank, Wash Post Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:20:33 -0500 03/17/2010/00/00/00 Former Massachusetts governor and likely 2012 presidential aspirant Mitt Romney has been on the wrong side of the defining political battle of our time.Mr. Romney claimed earlier this month on "Fox News Sunday" that the Massachusetts health reform plan he signed into law in 2006 is "the ultimate conservative plan." But there are many similarities between it and the ObamaCare loathed by conservative voters.Both have an individual mandate requiring most residents to have health insurance or pay a penalty. Most businesses are required to participate or pay a fine. Both rely...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/17/the_failure_of_romneycare_231050.htmlhttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703625304575115691871093652.html 100231050 AM Update Grace-Marie Turner, Wall Street Journal Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:38:09 -0500 03/16/2010/00/00/00 Megan McArdle - Megan McArdle is the business and economics editor for The Atlantic. She has worked at three start-ups, a consulting firm, an investment bank, a disaster recovery firm at Ground Zero, and the Economist. About McArdle | Subscribe to McArdle’s RSS feed Mar 15 2010, 1:34 PM ETSign up to receive our two free newsletters This Week on TheAtlantic.com This Month in The Atlantic I want to receive updates from our partners and sponsors No matter who wins the battle between the Kindle and the iPad, it marks the...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/16/health_care_nightmares_231025.htmlhttp://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2010/03/health-care-nightmares/37509/ 100231025 PM Update Megan McArdle, The Atlantic Tue, 16 Mar 2010 07:35:52 -0500 03/16/2010/00/00/00 Enter your email address:Enter the recipients' email addresses, separated by commas:Message: Lauren Victoria Burke / AP Photo Amid the 11th-hour frenzy to line up the votes on health care, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gave Matthew Yglesias her best argument: This may be members' only shot at leaving a meaningful legacy.Comprehensive reform of the American health-care system passed the House of Representatives last summer. Then in December, a health-reform bill overcame massive Republican obstructionism and repeated filibusters and passed the...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/16/playing_the_history_card_230979.htmlhttp://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-03-15/playing-the-history-card/?cid=bs:archive14 100230979 PM Update Matthew Yglesias, The Daily Beast Tue, 16 Mar 2010 07:36:18 -0500 03/16/2010/00/00/00 ]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/03/16/health_care_deception_gets_uglier__uglier_104781.htmlhttp://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/03/16/health_care_deception_gets_uglier__uglier_104781.html 100230994 PM Update Rich Lowry, New York Post Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:27:54 -0500 03/16/2010/00/00/00 A FIGHT TO THE FINISH.... I'll admit it -- it's tempting to think the final push towards health care reform is going well. President Obama told ABC's Jake Tapper yesterday, "I believe we are going to get the votes, we're going to make this happen." House Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson (D-Conn.) told reporters after a caucus meeting last night, "There's tremendous anticipation, and certainly a lot of anxiety, but I believe we have the votes and that we will get this bill done this week."At the same time, Republicans sound increasingly...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/16/a_fight_to_the_finish_231023.htmlhttp://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_03/022878.php 100231023 PM Update Steve Benen, Washington Monthly Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:46:55 -0500 03/16/2010/00/00/00 The Hill has been keeping a pretty good whip count of the vote. It suggests Nancy Pelosi has a heck of a job on her hand. Here's how I see things breaking down. The Hill has 37 Democrats in the "Firm No, Leaning No, Likely No" category. I agree with 36 of these 37 (Update 12 noon: or better put, seem plausible to me). The only objection I have is Luis Gutierrez, and that's not a criticism of The Hill. He says he's a no, which is why he's there. I think he's going to be a yes when push comes to shove. Then I go down to their list of Undecideds, and I see...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/horseraceblog/2010/03/will_nancy_pelosi_find_the_vot.htmlhttp://www.realclearpolitics.com/horseraceblog/2010/03/will_nancy_pelosi_find_the_vot.html 100231013 PM Update Jay Cost, RealClearPolitics Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:49:19 -0500 03/16/2010/00/00/00 (CNN) -- If you listen to supporters of Israel, they essentially act as if Americans criticizing the Jewish nation is akin to committing treason against the United States.]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/16/administration_was_right_to_chastise_israel_231020.htmlhttp://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/03/16/martin.israel.criticism/index.html 100231020 PM Update Roland Martin, CNN Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:29:06 -0500 03/16/2010/00/00/00 The papers are full of reports about the startling criticism of Israel by the Obama administration "” a criticism of a type not used by Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton against many human rights abusing-governments the world over during the past year. (Who cares, for example, that 50,000 Muslim Burmese refugees are on the verge of starvation in Bangladesh, when you can bash Israel day after day, as the Obama administration did last week?)The Los Angeles Times noted that "Hillary Rodham Clinton's harsh words stunned Israel." The Wall Street...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/16/palestinians_honor_terrorist_wh_mute_231024.htmlhttp://network.nationalpost.com/NP/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2010/03/16/tom-gross-palestinian-authority-honours-terrorist-white-house-mute.aspx 100231024 PM Update Tom Gross, National Post Tue, 16 Mar 2010 07:35:00 -0500 03/16/2010/00/00/00 KABUL, Afghanistan — Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the top American commander in Afghanistan, has brought most American Special Operations forces under his direct control for the first time, out of concern over continued civilian casualties and disorganization among units in the field. Notes from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and other areas of conflict in the post-9/11 era.Hajji Sharaf Udin, whose home near Gardez, Afghanistan, was raided last month, has rejected compensation money. “What happens is, sometimes at cross-purposes, you got one hand...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/16/us_is_reining_in_special_forces_in_afghanistan_231006.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/16/world/asia/16afghan.html?hp 100231006 PM Update Oppel & Nordland, NYT Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:35:06 -0500 03/16/2010/00/00/00 ]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/16/too_big_too_fail_dodd039s_dodge_231022.htmlhttp://blog.american.com/?p=11423 100231022 PM Update Peter Wallison, The American Tue, 16 Mar 2010 06:24:55 -0500 03/16/2010/00/00/00 Health care reform is necessary, and House Democrats should vote for it because it's best for the nation.They should also remember the political lessons of history. To paraphrase Mark Twain, history doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme. As the White House and the House Democratic leadership try to line up 216 votes to pass health care reform -- and as Republicans, aided by the National Association of Manufacturers and abetted by fierce partisans like Newt Gingrich, try to kill it -- I can't help thinking back to 1994 when the lineup was much the same.I was serving in the...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/16/house_democrats_must_vote_for_reform_230972.htmlhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-reich/why-all-house-democrats-m_b_499753.html 100230972 AM Update Robert Reich, Huffington Post Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:32:38 -0500 03/16/2010/00/00/00 While Democrats may yet enact health care reform via a convoluted process that involves passing three separate bills, many people may wonder, "What happened to the postpartisan era?" Both President Obama's 11th-hour meeting with Republicans and the Republican leaders' demands to "start over" are recognized by Americans for what they are "” political talk substituting for bipartisan legislation.As health policy adviser for Senator Olympia Snowe, the Maine Republican, while Congress considered this most critical and complicated...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/16/what_happened_to_the_postpartisan_era_230987.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/16/opinion/16pewen.html?ref=opinion 100230987 AM Update William Pewen, New York Times Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:26:43 -0500 03/16/2010/00/00/00 As a candidate for president, Sen. Barack Obama rejected "the politics of fear." Well, he won. So now he's playing the fear card to the hilt. Monday, President Obama went to Strongsville, Ohio, to warn that unless his ObamaCare passes, middle Americans should be very afraid of the day when they (Fear No. 1) lose their job or income, then (Fear No. 2) fall seriously ill and then (Fear No. 3) receive the health care they need, but lose valued assets.Receive news alertsObama's intended prop was Natoma Canfield, a 50-year-old cleaning woman and cancer survivor who dropped her...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/03/16/obama_evokes_fear_calls_for_courage_104779.htmlhttp://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/03/16/obama_evokes_fear_calls_for_courage_104779.html 100230970 AM Update Debra Saunders, SF Chronicle Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:26:22 -0500 03/16/2010/00/00/00 Over the last year, we've had a productive national conversation about how to reform our health insurance system. Many worthwhile ideas have been proposed, and deciding on a final package of reforms has been challenging. Compromise always is. But now that Congress is nearing a vote, the choice for those who want to end insurance company abuses, give Americans better insurance options, and bring down health care costs is very easy: Support a plan that advances all of those goals, or do nothing and watch things get even worse.If reform fails, we will continue down the same disastrous path...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/16/health_plan_will_bring_down_costs_231000.htmlhttp://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2010/03/another-viewthe-only-sensible-choice.html 100231000 AM Update Kathleen Sebelius, USA Today Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:27:08 -0500 03/16/2010/00/00/00 Last Thursday, Athens was paralyzed by rioters protesting the government's austerity program, which is needed to keep the Greek nation solvent. After a year of debate and legislative scheming, President Obama and congressional Democrats are making one last push for their ill-conceived health care plan. Fittingly, the endgame is as unseemly as the various maneuvers and backroom deals that got them this far.  New York governor David Paterson, beset by charges of witness tampering in the case of a close aide accused of assaulting an ex-girlfriend, has spoken of legalizing...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/16/partisan_health_push_angers_voters_230967.htmlhttp://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/dead-congress-walking 100230967 AM Update Noemie Emery, Weekly Standard Tue, 16 Mar 2010 06:25:51 -0500 03/16/2010/00/00/00 It looks like the coming House vote on health care reform will be the decisive one after all.As of this weekend, sources including House leadership aides indicated that the House might pass health care reform under a special procedure, effectively making enactment of the legislation contingent upon the Senate passing amendments to its original bill. Some House members favor this approach because they don't trust the Senate and don't like the Senate bill. But under this approach, the fate of reform would remain uncertain until the Senate acted on those amendments, dragging out the...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/16/pelosi_explains_the_way_forward_230958.htmlhttp://www.tnr.com/blog/the-treatment/pelosi-explains-the-way-forward 100230958 AM Update Jonathan Cohn, The New Republic Tue, 16 Mar 2010 06:25:30 -0500 03/16/2010/00/00/00 In a swindle that would make Bernie Madoff look like an amateur, Barack Obama has gotten a substantial segment of the population to believe that he can add millions of people to the government-insured rolls without increasing the already record-breaking federal deficit.Those who think in terms of talking points, instead of realities, can point to the fact that the Congressional Budget Office has concurred with budget numbers that the Obama administration has presented. Receive news alertsAnyone who is so old-fashioned as to stop and think, instead of being swept along by rhetoric, can...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/03/16/talking_points_vs_reality.htmlhttp://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/03/16/talking_points_vs_reality.html 100230968 AM Update Thomas Sowell, RealClearPolitics Tue, 16 Mar 2010 06:25:40 -0500 03/16/2010/00/00/00 ]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/03/16/palestinians_destructive_veneration_of_terrorists.htmlhttp://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/03/16/palestinians_destructive_veneration_of_terrorists.html 100230982 AM Update Richard Cohen, Washington Post Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:52:48 -0500 03/16/2010/00/00/00 NEW YORK "” I'm tempted to see Vice President Joe Biden's visit to Israel as a parable: Nice guy wanders into mess and truth is revealed.Roger Cohen We've had, for example, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clarifying the fact that, "Israel and the U.S. have mutual interests, but we will act according to the vital interests of the state of Israel."Of course, the United States, too, has "vital interests." They include reaching a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine for which the physical space erodes daily as...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/16/netanyahu039s_apology_is_not_enough_230985.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/16/opinion/16iht-edcohen.html?ref=opinion 100230985 AM Update Roger Cohen, New York Times Tue, 16 Mar 2010 06:25:45 -0500 03/16/2010/00/00/00 In both politics and diplomacy, actors must think at least one move ahead. They need to be reasonably sure that when they say or do A, then the other party will say or do B. And they should want the other party to say or do B, otherwise it makes no sense to say A in the first place. The purpose of action isn't just to act, in other words, but to make sure that the reaction you get advances your purposes and your interests.Which is why the administration's behavior in deepening and perpetuating its latest confrontation with Israel is actually rather bewildering. Let's start out...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/16/obama_and_israel_not_smart_230966.htmlhttp://www.commentarymagazine.com/viewarticle.cfm/obama-and-israel--not-smart-15391 100230966 AM Update John Podhoretz, Commentary Tue, 16 Mar 2010 06:21:19 -0500 03/16/2010/00/00/00 He was a catch, a gold mine. The first and only mole ever to infiltrate Al Qaeda at such a high level. And the CIA was eager to meet him. On the afternoon of December 30, 2009, practically everyone who worked at the agency's base in Khost, Afghanistan, plus a few visitors—fourteen people in all—gathered outside in front of a makeshift interrogation center. The mole was due any minute. The point of the welcoming committee was apparently to show respect for the man, a Jordanian doctor named Humam Khalil Abu-Malal al-Balawi—to make him understand how important he...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/16/afghan_attack_a_dagger_to_the_cia_231001.htmlhttp://www.gq.com/news-politics/politics/201004/dagger-to-the-cia 100231001 AM Update Robert Baer, GQ Magazine Tue, 16 Mar 2010 05:55:30 -0500 03/16/2010/00/00/00 ]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/16/defeating_mexico039s_drug_cartels_230993.htmlhttp://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-ackerman16-2010mar16,0,188718.story 100230993 AM Update John Ackerman, Los Angeles Times Tue, 16 Mar 2010 04:52:36 -0500 03/16/2010/00/00/00 The Greek crisis is making clear a reality long ignored or glossed over: Eurozone fiscal policy is messy and opaque. This is not a short-term phenomenon, nor can any concerted action change this fact. Global central banks, sovereign wealth firms and other major entities are going to revise their currency-allocation strategies based on this new recognition. This process is just beginning, but it suggests a roadblock to the euro taking up a greater share of reserve-currency allocations.At first glance, there is a strong case for the euro to emerge as an increasingly important part of the global...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/03/16/the_euros_fiscal_policy_will_give_pause_to_reserve-currency_allocators_104768.htmlhttp://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/03/16/the_euros_fiscal_policy_will_give_pause_to_reserve-currency_allocators_104768.html 100230981 AM Update Bremmer & Levy, RealClearPolitics Tue, 16 Mar 2010 04:30:58 -0500 03/16/2010/00/00/00 Get information on education programs that could help you increase your earning power.This database by USA TODAY and the National Survey of Student Engagement shows how hundreds of colleges across the country scored in five "student involvement" benchmarks, including level of academic challenge, student-faculty interaction and other keys to learning and graduation.• Search the databaseA searchable map and school statistics on all 100 Best Value Colleges of 2010 can be found at:BestValueColleges.usatoday.comSon Patrick is a junior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Debbie's...]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/16/but_what_if_college_isn039t_for_all_230978.htmlhttp://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2010-03-16-1Acollegeforall16_CV_N.htm 100230978 AM Update Mary Beth Marklein, USA Today http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/17/us_house_should_reject_health_care_bill_amp_start_over_231026.html http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorials/2011354314_edit16healthinsurance.html 100231026 Editorials Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:46:28 -0500 Seattle Times http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/17/will_china_listen_231072.html http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/17/opinion/17wed1.html?ref=todayspaper 100231072 Editorials Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:14:01 -0500 New York Times http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/17/the_democrats039_deem_scheme_231051.html http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/editorials/dems_deem_scheme_9vWVumE2DayVRVoWpKnftI 100231051 Editorials Wed, 17 Mar 2010 05:28:32 -0500 New York Post http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/17/obama039s_next_test_education_reform_231061.html http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?story_id=15713978&source=features_box_main 100231061 Editorials Wed, 17 Mar 2010 06:47:12 -0500 The Economist http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/17/states039_rights_a_rallying_cry_for_lawmakers_231075.html http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/17/us/17states.html 100231075 Politics and Election News Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:32:41 -0500 New York Times http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/17/new_jersey_court_says_menendez_recall_can_proceed_231073.html http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34496.html 100231073 Politics and Election News Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:28:34 -0500 Politico http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/17/al_sharpton_becomes_obama039s_ambassador_to_black_community_231076.html http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704588404575123404191464126.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_PoliticsNCampaign_3 100231076 Politics and Election News Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:31:54 -0500 WSJ http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2010/03/17/capitol_police_decry_bullying_by_staffers_231074.html http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/87249-capitol-hill-cops-decry-bullying-staffers 100231074 Politics and Election News Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:29:32 -0500 The Hill