The citizen journalist gives us some sage wisdom and advice from the frontlines.
From The Weekly Standard…first the wisdom:
During the beginning of the war, when some of us called an insurgency an insurgency, our patriotism was questioned. Is there any question now? Are there just a few “dead-enders” that we are still “mopping up”? When I [...]

Although many won’t notice, this is a pretty big story.
A Texas Republican Senator publicly undermines Bush’s “Iraq liberation” meme.
From the AP:
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, who holds a seat deemed safe for the GOP, said in a campaign debate Thursday she would have voted against the war had she known ousted Iraqi leader Saddam [...]

Given what I know about the Fischer-Tropsch method of extracting crude from coal, I think the following opinion that we’ll never really run out of oil pretty credible.
From UPI:
A University of Washington economic geologist says there is lots of crude oil left for human use.
Eric Cheney said Friday in a news release that changing economics, [...]

Not that I questioned the previous poll, but it appears that Quinnipiac’s post-debate numbers were accurate.
Stolen with reverence from Political Wire:
In Connecticut’s U.S. Senate race, a new American Research Group poll shows Sen. Joe Lieberman (I) leading Ned Lamont (D) by 12 points, 49% to 37%. Alan Schlesinger (R) gets 8% and just 5% are [...]

Up to 30 countries may have the capabilities to build nukes soon.
Mohamed ElBaradei gives us the lowdown:
Speaking at a conference on tightening controls against nuclear proliferation, Mohamed ElBaradei said more nations are “hedging their bets” by developing technology that is at the core of peaceful nuclear energy programs but could quickly be switched to making [...]

Kevin Tillman writes a fitting tribute in memory of the soldier who surprised us all by quitting the NFL and joining the military after 9/11.
From TruthDig:
It is Pat’s birthday on November 6, and elections are the day after. It gets me thinking about a conversation I had with Pat before we joined the military. [...]

Apparently, even if Lieberman did lose the debate, it hasn’t mattered. He’s up by 17 points over Lamont, and Schlesinger’s numbers haven’t moved at all.

Americans, that is.
From World Public Opinion:
A new nationwide survey finds a large and growing majority of Americans is dissatisfied with the position of the United States in the world. Most Americans believe that U.S. policies are increasing the threat of terrorist attack and decreasing goodwill toward the United States.
The Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA)/Knowledge [...]

This is pretty typical, but ultimately it speaks to how little the GOP has to hang their hat on. Essentially, their message seems to be very clearly, “Vote for us or you could die.”
Give me a break…
The Republican Party will begin airing a hard-hitting ad this weekend that warns of more cataclysmic terror attacks against [...]

No one has ever mistaken me for a pollyanna, but I’m not so cynical as to believe the elections this Novemeber don’t matter. They do matter. Quite a bit. So, after much thought, I’ve decided which party I want to win this November. It’s not exactly a ringing endorsement (did you expect one?) but I’m [...]

A blogger from Iraq, who’s been sharing her voice since 2003, gives us some perspective on the controversial Lancet study:
For American politicians and military personnel, playing dumb and talking about numbers of bodies in morgues and official statistics, etc, seems to be the latest tactic. But as any Iraqi knows, not every death is being [...]

It’s official. Detainees don’t have the right to be determined guilty or innocent. They’re guilty until proven guilty, and what could be more American than that?
An NY Times editorial explains the significance:
Once President Bush signed the new law on military tribunals, administration officials and Republican leaders in Congress wasted no time giving Americans a taste [...]

Oh my, this made me laugh:
The human race would peak in the year 3000, he said – before a decline due to dependence on technology.
People would become choosier about their sexual partners, causing humanity to divide into sub-species, he added.
The descendants of the genetic upper class would be tall, slim, healthy, attractive, intelligent, and creative [...]

Last night I saw a movie called Man of the Year. Maybe you’ve heard about it. Robin Williams plays Tom Dobbs, a Jon Stewart-esque “Newsedian” who throws his hat in the political ring, shakes up the increasingly “stagey” election process and ultimately wins the Oval Office. The film has some genuinely funny moments even though [...]

Mark Daniels has written the definitive post on why Barack Obama’s undeniable oratorical skills are not enough to qualify him for the presidency in 2008. Lucid, comprehensive, and conclusive — case closed.

Not all his chips, of course. But it’s the biggest bet he’s placed yet. From The New York Sun:
George Soros is giving a financial boost to the political fortunes of a former four-star general, Wesley Clark, who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004 and is poised to mount another bid in [...]

Be careful what you ask for, because you might not like what you get.
Six years ago, the Supreme Court ruled — correctly — that a private organization like the Boy Scouts could not be forced to accept gays as either Scouts or leaders.
Since then, however, the Boy Scouts have learned a lesson about the other [...]

Pretty damn low according to two new polls out.
First, CNN reports that only 34% of Americans think the war is worth the costs.
Then, Zogby also shows us that 34% feel we should be over there.
And so it goes.

Looks like the Republican dark horse, Alan Schlesinger, came out strong in the recent debate. Or at least that’s what the left would have you believe.
Hot Air has an interesting roundup of the blogosphere’s attempt to paint Schlesinger as the winner.
And then, more from the Hartford Courant…
The televised hourlong encounter also included Republican Alan [...]

Radar Magazine has their picks…
10) Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY)
9) Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI)
8) Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT)
7) Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA)
6) Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH)
5) Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
4) Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ)
3) Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK)
2) Rep. Don Young (R-AK)
1) Rep. Katherine Harris (R-FL)
And I have my top 5…
5) Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-LA)
4) [...]