With this action, in one fell swoop, the president deprived himself and his supporters of the easiest argument for his next nominee: that surely a reelected conservative president is entitled to replace a conservative justice — Rehnquist — with another conservative.

With this action, in one fell swoop, the president deprived himself and his supporters of the easiest argument for his next nominee: that surely a reelected conservative president is entitled to replace a conservative justice — Rehnquist — with another conservative.

If terror groups are to be defeated, it is national governments that will have to do so. In nations like India, governments will have to call on the patriotism of citizens to fight the terrorists. In a nation like Pakistan, the government will have to be persuaded to deal with those in their midst who are complicit.

All defense secretaries in wartime have, needless to say, made misjudgments.

If the American people really come to a settled belief that Bush lied us into war, his presidency will be over.

He's always been—weaker is not quite fair, but he's always been a less powerful chief of staff than we're used to.