In Pakistan, the political situation seems to be deteriorating, which may be the real reason President Musharraf will not attend a meeting in Afghanistan.

In Iraq, as the British prepare to leave Basra, the situation there seems also to be deteriorating.

The Presidential primary process continues to get more complex, as South Carolina's GOP will move its primary up, and NH is expected to follow suit. More here, and here. Want the simple explanation? There are no sanctions that could be imposed by the national party committees that can deter the actions of state legislatures from moving their primary or caucus dates. The most the DNC or RNC can do is deny a state's delegates a seat at the national convention. Since nothing of substance is decided at these conventions, political leaders on the state level know that there is nothing to lose, and much to gain, by moving their primary or caucus up. So, expect this behavior to continue. Nothing short of Congressional action will stop this merry-go-round from continuing to turn and, last I checked, members of Congress serve the interests of their states and districts.

Jack Jacobs doesn't think much of a plan that would launch an investigation into the death of every soldier we lose in war.

Stephen Lang, an actor whose work I admire greatly, has a one-man show about Medal of Honor winners, which receives praise in this op-ed in the Wall St. Journal.

Can the GOP pull it out in 2008? This op-ed in the Telegraph of the UK gives some evidence of that possibility.