Over in the U.K., David Miliband says there is no "war on terror". Con Coughlin wonders, if that is so, then just what are their boys dying for?

I travel to New York every week, and so I am very familiar with LaGuardia Airport, and the various avenues of approach to that facility, and have looked down onto the Hudson from above many times. I've often noted all the ferries that go back and forth between New Jersey and Manhattan. Yesterday, those ferries came in handy for the 155 passengers and crew of a U.S. Airways jet that had to ditch into the Hudson, apparently after striking birds that caused both engines to fail. The pilot and crew did a fantastic job getting the plane into the water safely. The ferry captains and crews did a fantastic job getting out to the plane to rescue the passengers, and it should be mentioned that the designers and builders of that particular plane, an Airbus A320, should also be congratulated for making a good aircraft that flew well after double engine failure, and did not break up when it hit the water, and did not sink. All of these factors, combined with good (albeit cold) weather conditions, led to the happy outcome.

The Senate votes to give President-elect Obama's incoming administration the rest of the TARP money, which will be used to continue to bail out the financial industry. Meanwhile, Obama himself says he wants to reform the entitlement programs. I eagerly await the details.