New Hampshire's senior Senator Judd Gregg will be nominated by President Obama to become Commerce Secretary, and an announcement is thought to be coming as soon as today. Governor Lynch, apparently, has agreed to appoint a Republican to the seat so as not to change the balance of power in the Senate. This is still bad news for the GOP (and Democrats should stop whining about Lynch's failure to seize the moment to appoint a Democrat and get them to 60, as Gregg would not have taken the job without an assurance from Lynch that he would appoint a Republican, and Lynch knows very well that getting Gregg out of the seat significantly improves their prospects of taking the seat away from the GOP in 2010).

For those folks from Massachusetts who now shop in New Hampshire to avoid sales taxes, watch out! The leaders of the Commonwealth aren't going to sit idly by while you refuse to share some of your wealth with them. It reminds me of a line from Goodfellas, "F___ you, pay me!"

The New York Times calls for Tom Daschle to withdraw from consideration as HHS Secretary. Didn't they get the memo? Only the little people pay taxes.

Is Conservatism dead? I have always believed, based on my understanding of human nature, that the vast majority of people are not ideologues, and are motivated by self interest, except when an inherent irrationality prevents them from acting in their own interest. The strange, contradictory, and sometimes irrational nature of man makes him, when given a chance to vote on it, call for more spending for himself, while simultaneously calling for smaller payments in return. Which is why our large and growing larger deficits are inevitable, unless a constitutional provision prevents them. That is why the state government, most of which have such balanced budget provisions, are cutting left and right, while the Federal government, which does not have such a requirement, borrows and spends like a maniac. As the voting franchise has expanded over the decades, the size and scope of the "Nanny State" has grown. The current crisis will only accelerate such growth, which was hardly slowed by the "Conservative" governance of recent times.

James Carville fires back at Rush Limbaugh.

Ralph Peters says we should think of the Taliban as if they were from outer space.

The father of slain reporter Daniel Pearl reflects on how we have descended further into hypocrisy and barbarism since his son's death.

A Canadian general wonders if Uncle Sam is running out of patience with his NATO allies.