The plane that crashed outside Buffalo was on autopilot prior to the crash, and may only have been put on manual control within 26 seconds of impact. The pilots I have read in the last few days indicate that being on autopilot is not a good idea during icing conditions, as the pilot has a better "feel" of the aircraft in manual control, and can better determine if ice is making the aircraft less stable. Still, the initial reports indicate that the aircraft's deicing system was also on, therefore, I wonder why it didn't work.

Two trouble spots, two bad stories. In Mexico, a police official is killed and the gunmen massacre his entire family. In Pakistan, the government is about to make a deal with the Taliban that would allow their extreme version of Islamic law to be enforced in their tribal areas (women totally covered, kept indoors, not allowed to be educated, etc.). Both stories point to nations that are, in my estimation, beginning to unravel.

On President's Day, it is appropriate to order the President's based on leadership, which C-Span does with this list compiled by a guest panel of historians. Abraham Lincoln is first, George Washington second. FDR, Teddy Roosevelt and Harry Truman round out the top five.

A controversial Dutch politician, who made a film which essentially says that Islam is to blame for Islamic extremism, is barred from entry into the United Kingdom. John O'Sullivan says it is because the Islamic extremists in Britain have intimidated the government.

A Brit who has written a book warning us about Obama says he didn't realize his predictions would come true so quickly.

It appears the people of Venezuela have taken another step closer to electing a President-for-Life in Hugo Chavez.

Robert J. Samuelson writes that comparisons of our current economic debacle with Japan's "Lost Decade" have some merit.