Anderson Cooper's ratings at CNN continue to drop. At some point the executives in charge at CNN will have to make a change.

Arthur Herman is impressed with the President's Afghanistan surge, while George Will is not. Nicholas Kristof thinks Obama is going down the same path once used by Johnson in Vietnam and Gorachev in Afghanistan. Karl Rove praises the President (yes, Karl Rove), and thinks he can win. Progressives, on the other hand, are unhappy, but should not be surprised. In Germany, they are searching for the Obama magic, but finding only an American politician trying not to lose a war and, therefore, the next election. Robert Kagan makes the point well that Obama cannot simply declare "Oh, well, we lost" and get reelected. My problem with the plan is that it seems designed to win an election, rather than win a war. If they stand by the timeline, then the Taliban need only to wait us out. The locals, knowing that we are leaving, and the Taliban will still be around when we go, will be even less inclined to help us and more inclined to make deals with the Taliban, expecting that they will be the eventual victors.

Some inside the governments and media in Afghanistan and Pakistan are disturbed by the new plan, especially the 18 month timeline.

The NFL issues new guidelines on concussions.

Here is an example of good, old-fashioned political influence at work.

The genders wars are over, and we men emerged victorious.

Stu Rothenberg has the 10 most vulnerable House seats, including New Hampshire's Second District.

Robert J. Samuelson looks at a grim jobs picture and thinks the President is making it worse.

Another newspaper, this time it is The Washington Times, is downsizing.