CQ Politics' Web Picks

Los Angeles Times: A child soldier or just a child?

Omar Khadr was 15 when he was captured in Afghanistan in 2002. His Guantanamo trial raises ethical questions.

Wall Street Journal: Sen. Reid Hits the Ground Running in Uphill Re-Election Bid

Sen. Harry Reid will command the biggest party majority of any Senate leader in a quarter century when the new Congress convenes in January. But the Nevada Democrat is already worried about his own re-election fight in 2010.

The Weekly Standard: Conservative Successes

It’s true that the Bush administration has seen its share of incompetence, negligence, and cupidity. And back when Republicans ran Capitol Hill, it sometimes seemed as though GOP congressmen were competing for the annual Jack Abramoff Award for Excellence in Corruption. But linking these foibles to conservatism is silly. The fact is that conservatives govern successfully when they have the right mix of policy and personnel.

Huffington Post: Bush Flack Spouts Nonsense While Touting Success of Presidency

Last Monday, RealClearPolitics provided a forum for Bush White House Counselor Ed Gillespie to dissemble on “Myths and Facts About the Real Bush Record.” This document should serve political science instructors well in the future as the epitome of dead end political propaganda.

Slate: The Pundit Divas

On TV talk and interview shows, there are some guests who simply refuse to go on the air with other particular people or with anyone at all. It’s rarely discussed, because the bookers who mediate these ego wars are bound by contract to keep quiet. The biggest offenders are usually the ones whose egos are too big to accommodate any company such as Henry Kissinger, Zbigniew Brzezinski, or Alexander Haig. The food chain continues. Senators don’t go on with members of the House, who in turn won’t appear with anyone other than elected officials of their rank or higher.

Washington Times: Obama’s Online Community Expands

President-elect Barack Obama’s supporters are eager to take the former community organizer up on his challenge to get to work for the nation, and many are even considering a run for public office. The 13 million-strong Obama e-mail list has been activated to help wildfire victims in California, to host thousands of parties to discuss the incoming administration, and at least 55,000 people told the campaign in an online survey that Mr. Obama has inspired them to consider political careers on the state or local level.

The Hill: New Rule Prompts Fears of Guns at Inauguration

D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton and gun control groups are concerned that some visitors attending President-elect Obama’s inauguration may try to pack heat because of a rule allowing concealed weapons in national parks.