“In Iraq, America has committed itself to a hard exit. The U.S. and Iraqi governments have signed a pact under which all U.S. soldiers (still numbering some 120,000) are to leave Iraq by the end of 2011. In his West Point speech, President Obama committed to a “soft” exit from Afghanistan, pledging to begin reducing U.S. forces there by the summer of 2011. Left unsaid is how quickly the number of U.S. troops will come down, how many will remain, and for how long. Most important, there is no mention of what will happen if “conditions on the ground” remain poor or worsen—i.e., if it turns out that the Afghan Army and police aren’t ready to take over.”—Haas, pessimistic about the chances the U.S. will actually draw down in Afghanistan.

Barney Frank is erupting, as only Barney Frank can. “How dare you!” he says. “How dare you accuse me of lying!” I am up on Capitol Hill to talk about his efforts to fix Wall Street, and Frank is growing agitated as I ask about the influence of the banking lobby on the House Financial Services Committee, which he chairs. Frank is determined to quash any notion that he’s been weak on financial reform. I inquire about his decision the day before to postpone a vote on a reform bill. His public statement had said only that some Democrats on his committee weren’t ready to decide on the legislation. Was there any other reason? “Are you trying to catch me in some lie?” Frank retorts. “You think I put that off for the big banks?”

Actually, I hadn’t said anything about the big banks—and I certainly hadn’t accused him of lying. But this is the chairman’s method of dealing with critics: go on the attack. Frank, a Harvard Law School graduate, is considered by many of his peers to be the brainiest member of the House. And he can be fierce when challenged—especially over legislation that is likely to change the face of America’s financial system. Now, gazing from behind thick glasses, his mouth set in its trademark grimace, Frank fires back. “The big banks have no influence,” he says. “They couldn’t stop the credit-card [reform] bill. They get the full blast of the [new] Consumer Financial Protection Agency.” When I press him further about the vote and how tough he’s going to be on Wall Street’s cash cow, derivatives trading, he’s had enough. “This interview is over,” Frank says, as if banging down a gavel.

Hirsh

Ron Paul, the GOP's unlikely savior

“Here lies the tension in Barack Obama’s policy. He wants a clearer, more discriminating foreign policy, one that pares down the vast commitments and open-ended interventions of the Bush era, perhaps one that is more disciplined even than Bill Clinton’s approach to the world. (On the campaign trail, Obama repeatedly invoked George H.W. Bush as the president whose foreign policy he admired most.) But America is in the midst of a war that is not going well, and scaling back now would look like cutting and running. Obama is searching for a post-imperial policy in the midst of an imperial crisis. The qualified surge—send in troops to regain the momentum but then draw down—is his answer to this dilemma. This is an understandable compromise, and it could well work, but it pushes off a final decision about Afghanistan until the troop surge can improve the situation on the ground. Eighteen months from now, Obama will have to answer the core question: is a stable and well-functioning Afghanistan worth a large and continuing American ground presence, or can American interests be secured at much lower cost?”—Fareed on Obama’s way forward.

The case against Warhol.

The Science of Good Marriages

Amanda Knox Found Guilty

If You've Got the Power to Fight--Uh, We Forget the Rest

Also, re. this. One thing we’re wondering: Was this error made by someone too old to know Public Enemy—or someone too young?

brooklynmutt:

YEAAAAH BOOOOOYYYY

Ha.

In Which We Are Reminded that the Unemployment is Really at Least 17.2%

niemanlab:

Newsworthy analysis from a non-news source: Mint.com’s “Are You Really Unemployed?” video and graphic. http://tr.im/GEi9