Blagojevich's serial sleaziness wasn't about alleviating what the governor called his family's "financial stress." Indeed, to understand what it was about, we must turn to literature and philosophy -- the only way to get a handle on this political Tony Soprano, a Big Machine capo with a little boy's haircut. As Shakespeare had Cassius lay it out for Brutus: "The fault, dear Brutus, lies not in our stars, but in ourselves." My compatriot Heraclitus put it even more succinctly: "Character is destiny." Look at Rod Blagojevich's life and his checkered tenure as Governor, and the amorality that led him to hang a For Sale sign on the Illinois statehouse door seems to have been part of his character for a very long time: he was a 78-page criminal indictment waiting to happen.
Please check out one of my favorite new HuffPost features, Julian Zelizer's Book Corner.
There are defining moments in politics. By blocking the auto bailout, Republicans defined themselves. They are class warriors, willing to risk an economic calamity in order to break a union.
At a time when the US economy cannot withstand another shock the Republicans have decided that is exactly what they want. Instead of helping Detroit out, they put ideology ahead of the country.
Odetta's concert was more than I could ever tell you about now. I remembered being visited by things other than from this world.
So long a source of national pride and inspiration as well as cutting edge research, NASA is now losing its position of world leadership.
Late last night, Senate Republicans derailed a bill, passed the day before by the House, to loan $15 billion to the Detroit Three, with 10 Republicans joining 40 Democrats and two Independents in favor.
Was Detroit supposed to anticipate $150 barrel oil any more than Wall Street was expected to know they were playing a funny money game with credit derivative swaps and collateralized debt obligations?
As the end approaches, "W" is regressing more-and-more into a familiar cocoon, seeking out the military for hearty cheer and farewell.
Anthony Badger's FDR: The First Hundred Days reveals the truth behind the myths circulating in Washington about whether a president can undertake major initiatives during a crisis.
The beginning point for fixing all our problems is to restore the United States Constitution, legal system and rules and regulations. They were there for a reason. They are what made us American.
Radical Islam can only be defeated from within. The sooner President-elect Barack Obama understands this, the faster innocent lives will be spared.
Most of the names thrown around now for senator are smart, caring New Yorkers. But only one is both fair and makes real sense for our state.
I am used to having my views severely distorted by the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board, but the opening of this editorial doesn't distort -- it gets the truth absolutely backwards.
The ever obliging oil industry commentators and talking heads are falling all over themselves complimenting the Saudis for their seriousness in abiding by its OPEC allocation.
Obviously, you get variations on a theme. But for my money, the angle taken by Time magazine's Massimo Calabresi in the opening paragraph of "Can Obama Escape the Taint of Blagojevich?" deserves a special award for fatuousness.
In answering inquiries about the military's ban, General Powell has raised more questions than he has offered answers about where he stands on the issue of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
If we paid the same amount for health care as Canada, G.M. would have accumulated an additional $22 billion in profits over the last decade.
I really hate it when I find myself siding with the Republican Party on policy but I think this auto industry bailout is a piss-poor idea and I find myself rooting for the GOP to kill it.
