I know a legendary CBS news producer who worked with Walter Cronkite for many years. He speaks about the anchor with clear affection and admiration. One story the producer tells, as I remember, took place when he traveled with Cronkite to Vietnam and had trouble nailing a story that the...

The blogosphere erupted Wednesday after Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), while grilling the Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor, joked, "You'll have lots of 'splainin' to do."

Coburn was repeating a line used regularly by Desi Arnaz in the classic 1950s situation comedy "I Love Lucy." For many watching the...

The argument is being played out in front of us.

Dark deeds were done at the leader's behest, to achieve desirable, even honorable, goals. The nation's security and stability depend on this, and terrorism and national upheaval averted. So, though unlawful, it all seems necessary. The leader clearly wants it...

Now, it is all about Afghanistan.

In testimony before Congress today, Defense Secretary Robert Gates labeled Afghanistan as America's "greatest military challenge." Meanwhile, last week, there was considerable brouhaha over a liberal group's stand against U.S. military escalation in Afghanistan. It was talked about as a big story -- the...

For a man of few words, with a persona known for shooting first and asking questions later, Clint Eastwood is a powerful vox populi.

Eastwood, who made his name playing the man with no name, has proven to be a keen analyst of the mood of the American public.

More...

The stories about Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich have been stunning -- with revelations of his boundless intent on corruption, as well as a knack for unceasing profanity. Yet Blagojevich has also displayed a canny audacity at his recent press conference, when he announced his choice of Roland Burris to fill...

Now, it feels inevitable. That this was supposed to be the outcome. From the beginning, this election year looked like a variation of 1980, and that is what it ended as -- a souped-up, hyper-broadband-speed version.

But, within the election cycle, on a day-to-day basis, only...

I was the editor of the Sunday "Opinion" section of The Los Angeles Times for 10 years.

It was a thrill because the section had already become a premier intellectual forum in American journalism. The last full year I ran it, 1999, we won top honors, "Best...