It's 10 times worse than Watergate and Iran-Contra put together. At least that is the talking point of the moment for Republicans. They claim that the response of the Obama administration to the attacks on the diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, Libya, that claimed the lives of four Americans is an...

The selection of an Argentine cardinal as pope has focused attention on a painful and controversial chapter in that country's history. Understanding that history clarifies the dilemma he faced during Argentina's "dirty war." It also raises difficult questions, and not just about Argentina's past.

In 1973, after years of failing...

One might think that a political party and a religious organization would not have that much in common. But the Republican Party, in the wake of its failure to retake the White House, and the Catholic Church, in the aftermath of a series of scandals, actually have a lot in...

Ever since failing to make Obama a one-term president, Mitt Romney has been trying to figure out why he doesn't occupy the White House. In a recent interview (naturally with Fox News), he blamed his loss in part on his failure to connect with minorities and his remark...

The United States prides itself on having a market economy. But does that philosophy really have to extend to the selling of government jobs as well?

It has long been apparent that the corrosive effect of money on politics is not only here to stay, but also getting worse. Thanks...

Long before Mitt Romney, and not just for the sake of alliteration, the Republican Party could have been described as the party of the "r's." That's because its base, the core constituencies it has to energize to win elections, all begin with "r." For a long time there were five,...

Fact checking the things that Mitt Romney says is like shooting at an elephant with a shotgun from a distance of five feet. The target is too big to miss, but hitting it also won't slow it down.

The effort to make him appear presidential just keeps lumbering on,...

It would be interesting to know if anyone on Capitol Hill ever takes time out from being seduced by lobbyists to wonder about what Americans think of their elected representatives. Congress has the lowest approval rating ever in public opinion polls and only one American in ten is gullible enough...

Five years ago there was considerable media speculation that the United States was about to bomb Iran to stop its nuclear program. Despite the hype, it was clear that was not going to happen. Times have changed. Now a war with Iran is not imminent, but it is inevitable. And...

Aspiring presidential candidates are required to go through many rites of passage on the road they hope will lead to the White House. Writing a heartwarming book on their life story or an inspiring tome on their political philosophy is one. Taking a world tour to meet with foreign leaders...

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton forcefully intervened recently on behalf of Chen Guancheng, the blind Chinese dissident, who has been hounded by his government for criticizing official policy. It's too bad she won't afford the same consideration to the employees of her own department.

Mr. Chen invoked the wrath of...

Two African warlords were in the news in the last week and they did more than remind the world of their barbarity. One demonstrated the power of the social media. The other demonstrated the hypocrisy of the United States.

The first was Joseph Kony of Uganda about whom a nonprofit...

The squawking heads were all in such a rush to declare Mitt Romney the winner of the debate on Thursday night that they forgot to listen to what he actually said. Romney, in parrying Newt Gingrich's charge that he is the most anti-immigrant candidate, forcefully declared: "I'm not anti-immigrant. My...

A favorite talking point for politicians these days is that the deficit is too high. Since raising taxes is unthinkable, downsizing government is the only option, but no one can agree on what to cut.

Here is a suggestion that will reduce the deficit and the size of government, not...

Republicans like Nelson Rockefeller and Dwight Eisenhower must be spinning in their graves. They have to be wondering just how their party has degenerated into the midget of the month club.

In its increasingly desperate search to find a presidential candidate who is not Mitt Romney, the GOP is...

A number of commentators have struggled to link the Tea Party and the Occupy Wall Street protestors. Both groups seem to be grass roots, spontaneous expressions of popular discontent. They appear to occupy opposite ends of the political spectrum, however, and have different takes on the cause of, and the...

There are plenty of reasons not to take Herman Cain seriously as a presidential candidate. There is one, however, that is rarely mentioned. And it is more important than the ones the media are talking about.

The ones getting all the attention from the commentators are not...

The Republican Party's search for a presidential candidate is increasingly looking like a homeless man rooting through a dumpster. He picks up something that looks delectable, sniffs it, maybe takes a bite, but then rejects it in disgust and keeps on looking.

First, it was Donald Trump that was examined,...

Here is an article I wrote two and a half years ago that seems appropriate to repeat given the President's announcement on Friday regarding troop levels in Iraq. He should, but probably won't, take one additional step. As the troops leave, the State Department is left holding the bag. We...

There is an old joke, of sorts, about conflicts in the Middle East that has been around for as long as there have been efforts by outsiders to end them. A mediator, frustrated at the lack of progress, asks both sides to get serious. The stronger side replies, "Why should...