Relax. This is a way of writing. It is imagined. The scene is a room in the White House, setting is informal. The President has asked if I prefer that and I do.

President Obama: OK. What is it?

An Obama Doctrine, sir. You said change the world. That resonated....

Accessing Dylan's "I and I": Here is a live version of "I and I." Recommend you scare up the recorded version from the album Infidels (1983). You can listen to it here. You can find the lyric to "I and I" here. Recommend you keep...

Time to dust off my Union Theological Seminary creds and weigh in on prayer.

The founder of the religion, some of whose representatives are emoting onerous and hateful prayers, was one Jesus of Nazareth.

And, try as you might, you will only find one prayer that he taught.

It...

I hope James P. Othmer's forthcoming book is better than his column in today's New York Times.

The headline in my paper copy reads: Don't Tweet About Health Care.

The author informs us that the President was wise to use TV as his platform to address Congress last...

My problem is I hardly watch it any more. A while back I thought it had real potential. Now I think it is on its way down.

Not because I do not agree with what I assume to be its hopes for the President. But because they serve these hopes...

On grounds of 1:1 proportionality -- that would be killing no more than have been killed by the enemy -- the U.S has spilled more blood in the so called War on Terror than has been spilled by the terrorists. We have taken multiple eyes for eyes. Multiple teeth for...

http://ow.ly/npFP Afghan War Needs New Strategy: US Commander McChrystal

I include many areas where the world faces huge challenges, including the former Soviet Union (FSU).

We make a mistake when we segment challenges. One boat rocks others. We may not be gaia but there is some truth to our...

OK, laugh.

But we are pouring lives and billions down the drain all over the world and money could accomplish a whole lot more with less expense and fewer (or even no) lost lives.

I'm serious. Dig this.

In Pakistan they figure if they more than double certain sorts of...

So much smoke is coming out of both sides of the health care debate that we might simply say that the opposition to Obama is thoroughly bipartisan. The funny thing is that both the antics of Keith Olbermann and Ed on MSNBC (bloviating on the left) and the usual FOX...

Most of us can remember when Sean Hannity and his FOX friends made Rev. Wright a household word. When they sowed a confusion and distraction of mammoth proportions. When they fought tooth and nail to stop the Obama march to victory. We thought the Hannity storm would prevail.

I do not really agree with my question -- assuming it is meant seriously. I think most of us feel we need to be operating in AfPak.

But something is telling me to ask it. Here are my answers:

1. We would take a potential 50,000 US troops and others...

It is time for some perspective. We have just elected a President who embodies what we might call true American values. These relate to fairness, opportunity, respect and allegiance to law and the Constitution. These values conflict with the following:

Racism.

Lawlessness.

The cultivation of hatred.

We elected the President...

Human Rights Watch is getting grief because of The Wall Street Journal's distorted reporting and actual untruths about an organization has bent over backwards to be both fair and accurate. It is a very sad thing when a professional journalism venture is unable to measure up to the standards of...

This does not have to be long.

It was $4 gas that alerted folks to a Big Change. They held on to what was left of their money, had enough left when it went down, and now are spending again. (Except for those who got ruined.)

What do you think...

More money? No.

What we most need is a stimulus to get off the dime. Then the money will flow as it is not flowing now.

The President has hinted here and there.

We need a green economy with green jobs that will be the economy of this century, not...

The absurdity of the situation in this contest is obvious. There is no way that President Obama can credibly range himself against Carolyn Maloney. Carolyn Maloney would be a winner as a Senator. a winner in a statewide election and a winner in Washington.

I say these things because...

Manhattan for the pedestrian can be heaven or hell, depending on a combination of factors. Attitude and thoughtfulness are important. Some knowledge is essential.

Manhattanites know, for example, that almost all major north-south thoroughfares are one way. And that the major east-west thoroughfares are generally two way. And that the...

Last February Manhattan was apprised of an incipient revolution. Cars and trucks would no longer be welcome in Times Square and on a small stretch of Broadway near 34th Street (in front of Macy's). These rights of ways would be given back to the pedestrians which in summer means the...

By Stephen C. Rose

Ouch!

I had always assumed that we (the US) would take the lead in green technology and in getting rid of the dominance of the private car, and then export our superior technology to the rest of the world. I assumed the rest of the...

The problem with the GM Gamble is not that the government is involved. There is every indication that government involvement is not that bad. Medicare and the notion of public guarantees of medical care are not noxious. And the President has, in the case of GM, said he will leave...