Outside the Beltway

The French were indignant about reports of the NSA’s surveillance programs. Now we know they have own of their own.

My latest for The Atlantic, “Why Should Congress and the Courts Care About Snooping If Citizens Don’t?” has posted.

A George W. Bush renaissance? Not exactly.

The ACLU is suing over the NSA’s data mining. Does it really have a chance?

Revelations about the NSA’s data mining programs don’t seem to be having a significant impact on public opinion.

Will voters care about the revelations about NSA data mining? Signs point to no.

Jay Stanley and Ben Wizner, privacy experts at the ACLU, argue that metadata is more sensitive than we think.

Just because NSA data mining is legal, that doesn’t mean it’s proper or that the American people should tolerate it.

The NSA’s data mining project is about more than just subpoenas for cell phone records.

Apparently, it’s not just reporters whose phone logs the Obama administration is tracking.

The same story yet again.

A starting point for two important stories.

We’re actually not speculating about who might be running any more than we used to.

Would more information about the Benghazi attacks have changed the outcome of the Presidential election?

Republicans looking to Benghazi for political ammunition are likely going to be disappointed.

Apparently, Benghazi has not faded (at least not for some).

The American people aren’t panicking.

Are civil liberties once again at risk in the wake of the bombing attack in Boston?

The wacko fringe of the GOP is increasingly finding room in the mainstream of the party.

My latest for The National Interest, “Why Terrorists Are Worse Than Guns,” has posted.

There seems to be an effort underway to reassess the legacy of our 43rd President.

For better or worse, the attack in Boston is likely to have an impact on the immigration reform debate.

The Boston Marathon bomber must be tried in a court of law.

A bipartisan commission of elder statesmen confirms what we’ve known for years.

A new report confirms that the United States did engage in torture in the wake of the September 11th attacks.

We treat violence by lone individuals differently than organized violence. Race, religion, and national origin have nothing to do with that.

Peter Bergen says government crackdowns since the Oklahoma City and 9/11 attacks have made getting bomb making materials harder.

We shouldn’t overreact. But we shouldn’t fool ourselves either: We’re not safe.

The Army has ruled, correctly, that the victims of Major Nidal Hassan are not entitled to the Purple Heart.

Second thoughts about the Iraq War

Habemus Papam

My latest for The National Interest, “Was Afghanistan Worth It?” takes issue with the Marine commandant’s assessment of that question.

The Obama White House is not ruling out targeted strikes against Americans inside American territory.

Walter Russell Mead presents his sitrep of the War on Terror.

American troops may now earn the fourth highest combat medal from the comfort of their desk chair.