Outside the Beltway

Will ISIS be able to consolidate and hold the territory it’s taken in Iraq?

Some bad news for the President.

Iraq is falling apart for reasons that have nothing to do with President Obama or his policies.

There aren’t nearly as many “meta” lessons in Eric Cantor’s loss as pundits have been claiming.

It’s sure beginning to look like a civil war in Iraq, albeit a rather one sided one at the moment.

The Iraqi government seems to be panicking.

Things only seem to be getting worse in Iraq.

For the fourth time in 30 years, an American President spoke at Normandy to honor a day of sacrifice and triumph.

There’s little evidence for the conservative contention that the President has damaged America’s position in the world.

Yet another autiobiography invites public discussion about her accomplishments.

Different name, same result in Egypt.

Eric Shinseki resigned as Secretary of Veterans Affairs this morning, to the surprise of absolutely nobody.

The President’s second speech to the Corps of Cadets is a vast improvement over the first.

Once again, President Obama’s attempt to communicate a foreign policy vision falls short.

It seems unlikely that Eric Shinseki will have a job for much longer.

The latest chapter in an all too familiar story.

An imperfect timetable, but better than nothing.

Today’s foreign-policy disputes rarely consider the way America’s response to one crisis might affect another.

A prairie populist challenger for Hillary Clinton?

There’s plenty of blame to go around.

People are still going to jail for being unable to pay their fines. And often billed for the priviledge.

James Oliphant asks, “Why Hasn’t the GOP Treated Fort Hood Like Benghazi?”

Hubris.

Shutting down rational debate one meme at a time.

Congressman Walter Jones beat back a primary challenge from a former Bush aide who attacked him over his foreign policy views.

The right decision, or the triumph of mob rule?

A new poll indicates that most Americans don’t want to see the United States intervening overseas.

In retrospect, and in comparison with other recent Presidents, George Herbert Walker Bush’s four years in office were pretty darn good.

Yesterday afternoon’s shooting spree at Fort Hood appears to be a related to post-traumatic stress.

The Pentagon wants to continue receiving special war funding well into peacetime.

Americans are skeptical about getting involved in the Ukraine crisis. This isn’t a surprise.

My latest for The National Interest, “Hagel’s Defense Cuts: The Least Bad Choice,” is out.

Hamid Karzai’s refusal to sign a new security agreement may result in all U.S. troops leaving Afghanistan by the end of the year.

Veteran newsman Garrick Utley has died from prostate cancer at the age of 74.

A rather impressive recovery from a career that was mostly dead in 2007.

Refusing to raise the debt ceiling does nothing at all to control spending.

The bizarre conservative love affair with Vladimir Putin continues.

President Obama is rewarding unqualified hacks who raised huge sums for his campaign with ambassadorships.