Outside the Beltway

David Rittgers, a legal policy analyst at the Cato Institute who served three tours in Afghanistan as a special forces officer, laments the militarization of police in America.

WaPo’s Jackson Diehl asks, “Will the GOP nominate a dove?”

Tammy Duckworth has resigned as Veterans Affairs assistant secretary and may make another bid for Congress.

The American public is increasingly skeptical of foreign adventurism. Why aren’t our political candidates reflecting that?

Clearly there’s a large ambiguity in the Constitutional gap between the two separate war-related powers of Congress and the Executive. The WPA can be seen as an attempt to resolve it but can’t if it’s unconstitutional.

Are you better off than you were four years ago?

Army Sergeant First Class Leroy Arthur Petry will become the ninth Medal of Honor recipient for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan–and one of only two who lived to tell the tale.

Commander Dave Koss, the head of the Navy’s Blue Angels, has “voluntarily” resigned after repeated unsafe maneuvers.

While President Obama has had some amusing gaffes on his trip to London, including getting the year wrong in the guest book and an awkward toast to the Queen, his speech to Parliament today hit all the right notes.

Comparing Obama to Carter on foreign policy (especially in terms of electoral politics) doesn’t make sense.

The US-Israeli relationship is not one of equals.

“Our records indicate that your annual income for the 2011 taxable year was $2,170,000,000,000. You have requested a credit limit of $17,000,000,000,000. These figures exceed the American Public’s guidelines for credit issuance”

President Obama’s approval numbers shot up after Osama bin Laden was killed two weeks ago. They’ve already settled back to where they were

If former President George W. Bush has any bitterness that Osama bin Laden was finally killed under his successor, he’s not showing it.

Is the war in Libya illegal?

Elias Isquith proclaims my Atlantic essay “How Perpetual War Became U.S. Ideology” to be “a total disaster.”

Technology has saved the lives of countless American soldiers. But it’s made going to war easier.

I’ve begun to wonder about the future of U. S. security policy. This isn’t a serious analytical post; it’s just what I call “musing”—committing disorganized thoughts to writing.

Matt Eckel’s takeaway from my Atlantic piece on How Perpetual War Became U.S. Ideology is that we need a peer competitor.

The 60 day deadline for Presidential discretion under the War Powers Act will expire next week. Congress won’t do anything about it.

Not surprisingly, having ordered a successful mission to kill Osama bin Laden is being highlighted on President Obama’s re-election tour.

For the first time, a majority of Republicans support creation of a third political party. Does it really mean anything?

A lot of people appear confused at to what the debt ceiling is and why it has to be raised.

Why would David Petraeus take the thankless job of running the CIA?

The Pew Center is out with a new political typology.

The debate over “enhanced interrogations” has been renewed by the bin Laden mission, but whether it “worked” or not isn’t the question.

Americans are rallying around the President in the wake of the mission against bin Laden, but it’s likely to be short-lived.

Osama bin Laden is dead, but he’s succeeded in changing America for the worse.

I don’t feel the jubilation that came with Saddam Hussein’s capture in December 2003. Sadly, I know better this time.

A comedian-turned-Senator makes some strong points about how America goes to war.

An aide’s compliment about the president “leading from behind” has generated controversy.

The NYT says it’s time for U. S. advisers and military air traffic controllers on the ground in Libya.

Events in Syria, and the world’s response to them, are revealing the moral bankruptcy of the justification for the war in Libya.

The Pentagon is frustrated that the Obama administration doesn’t “seem to understand what military force can and cannot do.”

One can almost hear the pitter-patter of American boots in the distance.

America’s war colleges have some problems but we can’t close them.

It may be time to change rules keeping women out of combat roles. But “fairness” isn’t the right question.

Will the Ryan Plan ever be voted out of the House?