Outside the Beltway

My first piece for The New Republic, “Why the Obama Administration’s Drone War May Soon Reach a Tipping Point,” is up.

The cause of the pain you’re feeling at the pump has little to do with domestic energy policy.

Attorney General Eric Holder offered a somewhat alarming defense of the Administration’s policy on targeted killings.

Not surprisingly, most of the Republican candidates for President aren’t too keen on reducing the excessive growth in Executive Branch power.

Time Magazine has chosen “The Protester” as its Person Of The Year. Let the outrage ensue.

Conservative groups are upset because a new reality show depicts Muslim-Americans as, well, normal Americans.

The CIA’s drone war in Pakistan has gotten so out of hand that the Pentagon and State Department are reigning it in.

We’re learning more about the Obama Administration’s decision to kill Anwar al-Awlaki

Where should we look to understand the failings of the government?

Giving the President the unchecked power to kill American citizens raises some serious red flags.

During last night’s debate, Mitt Romney repeated a charge that has become part of the conservative zeitgeist. But is it true?

The FBI has been using some odd materials to train its counterterrorism agents.

What does the apparent outcome of the war in Libya mean for the so-called “Responsibility To Protect” doctrine?

A take on the conflict that’s probably different from the one you’ve been reading.

Leon Panetta has been brought in to oversee significant cuts to the U.S. Defense budget. Meanwhile, we’re in six wars.

A few Republicans have picked up on John McCain’s criticism of critics of the Libya mission as being “isolationist.”

Last night, the President basically announced that America’s longest war had entered it’s end game.

Contrary to what Senator McCain, seeking realism in military policy does not make one an isolationist.

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

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

American drone strikes in Yemen are intensifying. Is this a new war. or just the same one we’ve been fighting since October 2001?

The Anthony Weiner reveals once again the odd American obsession with the intersection of sex and politics.

A summary of the status of the “Arab Spring” uprisings with links to news coverage and commentary.

Once again, an American President thinks he can bring peace to the Middle East.

The question of how the world’s most wanted man could’ve hidden in plain sight in Pakistan continues to be asked.

The re-emergence of Obama foreign policy advisor Samantha Power to prominence has brought critics to the forefront

The “Obama Doctrine,” such as it is, seems to boil down to moral self-certainty combined with a glaring ignorance of reality. That’s a dangerous combination.

Egyptian voters have approved amendments to Egypt’s constitution.

There are many opportunities to go to war. Here’s a guide for choosing between them.

The uprisings in the Arab world have led some to suggest that the Middle East isn’t “ready” to be free. They’re wrong.

Is Saudi Arabia the next domino to fall in the Middle East? The Royal family is hoping that money will be enough to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s speech to the nation tonight seems destined to make the situation worse.

The two English language newspapers who have been Julian Assange’s accomplices in disseminating stolen secrets defend themselves.