October 2011

Politics is not an ego-free business. And why should it be?

I got a taste of that this week as New Jersey’s Chris Christie and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin took themselves out of Presidential consideration. I saw the other piece of that formula when I interviewed Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt at the Washington Ideas Forum.

It happened again the other day. Someone in the audience I was speaking to in Newark, New Jersey wanted to know: “Is compromise too much to hope for in Washington?”

And once again, I had to duck the question. I simply don’t know. But the signs are not good.

I spend my days sorting through the pronouncements of our leaders in search of answers to thorny questions like this.

Breaking News: Herman Cain has endorsed Mitt Romney.

If that's news to you, it's because it happened four years ago. Thanks to Conor Friedersdorf at the Atlantic for the reminder that everything old is new again.

Three years into his Presidency, Barack Obama is turning out to be quite the tough guy.

Osama bin Laden is a bad memory. Anwar al-Awlaki – an American citizen no less – is gone. And now, thanks to U.S.-led support, Moammar Gadhafi – an ally turned pariah – is dead as well.