The world is becoming increasingly scary at the very time that the military will be facing 20% reductions. With each passing day, the world closes in; with each passing day, our ability to manage that world degrades.

Under a program like work-sharing, firms are encouraged by government policy to spread a small amount of the pain across many workers.

Barack Obama is in danger of causing his campaign as much damage as the furlough ads caused Michael Dukakis and the Swift Boat ads caused John Kerry.

There is some hope for democratic change in Iran; it is unclear, though, whether Washington will align its policy with its rhetorical support for Iranian reformers.

Negative campaign ads may be effective, but they produce a backlash that erases any benefit.

The west must address the question of how to make the Iranian regime accountable to its constituents.

Wedge issues, such as same-sex marriage, do not seem to be having much impact this election year, because voters are so strongly committed to their choices in the presidential campaign.

Republicans think they know how to run against a Massachusetts Democrat. But it's not clear whether this year's volatile social issues will end up helping Republicans, as they did in 1988.