By Stephen DeMaura and David Segal Special to Roll Call Dec. 14, 2011, Midnight During the waning days of the 2008 presidential race, there was an important but overlooked occurrence on the John McCain campaign. In mid-October, the McCain campaign awoke to find that its Web videos and online advertisements were disappearing from its YouTube [...]

Dec 19, 2011 a picture of Syrian protesters: As Bad Rachel notes, “5,000 Syrians have been massacred by Bashar Assad since March, including 300 children. How are those sanctions workin’ out, Mr. Obama?” http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/missing-bush_613588.html Social Bookmarking

Dec 20, 2011 The United States will cut the number of national guard troops patrolling the border with Mexico as it steps up other surveillance on the porous southern border, officials said Tuesday. The effort reflects “a new strategic approach,” that includes “a number of new multi-purpose aerial assets equipped with the latest surveillance and [...]

By MACKENZIE WEINGER | 12/20/11 1:29 PM EST Hugo Chávez blasted President Barack Obama as a “clown” and an “embarrassment” who has turned the United States into a “disaster” after Obama criticized Venezuela’s ties with Iran and Cuba, according to a report Tuesday. Chávez’s comments came in the wake of Obama’s Monday written interview with [...]

Dec 20, 2011 Little by little China is forming military links in Africa and in the Indian Ocean in order, experts say, to protect Beijing’seconomic interests in the region. In the past three weeks Beijinghas committed to supporting Ugandan forces operating in Somalia and to helping the Seychelles fight piracy. “It is very clear that [...]

A lesson in big business tax favoritism in Illinois. Dec 20, 2011 WSJ Or at least they love them if they are big businesses threatening to flee higher taxes. That’s the story in Illinois, where last week the Democrats who run the state government ladled out $85 million in tax relief to the Chicago Board [...]

There’s no guarantee that the North Korean military will accept another hereditary ruler. Dec 20, 2011 WSJ By JOHN BOLTON North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il’s death opens a period of intense danger and risk, but also potentially enormous opportunity for America and its allies. Kim’s health had obviously been poor for some time, and [...]

President George W. Bush famously told journalist Bob Woodward, ‘I loathe Kim Jong Il.’ Dec 20, 2011 WSJ By MELANIE KIRKPATRICK A few minutes after the news of the death of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il flashed across computer screens on Sunday night—Monday morning on the Korean Peninsula—I received an email from a North [...]

Jewish Leathernecks light the way. Dec 20, 2011 WSJ By WILLIAM MCGURN When Jews begin their Hanukkah celebrations this week, they will commemorate a 2,200-year old revolt led by Judah Maccabee against a Greek empire attempting to crush the Jewish faith. For some, the holiday holds an added resonance, linking their military service to one [...]

Dec 20, 2011 Chuck Norris Anyone who knows me knows that for my whole life, I’ve been a huge supporter of our U.S. military personnel, whom I congratulate about their victory in Iraq. But when our president and officials in the U.S. Department of Defense exchange a war abroad for a religious war at home, [...]