Copyright (c) 2010 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. http://news.yahoo.com/politics/opinion politics Politics - Op/Ed en-us Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:41:28 GMT 5 142 18 http://news.yahoo.com/politics/opinion http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/nws/th/main_142c.gif http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politicsopinion/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20100209/cm_huffpost/454976 huffpost/20100209/454976 HuffingtonPost.com opinion Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:41:28 GMT HuffingtonPost.com - Read Albert Brooks's other articles on HuffingtonPost.com http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politicsopinion/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20100209/cm_csm/279184 csm/20100209/279184 The Christian Science Monitor opinion Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:37:01 GMT The Christian Science Monitor - Victory or defeat in Afghanistan will be determined by how the United States engages Pakistan this year. In particular, the US counterinsurgency effort in Afghanistan hinges on whether or not the “Afghan Taliban,” a Pashtun movement, maintains sanctuary and support from outside the country. Currently, the Pakistani government is not denying that sanctuary to the Afghan Taliban, or the “Pakistan Taliban” (also Pashtun). I spent 10 days last month in Islamabad and Peshawar speaking with leaders from across society, including those with direct access to the Taliban. Conversations revealed that there are three things that the US must understand in order to end the Taliban insurgencies on both sides of the Afghan-Pakistani border: respect, reconciliation, and religious freedom. 1. Reverse the respect deficit between Pakistan and America. Pakistan views its relationship with the US in the context of its primary threat: India. The Indian Army’s commander recently said it could invade Pakistan from the east and defeat it in 96 hours as part of it’s “Cold Start” military doctrine, which calls for a rapid and integrated offensive using all of India's military forces. A pro-Indian Afghanistan along the western border of Pakistan would encircle the country with potential enemies. Because Pakistan is not sure of US intentions in Afghanistan (I was constantly asked whether America is planning to stay or leave Afghanistan) the Pakistani Army has no incentive to defeat the Pakistan Taliban in the border areas. Better to keep the Taliban, conventional Pakistani wisdom suggests, as a buffer against the possibility of a pro-Indian Afghanistan. The US, on the other hand, views the relationship with Pakistan through its biggest concern: Al Qaeda. The US is focused on defeating an Arab-dominated Al Qaeda, whose forces are nested among Taliban groups along both sides of the Pakistani-Afghan border. Thus, the US has put so much pressure on the Pakistani government to move against Al Qaeda and the terrorist elements of the Taliban that many Pakistanis consider President Asif Ali Zardari to be an American stooge. The Pakistani reluctance to go after all of the Taliban groups within its borders, after a new multibillion dollar aid package from the US, meanwhile, gives some Americans the impression of ingratitude. Adding injury to insult for the Pakistanis are the American drone attacks that the Pakistani government has unofficially sanctioned – at the insistence of the US – but not publicly acknowledged. While most Pakistanis believe that these strikes do not respect them or their sovereignty, there is also general recognition that they are increasingly accurate, killing Al Qaeda and Taliban leaders. Nevertheless, too many civilians have been killed by accident. The Taliban manipulates these civilian deaths to justify suicide bomber attacks throughout the border areas. Incredibly, the Taliban blame a ficticious “American Taliban” – CIA and Blackwater infiltrators sent to destabilize the region – for these attacks. (I wish I was kidding.) In the absence of access to other information, or a concerted effort by the Pakistani government and press to deny such rumors, many along the border believe such nonsense. Although the majority of Pashtuns do not support the Taliban, the Pashtuns are, as someone told me, “one body.” They all know someone who has lost a family member to the drone and terrorist attacks, and they all know someone in the Taliban. 2. Reconciliation is central to a solution. If the Pakistan Taliban can be integrated into the Pakistani political process, they are much more likely to stop providing sanctuary and support to their Pashtun brothers who make up the Afghan Taliban. And if support of the Afghan Taliban ceases from within the Pakistan border, Afghan stability is not far behind. The US-Pakistan relationship would then be freed to mature beyond the perceived disrespect of the moment into a healthy recognition of long-term and common interests. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politicsopinion/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/realclearpolitics/20100209/cm_rcp/murtha_the_virtue_and_vice_of_congress realclearpolitics/20100209/murtha_the_virtue_and_vice_of_congress RealClearPolitics.com opinion Tue, 09 Feb 2010 06:00:00 GMT RealClearPolitics.com - Jack Murtha was the virtue and vice of Congress. He was an old-school pol, the archetypal and often derided backroom Washington dealmaker. But here was also the disappearing representative many long for: the lawmaker who crossed party lines and got his work done; the politician not easily classified as left or right; the everyman who fiercely served his country in war and in office. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politicsopinion/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20100209/cm_huffpost/454437 huffpost/20100209/454437 HuffingtonPost.com opinion Tue, 09 Feb 2010 03:08:50 GMT HuffingtonPost.com - In a move that will further irritate his Democratic critics, Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) announced on Monday evening that he would not just oppose but also help filibuster President Barack Obama's nominee to a key labor relations agency http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politicsopinion/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ucgg/20100209/cm_ucgg/thewestneedstowatchupcominganniversaryiniran ucgg/20100209/thewestneedstowatchupcominganniversaryiniran Georgie Anne Geyer opinion Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:59:07 GMT Georgie Anne Geyer - WASHINGTON -- Recently, events in Iran have been unusually hushed-up. Our nation's capital is too concerned with problems of banks and Republicans. The Europeans are tired of the seemingly endless Persian problems -- even the Russians seem to be. Yet this week may well provide us with some major indicators on what is going to happen next in that promising, troublesome and sinister part of the Near East. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politicsopinion/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20100208/cm_huffpost/454182 huffpost/20100208/454182 HuffingtonPost.com opinion Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:11:59 GMT HuffingtonPost.com - The passing of Rep. John Murtha (D-Penn.) on Monday from gall bladder surgery complications brought to an end one of the most dynamic careers of the political generation that emerged from the Vietnam War. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politicsopinion/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20100208/cm_thenation/1527969 thenation/20100208/1527969 The Nation opinion Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:53:46 GMT The Nation - The Nation -- Pennsylvania Congressman John Murtha, the old soldier who looked like and in so many ways was a member of the Democratic establishment of another time, broke with the leadership of his own party and the opposition Republicans at a critical point in 2005 to say it was time to bring the troops home from Iraq. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politicsopinion/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20100208/cm_csm/278970 csm/20100208/278970 The Christian Science Monitor opinion Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:11:00 GMT The Christian Science Monitor - In Ukraine, presidential elections look to have brought the country full circle. Voters have apparently returned to support Viktor Yanukovich, the villain in the country’s democratic "Orange Revolution" of 2004. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politicsopinion/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20100208/cm_huffpost/453723 huffpost/20100208/453723 HuffingtonPost.com opinion Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:58:42 GMT HuffingtonPost.com - Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is asking the largest for-profit health insurer in California to "provide a detailed justification" for expected rate increases that could hike its consumers' premiums as much as 39 percent. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politicsopinion/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20100208/cm_thenation/4527883 thenation/20100208/4527883 The Nation opinion Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:56:57 GMT The Nation - The Nation -- My boss Katrina vanden Heuvel recently detailed the merits of a new campaign that could enhance civic engagement, make politicians more accountable and promote the notion that our elected reps should be able to talk lucidly about the issues of the day. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politicsopinion/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20100208/cm_huffpost/453666 huffpost/20100208/453666 HuffingtonPost.com opinion Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:40:01 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politicsopinion/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20100208/cm_huffpost/453666"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20100204/capt.photo_1265296976733-1-0.jpg?x=96&y=130&q=85&sig=NRXChIxu2wqAWBhbDT1Jcg--" align="left" height="130" width="96" alt="Leading Democratic Representative Jerrold Nadler, seen here in 2009, blasted the US Supreme Court on Wednesday for "judicial activism" over a ruling that relaxes campaign finance rules.(AFP/Getty Images/File/Alex Wong)" border="0" /></a>HuffingtonPost.com - In the wake of the Supreme Court ruling that corporations can spend an unlimited amount of money on political campaigns, the landscape has grown ripe for the passage of strict campaign finance legislation.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politicsopinion/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20100208/cm_huffpost/453666"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20100204/capt.photo_1265296976733-1-0.jpg?x=96&y=130&q=85&sig=NRXChIxu2wqAWBhbDT1Jcg--" align="left" height="130" width="96" alt="photo" title="Leading Democratic Representative Jerrold Nadler, seen here in 2009, blasted the US Supreme Court on Wednesday for "judicial activism" over a ruling that relaxes campaign finance rules.(AFP/Getty Images/File/Alex Wong)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (HuffingtonPost.com) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politicsopinion/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20100208/cm_thenation/1096527708 thenation/20100208/1096527708 The Nation opinion Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:25:04 GMT The Nation - The Nation -- The election in Iraq is less than a month away -- that is, if indeed it is held as scheduled on March 7 -- and things are going from bad to worse. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politicsopinion/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/realclearpolitics/20100208/cm_rcp/obama_coddles_wall_street realclearpolitics/20100208/obama_coddles_wall_street RealClearPolitics.com opinion Mon, 08 Feb 2010 06:00:00 GMT RealClearPolitics.com - In his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama said: "We face a deficit of trust -- deep and corrosive doubts about how Washington works that have been growing for years. To close that credibility gap, we have to take action on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue -- to end the outsized influence of lobbyists; to do our work openly; to give the people the government they deserve." http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politicsopinion/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20100207/cm_huffpost/452790 huffpost/20100207/452790 HuffingtonPost.com opinion Sun, 07 Feb 2010 22:39:36 GMT HuffingtonPost.com - President Obama said on Sunday that he will hold a meeting with Republican lawmakers next week, to be followed by a meeting with members of both parties, in an effort to get health care reform legislation back on track. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politicsopinion/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20100207/cm_huffpost/452637 huffpost/20100207/452637 HuffingtonPost.com opinion Sun, 07 Feb 2010 16:50:36 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politicsopinion/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20100207/cm_huffpost/452637"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100201/capt.28849416a8774c289f38737ea789efb9.paulson_economy_nybz180.jpg?x=130&y=83&q=85&sig=Z48Dy90rNt931YI3uR3vCA--" align="left" height="83" width="130" alt="FILE - In this Jan. 27, 2010 file photo, former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on AIG. Former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said Monday, Feb. 1, 2010, the country would have suffered Great Depression-era joblessness, near 25 percent, if the government hadn't arranged the financial system bailout.(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, file)" border="0" /></a>HuffingtonPost.com - Former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson acknowledged on Sunday that during the intense and grinding days when he was assembling the bank bailout, the two 2008 presidential candidates left decidedly different impressions about their economic platforms and expertise.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politicsopinion/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20100207/cm_huffpost/452637"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100201/capt.28849416a8774c289f38737ea789efb9.paulson_economy_nybz180.jpg?x=130&y=83&q=85&sig=Z48Dy90rNt931YI3uR3vCA--" align="left" height="83" width="130" alt="photo" title="FILE - In this Jan. 27, 2010 file photo, former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on AIG. Former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said Monday, Feb. 1, 2010, the country would have suffered Great Depression-era joblessness, near 25 percent, if the government hadn't arranged the financial system bailout.(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, file)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (HuffingtonPost.com) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politicsopinion/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20100207/cm_huffpost/452614 huffpost/20100207/452614 HuffingtonPost.com opinion Sun, 07 Feb 2010 15:56:37 GMT HuffingtonPost.com - Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner rejected on Sunday claims made by newly-minted Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) that the Obama stimulus package had not created a single job. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politicsopinion/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20100207/cm_huffpost/452443 huffpost/20100207/452443 HuffingtonPost.com opinion Sun, 07 Feb 2010 06:07:55 GMT HuffingtonPost.com - In a fiery speech before a small crowd of Tea Party convention-goers, former Alaska governor Sarah Palin branded President Obama and the Democratic Party as "out of touch, out of date" and "running out of time." http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politicsopinion/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/realclearpolitics/20100207/cm_rcp/populist_constitutionalism_amp_the_tea_parties realclearpolitics/20100207/populist_constitutionalism_amp_the_tea_parties RealClearPolitics.com opinion Sun, 07 Feb 2010 06:00:00 GMT RealClearPolitics.com - The tea parties are a unique populist movement and moment in American history. There is no charismatic leader of the movement. The tea parties have more grass roots movers, shakers, and members, than any populist movement ever seen in our country. So what makes it so different from previous populist political factions? http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politicsopinion/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20100206/cm_thenation/7527315 thenation/20100206/7527315 The Nation opinion Sat, 06 Feb 2010 23:25:43 GMT The Nation - The Nation -- Hopefully you've read Professor Lawrence Lessig's provocative new essay, "How to Get Our Democracy Back." Lessig's piece is essential reading for people across the political spectrum, and we're doing what we can to reach everyone concerned about the future of our democracy. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politicsopinion/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20100206/cm_huffpost/448430 huffpost/20100206/448430 HuffingtonPost.com opinion Sat, 06 Feb 2010 02:26:21 GMT HuffingtonPost.com - An unusually low turnout in Tuesday's Illinois Democratic primary worries Democratic pollsters who fear that a strong Republican turnout -- combined with continued Democratic ambivalence at the ballot box -- could lead to a nightmare scenario come November.