- Payroll tax deal close: Why did Republicans back down?
- Israel says Bangkok, Delhi, and Tbilisi attacks all linked – to Iran
- Rick Santorum's new machine-gun ad: Will it work? (+video)
- As Sarkozy seeks new term, French are wary of 'Merkozy' (+video)
- Honduras prison fire kills more than 300, highlights regional problem (+video)
Walter Rodgers
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Maggie vs. Gorby: the scene that ‘The Iron Lady’ forgot
The scripted and unscripted confrontations between Margaret Thatcher and Mikhail Gorbachev were of such epic consequence they could not be condensed into film. Yet we do Britain’s first female prime minister a great disservice in omitting them.
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A CEO as US president? America is not a business, Mitt Romney.
Romney was a one-term governor, but he is surely the 24-carat chief executive officer. There are huge differences in skills required to be a successful CEO and a president of the United States. Presidents, for example, have to make life-and-death decisions that go beyond spreadsheets.
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War with Iran? Consult history.
It sounds like war drums. Tehran says it will execute an alleged US spy and threatens to block the Strait of Hormuz. GOP presidential candidates talk of regime change and military strikes, and Obama is not cowed by Iran. But wars do not often turn out as envisioned.
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Gingrich rise and fall: A question of decency?
Newt Gingrich’s earlier spike in the polls, and Republican voters' enduring wariness of ‘Mr. Clean’ Romney, raise the question: How is it that voters loathe Obama, with a personal history of high moral standing and liberal policies, while supporting a conservative with a history of immorality?
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Give the holiday gift with the most staying power
Even the best Christmas gifts lose their luster within a few months. Books have a staying power few gifts can match. I have nothing left from Christmases long past except my childhood books, each still prized. This season, give books. They are our bulwarks against time, ignorance, and barbarity.
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After Russia's elections, public anger at Putin: Can he fix corruption?
A protest vote against Putin's United Russia party in parliament is being followed by sustained protests in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Putin is still headed for the presidency, but if he doesn't fix corruption, Russia risks the stagnation of the Brezhnev years.
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Romney's dangerous ploy on foreign policy: Obama is weak on security
Americans too easily believe the simplistic myth perpetuated in the Republican debate Saturday that Obama and Democrats are weak on national security while Republicans keep the US strong. It's a cheap shot, but Democrats have also played this dangerous game.
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At least I haven’t been shot going through airport security
After TSA searched my 'groin area' and found no explosives, I felt mildly defiled. I may have been in Chicago, but it could have been cold-war Berlin or Moscow. I asked the woman next to me, 'Remember when flying used to be fun?'
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Class warfare? What about the ignorance gap?
Occupy Wall Street protesters point out a ballooning US wage gap. It shouldn't distract us from another great cleavage: the ignorance gap. That’s the difference between those willing to listen and consider and those who refuse to do either. And it plays out in politics with grave consequences.
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GOP candidates show more loyalty to a foreign country (Israel) than their own
Republican presidential candidates do the United States a disservice in trying to bind an American president to the policies of Israel and its leader, Benjamin Netanyahu. Whatever happened to GOP foreign-policy realists, like Bush I?
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Is America still the home of the brave?
Collectively, America seems to have become a people addicted to fear, whether it's about the economy, the weather, or children on the way to school. Once again, the nation needs to remember that 'the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.'
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What Dems need for GOP debate and Election 2012: A Shakespearean Falstaff
The Democrats need a Falstaff to point out the absurdities of GOP positions. The views of Rick Perry, Mitt Romney, and Michele Bachmann would give him plenty of comic fodder.
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Grizzly encounters and other reasons for federal regulations
My Alaska encounters with fly fishing and grizzly bears reveal how much America benefits from federal regulations. Without them, this pristine wilderness would likely not exist, and neither would many protections for consumers and workers.
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Tribute to a red brick schoolhouse
Goodbye Abner Gibbs Elementary -- and your real-life Norman Rockwell world. A new, 'better' school for 600 kids will replace you. Sounds like a factory to me.
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US should cut aid to Pakistan for its 'War of Terror' on women
To push Pakistan's improved cooperation in fighting terrorists, the US has suspended millions in military aid. Will it also have the spine to cut aid over Pakistan’s abhorrent treatment of women?
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As US slowly withdraws from Afghanistan, regional neighbors should step up
A US and NATO withdrawal raises the stakes in Afghanistan for Pakistan, India, China, Russia, and Iran. It's time for these regional powers to join together in a conference on Afghanistan, based on common concerns and shared interests.
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A message for Israel and Evangelicals: Genesis isn’t a policy guide
With a dogmatic loyalty to Israel born out of a literal interpretation of the Bible, is the American Christian Right the new Jewish lobby in US politics? Mixing religion and statecraft isn’t just dangerous and unwise. It’s sacrilegious.
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How Russians survived militant atheism to embrace God
Today, less than 20 years after the collapse of the officially atheistic Soviet Union, Russia has emerged as the most God-believing nation in Europe. That's a testament to the devotion of babushkas who kept the flames of faith alive in the face of state-sponsored repression.
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The big lie that Obama can't lead is crumbling
Prizing bravado, we’ve undervalued President Obama's brand of quiet competence.
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Osama bin Laden: a fraud and a failure
Even before Osama bin Laden's death, Muslims were rejecting his vile message.
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