This is why so many of us have argued in recent years that even giving extremists one inch is likely to be a major mistake:

Pakistan was trying to end bloodshed when it let the idyllic Swat Valley fall under Islamic law last week. Instead, it has emboldened the Taliban and prompted an invitation — however improbable — for Osama bin Laden.| MORE ›

Dick Cheney continues to take on President Obama. President George W. Bush does not criticize his successor at all, but the former vice president refuses to remain silent every time the new administration does something he considers wrong.

Case in point, in an interview with Sean Hannity Cheney said:| MORE ›

Hot Air reports that White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said yesterday that he believes that $100 million is a big, big cut. Interestingly enough, Obama himself said not too long ago that saving $8 billion in pork was “miniscule.” So why is that $100 million is much, suddenly?

Well, the reason is simple: tea party protesters took the streets to protest wasteful spending, (future) higher taxes, and the unlimited growth of Washington. The White House knows that these protests could actually become serious.| MORE ›

I know there a few commenters here who think that the connection of Congresswoman Jane Harman to AIPAC and the Israeli agent is something so very new and having to do with President Barack Obama.  Well, I’ve got news for you:| MORE ›

Below are links to the audio I took at tonight’s Economic Leadership Forum hosted by President George Bush at the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center at the George Bush Presidential Library Center.

Featured speakers were Maria Bartiromo, Richard Kovacevich, Lawrence Lindsey, and Rick Santelli.

(Note: Sound quality is not that great…)

Segment 1, Segment 2, Segment 3, Segment 4, Segment 5, Segment 6, Segment 7, Segment 8, Segment 9, Segment 10, Segment 11, Segment 12, Segment 13

Here is your daily link mess. Don’t know what ‘link mess’ is? Well, scroll down:

Chris Cillizza wrote a fascinating post about “the Axelrod inner circle.” Who’s who? Who’s powerful and influential, who’s not? Read Cillizza’s post to find out.

Has a new era in international relations arrived? President Obama says so. Well, it is certainly new for an American president to treat enemy dictators like good friends, and traditional allies like nobodies, so I guess he’s right.| MORE ›

Politico reports that Senator Chris Dodd – who has lost a lot of support in his home state Connecticut – is planning a major political recovery plan.

And God knows he needs it. He currently enjoys a disapproval rating of 58%. Although Congress as a whole is quite unpopular, few senators can count on such dismal ratings.

As if the 58%-disapproval rating is not bad enough, a recent Quinnipiac University poll shows Dodd trailing former GOP Rep. Rob Simmons by 16 percentage points.| MORE ›

Rasmussen reports that 51% of American voters view the famous tea parties favorably. Unsurprisingly, the ‘political elite’ disagrees: ‘While half the nation has a favorable opinion of last Wednesday’s events, the nation’s Political Class has a much dimmer view—just 13% of the political elite offered even a somewhat favorable assessment while 81% said the opposite.| MORE ›