The Hollywood Liberal

…No, it isn’t - CS Monitor
WASHINGTON - A preemptive US attack on Iranian nuclear facilities may be unlikely anytime soon. But that does not mean it is off the table forever. And Israel ? worried about the possibility of a hostile, nuclear-armed regional neighbor ? may have its own timetable for possible military action. That is the bottom-line conclusion of a number of US-based experts who have talked in recent days about the possibility of any preemptive strike on Iran intended to halt its uranium enrichment program. US-Iranian relations may well be one of the two or three toughest foreign-policy problems the next American president will have to handle. That leader will have to decide, for example, whether the issue is important enough that the US should make further concessions to Russia to ensure greater cooperation in the struggle to control possible Iranian nuclear proliferation. And the next president will have to decide on an overall tone with which to approach an Iranian government that of late has sounded more temperate.

ThinkFast: July 7, 2008
Due to “widespread opposition to U.S. demands in talks on a formal Status of Forces Agreement,” Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is “discussing a short-term memorandum of understanding with U.S. officials” rather than “a formal agreement on the presence of American forces in the country.” Maliki’s proposal “includes a formula for the withdrawal of U.S. troops […]

Due to “widespread opposition to U.S. demands in talks on a formal Status of Forces Agreement,” Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is “discussing a short-term memorandum of understanding with U.S. officials” rather than “a formal agreement on the presence of American forces in the country.” Maliki’s proposal “includes a formula for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq,” a concept the White House opposes.

“A suicide bomber has rammed a car full of explosives into the gates of the Indian embassy in the Afghan capital, killing 41 people and injuring 141.”

Ohio election officials are concerned that the state’s high foreclosure rates will create problems for voters in November, potentially forcing voters with outdated addresses to face pre-election challenges, take trips to multiple polling places, or cast provisional ballots that might not be counted. Ohio ranks ninth among the 50 states for foreclosures, with one in 410 homes filing for foreclosure.

Conservative activists are “preparing to do battle with allies of Sen. John McCain [R-AZ] in advance of September’s Republican National Convention, hoping to prevent his views on global warming, immigration, stem cell research and campaign finance from becoming enshrined in the party’s official declaration of principles.”

On the trail today: Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) will attend a town hall meeting at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) will meet with some families at James Martin Middle School “to learn more about the tough times they’re facing in today’s economy.” (more…)

EPA Enforcement Is Faulted
An official administration guidance document on wetlands policy is undermining enforcement of the Clean Water Act, said a March 4 memo written by the Environmental Protection Agency’s chief enforcement officer.

Court Nominee Accused of Plagiarism Won’t Withdraw
A nominee for a federal judgeship who has been accused of plagiarism said yesterday that he will not withdraw his nomination because he fully disclosed the controversy to both White House officials and the FBI during interviews for the job.

A Literary Critic Reads Obama
Andrew Delbanco, The New Republic

Build New Twin Towers at Ground Zero?
Nicole Gelinas, City Journal