Life outside campaign ‘08 continues apace.

General David Petraeus announced that he hopes to pull 21,000 troops out of Iraq by July. Also, he made it plain that al Qaeda is the main problem in Iraq:

General Petraeus, who has won international recognition for his counter-insurgency tactics, said in the wide-ranging interview this week that al-Qaeda remained his biggest concern in Iraq.

He is also keeping a close eye on Iranian links to Shia militias, revealing that he was “puzzled” by a decision by Tehran to postpone four-times a meeting in Baghdad between US and Iranian officials to discuss security in Iraq.

Engram has been saying this all along, and I recommend that you read his post today in its entirety.

Also: today comes the most idiotic foreign-policy advice ever from a whippersnapper who is not Ezra Klein. Behold the product of deep thinking from Matthew Yglesias:

For good reasons and for bad ones, the romance of thumbing one’s nose at the USA has powerful and important resonance for a lot of people around the world. Under the circumstances, it rarely serves our interests to get into dramatic confrontations with leaders who are far too puny to objectively threaten our interests.

Revisionist thoughts about marriage and babies from Lori Gottlieb at The Atlantic. Lest you find yourself 40 and unmarried and without a father for your babies, she counsels “settling” over being too choosy:

Whether you acknowledge it or not, there’s good reason to worry. By the time 35th-birthday-brunch celebrations roll around for still-single women, serious, irreversible life issues masquerading as “jokes” creep into public conversation: Well, I don’t feel old, but my eggs sure do! or Maybe this year I’ll marry Todd. I’m not getting any younger! The birthday girl smiles a bit too widely as she delivers these lines, and everyone laughs a little too hard for a little too long, not because we find these sentiments funny, but because we’re awkwardly acknowledging how unfunny they are. At their core, they pose one of the most complicated, painful, and pervasive dilemmas many single women are forced to grapple with nowadays: Is it better to be alone, or to settle?

My advice is this: Settle! That’s right. Don’t worry about passion or intense connection. Don’t nix a guy based on his annoying habit of yelling “Bravo!” in movie theaters. Overlook his halitosis or abysmal sense of aesthetics. Because if you want to have the infrastructure in place to have a family, settling is the way to go. Based on my observations, in fact, settling will probably make you happier in the long run, since many of those who marry with great expectations become more disillusioned with each passing year.

I would never presume to advise another woman what to do about her marital affairs. I have been known, however, to offer advice that helped me (I married at 26 and had my first child at 28; it worked for me!).

Ready? Spend your twenties figuring out what you want. (Don’t lie to yourself; that’s the key.) If, in your personal life, you go after what you really, really want, deep down inside—even if it’s not the thing that your friends or cohort want for themselves—you’ll have an easier time in life, which consists mostly of swimming against the tide anyway. It’s hard out there! Home (with your mate, or none) should be where you feel most yourself, and comfortable.

That is all.

I’m not a conspiracist. The universe is chaotic. I reject explanations for mysterious phenomena (natural or manmade) that tie all loose ends together to create a pretty, gift-wrapped package tied with a bow.

I am curious by nature, and persistent in looking for explanations. I try hard to resolve mysteries. Despite having reached middle age and having acquired some knowledge, I am convinced that I have never gotten to the bottom of any mystery, and equally convinced that I never will get to the bottom of any mystery. The universe is just too damn mysterious. Human beings are too complex to be fully “understood.” We do not behave rationally and logically, for one thing.

So: Whereas I look closely at human behavior (and especially at group behavior, since I was once a student of sociology) in order to detect threads that repeat themselves and thus point toward tendencies, I am deeply suspicious of ready-made explanations—of anything. If any mystery were as easily explained as a conspiracy suggests, the mystery (whatever it is) would long ago have been put to rest.

That said, it’s an entertaining distraction to think about the NYT vs. John McCain. Here’s the best conspiracy story about it that I’ve read to date (hey! it’s early in the morning), from the comments at Kevin Drum’s blog.

Is this inoculation? Are they putting up a sex/corruption story in order to protect against future stories that would be corruption only?

Bingo.

You gotta hand it to the McCain team. They played the NYT like a fiddle, and now they get the added bonus of slagging the ‘liberal New York Times’ for a couple of weeks.

Win-win. He may even shore up the conservative base by ‘declaring war’ on the same paper they’ve just spent 3 months negotiating with over this story.

The day is young. I’m sure better stuff will surface.

The smearing-by-innuendo of John McCain by the New York Times drew this response from the blogosphere (via Memeorandum):

  New York Times:For McCain, Self-Confidence on Ethics Poses Its Own Risk  +Discussion: The Swamp, CNN, Washington Post, Don Surber, Buck Naked Politics, After W, The Carpetbagger Report, Outside The Beltway, Guardian, Firedoglake, Crooks and Liars, Hullabaloo, US Elections, Betsy’s Page, ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, Bark Bark Woof Woof, Publius Pundit, The Natural Truth, Bang the Drum, Political Radar, Political Punch, The Campaign Spot, American Spectator, Los Angeles Times, TalkLeft, Washington Monthly, NewsBusters.org, Right Wing News, Politics1, You Decide 08!, South Texas Chisme, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Patterico’s Pontifications, Emptywheel, Group News Blog, DownWithTyranny!, Shakespeare’s Sister, FOX Embeds, Daily Kos, Booman Tribune, Reason Magazine, Left in the West, NO QUARTER, Salon, The New Republic, PERRspectives Blog, Open Left, About US Politics, No More Mister Nice Blog, TownHall Blog, Political Machine, Riehl World View, Pensito Review, The Moderate Voice, Mercury Rising, All Spin Zone, the talking dog, Washington Wire, Wonkette, D-Day, Attytood, Prairie Weather, Jules Crittenden, Pandagon, Megan McArdle, TBogg, Politics Blog, Gateway Pundit, McCain Central, THE LIBERAL JOURNAL, MyDD, The Democratic Daily, Sister Toldjah, PrestoPundit, Commentary, Oliver Willis, michellemalkin.com, Lawyers, Guns and Money, JammieWearingFool, Truthdig, Big Head DC, BlueOregon and Brains and Eggs

 

 

« Hide All Related Discussion

RELATED:

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

THE MCCAIN STORY  —  This afternoon, before the Times story came out, I was working on a post about national political reporters’ tendency not to give much of any scrutiny to various McCain flipflops, contradictions and bamboozlements.  Obviously, the terrain has changed a bit since …

Link Search: Ask, Technorati, Sphere, Google, and IceRocket

Publius / Obsidian Wings:   McCain  —  Gotta say, I’m underwhelmed by the NYT’s McCain bombshell.

Mark Kleiman / The RBC:   The Iseman cometh  —  Apparently this has been an open secret for years.

Tim Dickinson / Rolling Stone:   L’affaire McCain?  —  Just landed in San Francisco to the news …

Washington Post:

McCain’s Ties To Lobbyist Worried Aides  —  Before 2000 Campaign, Advisers Tried to Bar Her  —  Aides to Sen. John McCain confronted a telecommunications lobbyist in late 1999 and asked her to distance herself from the senator during the presidential campaign he was about to launch …

 

 Pam Spaulding / Pandagon:   McCain and the lobbyist: the final straw for the GOP Base?

NY Daily News:   Tale’s tall on innuendo, short on proof

Bob Fertik / Democrats.com:   VickiGate  —  So did John McCain cheat on his wife, the taxpayers, or both?

Kevin Hayden / American Street:   Justice & Hope, day 51  —  On occasion, an exceptional moment arrives …

David Freddoso / The Corner:   The Times piece on McCain

Smintheus / Daily Kos:   McCain: Experienced in the ways of Washington lobbyists

David Kurtz / Talking Points Memo:   WAPO: MCCAIN’S TIES TO LOBBYIST RATTLED ADVISERS

Tom Maguire / JustOneMinute:   The Times’ McCain Scandal - Sex Or Ethics?

Michael Crowley / The New Republic:   Weaver’s Revenge?  —  An interesting footnote to the Times bombshell …

Lyzurgyk / PSoTD:   Vicki Iseman

Jane Hamsher / Firedoglake:   Late Nite FDL: It’s Not The Sex, It’s The Corruption

Noam Scheiber / The New Republic:

Bonus TNR Angle on the McCain Story  —  The McCain campaign is apparently blaming TNR for forcing the Times’ hand on this story.  We can’t yet confirm that.  But we can say this: TNR correspondent Gabe Sherman is working on a piece about the Times’ foot-dragging on the McCain story …

Link Search: Ask, Technorati, Sphere, Google, and IceRocket

 Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire:   McCain Will Hold Press Conference

Dan Collins / protein wisdom:   Olberdouche on McCain/Lobbyist Article in NYT

Krooney / The Page:   McCain Job #1: Discredit the New York Times to Rally the “Other” Base

Rich Lowry / The Corner:

First-Blush Reaction  —  The Times doesn’t have the goods—at least from what’s in the story—and shouldn’t have run it.  Let’s be honest: this story is all about the alleged affair, and all the Keating Five and campaign finance reform re-hash is window dressing.  A key passage:

Link Search: Ask, Technorati, Sphere, Google, and IceRocket

 James Kirchick / The New Republic:   What Story?  —  So here’s the essence of the Times’ 3,000-word “bombshell” on John McCain.

Mark Finkelstein / NewsBusters.org:   New Republic Editor: ‘Times In the Tank’ for Dem Nominee

Hindrocket / Power Line:

THE TIMES UPHOLDS ITS STANDARDS  —  The New York Times smears John McCain in tomorrow’s paper, accusing him of ethics violations and insinuating that he had an affair with a lobbyist.  What is most striking, though, if you actually read the story, is how thin it is.

Link Search: Ask, Technorati, Sphere, Google, and IceRocket

Discussion: The Huffington Post and protein wisdom

Marc Cooper / The Huffington Post:   Why John McCain Owes The New York Times a Thank You Card

Dan Collins / protein wisdom:   McCain Lobbyist Affair Rumor Reported, NYT

Mary Katharine Ham / TownHall Blog:

What’s the Quickest Way to Rally Conservatives ‘Round McCain?  —  A sandbagging from the NYT of just this skeezy a nature.  —  This doesn’t reflect badly on anyone but the Times, as far as I’m concerned.  The innuendo and full-on craptastic nature of the lede alone is enough to damn …

Link Search: Ask, Technorati, Sphere, Google, and IceRocket

 Jules Crittenden:   WaPo Writes It With A Lede

Ed Morrissey / Captain’s Quarters:

Slimes At The Times  —  The New York Times launches its long-awaited smear of John McCain today, and the most impressive aspect of the smear is just how baseless it is.  They basically emulate Page Six at the Post, but add in a rehash of a well-known scandal from twenty years ago to pad it out and make it look more impressive.

Link Search: Ask, Technorati, Sphere, Google, and IceRocket

:Tim Graham / NewsBusters.org:   NYT Suggests Unproven Adultery by McCain — Unlike Clinton

Ana Marie Cox / TIME: Swampland:

McCain Senior Adviser Responds to Times Story  —  Mark Salter, John McCain’s obstreperous senior aide, just responded to Time’s query about the New York Times’s long-simmering McCain-mixed-up-with-lobbyists story.  —  Speaking from a parking garage in Toledo, where the campaign is overnighting …

Jennifer Rubin / Commentary:   Rapid Response 101  —  Well so far both the Right and the Left …

Taylor Marsh:   Will McCain Story Hit New York Times Instead?

Krooney / The Page:   Morning Show Summary

Kevin Drum / Washington Monthly:   JOHN McCAIN AND THE TELECOM LOBBYIST….OK, let’s dive into the John McCain story.

Allahpundit / Hot Air:

NYT: McCain may have behaved unethically and cheated on his wife, but we’re not sure; Update: Pressured by the New Republic?  Update: McCain responds; Update: Carl Cameron video added; Update: TNR confirms?  Update: WaPo piles on  —  A sex scandal that may not be a scandal tucked inside …

Don Surber:   Sex is private, 2008  —  Dems drop the blond bomb on John McCain.

Jimmie / The Sundries Shack:   The McCain Story is No Biggie, If You Ask Me.

Noam Scheiber / The New Republic:   McCain Bombshell

Link Search: Ask, Technorati, Sphere, Google, and IceRocket

Quin Hillyer / American Spectator:Who is John McCain?  —  Here’s the deal, folks: The New York Times …

Link Search: Ask, Technorati, Sphere, Google, and IceRocket

Joseph / CANNONFIRE:   A most salacious post. (”Heh heh. He said ‘post’!”)

INSTAPUTZ:   The American Spectator was Prescient.

Joe Sudbay / AMERICAblog:   NY Times: McCain staffers confronted Senator about inappropriately …

NewsMax.com:Inside Cover  —  Bennett Slams NY Times Hit Job on McCain

Link Search: Ask, Technorati, Sphere, Google, and IceRocket

 Cenk Uygur / The Huffington Post:   NY Times Holds Stories Because They’re Afraid of Conservatives

David Kurtz / Talking Points Memo:   MCCAIN CAMPAIGN ISSUES STATEMENT

Link Search: Ask, Technorati, Sphere, Google, and IceRocket

RADAR:WAS JOHN MCCAIN GETTING ‘LOBBIED’ BY A WOMAN 30 YEARS HIS JUNIOR?

Link Search: Ask, Technorati, Sphere, Google, and IceRocket

 J.P. Freire / American Spectator:   McCain Affair Story

Marc Ambinder:McCain/Lobbyist Story In The New York Times Finally Drops

Link Search: Ask, Technorati, Sphere, Google, and IceRocket

 Pamela Geller / Atlas Shrugs:   SO WHAT?  —  Now that it is abundantly clear that McCain …

Karoli / Bang the Drum:   John McCain, Ethics and the Right’s Resolve

Isaac Chotiner / The New Republic:   The McCain Story  —  In a piece that reads as if a lot of stuff …

Will / Attytood:McCain’s lobbyist friend: “A View from the Top”

Michael Shaw / BAGnewsNotes:   Moral Wrecktitude?  —  First off, I owe a hearty thanks …

Jane Hamsher / Firedoglake:   She Gets Around…  Getting publicly exposed in the NYT …

Ken Layne / Wonkette:   Did McCain’s Lobbyist Girlfriend Betray Him For Bush?

Jonathan Martin / The Politico:NYT prints allegation of McCain relationship

Link Search: Ask, Technorati, Sphere, Google, and IceRocket

 Dan Collins / protein wisdom:   JIM RUTENBERG, MARILYN W. THOMPSON, DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK and STEPHEN LABATON

Macranger / Macsmind:   Ny Time Story on McCain …

Jeralyn / TalkLeft:   McCain Slams NY Times Article Linking Him to Female Lobbyist

 Who will get hurt more—John McCain or the New York Times?That’s easy: the NYT.