Opinion - The Nation

The Nation -- Things are iffy in Pakistan, with the new civilian coalition getting shakier and the future of Pakistan uncertain after the resignation of Pervez Musharraf, the military president who'd seized power in 1999.

The Nation -- This column has been pondering and predicting an Obama-Biden ticket for some time now. That's still the best bet, and now that the announcement is finally imminent, everyone is talking about it.

The Nation -- Barack Obama launched his campaign for the presidency a year and a half ago at the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois.

The Nation -- Popular pundit Rachel Maddow will host a new talk show on MSNBC, catapulting the Air America host and progressive favorite into a prime time field largely dominated by male and conservative anchors.

The Nation -- Everyone knew these Olympics would be political. We knew the stadium-sized gap between the so-called Olympic ideals and the commercial feeding frenzy in Beijing would stagger the faint of heart.

The Nation -- As I wrote last week, the Georgian-Russian conflict has led to a humanitarian tragedy in the region that demands a careful and calibrated response--not a reaction that heightens existing geopolitical tensions. But the latter is exactly what we have seen. The conflict has morphed into a justification for a renewed cold war by the mainstream media, John McCain and his neocon brethren, and it threatens to add fuel to a new arms race. Yet crises also present opportunities, and we should seize this moment to rethink our approach to national security and US-Russian relations.

The Nation -- The New York Times reports that: "Senator Barack Obama has all but settled on his choice for a running mate and set an elaborate rollout plan for his decision, beginning with an early morning alert to supporters, perhaps as soon as Wednesday morning, aides said."

The Nation -- Eight gold medals. Seven world records.

The Nation -- There's yet to be a solid, point-by-point effort to expose John McCain's pre-2003 views on Iraq, when (along with his neocon advisers and cheerleaders) he led the charge to Baghdad. Barack Obama, so concerned about how to end the war in Iraq, seems to have forgotten the importance of questioning how it began, especially McCain's pernicious role.

The Nation -- Issue divides do not get much more stark than the one that Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama outlined when both presidential candidates took the stage Saturday at pastor Rick Warren's Saddleback Civil Forum in Lakeside, California.

The Nation -- The ultimate Olympic event is the 100-meter dash. From the greatness of Jesse Owens and Carl Lewis, to the ignominy of Ben Johnson--it has in many ways come to define the Olympics. This year a man with a name that comes out of central casting, a name straight out of Dickens--Usain Bolt of Jamaica, set a world record of 9.69 seconds at the Bird's Nest.

The Nation -- Remember the "Baracky" video that thrilled primary voters? The general election sequel just hit YouTube, and it's even better. Barack is boxing, Hillary is jogging, and Bill even takes a dip in the pool.

The Nation -- "Are you arresting me? I am a journalist," said John Ray, of London-based ITV News, as he was arrested by the Chinese police.

The Nation -- New York Senator Hillary Clinton will become the first challenger to a presumptive Democratic nominee for president to be placed in nomination at a party convention since Jerry Brown in 1992.

The Nation -- What was Mikheil Saakashvili thinking when he started poking at Russia in a manner that Mikhail Gorbachev correctly observes has "turned out to be a time bomb for Georgia's territorial integrity."?

The Nation -- Sean Hannity lost control of himself and his show on Tuesday night, after co-host Alan Colmes compared John Edwards' infidelity to John McCain's affair. Usually, the two hosts of "Hannity & Colmes" take turns questioning guests and carefully avoid debating each other, but Hannity made a rare departure to repeatedly yell that McCain's affair was somehow acceptable because it occurred after he was tortured for five and a half years in Vietnam. This clip does not take off until about 2:55, but then it gets feisty and weird in a hurry:

The Nation -- It is a measure of former Secretary of State Colin Powell's symbolic, if not actual, significance that the quadrennial coming of convention season always sparks discussion about which party's gathering will be graced by the general's presence.

The Nation -- Every four years, it seems, Evan Bayh's name is floated as a possible vice presidential prospect. We're reminded of his good looks, adorable twins, resume as Governor and Senator from Indiana (where his chief accomplishment was getting re-elected), centrist record and overall "seriousness."

The Nation -- When Olympic sailing competitors complete their races this week, they won't be slipping over the sides of their boats to celebrate with a refreshing swim.