So no, 2006, you had a number of things hitting - some guys, candidates, shot themselves in the foot.

NPR: Ally Norquist Discusses Rove's Departure

The Strong Horse: Power, Politics, and the Clash of Arab Civilizations by Lee Smith, is a unique and vital addition to the current debate on the Middle East because rather than interpret the Arabs through the ideological lenses of the West, Smith describes them, their cultural and political motivations as the Arabs -- in all their ethnic, religious, ideological, national and tribal variations -- themselves perceive these things.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Israel the strong horse

Travis says one of the best things about both bands is that neither takes themselves too seriously - a breath of fresh air in a hit-obsessed climate.

BBC: New York's new sound

Germans are being told to believe in themselves and the things they stand for, rather than fretting over fiscal drag and social-security payments.

ECONOMIST: German values