News about, by, and for a tiny kingdom of political obsessives dominates the attention of senators and staff, while stories that might affect their constituents go unreported because their home-state papers can no longer afford to have bureaus in Washington.

NEWYORKER: The Empty Chamber

Lesotho - a tiny mountainous kingdom surrounded by South Africa - has a history of coups and political unrest.

BBC: Lesotho's PM Pakalitha Mosisili deserts political party

Mr. Mansur is a professor of political science at the University of Western Ontario and a syndicated columnist in Canada and the United Kingdom.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: barzun