Short Takes

- There is a worthwhile op/ed in the Christian Science Monitor this morning on the Republican Party's "play to the base" strategy, particularly as relating to "intelligent design" and other such issues. The concluding paragraph: "The good news of pursuing a strategy that relies so strongly on the base and issue like intelligent design, is you probably won't see your approval ratings fall much lower. The base is, after all, bedrock. But you can't govern or even win by sitting on the bedrock. You have to build on it. And after years of reaching right, and angering and isolating the middle that won't be easy - it may be too late already."

- It would appear that a bipartisan group in the Senate (still not an oxymoronic term, thank goodness) has come up with a compromise on detainee access to courts. The agreement seems generally appropriate, so I hope it passes today and we can move forward on this.

- This article hardly deserves its headline. But I am glad to see that an effort will be made today to pass an amendment in the Senate which "would require the administration to provide extensive new quarterly reports to Congress on subjects like progress in bringing in other countries to help stabilize Iraq." Apparently there is a Democratic alternative amendment which would move us toward setting timetables for withdrawal from Iraq. I have not read that proposal, so I can't say whether I'd agree or disagree with it - but Warner's amendment at the least seems like a start.