OVERNIGHT - JANUARY 19, 2008

•  Intelligence, knowledge, thoughtfulness, sanity.  What are these people doing in journalism?

I refer to an excellent editorial in yesterday's Investor's Business Daily warning about the current attempts by states to tamper with the electoral college.  The editorial examines the reasons we have the electoral college, and how it reflects the wisdom of the founders.  The electoral college may be the best college in America, and plays in the biggest bowl game of all.

•  There used to be a saying that a Rhodes Scholar was someone who had a great future behind him.  Maybe the same thing is true of Pulitzer-prize winners.  Now, Samantha Power wrote a respected book about genocide, "A Problem from Hell," and is now at Harvard.  But she's written an essay for Time about our Iranian policy, and I must tell you that I can't figure out exactly what she's saying, or even if I should take notice.  It's here.  She seems to be saying that we should talk to Iran.  That's nice.  What do we say that hasn't failed before?  If someone has any insights, please write to any of our contact e-mail addresses.

•  The Wall Street Journal eloquently expands on the notion expressed here yesterday that the Democrats' hysteria over Barack Obama's praise of Ronald Reagan reflects a wish to return to the sixties and seventies.  Well, at least the Democrats accept that Ronald Reagan happened.  I'm not so sure some of them accept that 9-11 happened, which may be their big problem next November.

•  Meanwhile, on another matter, do you think Michelle Obama is becoming her husband's Nixon?  See here.

•  The Washington Post has a well-reported story about cyber attackers hacking into utility systems outside the United States.  Bringing down one, or even several systems simultaneously in this country could do enormous economic damage, and any terrorist leader who wants to be Time's man of the year has got to be working on it.  Are we secure?  No.

•  Now this may be historic.  I don't know of any country that has dropped the legendary Kalashnikov assault rifle for an American weapon.   But Georgia - that's the one near Russia - is now doing it.  Georgia is pressing to be admitted to NATO, and will replace its Kalashnikovs with the new Colt M4.  Not bad.  We're developing allies in places we never had allies before.  But remember, all Bush policies are failures.  If you believe otherwise, you're a warmongering neo-con fascist, and a bad parent.

•  The United Nations Human Rights Council will hold an emergency meeting about Israel.  You can go back to sleep now.

Posted on January 19, 2008.