"Barring a dramatic surprise, the basic contours of this year’s Senate races are pretty much set. They will be defined by President Obama’s extraordinarily low 40 percent approval rating, a stagnant economy for those in the middle class, and the White House’s inability to tout any policy success stories that voters care about. That said, Republicans have clearly decided to play it safe and not put forward a national reform agenda similar to the 1994 'Contract with America.' If the GOP’s performance this fall is only good — as opposed to 'a wave' — one reason could be that Republicans decided to copy the Democrats’ decision to avoid controversy by not injecting ideas into the campaign."

"In his prime-time address to the American people Wednesday night, President Obama declared he would 'degrade and ultimately destroy' the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

"The goal is a sound one. And it was good to hear the commander-in-chief define a 'core principle' of his presidency this way: 'If you threaten America, you will find no safe haven.' At some points, the president sounded as though he was channeling his inner Dick Cheney. ... 

"President Obama has seldom had trouble delivering a stirring speech or drawing a bright red line. But recall his own defense secretary revealed in his memoirs his horror when he realized President Obama didn’t really believe in his own strategy for Afghanistan.

"So the day after perhaps the most important speech of his presidency, the fundamental question remains unanswered: Does Barack Obama have the stomach to see his own strategy through?"

"Here's the first and last rule of Islamic jihad: If at first you don't succeed, plot, plot again.

"9/11 wasn't the first. 9/11 won't be the last. It's not 'fear-mongering' to face reality. These head-chopping, throat-slitting, bloodthirsty hijackers -- of planes, freedom and civilization -- have conspired for decades to inflict modern mass murder on the West. ... 

"Never forget: Eternal Muslim hatred of infidels didn't start with George W. Bush. Or George Herbert Walker Bush. Or Ronald Reagan. Or the creation of Gitmo. Or the birth of Israel. Or the Twin Towers. Or the Khobar Towers. Or Lockerbie. Or the U.S.S. Cole. Or Fort Hood. Or the Beirut Marine barracks bombings. Or the bombings of the U.S. embassy in Africa, the bombing of U.S. military headquarters in Riyadh and the attack on the U.S. embassy in Benghazi.  ... 

"Jihadist hijackers and head-choppers don't quit. Appeasement and empty threats are no deterrence. They will not stop trying to outdo 9/11 -- unless, through our deadly adherence to political correctness, apathy, amnesia, open borders and sloth, we do ourselves in first."

"Obama’s prevaricating has lost him any thought of a legacy, all the more so because for years as a candidate and as president he pontificated about his new transparency and the need for executive candor — itself an untruth at best, and at worst a cynical ploy to provide cover for a deliberate effort to enact policies that could not be honestly presented to the American people. 

"The two fuels that run Untruth, Inc., are, first, a realization that most of the president’s policies, whether deliberately or as a result of indifference and laziness, run counter to what most Americans support, and, second, a media establishment so invested in his agenda that it will not call the administration to account. So the engine of lying keeps humming. On any given day the president of the United States can step up to the teleprompter amid the latest disaster and swear that he did not do what he just did, or insist that someone else, not he, did the dastardly deed, or simply skip over recent history and make things up. The press at first quibbles, then nods in agreement, and Obama is empowered to do it again and again. We have not seen such a disingenuous president since Richard Nixon — but he, at least, was countered rather than enabled by the media."

"This week, as summer comes to a close, members of the House and Senate will return to Washington. But perhaps only one legislative body can accurately claim to be returning to work. While Democrats in the Senate have been dragging their feet this Congress, the House of Representatives has been busy proposing and passing solutions to America’s most pressing problems. 

"In the last year and a half, the House has passed more than 40 bills aimed at creating jobs, supporting wage earners, and easing the financial pains that working families all over America are suffering with in President Obama’s economy. Where are these bills now? They are stuck in the Senate. Why they are stuck, is a question for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid."

"Barack Obama is the first American president who, through his upbringing, writings and actions, conveys a deep sense of grievance toward the American experiment. The idea that we are the last best hope for mankind is anathema to him. Barack Obama thinks the world, if the American imperial aggressor would just sit on the sidelines, could work out its problems and would be better off. 

"In short, the world has descended into chaos these past 365 days because the American president thinks America is to blame for much of the world's ills and has chosen not to check himself out, but to check the United States out of international affairs. The only question now is how many around the world will die because of it."

"It is hard for democratic voters to give up a bit of affluence in peace to ensure that they do not lose it all in war. It is even harder for sophisticated liberal thinkers to admit that after centuries of civilized life, we still have no better way of preventing Neanderthal wars than by reminding Neanderthals that we have the far bigger club — and will use it if provoked."

"What's unique about our times is the nature of the threats — suicidal, homicidal, genocidal terrorists, well armed and organized, seeking the destruction of the United States. The other difference: the lack of Western leadership, starting with the president himself. ... 

"He tries to manage the world as he hopes it will be, rather than lead the world as it is. Yes, foreign policy is hard. These issues are both historic and existential. The American public is fickle. Congress is all but useless. And our allies in Europe are loathe to lead — or even to pay a fair price for fighting threats closer to their borders than our own.

"But that's why only one person gets to be president of the United States, and, presumably, that's why Obama asked twice to be elected. He wanted the job. He knew its challenges (including the existence of social media). He thought he could lead. When does he get started?"

"Too many Republicans are running on the promise that they will 'check' the president in some unspecified way. They are running as people who dislike Obamacare but have no plans to replace or alter it. But there are persuadable voters who worry that they will lose their health coverage if Republicans get their way, and ones who worry that Republicans will settle for Obamacare Lite. By keeping their plans on health care (and everything else) vague, Republicans are asking these voters to trust them. Yet the polls consistently show that the party does not have a lot of trust on which to rely. 

"Obamacare, and the dismal approach to governance for which it stands, should be the central issues of the campaign."

"To play a responsible role in the evolution of a 21st-century world order, the U.S. must be prepared to answer a number of questions for itself: What do we seek to prevent, no matter how it happens, and if necessary alone? What do we seek to achieve, even if not supported by any multilateral effort? What do we seek to achieve, or prevent, only if supported by an alliance? What should we not engage in, even if urged on by a multilateral group or an alliance? What is the nature of the values that we seek to advance? And how much does the application of these values depend on circumstance? 

"For the U.S., this will require thinking on two seemingly contradictory levels. The celebration of universal principles needs to be paired with recognition of the reality of other regions' histories, cultures and views of their security. Even as the lessons of challenging decades are examined, the affirmation of America's exceptional nature must be sustained. History offers no respite to countries that set aside their sense of identity in favor of a seemingly less arduous course. But nor does it assure success for the most elevated convictions in the absence of a comprehensive geopolitical strategy."