"... The bin Laden operation is the perfect vindication of the war on terror. It was made possible precisely by the vast, warlike infrastructure that the Bush administration created post-9/11, a fierce regime of capture and interrogation, of dropped bombs and commando strikes. That regime, of course, followed the more conventional war that brought down the Taliban, scattered and decimated al-Qaeda and made bin Laden a fugitive."

"... The Bush antiterrorism protocols — tribunals, renditions, preventative detentions, Predator assassination missions, Guantanamo Bay — were decried as illegal and immoral. Such furor vanished, however, when President Obama embraced or expanded them all. The effort to preemptively remove the mass-murdering Saddam Hussein to foster democracy in his absence was seen by many in the media, universities, and the legal community as morally wrong — and yet preemptively bombing Qaddafi to foster democracy in his absence is now considered morally justified."

"Speculators don't 'artificially jack up the price of oil' -- they take risks. Those who guess wrong lose a lot of money. 

"Historically, speculators have been convenient scapegoats, and they have suffered greatly for it. So have the rest of us. 

"While government should never create political opportunities for speculation, it should also stop interfering with its legitimate economic function. 

"We all are harmed when central planners take charge."

"Sometimes it’s good to just let out a cheer. Now is one of those times. 

"It will take months to process the news that came out of Pakistan on Sunday and its long-term impact on U.S. foreign policy.  But for today, let’s just say thanks. 

"First, let us give thanks to the men and women of the United States armed forces. Their sacrifice and that of their families have sustained the American cause at home and abroad for the past decade.  I’m also thankful for the hard work and tough professionalism of our intelligence community. ..."

"WASHINGTON - Osama bin Laden, the face of global terrorism and architect of the September 11, 2001, attacks, was killed in a firefight with elite American forces Monday, then quickly buried at sea in a stunning finale to a furtive decade on the run."

"Not since Jack Kennedy has a president had a press corps so protective of the man they cover -- though in Kennedy's case, they covered up a lifestyle that could have ended JFK's presidency."

"So much of this administration's talk about energy sounds similar to a bull session in the faculty lounge, or what we would expect from lifelong bureaucrats and public functionaries who have never experienced long commutes or struggles in the harsher, profit-driven private workplace. 

"Now the global economy is recovering and energy use is climbing, as the U.S. dollar sinks. The oil-rich Middle East is in chaos. And more than 2 billion people in India and China are desperate for imported oil. The result is that American gas prices are astronomical, and the public is furious and starting to demand relief from the administration. 

"Its answer? Simple: Since re-election looms, the administration now insists that high energy prices are no longer good, but suddenly bad. And the evil oil companies are mostly to blame!"

"Climate change is dead as a major political issue for the foreseeable future. Don’t believe me? Check out Obama’s remarks in his weekly radio address last weekend. It was all about energy policy, and yet not once did he talk about climate change. 

"In one sense that’s odd, given that without global warming, his energy policy goes from merely misguided to outright bonkers. After all, if you wanted to create non-exportable jobs, wean America off foreign oil, or pursue energy independence from the Middle East, absent any concerns about climate change or releasing CO2 into the atmosphere, you would unleash America’s massive energy reserves in coal, gas, and oil. According to the Congressional Research Service — hardly a mouthpiece for Big Oil — the U.S. has the largest energy resources of any country, Saudi Arabia and Russia included."

"An administration that lacks a consistent foreign policy philosophy has nevertheless established a predictable foreign policy pattern.  A popular revolt takes place in country X.  President Obama is caught by surprise and says little.  A few days later an administration spokesman weakly calls for 'reform.'  A few more days of mounting protests and violence follow.  Then, after an internal debate that spills out into the media, the president decides he must do something.  But hoping to keep expectations low, his actions are limited in scope.  By this point, a strategic opportunity is missed and the protesters in country X feel betrayed.

"This record of serial indecision has damaged American interests."

"The real crisis that shouldn't go to waste is figuring out not how to borrow more, but how to spend less. Republicans should call the Democrats' bluff and demand that, in exchange for some modification of the current debt limit, every federal program be subjected -- calmly, soberly -- to the most rigorous practical and constitutional re-examination. Then, such programs should either be cut, reformed or otherwise reduced in cost until we're living within our means and our currency is again on a sound footing so we can start retiring the national debt."