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Ross Tuttle New evidence sheds light on the corrupting influence of Brig. General Thomas Hartmann on the military commissions process.

The oil deal nobody, especially the Pentagon, wants to talk about.

Learn the benefits of digital alteration, threat magnification, deletion, and cover-up masking. A political cartoon. Learn the benefits of digital alteration, threat magnification, deletion, and cover-up masking. A political cartoon.

Ari Berman Beating expectations, Obama has another huge fundraising month. But what strings are attached?

Katha Pollitt For over twenty years John McCain has voted against contraception every time it came up and--now he tells us--he doesn't even care or know enough to explain why.

Like jokes about President Bush being stupid, cheap shots at Sen. John McCain's age are largely unfunny. More importantly, they deflect crucial concerns about the men. Bush's alleged stupidity camouflaged his administration's brilliance in implementing radical economic, ideological, legal and social policies that advanced its agenda. Ridicule of McCain's age (along with paeans to his war record) distracts from hard critiques of his record and policies. McCain's age is irrelevant unless it affects his ability to function in a world that has radically changed since his formative years.

Leonard Susskind's new book gets personal.

In a response to calls by activist groups and the discovery that leaks found last week might have happened years ago, France has agreed to examine the groundwater near all its nuclear plants. Though the anti-nuclear groups see this as a positive step, they say it still doesn't go far enough.

Israel managed to bring two of its soldiers home on Wednesday. But even still, praise for the prisoner exchange with Hezbollah has been scant. Israel, say German commentators, has allowed itself to be blackmailed.

Nicolas Sarkozy has transformed French relations with the United States, NATO, Israel and Mediterranean neighbors. He's the most important European leader of the moment.