In the Arena by Joe Klein

Why Did the Iraq Surge Work?

There's no guarantee that counterinsurgency tactics will succeed in Afghanistan

Why Both Parties Need to Do the Right Thing on Taxes

To pay for health-care reform, both parties need to get serious about a topic neither one mentions: taxes

Red-Meat Primary

Florida's Senate contest will test whether Republicans prize pragmatism over ideology

How Obama Could Earn His Nobel Prize

How can Obama possibly live up to his Nobel? By using it to strike a deal in the Middle East

Afghanistan Controversy: Less Than Meets the Eye

Is Obama feuding with his generals about Afghanistan? There's more consensus than meets the eye

Ahmadinejad: Iran's Man of Mystery

Iran's Ahmadinejad may be hiding something, but he and his nation can be contained

Obama's Foreign Policy Needs a Domestic Boost

How can Obama deal with his mounting foreign policy problems? By succeeding at home

The Afghanistan Problem: Why Are We in Helmand?

The military's summer campaign in Afghanistan has been misguided and needs to be fixed — now

Obama's Appeal: A Test of National Character

Obama's health-care speech was effective. What comes of it will say more about us than about him

Rookie Mistakes: Time for Obama to Lead

If he wants a successful presidency, Obama will need to start taking responsibility for tough decisions

How Ted Kennedy Found Himself

His family defined political style and vigor for a generation of politicians. But for years, Ted Kennedy seemed to writhe in the public eye

The GOP Has Become a Party of Nihilists

The irrational attacks on health-care reform show what the GOP has become: a party of nihilists

Will Special Interests Stymie Health-Care Reform?

The debate over health reform is a case study of how special interests trump the common good

Don't Worry So Much About Iran's Nukes

Obama should keep pressuring Tehran on its nuclear program. But he shouldn't obsess about it

Obama: Getting Down to the Hard Choices

Why President Barack Obama needs to get tougher on his domestic agenda — and come clean on taxes

Can the U.S. Deal with a Divided Iran?

Iranian rulers have lost vital credibility. Will talks with the U.S. follow?

Why the U.S. Should Start Talking to Hamas

A meeting in Damascus shows why the U.S. must be prepared to deal with all sides

The Return of the Hot-Button Issues

Debates over abortion and affirmative action remain dominated by extremists. But sensible positions exist

Robert Gates: The Bureaucrat Unbound

How the Defense Secretary helped turn Iraq around, shook up the Pentagon and won over Obama

A Middle Ground on Enemy Combatants

Amid the mudslinging, we still haven't found a good way to prosecute enemy combatants. Here's one

Obama's Partner Problem in Afghanistan and Pakistan

Presidents Karzai and Zardari are working together. But let's not pretend they're perfect

The Fire This Time: Is This Health Care's Moment?

Democrats are preparing another push for universal health care. It might actually succeed

Sizing Up Obama's First 100 Days

Obama's start has been the most impressive of any President since F.D.R. The biggest tests are ahead of him

Diplomatic Surge: Can Obama's Team Tame the Taliban?

A trip to Afghanistan and Pakistan reveals how the Obama team hopes to tame the Taliban

Why Legalizing Marijuana Makes Sense

Legalizing marijuana may be politically risky. But the economic benefits are becoming difficult to ignore

Obama on the World Stage: What Power Means

Obama needs to throw his weight around on the world stage — but be ready when things don't go his way

Don't Panic — At Least Not Yet

The Obama agenda is ambitious and complex, but he still deserves time to make it work

Can Obama Avoid a Quagmire in Afghanistan?

Afghanistan and Pakistan are teetering on the brink. And Obama's margin for error is minuscule

Obama's Speech: A Tonal Masterpiece

Obama's budget speech revealed a President not just ready, but relishing the tough tasks ahead

The Quiet American: How the World Sees Obama

Global reaction to Obama is euphoric — but wary. Because his outreach comes with strings attached

How Israel's Anger Issues Hurt Us All

The election has strengthened anti-Arab forces who are isolating the country from the world

The Lessons of Daschle: Can Obama Reboot?

Obama promised to free Washington from the grip of special interests. Now he has to deliver

Obama's Fresh Start: Substance Over Showbiz

Obama has shifted the focus of the presidency from show biz to substance — at least for now

Obama Promises New Destiny, Work Begins Today

Barack Obama's Inauguration showed the world a more sober, civil and exuberant America

The Bush Administration's Most Despicable Act

Bush's sanctioning of torture was his most callous, despicable act. It should be his lasting legacy

The Force is With Obama's Yoda

Why Obama turns to Brent Scowcroft, the foreign policy wise man Bush the Younger has largely ignored

The Aimless War: Why Are We in Afghanistan?

A trip to the front lines in Afghanistan shows why a surge of U.S. troops won't be enough to end the conflict

Bush's Last Days: The Lamest Duck

Bush's disappearing act during the economic crisis is a fitting coda to a failed presidency

What a New Energy Economy Might Look Like

Obama says his top priority will be creating a new energy economy. Here's how he could do it

Obama's Victory Ushers in a New America

Obama's victory heralds a new generation of leaders--and an America that is still taking shape

Priorities for the New President

His challenge from the start will be getting two big issues — one foreign, one domestic — right

Why Barack Obama is Winning

TIME talks to the Democratic candidate and examines the way he has evolved

The Obama Surge: Will It Last?

In a time of distress, he's projected comfort and confidence. But eventually he'll need to take risks too

Anger vs. Steadiness in the Crisis

While McCain blusters, Obama has kept his head. And now he's taking control of the election

Age of Activism

The financial meltdown may herald bigger reforms--if the next President makes government work again

The Lying Game

Every politician stretches the truth. But McCain is running a uniquely dishonest campaign

Sarah Palin's Myth of America

Sarah Palin appeals to nostalgia for a country that no longer exists. This year, it might be enough to win

How McCain Makes Obama Conservative

What the candidates' running-mate picks say about the kinds of Presidents they would be

Where's Obama's Passion?

Obama's measured style worked in the spring but hurt him over the summer. It might cost him the election

The Recession Election

With the economy on worried voters' minds, the next President will be the candidate who can show he is willing to make government part of the solution

Open to Debate

The best way for Obama to defend against the McCain campaign's attacks is to start a real conversation

McCain's Foreign Policy Frustration

McCain's bellicose, against-all-enemies foreign policy is collapsing — and not a moment too soon

Giving Back to Veterans

Thousands of troops are coming home with mental-health injuries. It's the duty of all of us to help them

Kill Your Air Conditioner

Solving the energy crisis requires sacrifice. For the good of the country, we should be sweating

Obama: In with the Old

Obama says he wants to hire a Team of Rivals for his Cabinet. He should start by keeping Robert Gates

Can Hillary Unite the Party?

Though she lost the nomination, Hillary Clinton ran a remarkable campaign. How she conducts herself now could unite — or destroy — the Democrats

Getting to Know Jim Webb

The surprising Virginia Senator is a potent example of the Democrats' new style and thinking

Straw-Man Diplomacy

McCain is trying to brand Obama as soft on Iran. He should get his own facts straight first

Hamas Hysteria

Smeared by McCain, Obama says he won't talk to the bad guys. They're both failing the leadership test

Exit Wright

The preacher's brand of hate has haunted the Democrats for decades. An Obama win would silence it for good

McCain Floats Above the Fray

McCain wants the election to be about real issues. That's a gift to the Democrats — and the country

Petraeus Meets His Match

The general has made real progress in Iraq. But he doesn't have an answer for Barack Obama

The Patriotism Problem

Obama's candidacy is a tribute to what's right about America. He needs to start saying so

Is Al Gore the Answer?

Both Democratic candidates are bloodied and losing altitude. This April promises to be crueler than most. Here's an unlikely but not totally implausible solution

Obama's Challenge — and Ours

His speech on race was a triumph. Now he has to keep telling hard truths

The Race Goes On

By focusing on national security — and laughing at herself — Clinton managed to stay alive. Now it's up to Obama to prove he's not just another politician

As Ohio Goes

Middle-class voters are looking for big ideas. The candidate who provides them will win the White House

The Persian Gulf Primary

A forum in Qatar illustrates the challenges that await the next U.S. President in the Middle East

Inspiration vs. Substance

Obama's flights of rhetoric are the stuff of legend. But Clinton simply knows more. What this nail biter of a Democratic primary may come down to

The Spoiler

Bill Clinton has cheapened the Democratic campaign and turned his wife's run into a co-candidacy. Here's why Hillary would be better off alone

The Gladiator Problem

McCain has staked his career on talking straight. But this year voters want details too

How Hillary Learned to Trust Herself

Shedding her private dismay that she's not the most charismatic candidate, Clinton allowed her humor — and anger — to peek through

A Tale of Two Romneys

The GOP candidate accentuates the positive. Except when he goes negative

Striving Valiantly

The annual Teddy Awards honor bravery — including that shown every day by those in uniform

Trudging Through Iowa

Roads and voters have yet to thaw in a Democratic race that is still uncertain

Immigration: The Hottest Issue

Candidates in both parties are surprised by the public's anger over illegal immigrants

The Tone-Deaf Democrats

Too many of them — in Congress and the presidential campaign — still don't get national security

Hit Her Again!

That's how pundits want Obama to handle Clinton. But he's far more presidential when he speaks the quiet truth

The Ramadi Goat Grab

There's progress in Iraq — Sunnis and Shi'ites are meeting and eating — but it needs a push from Bush

McCain Is Back

Not last year's zombie, but the funny, free-range independent unafraid to offend his audience

Does Merle Haggard Speak for America?

At least one white male voter is planning to return to the Democrats' fold in 2008

Oh, My Mets!

A ball team's historic collapse helped this fan reconnect with his most basic childhood sentiments

Inflating a Little Man

The neoconservatives want you to think Ahmadinejad is another Hitler. That's dishonest, and plumps for war

What Hillary Has Learned from '93

It's a good thing. Rivals warn of 1993 redux, but her new health plan shows she's learned a thing or two

Hiding Behind the General

Bush has made Petraeus the arbiter of Iraq policy when it should be set by the President

The General vs. the Ambassador

Are the U.S. military and diplomatic leaders in Iraq on the same page? We won't know until Petraeus and Crocker testify before Congress

The Next War in Iraq

The final outcome will depend on the Shi'ites fighting it out. There's little the U.S. can do but stand by

Romney's Edge

Nervous Republicans may prefer a squeaky-clean Mormon to a pro-choice New Yorker on his third marriage

Political Pariahs

How did the most powerful moderate group in the country get shunted aside? The activists took over

Joe Biden's Quest

You'd think the guy who has devoted his campaign to Iraq would be rewarded. That's not how it works

Bush's July Surprise for Iraq

The President is trying to fend off a Republican rebellion over the war. But broad-brush propaganda may not work this time

Beware the Bloggers' Bile

Liberal pundits are now as enraged as their foes. That may be a problem for the Democrats

Mitt Romney's Disappointing Campaign

Mitt Romney moves like a man on a mission--but without a shred of courage or conviction

There's Good News from Iraq

Al-Qaeda is in retreat. But that success may only lead to more violence between Shi'ites and Sunnis

How Rudy Won the Second Debate

He came across as forceful and elegantly deflected the attacks from the other Republicans

Hillary's Quandary on the Campaign

Clinton knows more about natonal security than any other Democrat in the 2008 presidential race. But will that matter?

Getting Around Bush

The President won't budge on Iraq. Here's an ingenious way the Democrats can get him to compromise

Ehud Olmert's Moment

With poll ratings at rock bottom, Israel's PM could make a grand gesture toward a Middle East breakthrough. Don't hold your breath

The Second Commandment Republicans

Mike Huckabee is more interested in salvation than condemnation. And that's exactly why he irks people in his party

Joe Klein: How the GOP Lost Its Way

"Stop moping around," former Governor Jeb Bush told an audience of conservatives convened by the National Review in Washington last weekend. That wasn't quite fair. The wingers weren't exactly moping...."

The Democrats' New Western Stars

Joe Klein looks at the Democratic revival in the Rocky Mountains, where a raft of colorful candidates are winning over independents — and even some Republicans

Why They're Both Running Against Bill

Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will make their presidential intentions known in the next few weeks. They're probably running--but with greater reservations than you might imagine. These...

Good General, Bad Mission

Gen. David Petraeus helped write the book on counterinsurgency tactics. But now, says Joe Klein, the man overseeing Bush's Iraq surge has a near impossible task

The Teddy Awards: 2006

Kofi Annan and Al Gore are just two of the public figures who deserve to be singled out this year for making their mark

Can We Improve on Affirmative Action?

The Supreme Court appears set to roll back racial preferences. But there may be better ways to achieve racial diversity

The Absurdity of it All

Bush's summit with al-Maliki had all the makings of a dramatic turning point. Instead it was a farce.

Inadvertent Wisdom from George H.W. Bush

As his father indirectly acknowledged, the President is about to be deluged by advice on Iraq. But the best counsel shouldn't be how to "win" but how to withdraw creatively

What Baker Should Tell Bush

The memo that the former Secretary of State and co-chair of the Iraq Study Group ought to send to the President

The Year the Democrats Punched Back

This time around, when the GOP campaign turned nasty, the Dems were ready and waiting

If You Break it, You Pay For It, Mr. President

Bush hits the campaign trail stumping for two troubled candidates just as Iraq and his Republican Party seem to be falling apart simultaneously

When Loyalty Trumps Truth

The House of Bush is a feudal operation, except when it's an Oedipal one

Iraq? Who Cares! Say, Is Your Mom Jewish?

Jim Webb's Iraq argument is flawed, but what scenario isn't? It should be the centerpiece of a serious national debate. But we remain a nation befogged by affluence and voyeurism

In Pennsylvania, it's the Admiral Vs. the Firefighter

A key Congressional battle pits two local boys against each other. The Republican, a former volunteer fire chief, has been in power for 20 years but now faces a formidable candidate

The Middle Is a Bad Place to Be

How do we restore some balance to American politics? That question is at the heart of the 2006 congressional election

What Bush Should Have Said

An alternative speech for a president seeking support on Iraq

Running Against the Big Shots

Is there room left in the Senate for a courageous moderate Republican? Not if Steve Laffey, who wants to oust Lincoln Chafee in Rhode Island, has anything to say about it

Three Cheers for Triangulation

What Lieberman's primary defeat means

Even Churchill Couldn't Figure Out Iraq

The Bush Administration has created such a mess in Iraq that despairing military strategists are talking about drastic, flawed measures such as taking sides or partitioning Baghdad

Lieberman's Last Stand

The Connecticut Senator's almost saintly civility may be coming back to haunt him on Iraq

The Iran Factor

The new crisis in the Middle East shows how a major consequence of Bush's disastrous foreign policy has been an emboldened Tehran

The Democrats' New Populism

The best symbol of how the party hopes to take back the Senate this year may be Montana candidate Jon Tester's flattop

What the Democrats Could Say About Iraq

The only way to turn the tide is to make counterinsurgency operations, which require both patience and person-to-person skills, the military's highest priority

Why Bush Is (Still) Winning the War at Home

Can the Democrats Handle a Heretic?

Senate candidate Jim Webb's campaign will help determine whether Democrats can become a majority party once more

Barack Obama Isn't Not Running for President

Since baby boomers haven't proved very adept at running the show, it may be time for a new generation of leadership.

Bush Is Smart on the Border — and the G.O.P. Isn't

With their get-tough-on-immigrants stance, Republicans have blown an opportunity to guarantee a GOP majority in perpetuity

A Mea Culpa, Sorta

My TV comments on nukes were wrong, and the liberal bloggers are right — up to a point

Pssst! Who's behind the decline of politics? [Consultants.]

Our Eyes Are Open. Now What?

What options does the U.S. have left?

Iraq-War Vets: The Democrats' Newest Weapon

Almost all of the Iraq veterans running for Congress as Democrats are in a tough, high-profile fight against a Republican

It's Economic Security, Stupid

America needs a sober discussion on economic freedom and economic security

Bush's Broken Political Antenna

In the face of growing public discontent with his policies, Bush is sounding airy and out of touch

Cheney's Thousand-Yard Stare

Did the Vice President's behavior exhibit a disdain for accountability or a reaction to emotional trauma?

Will Someone Please Lend This Guy a Hand?

With a new Iraqi government being formed soon, how much power will the Sunnis be given?

A Bush Without Boldness

In his State of the Union speech, Bush called for cutting our Middle Eastern oil imports; then came a retreat

Democracy, the Morning After

Joe Klein on the easy rhetoric and hard realities of spreading democracy in an unstable region

It's Easy to Be Hard and Hard to Be Smart

In an Ohio Democratic primary an amateur's bluster squares off against an old political pro

How to Stay Out of Power

Why liberal democrats are playing too fast and too loose with issues of war and peace

When Hollywood Gets Terrorism Right

Are war shows affecting the public's view of the real war on terrorism?

Why Washington Is Playing with Fire

These are not clever times in Washington

The Republican Who Thinks Big on Health Care

Governor Mitt Romney's gamble for Massachusetts

Think Twice About a Pullout

Will a withdrawal increase the threat of another terrorist attack at home?

Why the Democrats Are Happy Warriors

The party tries to move forward with five big ideas

The Perils of the Permanent Campaign

Can the public live with an adminstration that is cutting corners and ignoring the details?

Searching for Saviors in Strange Places

Could Ahmad Chalabi end up running Iraq?

How Bush Should Renovate the West Wing

With 1,200 days left in office, the President needs a Grand New Policy Proposal to take the focus off his second term slump

Let's Have an Antipoverty Caucus

Katrina and Rita offer a chance to rethink societal strategies

Listen to What Katrina Is Saying

The latest natural disaster to hit the Gulf Coast has a message for the entire U.S.

The Danger of Yellow Ribbon Patriotism

Why Cindy Sheehan's Crawford war vigil spurred a long-awaited dialogue on Iraq

Stop Trying to Spin the Iraq War

The Bush Administration needs to stop fighting its critics and figure out how to fight the war

Staying—and Overstaying—the Course

Bush's perseverance can be admirable, but it's time to rethink Iraq

Which Brand Would You Buy?

In the marketplace of politics, two new choices are being tested

Iran's Pragmatic Face

Did Iran benefit most from Bush's Middle East Policy?

Hillary in 2008? No Way!

Why the former First Lady should stay in the Senate

The Perils of Hands-On Diplomacy

An ambitious energy-independence campaign would be boldness of a sort that George W. Bush usually loves

The Blair Legacy: Not Exactly Piffle

Tony Blair's campaign is an odd combination of success and unpopularity

The Next Foreign Headache

The next major hurdle to clear in the Middle East is a Palestinian State

A New Idea for Democrats: Democracy

In focusing too much on the legal process, the party is in danger of losing the people

The Reform Action Figure

Schwarzenegger is going to war against the special interest groups that dominate the Democratic majority in the statehouse.

The Creative Stubbornness of Harry Reid

The Senate Democratic leader keeps the GOP in check

Look Who Has a Shot at the Nobel Peace Prize

If, and it's a big if, Arab democracy flowers, George Bush deserves it

Appointment in Damascus

TIME columnist Joe Klein on the Syrian troop withdrawal and President Assad

The Camel That Came in Second

Anti-terrorism and democracy in Saudi Arabia

The Blink Presidency

Bush's supporters would argue that his instincts seem to be paying off

The Incredible Shrinking Democrats

State of the Union heckling showed desperate state of the Dems

The End of Rose-Petal Fantasies

A less peremptory, more conservative U.S. foreign policy could help solve troubles in Iraq

Playing with Fire

Will President Bush's attempt to confront tyranny with utopian bellicosity be the end of the conservative pendulum swing?

...And Here's How To Do It

President Bush is planning to reform Social Securtiy

Where's the Outrage?

Despite numerous reports of torture, there has been little public outcry over the U.S.'s treatment of prisoners

The Democrats' Hope in the Desert

New minority leader, Nevada Senator Harry Reid, talks to TIME columnist Joe Klein

Is Bush Serious About a New Spy System?

Botching intelligence reform will produce worse intelligence

The President's Real Enemy

Iraq is proving to be a far greater threat to Bush's re-election than John Kerry

Plenty More to Swear About

Bush's security team faces a barrage of criticism as the facts about Iraq come to light

The Secrets of Reagan's Success

Unlike other Presidents, Reagan came to power as the leader of an ideological movement

A Simple Cure for Iraq Fatigue

Kerry and Bush have their plans, but neither is saying anything real

Fighting for the Soul of the Democrats

A new group emerges, home to a more moderate form of moderation

The Perils of a Righteous President

Faith without doubt leads to moral arrogance

Israel's New Normalcy

In comparison to the rest of the Middle East, the Gaza strip is quiet

Does Bush Really Get Us?

Bob Woodward's book presents a President who makes the wrong calculations

Condi: The Problem with Big Thinkers

Rice kept stressing the importance of strategic thinking, but that's what hampers the Administration's foreign policy

Sending Out the Smite Squad

The Bush Administration gets ugly and personal in response to insider critics

Why the "War President" Is Under Fire

Bush's anti-terror policies are dangerously simple

Let's Make a Deal

Joe Klein on Bush's post Saddam plans

It's Time For Extreme Peacekeeping

A new nation-building force might be just what the military needs

How the Unions Killed a Dream

A Philanthropist withdraws his offer to donate $200 million to Detroit's inner city public schools

Dick Cheney, Hard-Liner in Chief

Turf wars, temper tantrums, mysterious leaks—has Bush lost control of his own government?

A Rush to War—Now a Rush Out of One?

Joe Klein on finding an Iraqi exit strategy

Who Is Losing Iraq?

Iraq is our greatest crisis since Vietnam

Who Killed Teach for America?

Joe Klein on the the death of Teach for America

California's Bad Karma

Politics in California has become a dismal proposition. Why?

How Bush Misleads Himself

Bush must get over his self delusions and take responsibility for Iraq

Are Voters in the Mood for an Angry Democrat?

That's the main question at the center of the Dean-Kerry showdown

How the Supremes Redeemed Bush

The conservative court's decisions on homosexuality and affirmative action boost Bush's image with moderates

Why Dean Isn't Going Away

He won the Straight Talk primary; now he needs to show there's substance behind the sizzle

What Is Your Government Not Telling You?

Obfuscation from the Oval Office

To Remake Iraq, Invite the Neighbors Over

To rebuild Iraq, says Joe Klein, Bush must reach out to its neighbors

How to Make the Victory Stick

Can Bush ride his triumph into 2004?

You Remember The Democrats, Don't You?

Joe Klein prods a Democratic Party cattle call

Weapons of Mass Distrust

Why Washington is losing the battle for Arab hearts and minds

The PG-Rated War

War is a force of primal disorder, but we prefer not to see it that way

America Shows Its Colors

Joe Klein on whether victory will make the U.S. humble or arrogant

Two Cheers for the Peacekeepers

Joe Klein on the United Nations

The Poker Player in Chief

Joe Klein argues that the strength of Bush's confidence could be his undoing

Why Not Kill Dictators with Kindness?

Joe Klein on North Korea and the prospect of the Fatal Hug

In Defense of Macaroni and Cheese

Joe Klein on Democrat Richard Gephardt's surprising assets as a candidate

The Blinding Glare of His Certainty

Joe Klein on how Bush's faith shapes his approach to Iraq

How Soccer Moms Became Security Moms

Joe Klein on the half-hearted effort to establish real homeland security

How Israel Is Wrapped Up in Iraq

Joe Klein contends that a stronger Israel is very much embedded in the rationale for war with Iraq

Stealth Warriors From Washington

Elections 2002: In North Carolina, Liddy goes "local" in her bid to beat an ex-Clinton aide