O:9:"magpierss":18:{s:6:"parser";i:0;s:12:"current_item";a:0:{}s:5:"items";a:20:{i:0;a:8:{s:5:"title";s:18:" Air Force Adrift ";s:4:"link";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/20/AR2008062002658.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:4:"guid";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/20/AR2008062002658.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:7:"pubdate";s:29:"Sat, 21 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT";s:11:"description";s:1013:" SLOWLY AND painfully, the U.S. Army has adapted itself to the unconventional wars the country has faced since Sept. 11, 2001. Following a reorganization of forces, a rewrite of doctrine and the emergence of new commanders such as Gen. David H. Petraeus, American ground troops are winning counterinsurgency wars in Iraq and eastern Afghanistan -- and are recognized as state-of-the-art by NATO allies. In contrast, the U.S. Air Force, which dominated the 1990s with its smart bombs and stealth planes, has lost its way in the new century. Its top leaders have remained stubbornly focused on the production of advanced tactical aircraft such as the F-22 Raptor, which has not flown a single mission in Iraq, while failing to provide adequate numbers of the unmanned aircraft that are crucial to American success in the new wars. Air Force commanders allowed two inexcusable breaches of nuclear security, in which warheads were flown across the country by mistake and bomb fuses were mistakenly shipped to Taiwan. ";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:4:"Post";}s:8:"category";s:237:"AirForceAdriftBoeing CompanyU.S. Air ForceRobert GatesJohn McCainIraqNorthrop Grumman CorporationNATONorton A. SchwartzAfghanistanAirbus SASLockheed/Boeing F-22 RaptorTaiwanU.S. Government Accountability OfficeU.S. Transportation Command";s:7:"summary";s:1013:" SLOWLY AND painfully, the U.S. Army has adapted itself to the unconventional wars the country has faced since Sept. 11, 2001. Following a reorganization of forces, a rewrite of doctrine and the emergence of new commanders such as Gen. David H. Petraeus, American ground troops are winning counterinsurgency wars in Iraq and eastern Afghanistan -- and are recognized as state-of-the-art by NATO allies. In contrast, the U.S. Air Force, which dominated the 1990s with its smart bombs and stealth planes, has lost its way in the new century. Its top leaders have remained stubbornly focused on the production of advanced tactical aircraft such as the F-22 Raptor, which has not flown a single mission in Iraq, while failing to provide adequate numbers of the unmanned aircraft that are crucial to American success in the new wars. Air Force commanders allowed two inexcusable breaches of nuclear security, in which warheads were flown across the country by mistake and bomb fuses were mistakenly shipped to Taiwan. ";}i:1;a:8:{s:5:"title";s:16:" Less Demanding ";s:4:"link";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/20/AR2008062002659.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:4:"guid";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/20/AR2008062002659.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:7:"pubdate";s:29:"Sat, 21 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT";s:11:"description";s:378:" NOT ALL the news from the energy front is bad. On Thursday, after a U.S.-China economic summit, Beijing announced that it would raise state-controlled gasoline prices by 17 percent, to about $3.06 per gallon. That's still far below what Chinese motorists would be paying if they had to absorb the full effect of global oil price increases, as Americans do -- but it's a start. ";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:4:"Post";}s:8:"category";s:153:"LessDemandingChinaIndiaIndonesiaMalaysiaBeijingDeutsche Bank AGInternational Energy AgencyIranJapanRussiaUnited StatesVenezuelaVietnamEuropeNorth America";s:7:"summary";s:378:" NOT ALL the news from the energy front is bad. On Thursday, after a U.S.-China economic summit, Beijing announced that it would raise state-controlled gasoline prices by 17 percent, to about $3.06 per gallon. That's still far below what Chinese motorists would be paying if they had to absorb the full effect of global oil price increases, as Americans do -- but it's a start. ";}i:2;a:8:{s:5:"title";s:15:" Wrong on WASA ";s:4:"link";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/20/AR2008062002660.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:4:"guid";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/20/AR2008062002660.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:7:"pubdate";s:29:"Sat, 21 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT";s:11:"description";s:597:" IT TAKES a special kind of chutzpah to assert that the office that allowed the biggest government scam in the District's history is best equipped to supervise the spending of an agency with unparalleled financial credentials. It's the same kind of hubris that alleges congressional interference in District affairs when, in fact, the interests being served extend beyond the District's boundaries. Make no mistake: Recent congressional action safeguarding the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority has nothing to do with home rule and everything to do with preserving an important regional partnership. ";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:4:"Post";}s:8:"category";s:156:"WrongonWASAD.C. Water and Sewer AuthorityWashington, DCCarol SchwartzChris Van HollenJim GrahamAnacostia RiverChesapeake BayTwo D.C. CouncilMarylandVirginia";s:7:"summary";s:597:" IT TAKES a special kind of chutzpah to assert that the office that allowed the biggest government scam in the District's history is best equipped to supervise the spending of an agency with unparalleled financial credentials. It's the same kind of hubris that alleges congressional interference in District affairs when, in fact, the interests being served extend beyond the District's boundaries. Make no mistake: Recent congressional action safeguarding the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority has nothing to do with home rule and everything to do with preserving an important regional partnership. ";}i:3;a:8:{s:5:"title";s:27:" A Better Surveillance Law ";s:4:"link";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/19/AR2008061903078.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:4:"guid";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/19/AR2008061903078.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:7:"pubdate";s:29:"Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT";s:11:"description";s:596:" CONGRESSIONAL leaders of both parties should be commended for drafting legislation that brings the country's surveillance laws into the 21st century while protecting civil liberties and preserving important national security prerogatives. The bill is scheduled to be voted on today in the House, and it deserves to pass.<br clear="all"/><a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/wpni.rss/opinions;pos=ad9;tile=9;ad=rss;sz=479x40;ord=252124349240" target="_blank"><img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/wpni.rss/opinions;pos=ad9;tile=9;ad=rss;sz=479x40;ord=252124349240" border="0" vspace="5"></a> ";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:4:"Post";}s:8:"category";s:118:"ABetterSurveillanceLawUnited StatesGeorge W. BushJay RockefellerKit BondRoy BluntSteny HoyerU.S. Department of Justice";s:7:"summary";s:596:" CONGRESSIONAL leaders of both parties should be commended for drafting legislation that brings the country's surveillance laws into the 21st century while protecting civil liberties and preserving important national security prerogatives. The bill is scheduled to be voted on today in the House, and it deserves to pass.<br clear="all"/><a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/wpni.rss/opinions;pos=ad9;tile=9;ad=rss;sz=479x40;ord=252124349240" target="_blank"><img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/wpni.rss/opinions;pos=ad9;tile=9;ad=rss;sz=479x40;ord=252124349240" border="0" vspace="5"></a> ";}i:4;a:8:{s:5:"title";s:30:" The Politics of Spare Change ";s:4:"link";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/19/AR2008061903026.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:4:"guid";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/19/AR2008061903026.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:7:"pubdate";s:29:"Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT";s:11:"description";s:637:" BARACK OBAMA isn't abandoning his pledge to take public financing for the general election campaign because it's in his political interest. Certainly not. He isn't about to become the first candidate since Watergate to run an election fueled entirely with private money because he will be able to raise far more that way than the mere $85 million he'd get if he stuck to his promise -- and with which his Republican opponent, John McCain, will have to make do. No, Mr. Obama, or so he would have you believe, is forgoing the money because he is so committed to public financing. Really, it hurts him more than it hurts Fred Wertheimer. ";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:4:"Post";}s:8:"category";s:89:"ThePoliticsofSpareChangeJohn McCainFred WertheimerDemocracy 21Federal Election Commission";s:7:"summary";s:637:" BARACK OBAMA isn't abandoning his pledge to take public financing for the general election campaign because it's in his political interest. Certainly not. He isn't about to become the first candidate since Watergate to run an election fueled entirely with private money because he will be able to raise far more that way than the mere $85 million he'd get if he stuck to his promise -- and with which his Republican opponent, John McCain, will have to make do. No, Mr. Obama, or so he would have you believe, is forgoing the money because he is so committed to public financing. Really, it hurts him more than it hurts Fred Wertheimer. ";}i:5;a:8:{s:5:"title";s:13:" Easy Riders ";s:4:"link";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/19/AR2008061903230.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:4:"guid";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/19/AR2008061903230.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:7:"pubdate";s:29:"Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT";s:11:"description";s:883:" FAIRFAX COUNTY police officers are getting a free ride from taxpayers in the truest sense of the phrase. As residents struggle with steep gas prices, more than 370 police officers commute to work on the taxpayers' dime. As reported by The Post's Tom Jackman, the county's police department has had no policy governing how officers use patrol cars. Officers often lack personal vehicles, and some have used patrol cars on fishing and hunting trips. The cost to taxpayers of off-duty officers using patrol cars in the 12-month period ending April 30, including gas, maintenance, insurance and tolls, was more than $2.5 million. To his credit, Police Chief David M. Rohrer has reduced the number of take-home cars by more than 100 in the past year and has limited the program mostly to line officers. But new restrictions to the program, which take effect Monday, don't go far enough. ";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:4:"Post";}s:8:"category";s:90:"EasyRidersFairfaxDavid RohrerMontgomery County (Maryland)Prince George's CountyTom Jackman";s:7:"summary";s:883:" FAIRFAX COUNTY police officers are getting a free ride from taxpayers in the truest sense of the phrase. As residents struggle with steep gas prices, more than 370 police officers commute to work on the taxpayers' dime. As reported by The Post's Tom Jackman, the county's police department has had no policy governing how officers use patrol cars. Officers often lack personal vehicles, and some have used patrol cars on fishing and hunting trips. The cost to taxpayers of off-duty officers using patrol cars in the 12-month period ending April 30, including gas, maintenance, insurance and tolls, was more than $2.5 million. To his credit, Police Chief David M. Rohrer has reduced the number of take-home cars by more than 100 in the past year and has limited the program mostly to line officers. But new restrictions to the program, which take effect Monday, don't go far enough. ";}i:6;a:8:{s:5:"title";s:15:" Truce in Gaza ";s:4:"link";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/18/AR2008061802838.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:4:"guid";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/18/AR2008061802838.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:7:"pubdate";s:29:"Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT";s:11:"description";s:811:" ATRUCE between Israel and Hamas was to begin this morning in the Gaza Strip, ending daily barrages of rockets that have terrorized nearby Israeli towns as well as counterstrikes that have killed more than 350 Palestinians this year. In accepting the Egyptian-brokered deal, Israel embraced the least bad of the limited options it has for countering Hamas, which has been turning Gaza into a fortified base for advancing the cause of Islamist extremism in the region -- a cause it shares with Iran. For a while, Israeli civilians will be relieved from having to duck into bomb shelters, and Gazans will be better supplied with food and other essential goods. How long the peace lasts, and whether it does more good than harm, will depend on how well Israel and Hamas's moderate Palestinian rivals use the calm. ";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:4:"Post";}s:8:"category";s:147:"TruceinGazaMahmoud AbbasHamasIsraelEhud OlmertGaza StripWest BankUnited StatesIranJerusalemEgyptHezbollahPalestinian National AuthoritySyriaLebanon";s:7:"summary";s:811:" ATRUCE between Israel and Hamas was to begin this morning in the Gaza Strip, ending daily barrages of rockets that have terrorized nearby Israeli towns as well as counterstrikes that have killed more than 350 Palestinians this year. In accepting the Egyptian-brokered deal, Israel embraced the least bad of the limited options it has for countering Hamas, which has been turning Gaza into a fortified base for advancing the cause of Islamist extremism in the region -- a cause it shares with Iran. For a while, Israeli civilians will be relieved from having to duck into bomb shelters, and Gazans will be better supplied with food and other essential goods. How long the peace lasts, and whether it does more good than harm, will depend on how well Israel and Hamas's moderate Palestinian rivals use the calm. ";}i:7;a:8:{s:5:"title";s:22:" Political Checkpoint ";s:4:"link";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/18/AR2008061802835.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:4:"guid";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/18/AR2008061802835.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:7:"pubdate";s:29:"Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT";s:11:"description";s:700:" CRITICS OF the District's decision to use police checkpoints have reason to question the practice's constitutionality and wonder about its long-term effectiveness. What's wrong is to play down the violence plaguing these troubled neighborhoods. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) and Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier are correct to see the crime problem in Northeast as a true public emergency that warrants new thinking and bold action.<br clear="all"/><a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/wpni.rss/opinions;pos=ad9;tile=9;ad=rss;sz=479x40;ord=252124349427" target="_blank"><img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/wpni.rss/opinions;pos=ad9;tile=9;ad=rss;sz=479x40;ord=252124349427" border="0" vspace="5"></a> ";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:4:"Post";}s:8:"category";s:185:"PoliticalCheckpointWashington, DCAdrian FentyArt SpitzerCathy LanierKathy HendersonMarc FisherAmerican Civil Liberties UnionCouncil of the District of ColumbiaNortheast (Washington, DC)";s:7:"summary";s:700:" CRITICS OF the District's decision to use police checkpoints have reason to question the practice's constitutionality and wonder about its long-term effectiveness. What's wrong is to play down the violence plaguing these troubled neighborhoods. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) and Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier are correct to see the crime problem in Northeast as a true public emergency that warrants new thinking and bold action.<br clear="all"/><a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/wpni.rss/opinions;pos=ad9;tile=9;ad=rss;sz=479x40;ord=252124349427" target="_blank"><img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/wpni.rss/opinions;pos=ad9;tile=9;ad=rss;sz=479x40;ord=252124349427" border="0" vspace="5"></a> ";}i:8;a:8:{s:5:"title";s:19:" That's Classified ";s:4:"link";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/18/AR2008061802834.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:4:"guid";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/18/AR2008061802834.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:7:"pubdate";s:29:"Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT";s:11:"description";s:553:" KNOWLEDGE IS power. But in government, if knowledge isn't shared between agencies and with others to whom the information could be vital, the consequences can be -- and have been -- deadly. The Sept. 11 commission report cited a lack of information-sharing as a contributing factor to the horrific events of that day in 2001. Nearly seven years later, the commission's recommendation for the creation of a "trusted information network" is finally getting some traction, with significant steps taken by the White House and comparable moves in Congress. ";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:4:"Post";}s:8:"category";s:128:"That'sClassifiedGeorge W. BushTed McNamaraJane HarmanThomas H. KeanThe White HouseU.S. Department of Homeland SecurityNew Jersey";s:7:"summary";s:553:" KNOWLEDGE IS power. But in government, if knowledge isn't shared between agencies and with others to whom the information could be vital, the consequences can be -- and have been -- deadly. The Sept. 11 commission report cited a lack of information-sharing as a contributing factor to the horrific events of that day in 2001. Nearly seven years later, the commission's recommendation for the creation of a "trusted information network" is finally getting some traction, with significant steps taken by the White House and comparable moves in Congress. ";}i:9;a:8:{s:5:"title";s:22:" Mr. Zebari's Message ";s:4:"link";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/17/AR2008061702034.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:4:"guid";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/17/AR2008061702034.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:7:"pubdate";s:29:"Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT";s:11:"description";s:518:" SEN. BARACK OBAMA told Iraq's foreign minister this week that he plans to visit the country between now and the presidential election. We think that's a good thing, not because Sen. John McCain has been prodding the candidate to do it but because it will give Mr. Obama an opportunity to refresh his badly outdated plan for Iraq. To do that, the Democrat needs to listen more to dedicated Iraqi leaders like Hoshyar Zebari, the foreign minister -- who, it seems, didn't hold back during their telephone conversation. ";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:4:"Post";}s:8:"category";s:64:"Mr.Zebari'sMessageIraqUnited StatesAl QaedaIranU.S. Armed Forces";s:7:"summary";s:518:" SEN. BARACK OBAMA told Iraq's foreign minister this week that he plans to visit the country between now and the presidential election. We think that's a good thing, not because Sen. John McCain has been prodding the candidate to do it but because it will give Mr. Obama an opportunity to refresh his badly outdated plan for Iraq. To do that, the Democrat needs to listen more to dedicated Iraqi leaders like Hoshyar Zebari, the foreign minister -- who, it seems, didn't hold back during their telephone conversation. ";}i:10;a:8:{s:5:"title";s:21:" The Sky's the Limit ";s:4:"link";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/17/AR2008061702036.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:4:"guid";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/17/AR2008061702036.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:7:"pubdate";s:29:"Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT";s:11:"description";s:607:" SKYROCKETING fuel prices have pushed the financially challenged aviation industry to come up with novel and annoying ways to shake more change out of the pockets of cash-strapped and stressed-out passengers. Want some water? Pay extra. Want headphones? Pay extra. Want some peanuts? Pay extra. The latest nickel-and-diming is the announcement by United Airlines, US Airways and American Airlines that they will start charging fees for a first checked bag. This is on top of hitting air travelers with higher fees for second pieces of checked luggage. Why not look under the seat cushions for loose change? ";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:4:"Post";}s:8:"category";s:99:"TheSky'stheLimitAmerican Airlines Inc.Air Transport AssociationUAL CorporationUS Airways Group Inc.";s:7:"summary";s:607:" SKYROCKETING fuel prices have pushed the financially challenged aviation industry to come up with novel and annoying ways to shake more change out of the pockets of cash-strapped and stressed-out passengers. Want some water? Pay extra. Want headphones? Pay extra. Want some peanuts? Pay extra. The latest nickel-and-diming is the announcement by United Airlines, US Airways and American Airlines that they will start charging fees for a first checked bag. This is on top of hitting air travelers with higher fees for second pieces of checked luggage. Why not look under the seat cushions for loose change? ";}i:11;a:8:{s:5:"title";s:16:" The Oil Future ";s:4:"link";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/17/AR2008061702037.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:4:"guid";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/17/AR2008061702037.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:7:"pubdate";s:29:"Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT";s:11:"description";s:711:" ADEMOCRATIC energy bill has died in the Senate -- and it's probably just as well. For the most part, it was election-year symbolism. Several provisions, such as a Justice Department investigation of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, a windfall profits tax and an end to certain oil industry tax breaks, might have stuck it to alleged culprits, but they would have had little or no impact on prices at the gas pump.<br clear="all"/><a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/wpni.rss/opinions;pos=ad9;tile=9;ad=rss;sz=479x40;ord=252124350480" target="_blank"><img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/wpni.rss/opinions;pos=ad9;tile=9;ad=rss;sz=479x40;ord=252124350480" border="0" vspace="5"></a> ";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:4:"Post";}s:8:"category";s:276:"TheOilFutureUnited StatesCommodity Futures Trading CommissionEuropeLondonMichael MastersChinaIndiaIntercontinentalExchange Inc.Masters Capital Management LLCMexicoNew York Mercantile Exchange Inc.North SeaOPECSaudi ArabiaU.S. Department of JusticeU.S. Federal ReserveVenezuela";s:7:"summary";s:711:" ADEMOCRATIC energy bill has died in the Senate -- and it's probably just as well. For the most part, it was election-year symbolism. Several provisions, such as a Justice Department investigation of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, a windfall profits tax and an end to certain oil industry tax breaks, might have stuck it to alleged culprits, but they would have had little or no impact on prices at the gas pump.<br clear="all"/><a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/wpni.rss/opinions;pos=ad9;tile=9;ad=rss;sz=479x40;ord=252124350480" target="_blank"><img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/wpni.rss/opinions;pos=ad9;tile=9;ad=rss;sz=479x40;ord=252124350480" border="0" vspace="5"></a> ";}i:12;a:8:{s:5:"title";s:15:" Reading Ahead ";s:4:"link";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/16/AR2008061602208.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:4:"guid";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/16/AR2008061602208.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:7:"pubdate";s:29:"Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT";s:11:"description";s:439:" THE LATEST study on the impact of vouchers for D.C. students is sure to be read through a prism. Supporters of the scholarship program will see a glass half-full, opponents one half-empty. We prefer the characterization of the federal researcher who directed the exhaustive study: "promising findings" but no slam-dunk. And that's why it would be wrong for Congress to abort a program whose potential is still being studied and realized. ";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:4:"Post";}s:8:"category";s:153:"ReadingAheadWashington, DCEleanor Holmes NortonGeorge W. BushGrover WhitehurstJoseph LiebermanU.S. Education Department's Institute of Education Sciences";s:7:"summary";s:439:" THE LATEST study on the impact of vouchers for D.C. students is sure to be read through a prism. Supporters of the scholarship program will see a glass half-full, opponents one half-empty. We prefer the characterization of the federal researcher who directed the exhaustive study: "promising findings" but no slam-dunk. And that's why it would be wrong for Congress to abort a program whose potential is still being studied and realized. ";}i:13;a:8:{s:5:"title";s:18:" A Friend in Need ";s:4:"link";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/16/AR2008061602207.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:4:"guid";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/16/AR2008061602207.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:7:"pubdate";s:29:"Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT";s:11:"description";s:869:" SEEKING TO refinance his Delaware beach house in 2004, Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) did what any ordinary property owner in his position would have done. On the advice of his friend James A. Johnson, who also happened to be the former chief executive officer of mortgage giant Fannie Mae, he called Angelo Mozilo, the CEO of Countrywide Financial. Soon Mr. Conrad had a $1.07 million loan -- at a discount, personally ordered for him by Mr. Mozilo, of $10,500 in fees. A few weeks later, Mr. Conrad was back in touch with Countrywide, this time to refinance his eight-unit apartment building in Bismarck, N.D. Countrywide normally does not lend on properties with more than four units, but, on Mr. Mozilo's orders, Mr. Conrad got $96,000. Clearly, it's good to be a senator, and it's good to be a "Friend of Angelo" -- as favored VIP borrowers were known at Countrywide. ";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:4:"Post";}s:8:"category";s:159:"AFriendinNeedBismarckConnecticutAlphonso JacksonBethany (Oklahoma)Christopher DoddDonna ShalalaFranklin D. RainesRichard HolbrookeFannie MaeMr. Conrad's Senate";s:7:"summary";s:869:" SEEKING TO refinance his Delaware beach house in 2004, Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) did what any ordinary property owner in his position would have done. On the advice of his friend James A. Johnson, who also happened to be the former chief executive officer of mortgage giant Fannie Mae, he called Angelo Mozilo, the CEO of Countrywide Financial. Soon Mr. Conrad had a $1.07 million loan -- at a discount, personally ordered for him by Mr. Mozilo, of $10,500 in fees. A few weeks later, Mr. Conrad was back in touch with Countrywide, this time to refinance his eight-unit apartment building in Bismarck, N.D. Countrywide normally does not lend on properties with more than four units, but, on Mr. Mozilo's orders, Mr. Conrad got $96,000. Clearly, it's good to be a senator, and it's good to be a "Friend of Angelo" -- as favored VIP borrowers were known at Countrywide. ";}i:14;a:8:{s:5:"title";s:16:" Under Pressure ";s:4:"link";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/16/AR2008061602211.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:4:"guid";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/16/AR2008061602211.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:7:"pubdate";s:29:"Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT";s:11:"description";s:327:" THE PIPE THAT broke in upper Montgomery County, disrupting water service and inconveniencing thousands yesterday, should be fixed by the time you read this editorial, according to officials. The larger problem -- an aging water and sewer infrastructure that receives insufficient financial support -- won't be so easy to fix. ";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:4:"Post";}s:8:"category";s:150:"UnderPressureWashington Suburban Sanitary CommissionPrince George's CountyMontgomeryMontgomery County (Maryland)American Water Works AssociationMexico";s:7:"summary";s:327:" THE PIPE THAT broke in upper Montgomery County, disrupting water service and inconveniencing thousands yesterday, should be fixed by the time you read this editorial, according to officials. The larger problem -- an aging water and sewer infrastructure that receives insufficient financial support -- won't be so easy to fix. ";}i:15;a:8:{s:5:"title";s:29:" 'Aggressive Action at Home' ";s:4:"link";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/15/AR2008061501351.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:4:"guid";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/15/AR2008061501351.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:7:"pubdate";s:29:"Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT";s:11:"description";s:810:" A29-MEMBER independent task force of the Council on Foreign Relations released a report Friday that adds another authoritative voice to the clamor for U.S. leadership on climate change. Co-chaired by former New York governor George E. Pataki (R) and former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack (D), the bipartisan document makes an argument that has fallen on deaf ears at the White House. "As the United States takes increasingly aggressive action at home," the authors correctly note, "it will be in a stronger position to ask more of others."<br clear="all"/><a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/wpni.rss/opinions;pos=ad9;tile=9;ad=rss;sz=479x40;ord=252124350649" target="_blank"><img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/wpni.rss/opinions;pos=ad9;tile=9;ad=rss;sz=479x40;ord=252124350649" border="0" vspace="5"></a> ";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:4:"Post";}s:8:"category";s:227:"'AggressiveActionatHome'United StatesGeorge W. BushU.S Council on Foreign RelationsGeorge PatakiTom VilsackChinaEuropean UnionIndiaIntergovernmental Panel on Climate ChangeKyoto ProtocolThe White HouseIowaNew YorkWashington, DC";s:7:"summary";s:810:" A29-MEMBER independent task force of the Council on Foreign Relations released a report Friday that adds another authoritative voice to the clamor for U.S. leadership on climate change. Co-chaired by former New York governor George E. Pataki (R) and former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack (D), the bipartisan document makes an argument that has fallen on deaf ears at the White House. "As the United States takes increasingly aggressive action at home," the authors correctly note, "it will be in a stronger position to ask more of others."<br clear="all"/><a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/wpni.rss/opinions;pos=ad9;tile=9;ad=rss;sz=479x40;ord=252124350649" target="_blank"><img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/wpni.rss/opinions;pos=ad9;tile=9;ad=rss;sz=479x40;ord=252124350649" border="0" vspace="5"></a> ";}i:16;a:8:{s:5:"title";s:26:" Power Grab in Montgomery ";s:4:"link";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/15/AR2008061501350.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:4:"guid";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/15/AR2008061501350.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:7:"pubdate";s:29:"Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT";s:11:"description";s:190:" ISIAH LEGGETT, the Montgomery County executive, is proving to have no more backbone than his predecessor, Douglas M. Duncan, in standing up to the county's powerful public employee unions. ";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:3:"   ";}s:8:"category";s:114:"PowerGrabinMontgomeryMontgomeryIsiah LeggettDouglas M. DuncanMontgomery County (Maryland)Stephen B. FarberMaryland";s:7:"summary";s:190:" ISIAH LEGGETT, the Montgomery County executive, is proving to have no more backbone than his predecessor, Douglas M. Duncan, in standing up to the county's powerful public employee unions. ";}i:17;a:8:{s:5:"title";s:24:" Pickup for the Potomac ";s:4:"link";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/15/AR2008061501353.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:4:"guid";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/15/AR2008061501353.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:7:"pubdate";s:29:"Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT";s:11:"description";s:667:" WEBSTER'S defines litter as "things lying about in disorder, esp., bits of rubbish scattered about." It's hard to reconcile that almost benign description with the monumental problems caused by what people think it's okay to discard in public places. Consider, for instance, the yield of this year's Potomac River watershed cleanup in April: 285 tons -- yes, that's tons -- of trash that included the ubiquitous food wrappers and cigarette butts but also a trampoline, some toilets, a 100-pound safe and hundreds of tires. The cost to governments -- not to mention the environment -- is enormous, and that's why an upcoming regional summit on trash is so important. ";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:4:"Post";}s:8:"category";s:173:"PickupforthePotomacAlice Ferguson FoundationAnacostia RiverMetropolitan Washington Council of GovernmentsPotomac RiverMarylandPennsylvaniaVirginiaWest VirginiaWashington, DC";s:7:"summary";s:667:" WEBSTER'S defines litter as "things lying about in disorder, esp., bits of rubbish scattered about." It's hard to reconcile that almost benign description with the monumental problems caused by what people think it's okay to discard in public places. Consider, for instance, the yield of this year's Potomac River watershed cleanup in April: 285 tons -- yes, that's tons -- of trash that included the ubiquitous food wrappers and cigarette butts but also a trampoline, some toilets, a 100-pound safe and hundreds of tires. The cost to governments -- not to mention the environment -- is enormous, and that's why an upcoming regional summit on trash is so important. ";}i:18;a:8:{s:5:"title";s:25:" A Partnership With Iraq ";s:4:"link";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/14/AR2008061401448.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:4:"guid";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/14/AR2008061401448.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:7:"pubdate";s:29:"Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT";s:11:"description";s:706:" THOUGH IT was hardly noticed in Washington, Iraq's Shiite-led government sent a powerful message to Iran and to the Middle East last week. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, whose coalition is often portrayed as an Iranian client, traveled to Tehran for a meeting with supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The ayatollah bluntly declared that Iraq's "most important problem" was the continuing presence of U.S. troops. He pressured Mr. Maliki to stop negotiating a package of agreements with the Bush administration that would delineate a "strategic framework" between Iraq and the United States and provide for the deployment of U.S. forces beyond the expiration of a U.N. mandate at the end of this year. ";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:4:"Post";}s:8:"category";s:186:"APartnershipWithIraqIraqUnited StatesIranGeorge W. BushMiddle EastJapanAyatollah Ali KhameneiTehranSouth KoreaUnited NationsBarack ObamaJames WebbJohn McCainNouri al-MalikiWashington, DC";s:7:"summary";s:706:" THOUGH IT was hardly noticed in Washington, Iraq's Shiite-led government sent a powerful message to Iran and to the Middle East last week. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, whose coalition is often portrayed as an Iranian client, traveled to Tehran for a meeting with supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The ayatollah bluntly declared that Iraq's "most important problem" was the continuing presence of U.S. troops. He pressured Mr. Maliki to stop negotiating a package of agreements with the Bush administration that would delineate a "strategic framework" between Iraq and the United States and provide for the deployment of U.S. forces beyond the expiration of a U.N. mandate at the end of this year. ";}i:19;a:8:{s:5:"title";s:25:" Mr. Gilmore's Candidacy ";s:4:"link";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/14/AR2008061401445.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:4:"guid";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/14/AR2008061401445.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:7:"pubdate";s:29:"Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT";s:11:"description";s:898:" FOR THOSE many thousands of Virginia residents who are new to the state or are newly of voting age, it must have seemed a strange spectacle that former Republican governor James S. Gilmore III -- who also served a stint as his party's national chairman -- scarcely managed to eke out a victory the other day against a relatively obscure Northern Virginia state delegate to become the GOP's nominee for the U.S. Senate. It may seem odder still to watch prominent fellow Republicans either endorse Mr. Gilmore's Democratic opponent in the Senate race, former governor Mark R. Warner, or go mute when asked whom they support.<br clear="all"/><a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/wpni.rss/opinions;pos=ad9;tile=9;ad=rss;sz=479x40;ord=252124350837" target="_blank"><img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/wpni.rss/opinions;pos=ad9;tile=9;ad=rss;sz=479x40;ord=252124350837" border="0" vspace="5"></a> ";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:4:"Post";}s:8:"category";s:192:"Mr.Gilmore'sCandidacyVirginiaMark WarnerU.S. SenateRichmondNorthern VirginiaGeorge AllenHerbert HooverParris GlendeningU.S. Republican PartyWoodrow Wilson Memorial BridgeMarylandWashington, DC";s:7:"summary";s:898:" FOR THOSE many thousands of Virginia residents who are new to the state or are newly of voting age, it must have seemed a strange spectacle that former Republican governor James S. Gilmore III -- who also served a stint as his party's national chairman -- scarcely managed to eke out a victory the other day against a relatively obscure Northern Virginia state delegate to become the GOP's nominee for the U.S. Senate. It may seem odder still to watch prominent fellow Republicans either endorse Mr. Gilmore's Democratic opponent in the Senate race, former governor Mark R. Warner, or go mute when asked whom they support.<br clear="all"/><a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/wpni.rss/opinions;pos=ad9;tile=9;ad=rss;sz=479x40;ord=252124350837" target="_blank"><img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/wpni.rss/opinions;pos=ad9;tile=9;ad=rss;sz=479x40;ord=252124350837" border="0" vspace="5"></a> ";}}s:7:"channel";a:6:{s:5:"title";s:31:"washingtonpost.com - Editorials";s:4:"link";s:101:"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/linkset/2005/05/30/LI2005053000331.html?nav=rss_opinions";s:11:"description";s:205:"Get Washington Post editorials and op-ed columns. Features opinion columns on DC, national and international news, politics, elections, campaigns and government. Visit www.washingtonpost.com/opinion today.";s:8:"language";s:5:"en-us";s:3:"ttl";s:2:"15";s:7:"tagline";s:205:"Get Washington Post editorials and op-ed columns. Features opinion columns on DC, national and international news, politics, elections, campaigns and government. Visit www.washingtonpost.com/opinion today.";}s:9:"textinput";a:0:{}s:5:"image";a:5:{s:5:"title";s:18:"washingtonpost.com";s:5:"width";s:3:"140";s:6:"height";s:2:"20";s:4:"link";s:37:"http://www.washingtonpost.com?nav=rss";s:3:"url";s:60:"http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/hp/image/wp_web.gif ";}s:9:"feed_type";s:3:"RSS";s:12:"feed_version";s:3:"2.0";s:5:"stack";a:0:{}s:9:"inchannel";b:0;s:6:"initem";b:0;s:9:"incontent";b:0;s:11:"intextinput";b:0;s:7:"inimage";b:0;s:13:"current_field";s:0:"";s:17:"current_namespace";b:0;s:5:"ERROR";s:0:"";s:19:"_CONTENT_CONSTRUCTS";a:6:{i:0;s:7:"content";i:1;s:7:"summary";i:2;s:4:"info";i:3;s:5:"title";i:4;s:7:"tagline";i:5;s:9:"copyright";}}