The New York Clowns

It's tempting to wonder what sort of tributes world leaders would be preparing for the Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat if during the negotiations that grew out of the Camp David meeting in 2000, he had somehow found the courage to say yes to Ehud Barak and Bill Clinton. Would we be documenting the life of the father of a nation, the man who, through a singular act of statesmanship, signed off on a final agreement that established an independent Palestinian state on almost all the land occupied by Israel in 1967? It is not often in history that someone's legacy can come down to one single defining moment, to one single critical choice. But such is the story of Mr. Arafat's life, and it is almost unbearably disappointing that four years ago, faced with the admittedly difficult choice of saying yes to Israel, Mr. Arafat said no.

The Man Who Refused to Say Yes
The New York Times
Editorial

If Democrats want to know how to win again, they have a model. It's the British Labor Party.

Time to Get Religion
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
The New York Times

The fact is that if you think we are safer now, you probably voted for Bush.

The Values-Vote Myth
By DAVID BROOKS
The New York Times