Roundup

Senator DeMint begins blogging.

Chavez cooperating with China for investment in petroleum production. It strikes me that this is one natural outcome of the hostility of the US and other nations to Chinese direct investment. Remember the outcry when China's CNOOC tried to buy Unocal? Well, if China needs energy and can't invest in the west to assure it, they're going to invest that money somewhere.

McCain for defense spending increases and reforms.

Charlie Cook officially shifts position on whether Giuliani can win the GOP nomination. It's no longer impossible, just unlikely.

New York politicos are refraining from endorsing Giuliani. It seems to me that timing is the question.

Romney says his favorite novel is Battlefield Earth.

Again: politics doesn't have to be all that hard. It's fine for Battlefield Earth to be your favorite book. But it's not fine to admit it! If you are a member of a religion that is not well understood, and which some regard as a similar to a cult, don't associate yourself with scientologists? Is that so hard a rule to remember?

Does Hillary want Gore in the race?

McQ notes the inattention to the DiFi milcon scandal - about which I have not yet written. Shame on me. If you're not aware of it, go over and read it.

Bill Roggio covers events in Iraq here and here.

Sir Ian McKellen explains how he acts: