I'll have the political post d'jour, please.

A Lump of Coal From the President (washingtonpost.com) Much the same thing is happening in the armed services. Recruitment has not become easier since 9/11 -- another great difference from Pearl Harbor. The draft is long gone, and what was once a military reflective of the whole society is now made up largely of those with backgrounds that narrow their prospects and reduce their options. As my friend, columnist Mark Shields, pointed out recently, when Congress authorized the use of force in Iraq, not a single member of the House and only one senator had a son or daughter serving in the enlisted ranks of the armed services. And only three House members have children who are officers