Fantastic / horrific dust-jacket artwork.

"the more disillusioned Labour supporters who follow in [John Kampfner's] path, the worse it will be for Gordon Brown". All true (though Adam's assertion that Kampfner's constituency of Holborn and St Pancras is safe is dodgy - the Lib Dems need only a 5% swing).

Fascinating in-depth profile of Rahm Emanuel, "the provocative and profane White House chief of staff".

"If you are not interested in the nexus of power and money in British politics, and in whether the people at the top keep their word, it seems to me you ought not to bother being a journalist (or edit a newspaper). This is without question a big story, and I am surprised to see the Telegraph and the Mail bury it on inside pages."

The lowlights low-down on the Tories' annus horribilis to date.

"... in the build-up to the election Clegg's pro-European, anti-Westminster, redistributive liberalism gives him an authentic and distinctive voice. At least he knows his voice will be heard when not so long ago it seemed as if he'd be drowned out by the clamour of the two bigger parties. We will have to wait and see whether he will take it, but he has a chance."

A call for libertarian bloggers to grapple with the Big Issues - education, foreign policy, social services - and drop their alcohol/gambling/smoking "get out of my room Mom!" obsessions.

A great summing up: "When it came to Iraq, Tony Blair was a combination of passionate conviction and cavalier disregard for detail. It was that fatal marriage which explains so much of what went so wrong."

A generous and well deserved post about Duncan on his 50th birthday.

Snow, schools and public liability: "We are witnessing, not the elimination of risk (that’s impossible), but the privatisation of it."