'Turning the page'

Seven years after George W. Bush proclaimed "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq, President Obama proclaimed a more justifiable benediction to the U.S. venture: "I am announcing that the American combat mission in Iraq has ended."

Cuccinelli blocked

Since taking office in January, state Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has been a whirlwind of conservative activism, leading the legal fight against President Obama's health-care reform and environmental policies and issuing controversial opinions on gay rights and abortion clinics, among others.

Frederick's bike path

Frederick County's urban development area east of Winchester has been touted as a planning model for other localities in the state. Yet these neighborhoods, which grew rapidly during the recent housing boom, lack what many would consider a vital asset in these multi-modal times: a pedestrian or bicycle trail into the city.

Stem cells derailed

Federally financed research into embryonic stem cells has been jeopardized by a U.S. district judge's ruling.

The egg recall

The salmonella outbreak that has sickened hundreds of Americans and prompted the recall of half a billion eggs again lays bare the flaws in the nation's food safety system.

Tax cut witching hour

The approach of the midterm elections makes Congress unlikely to do much more than indulge in even greater partisan sparring, but one major issue -- the expiration of the Bush tax cuts -- demands action or tax rates will revert to their 2000 levels.

Anticlimactic result

That "political corruption crime spree" federal prosecutors accused Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich of sounds more like false advertising after a jury failed to convict him on the most serious charges.

James J. Kilpatrick

James J. Kilpatrick, who died Sunday at age 89, was an eloquent, forceful advocate of conservatism throughout a journalistic career that spanned half a century.

Polarizing comment

Del. Todd Gilbert's appearance last weekend before Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers Expo was startling in its partisan tone. As the Daily reported, Gilbert, R-Woodstock, told the group the biggest problem facing agriculture is changing the outlook of urban legislators who blame farmers for all the problems in the Chesapeake Bay.

Gay rights victory

Supporters of gay rights achieved a significant, albeit probably temporary, victory Wednesday when a federal judge in San Francisco struck down California's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriages.