MICHAEL YON and Herschel Smith both think it’s time to leave Afghanistan, though for different reasons. Well, you can’t fix Afghanistan without fixing Pakistan, and nobody seems to have the stomach for that. At least, nobody in charge.

TEN YEARS AGO ON INSTAPUNDIT: “Rumsfeld isn’t just the Secretary of Defense. He’s the reincarnation of Perry White, giving journalists hell for not doing their jobs.” For which they inevitably sought revenge.

AT AMAZON, up to 60% off in Sports & Outdoors.

NOTHING TO SEE HERE, MOVE ALONG: After Feds In Hollywood-Allied Administration Jail Founder, Megaupload Drops Suit Against Universal.

SEVERING TIES: Political consultants quickly fire arrested man.

A Des Moines man arrested Friday on charges he attempted to illegally use the identity of Iowa Secretary of State Matt Schultz had campaigned for President Barack Obama during the 2008 election cycle.

In addition, Zach Edwards, 29, was employed until Friday by a local political consulting firm well connected to Iowa Democrats.

Edwards was arrested on charges alleging he fraudulently used or attempted to use the identity of Schultz, a Republican, or Schultz’s brother, Thomas, with the intent to obtain a benefit. The alleged scheme was intended to falsely implicate Secretary Schultz in perceived illegal or unethical behavior while in office, according to a news release from the Iowa Department of Public Safety.

I wonder who his lawyer is.

AT AMAZON, markdowns in the Automotive Outlet.

Also, up to 58% off on Blu-Ray. Including Blu-Ray releases under $10.

DAVID BARON, CALL YOUR OFFICE (CONT’D): Extinct? Cougar sightings on the rise in eastern United States.

INDEED: “Christopher Dodd has learned something in the last few weeks about how the internet works in a democracy. I suspect he’s about to learn a whole lot more.”

AT THE TOP OF THE HOUR, Amy Alkon will be talking about sex and relationships.

READER TREVOR DAHL ON KEYSTONE: “Remember just a couple of years ago when all the ‘experts’ were telling us that exploring for oil was futile because it would take at least ten years to bring it to market? Now that the oil has actually been produced in places like Alberta and North Dakota, they’re reduced to denying the construction of pipelines.”

MAYORS AGAINST ILLEGAL GUNS: Let’s put aside that “tired debate” that we lost and debate something else where we hope we can win.

How about let’s talk about the propensity for members of this group to be felons, which far exceeds the propensity for felony among people with handgun carry permits? Oh, wait . . . .

CHANGE: Controversial Killer-Flu Research Halted. “The moratorium, announced Jan. 20 in Nature and Science, is a response to public fear and alarm in the scientific community, which has split over whether the research could inadvertently lead to release of a nightmare disease.” Well, if we’re going to have a universal flu vaccine in a couple of years, why not wait just in case?

JUDGE RULES VERMONT can’t force nuclear plant shutdown.

Well, they’re going to need it: As Price Of Oil Surges, Many Shiver. “While natural gas prices have plummeted to 10-year lows, heating oil prices have been steadily rising for years and are expected to reach record levels this winter, precipitated by higher costs for crude oil and the shutdown of several crucial refineries in the Northeast and in Europe. The Energy Department projects a price of $3.79 a gallon over the next few months, more than a dollar above the winter average for the last five years. Analysts do not expect much relief in the longer term, either, because global oil prices are expected to stay high amid political instability in the Middle East and rising demand from developing countries.”

IOWA OBAMA-STAFFER IDENTITY-THEFT STORY: Bigger than the South Carolina primary? “You will recall that ACORN and other Democratic satelites organized a campaign a couple of years back to install their allies in Secretary of State offices in as many key states as possible. Such officials are responsible for enforcing – or not enforcing – state election laws. Being a Republican, Schultz represented an obstacle to the plan. Could that be why Edwards sought to, according to the Des Moines Register, falsify Schultz indentity in an effort to implicate him in a scandal that would result in his possible removal from office or defeat in the next election?” (Bumped).

BIG HOLLYWOOD: Disney CEO Iger’s pay up 12 pct to $31.4M in 2011.

RANDY BARNETT: Commandeering the People to Avoid Taxation (And Some Other Thoughts).

IN THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, a very nice review of Austin Bay’s book on Kemal Ataturk.

SOUNDING A LITTLE DESPERATE HERE: If You Vote Republican, Mommy Won’t Love You Anymore.

And isn’t the way it’s phrased kinda . . . homophobic?

Also: Carter Eskew peddling a lie?

A BEAUTY/FASHION BLOG: Into The Gloss.

GABBY GIFFORDS to step down from Congress.

THE YEAR THE ZOMBIE jumped the shark. From the comments: “You may be sick of zombies, but they’ll always find you to be attractive and tasty. Don’t you feel loved?”

Some think it’s important to prepare. Others think you should broaden your focus.

21ST CENTURY RELATIONSHIPS: I Want To Get Over My Fear Of Cuddling.

TURNING THE MUSTANG RANCH into “the Ritz-Carlton of brothels.”

ELECTRIC-CAR PARKING SPOTS: Just a subsidy for the 1%? Well, that’s how “green” stuff usually turns out, isn’t it?

BILL MAHER: Yes, I’m just a yes-man for Big Entertainment. Duh. From the comments: “Maher is just siding with his Hollywood masters on this one. He’ll jump when he needs to like any good TV monkey.” Is there a bigger phony on TV?