Electronic Pen

John Nichols Infuriating, crude and often dead wrong--the late journalist also could leap across ideological, partisan and personal boundaries.

• Victor Navasky: The Rights of Journalists

Robert Dreyfuss The prospects for Afghanistan's election on Thursday are murky, at best. Not unlike Iraq, the country appears trapped in ethnic and sectarian politics.

Jeremy Scahill The private security company doesn't have a license to operate in Iraq, but the State Department continues to employ Erik Prince's armed mercenaries.

John Nichols If the public option is abandoned, what's left of reform? A healthcare "cure" that does not take on the insurance industry could be worse than the disease.

• Chris Hayes @ Netroots Nation: What Is the Public Option?