We're now hearing a terrific panel on the Middle East, feturing Helene Cooper, Daniel Levy, Ellen Laipson and Daniel Kurtzer. We're an hour in, and we've heard some really interesting perspectives on the the Israel-Palestine conflict and the nuclear threat in Iran. But what we have not heard is one word on Iraq. Nor on Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Sudan, or any other country in the region....

The subtitle of the conference is "forging a New Vision for Foreign Policy and International Security." That's a worthy goal, and one I share -- but the panelists don't seem to necessarily be "new." The lineup is heavy on veterans of the Clinton and Carter Administrations (and one token Reaganista) and not very much on the people who may be generating policy at the sub-cabinet level in future Administrations. There are a few "younger" folks like Daniel Levy and Cathy Zoi (and at age 45 I define younger differently than you might), but for the most part it's the old guard.

Don't get me wrong -- I'm always interested in hearing what Madeleine Albright, Tom Daschle, Zbigniew Brzezinski, and Sandy Berger have to say. And to the credit of those who have spoken so far this morning, they are putting forward some new ideas. But wouldn't it also be interesting to hear from the next generation of leaders -- folks like Dan Feldman, Rosa Brooks, Harold Hongju Koh, and Anita Sharma.

Anne E. Kornblut and Matthew Mosk of The Washington Post , take an in-depth look at a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll that shows Senator Hillary Clinton holding a 15 point lead over Senator Barack Obama, her closest rival for the Democratic Party nomination.

Over the years, depending on where I lived, my morning commutes have been quite diverse. My first job, as a sports editor at a small daily newspaper in Michigan, involved about an eight-block walk to the office. Another post, at a small liberal arts university, included about a four-mile round trip in my 1979 Cutlass.