One of things I've come to appreciate about BlogHer over the past year is the fact that there are so many women in our community who offer expert analyses of current events that I rarely see anywhere else. Right now, as Bush administration officials scramble to sell their plan to send 21,000 more troops to Iraq in the face of ongoing Congressional opposition, I've come to depend on the insights that some of those experts have to offer.

For example, veteran international affairs reporter Laura Rozen has become an indispensable guide to what I ought to be reading. In the last few days, she's had me wondering whether Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' announcement the the federal government will now comply with the law requiring that it seek court orders for wiretaps is a "ruse." Also, check out her live blog of part of the Senate hearing where Gonzales made his statement:

11:15am: Sen. Russell Feingold up. (paraphrased): what happened to all those inflammatory justifications for the terrorism surveillance program not being able to be submitted to FISA oversight? ...

Gonzales: Just check out the blogs today. Lots of people who think there should be no surveillance....

Feingold: (paraphrased) Falsely accusing the majority of this committee of opposing the surveilling of terrorists is not going to serve you well with this committee.