Dateline: Des Moines

As I write this, I'm sitting in a hotel room in Des Moines, IA, for an all-hands meeting. Luckily, our meeting is only a few blocks away from the frenzy from the inauguration of Iowa's new governor.

I took a picture out the window when I got here.

I thought this was a bridge over a river, but the morning reveals that it is actually the highway. I guess I should have noticed that when I got here, since we came across that bridge. If you have Google Earth, you can match up these pictures with my exact location.

I only have a few minutes, so here's some quick hits on things that are on my mind.

• The President's speech was very good. He did good to accept responsibility for the problems. I think the plan can work, mostly because it allows our troops to do what they are trained and capable of doing. The new role he's calling for from the Iraqis is also very important.
• This version of the speech would also have been quite acceptable.
• I found one thing about Nancy Pelosi I like, along with several more noteworthy things I don't like.