Alan Fisher

Romney's bullying regret?

Now most of us would not like to be judged as adults by how we behaved in high school. There are moments many of us would choose to forget.

However, for some, those moments are still seared into the memory, an instant replay to make us feel awkward, uncomfortable or sad.

Mitt Romney is now facing allegations about his high school behaviour; how he would shout out 'atta girl' when a 'closeted gay student' answered in class, or how he walked a blind teacher into a door, 'laughing hysterically' at the outcome according to the Washington Post.

But then there is also an alleged attack on John Lauber.

According to the Post, Romney was incensed when Lauber turned up one day with dyed blonde hair.

A group, led by Romney, is then said to have pinned him to the ground.

Despite the screams for help and the tears in his eyes, Romney then cut his hair with a pair of scissors.

Romney ready to run

Mitt Romney is now talking and acting like the Republican Party’s presidential nominee. He hasn’t won all the delegates he needs, but failing a catastrophic turn of events, he will be the man to face Barack Obama in November.

He still has a number of primaries to negotiate, including those in big states like Texas and California. Romney should win them all handsomely. Ron Paul says he’ll stay in the race until the party’s convention in August but Newt Gingrich is expected to drop out next week, with an endorsement for Romney.

Republicans, who have for so long been cold to Romney and hoped someone else may step into the contest, now seem to accept that while he may not have been their first choice to beat Obama, he is now the only one. The remaining contests are about him taking a victory lap, raising money and strengthening his organisation in battleground states.

Going, Going, Gingrich

The word most critics use about Newt Gingrich is arrogant.

The former Speaker of the US House of Representatives wears the label easily.

The self appointed "best debater in the Republican Party" believes he has an exceptional mind, is able to think big and is the best qualified man around at the moment to be President of the United States.

His run at the nomination hasn't been simple. He launched his campaign last summer and then lost most of his senior campaign staff, who thought that while he was off enjoying a Greek cruise with his wife, perhaps he wasn't fully committed to winning.

Strong debate performances helped throw him to the front of the Republican field.  He could boast two certain qualifications to the party faithful: he was a conservative and he wasn't Mitt Romney.  

With little financial backing, the free TV exposure of the debates also helped him enormously.  

US counts the cost in Afghanistan

After spending billions to help the Taliban beat the Russians, America famously decided it was "game over" in Afghanistan and it no longer needed to pour money into the country.

Former Texas Congressman Charlie Wilson, who had led the drive to fund Russia's enemies thought the Soviet withdrawal, presented a golden opportunity. But his idea of funding education in a largely illiterate nation gained no support; it was too expensive.

The Soviets, having lost huge sums of money and large numbers of soldiers fighting what, for them, became an un-winnable war, got out of Afghanistan in a hurry leaving behind a hugely under-resourced government.

The country collapsed into another bloody civil war. The Taliban triumphed with the help of foreign fighters and money and soon became home to al-Qaeda.

Now, 10 years in, the US is convinced the longest war in its history has damaged the Taliban and virtually routed al-Qaeda.