By Jamie Stiehm, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Hawaii and Alaska came late to statehood in 1959, but our two youngest states produced the two new shining stars on opposing party tickets in the 2008 presidential election. A year later, now look at 'em: high in the skies of two different Americas.

Hawaii gave us President Barack Obama, of course. Alaska's gift to the Lower 48 will forever be Sarah Palin, author of a rambling tome titled Going Rogue: An American Life, published this week. The former Alaska governor, Palin was the Republican vice presidential nominee, chosen by Sen. John McCain as his running mate.

There we have it: the President and the Rogue. Quite a pair as far apart as, well, Alaska and Hawaii.

By Jamie Stiehm, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Let's get real about the Army and Afghanistan. Now's not the season to study more war.

Let me count the ways, saving the Fort Hood tragedy for last.

Clearly, the Army has suffered enough in the Iraq War—so has the nation and the world since 2003. The president of peace, Barack Obama, has a historic opening to close out two conflicts started by the bellicose George W. Bush. The 43rd president's fingerprints are all over these scenes; let him own the failures in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Nor is this a matter of sending 35,000 or 40,000 troops to take care of the problems in Afghanistan. Guess what: All those troops mean another 10 years on the ground (at least). Those troops cost more money and resources than our distressed economy can afford right now. We have lost so many lives—more than 5,000—in these cruel winters of war.

By Jamie Stiehm, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Halloween's all the rage—and I don't mean the sweet young set of trick-or-treaters. I mean with grown men and women everywhere. Somehow you're never too old and dignified to get into a Halloween costume for a party.

So here's my designer dream Halloween party, set for midnight tomorrow at home in Washington. Quite a cast of characters, mostly political because, well, politics is what we do here. It's all we know.

Let's start with the obvious: the three Bushmen—George 41, George 43, and Jeb—are naturals as the three Macbeth witches with the boiling cauldron. Theatrically, they ask when the three of them shall meet again—in Florida, Texas, or in Maine?

By Jamie Stiehm, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Colleague Mary Kate Cary sent a black and white bouquet of words George Herbert Walker Bush's way this week, praising President Obama for speaking at the former president's library to honor his charitable initiative, A Thousand Points of Light, and salute his public service. She said she had worked for the elder Bush and loved him very much.

The personal element is what caught my eye, as that lies at the heart of the Bush way of doing business. Everything is personal if your name is George Bush, father or son. The loyalty gene runs deep in this American dynasty, which has cost our country dearly.

By Jamie Stiehm, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

True Compass, the late Sen. Edward Kennedy's riveting memoir, recently topped the New York Times Best Sellers list, I reminded myself on the ferry from his hometown, Hyannis Port, to Nantucket in the midst of an October nor'easter.

So something seemed right with the world in Massachusetts, though the coast wasn't clear enough to see the horizon. John F. Kennedy liked to say you could see Ireland across the ocean, but not that day.

Yes, I scan the Best Sellers seriously as cultural signposts—but the news ain't all good. "The List" is just as divided in a crazy-quilt pattern, just as vicious and heartwarming (in patches and squares) as we the American people.

By Jamie Stiehm, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

President Barack Obama saved Wall Street from the brink and won the Nobel Peace Prize, but hold the champagne. How he addresses Main Street's glum joblessness will swing how an anxious America judges his performance. Not even winning at war or peace matters as much; work is where people live.

Interesting times call for bold measures—and I for one am ready to re-invent the Works Progress Administration for our era. The WPA, established as a government agency under the watchful eye of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, was just the thing then in 1935—providing a tremendous lift to 8.5 million who sought work, along with a lasting legacy in the arts and civic infrastructure.

By Jamie Stiehm, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Chatty generals who share innermost thoughts with reporters and in speeches didn't learn their civil-military lessons well at West Point. In general, it's best to have the strong, silent type at the army's helm, especially in wartime. That means those who save their confidences and counsel for their boss, the commander in chief, along with Congress.

Gen. Stanley McChrystal, our new man in Afghanistan, roundly deserved the rebuke he just received from Secretary of Defense Robert Gates for speaking out of school about his wish for an infusion of 40,000 troops. By going public, the general made a grave military situation all the more politically delicate—doing a disservice to President Barack Obama and the nation in tough times.