Today on the Dish, the Syrian protestors braved the streets as Assad sat down with Barbara Walters. Andrew discussed Tim Tebow and prayer as public event (readers weighed in here), Newt's narcissism towers above the White House, his campaign embraced fiscal recklessness, and the Tea Party latched on. Erick Erickson shared a confession, Michael Kazin is thrilled about the possibility of a Gingrich nomination, and the Trump sideshow continued. For 23 percent of white evangelicals, Mormonism is unforgivable, Romney put his marriage on display, and Gingrich remained fragile. Rick Perry condoned the beating and lynching of gays, Ron Paul recommended Frédéric Bastiat's The Law, international investors put their money on the US, and offering to take voluntary contributions does not represent a serious plan for deficit reduction. Limbaugh took on the GOP establishment, Obama set the stage for 2012, and Huntsman committed a soft pander. 

We explored China's growing presence in Africa, the Middle East grappled with overt sectarian conflict, and Eli Lake uncovered pro-American institutions within the Pakistani services. 

In our AAA video, Andrew remembered the moment he considered suicide. We approached our inevitable decline in slow motion, came back to the foreclosure crisis, and revisited the debate over women and combat. Conservatism is about modesty and moderation, circumcision is about self-determination, and kids are not political props. Glenn Reynolds wants to hold colleges responsible for student loans, pitt bull apologists made their case, and the locker-room nudity thread took a turn. We need humans at the helm, and should avoid projecting intelligence onto plants. 

Email of the day here, chyron of the day here, FOTD here, VFYW here, MHB here, and the most devastating Huntsman ad yet here. 

— M.A.