Letter from the editors.

• Author: Glastris, Paul
• Position: Editorial

In matters of fashion, Washington is rarely ahead of the curve. Casual business attire, for instance, now standard everywhere in America, hasn't quite caught on here; an astonishing number of men still roam D.C. in suits and ties. This stubborn resistance to stylistic change has been reflected in our pages. The last time we altered the look of the magazine was 1996, and we haven't bad a dramatic makeover since 1969. While them is perhaps something to be said for such constancy of appearance, it can become a bit much, like a guy who won't give up wearing his torn-up college sweatshirt. Moreover, it's hard to watch the dramatic changes taking place in Washington right now and be content with the same-ole, same-ole format. We've thought for awhile that there are ways we could make the magazine more attractive, accessible, and fun without compromising our serious coverage of politics mad government. And so we have redesigned the magazine, with the help of Design Consultant Jandos Rothstein and Managing Editor Christina Larson. We hope you like it.

The first change you may have noticed is the size. The magazine is about an inch taller than it used to be. (Please note that we haven't increased the price. More Monthly for your money!) We've updated our logo, changed the fonts of our headlines, included more photos and graphic elements, and generally sharpened the look of the pages.

We've also added a couple of new features. At the front, there's "10 Miles Square," a department consisting of short reported narratives that take you behind the scenes to meet the characters and subcultures that really run Washington. This month, Eli Lake profiles a new group whose curious mission is to help dissidents (and perhaps the Bush administration) overthrow tyrannical regimes nonviolently. Also, Benjamin Wallace-Wells visits a top D.C. head hunter to see if the recently humiliated chairman of the FCC, Michael Powell, can still find a cushy lobbying job.

At the back of the magazine, we're proud to present "Meanwhile in America," by groundbreaking comic-book journalist Joe Sacco. Joe will be "covering" the presidential race for the Monthly--from places far, far removed...