The Matanuska Glacier in Alaska from National Geographic
Obama Takes Tough and Risky Stance on Israeli Settlements from the McClatchy News Service. See also the London Guardian's coverage of THIS ISSUE.
"President Barack Obama Thursday ratcheted up what might be America's toughest bargaining position with Israel in a generation, demanding anew that Israel stop expanding its settlements in the disputed West Bank as a key step toward making peace with its Arab neighbors."
What Will Obama Say in Cairo? from True/Slant
"The speech is expected to offer a redefinition of American foreign policy in the region; it’s meant to replace the Bush administration’s “war against terrorism” and to repudiate Samuel F. Huntington’s famous formulation of a war between Islamic civilization and the West, which many in the Middle East believe motivates American policy."
The Inflation Scare (Paul Krugman) from the New York Times
"Does the big inflation scare make any sense? Basically, no — with one caveat I’ll get to later. And I suspect that the scare is at least partly about politics rather than economics"
The Empathy Issue (David Brooks) from the New York Times
"The American legal system is based on a useful falsehood. It’s based on the falsehood that this is a nation of laws, not men; that in rendering decisions, disembodied, objective judges are able to put aside emotion and unruly passion and issue opinions on the basis of pure reason."
Republicans, Let's Play Grown-Up (Peggy Noonan) from the Wall Street Journal
"Excite the base? How about excite a moderate, or interest an independent? How about gain the attention of people who aren't already on your side?"
A Smile to Set the GOP on Edge (Eugene Robinson) from the Washington Post
"President Obama's nominee for the Supreme Court, Judge Sonia Sotomayor, is a proud and accomplished Latina. This fact apparently drives some prominent Republicans to a state resembling incoherent, sputtering rage."
Sotomayor's Squeeze Play Puts GOP on Defense from National Journal
""The administration wants to put a squeeze on senators and make it politically hard to oppose her," said Wendy Long, general counsel for the conservative Judicial Confirmation Network. "We want to make sure senators evaluate her without regard to demographic consideration, honestly and fairly on the merits." "Good luck" was the refrain from Senate Democrat."
Conservative vs. Conservative (Chuck Todd et al.) from MSNBC
"After Rush, Newt, and Tancredo called Sonia Sotomayor a racist, a bigot, and an “angry woman,” Charles Krauthammer today fires off this warning to his fellow conservatives: stop the personal attacks. ... Given this conservative divide over Sotomayor, could this week have gone any better for the Obama White House?"
EUROPEAN CULTURE NUGGET!
Nudists Prompt Rising Tension on German-Polish Border from True/Slant
"It seems the freikörperkultur enthusiasts were doing more than just sunbathing; their gatherings were turning into orgies. Now, it’s the Polish who are offended by the free-spirited krauts."
AMERICAN CULTURE NUGGET!
Fairfax County's Prom Queen is a Guy! from the Los Angeles Times
Given all the hand-wringing surrounding Prop 8 in California, this story says a lot about how young people see gay issues.
"Sergio Garcia stood in the gymnasium and told the senior class at Fairfax High School not to worry: If he was elected, he wouldn't wear a dress. "I will be wearing a suit," Garcia said, "but don't be fooled, deep down inside, I am a queen!""
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