Obama and Merkel: The Trans-Atlantic Frenemies from Der Spiegel [of Germany in English]
"Barack Obama is only passing through Germany on his trip to Europe later this week and does not plan to hold substantial talks with Angela Merkel. The White House views the chancellor as difficult and Germany is increasingly being left out of the loop."
Kerry's Unusual Role in Mediating US-Syria Relations (David Ignatius) from the Washington Post
It seems like things have really been moving forward towards a possible US-Syria breakthrough. It's interesting how little play this has been getting in the media.
"The long-stalled U.S. diplomatic engagement with Syria is moving forward -- thanks to an unusual bit of mediation by Sen. John Kerry."
Islam and Illusions from Al Jazeera Magazine [in english]
"In Cairo, President Barack Obama has to show if he can make a break with the illusions of the Bush legacy as far as the Muslim world is concerned."
Obama's 'Interference' in Israeli Politics (Glenn Greenwald) from Salon
"As long as Israel remains dependent on the U.S. in countless ways, then Obama not only has the right -- but he has the obligation -- to demand that Israel cease activities which harm U.S. interests."
Obama, Muslim-world Rock Star (Juan Cole) from Salon
"They like him, they really like him! Well, maybe not so much in Egypt. But they're willing to give him a chance."
http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2009/06/03/obama/print.html
Obama on Obama (Thomas Friedman) from the New York Times
"“We have a joke around the White House,” the president said. “We’re just going to keep on telling the truth until it stops working — and nowhere is truth-telling more important than the Middle East.”"
Cheney Led Briefings of Lawmakers to Defend Interrogation Techniques from the Washington Post
In all his media appearances, HOW ODD that Cheney never mentioned this.
"The CIA made no mention of his role in documents delivered to Capitol Hill last month that listed every lawmaker who had been briefed on "enhanced interrogation techniques" since 2002. For meetings that were overseen by Cheney, the agency told the intelligence committees that information about who oversaw those briefings was "not available.""
General Sanchez: We Asked for Help on Interrogations, But 'It Didn't Come' from Talking Points Memo
"Speaking this afternoon to CNN's Rick Sanchez (no relation), General Sanchez repeated the charge that he and his soldiers were abandoned on the battlefield on the issue of harsh interrogations. General Sanchez explained that this occurred "because of a lack of policy guidance, a lack of structure, a lack of training." He added: "And even when commanders were asking for this help, it didn't come.""
Stealth War: Obama Sabotages GOP from Politico
I suspected that this was going on.
"All at once, Obama has selected a nominee who burnishes his bipartisan credentials, opened up a seat prime for Democratic pickup and drained the GOP reservoir of one of the few remaining Northeastern moderates. It’s an event that’s happening with enough frequency to suggest the presence of a design, a plan that not only sketches the outline of a reelection strategy but manages to drive a wedge into the opposition at the same time."
Michael Tomasky comments on this Politico piece in The Nixon in Obama from the Guardian [of London]
"This is positively Nixonian of Obama, which I mean in the good sense. Nixon was really clever about picking off potential opposition in the other party, or doing things that looked magnanimous but had a secret agenda."
The GOP Ain't Dead Yet (Thomas Frank) from the Wall Street Journal
"For Republicans, the big immediate problem of the past few years has been how to distance themselves from George W. Bush and all the disasters for which he stands. How do you put some daylight between yourself and this guy? Unfortunately, they have been able to come up with only one way: Impostor theory"
The Carnival of the Fire Breathers (Kathleen Parker) from the Washington Post
"Rather than persuading people to think differently about abortion, the Randall Terry-Alan Keyes act makes one want to write checks to Planned Parenthood. And smart Catholics, who were perfectly capable of articulating their objections to the president's invitation to America's premier Catholic university, were suddenly stuck in the frame with rabble-rousers who demean the message."
The Mystery of the Right (Editorial) from the American Prospect
"One of the greatest accomplishments of the first several months of Barack Obama's presidency has been the near-total marginalization of the Republican right. "
Michelle Obama, Daugters Headed to Paris from Politics Daily
"The East Wing has not announced it, but First Lady Michelle Obama will head to Paris next week, after accompanying President Obama to Normandy to mark the 65th anniversary of the June 6, 1944 landing of Allied troops on French shores."
URBAN POLICY NUGGET!
After America: City States from National Journal
"Perhaps the new city-states, like those of old, would even develop their own "foreign" policies and maintain, in effect, their own armies or militias (as the county of Los Angeles, for example, already does). In such a world, both nation-state and empire would be passé."
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