News Nuggets 166

Front page of Liberation, June 6. The headline reads 'OBAMA: PEACE IF GOD WANTS IT'

Obama: Speaker of Verities (Editorial) from Liberation [of France in English]

"One speech can't change everything. Obama is not a demigod and the Middle East is not a land of miracles. But let us give credit to the American president for trying."

Words That Could Heal Wounds of Centuries (Editorial) from the Independent [of London]

"Preacher, historian, economist, moralist, schoolteacher, critic, warrior, imam, emperor. Sometimes you even forgot Barack Obama was the President of the United States of America."

Democracy: Obama v. Bush (Walter Shapiro) from Politics Daily

"After all the sneering intonations by Rush Limbaugh's legions about a Kenyan father's choice of a middle name for his son, after all the bizarro conspiracy theories about forged Hawaiian birth certificates, Thursday was a day to revel in the wonder that America had elected a president whose full name is Barack Hussein Obama."

Iran's Supreme Leader Blasts Ahmadinejad for Corruption Claims from the Guardian [of London]

THIS suggests that the tide may be turning against Ahmadinejad with election there just nine days away.  Between this and Obama's speech, don't be surprised if Ahmadinejad loses to his more moderate opponent.  His scalp could be the first victory for Obama's new deployment of 'soft power.'

"Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, faced a rare backlash from some of the country's most powerful officials today after a furious television debate in which he labelled many of his critics corrupt."

Obama Reshuffles America's Middle East Allies from the Debka File [of Israel in English]

A MAJOR realignment may be in the works here if this story is accurate.

"When he said in his epic speech "America will align its policies with those who seek peace," he was saying that his hands are free to henceforth pick and choose US allies without being bound by the past."

Key US Jews Wary of Netanyahu's Unbending Policy on Settlements from Al Haaretz [of Israel in English]

"It is a disentanglement [of the settlements issue] now seen most clearly in Congress, which in the past served as Israel's stronghold against administration pressure on the issue. But when Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu came to Capitol Hill for a May 18 meeting after being pressed by President Obama to freeze the expansion of West Bank settlements, he was "stunned," Netanyahu aides said, to hear what seemed like a well-coordinated attack against his stand on settlements. The criticism came from congressional leaders, key lawmakers dealing with foreign relations and even from a group of Jewish members. "

Gee -- I wonder who was doing the coordinating?

Obama Delighted at Obama's Address from Arab News [of Saudi Arabia in English]

"For women across the Muslim world, US President Barack Obama’s historic address from Cairo was nothing short of a blessing. ... "What struck a chord within me was his focus on education and the empowering of women through education. ‘Our daughters can contribute just as much to society as our sons.’ I will always remember that line forever. It is so true.”"

The Chicago View (David Brooks) from the New York Times

"All smart analyses of the Obama administration begin with Chicago. ... The Chicago mentality is the one they take with them wherever they go.  That means they start with an awareness of diversity. The nation and the world are a bunch of jostling wards that have to be knit together.  That means they are not doctrinaire. Chicagoans like to see themselves as pragmatists, not ideologues.  That means they contain both sides of The Great Tension."

Speaking Frankly in Cairo (Editorial) from Arab News [of Saudi Arabia in English]

"Citing the Qur’anic verse “Be conscious of God and always speak the truth”, Obama did something practically unheard of for an American president: he told the truth, and frankly."

Obama Speech: Arab Extremists Call Him 'Wise Enemy' from the Huffington Post

"Even some extremist Web sites, which have carried statements from al-Qaida in the past, gave rare praise for Obama by calling him a "wise enemy." "  Further similar statements are HERE including "In response, another writer said Obama "is manipulating the emotions of the people the same as a lute player does. ... He is undoubtedly a wise enemy compared with George Bush, the enemy known for his stupidity.""

Obama on Israeli Settlements (David Ignatius) from the Washington Post

Ignatius poses the problem facing Obama very well -- but I think he misses some of the extra cards Obama has at his disposal.  Namely, that Obama would be just as happy to see the Netenyahu gov't go down the tubes.  Given how adroit he is at political jujitsu, Obama could sink the Likuud gov't and make it look like it was their own fault.  We'll see.

"By traveling to the heart of the Arab world today, President Obama is putting himself at a crossroads: He is raising expectations that America can coax Israel and the Arabs toward a comprehensive peace that has eluded them for more than 40 years. But can Obama deliver?"

The Humiliation Doctrine v. The Humility Doctrine (Marc Ambinder) from the Atlantic

A FIRST-RATE assessment of why conservatives and liberals see Obama's foreign policy so differently.

"For conservatives, America is like a person negotiating a deal; showing weakness, even if calculated, never gets you what you need. But we're not a person; we're a collection of interests with a long but disputed history; and the truth of the matter is that many Americans -- a majority of Americans, if you want to look at election results -- found themselves quite humbled by what the Bush administration did. And facts matter, too. History, at this point, does not support the claim that we invaded Iraq to liberate the Iraqis. Our democracy-promoting efforts in Palestinian territories probably prolonged the conflict there. "

Democrats Maintain Robust 2010 Lead from MyDD

"In 2006, the Democrats won the overall vote for the United States House of Representatives by around 7 percentage points. In 2008 their edge was closer to 9 percentage points. Could that number go up yet again in 2010? It's possible."