News Nuggets 192

Snoqualmie Falls in Washington State from National Geographic

UP-FRONT "PROBABLY-DON'T-WANT-TO-HEAR-ABOUT-IT" NUGGET!!

The Suppressed Fact: Deaths by US Torture (Glenn Greenwald) from Salon

"The interrogation and detention regime implemented by the U.S. resulted in the deaths of over 100 detainees in U.S. custody -- at least."

No Time for Amadinejad to Relax from the Financial Times [of London]

"Having all but put down a popular uprising in support of Mr Moussavi, the Iranian regime will not – and should not – relax. For it knows that it faces a crisis of legitimacy, with large parts of society refusing to recognise Mr Ahmadi-Nejad as president."

Iran Becomes a Different Country (Editorial) from the Financial Times [of London]

"It was as if I had landed in a different country when I arrived in Iran four days after the presidential election."

Obama's Stance Deflects Chavez's Finger-Pointing from the New York Times

"Instead of engaging in tit-for-tat accusations, Mr. Obama calmly described the coup as “illegal” and called for Mr. Zelaya’s return to office. While Mr. Chávez continued to portray Washington as the coup’s possible orchestrator, others in Latin America failed to see it that way."

Cap-and-Traitors and Global Warming (Michael Gerson) from the Washington Post

"It is typical that we praise independent judgment and political nerve in our elected officials -- until they show those qualities."

Just Pass the Climate Bill (Thomas Friedman) from the New York Times

"For all its flaws, this bill is the first comprehensive attempt by America to mitigate climate change by putting a price on carbon emissions. Rejecting this bill would have been read in the world as America voting against the reality and urgency of climate change and would have undermined clean energy initiatives everywhere."

Palin Story Sparks Republican Family Feud from Politico

"A hard-hitting piece on Sarah Palin in the new Vanity Fair has touched off a blistering exchange of insults among high-profile Republicans over last year’s GOP ticket – tearing open fresh wounds about leaks surrounding Palin."

How Will Al Franken Make a Difference in the Senate? from Time Magazine

"Here are five key areas where Franken's vote could have a decisive impact."

Senate Republicans Brace for Ominous 2010 from CNN

"The 111th Congress has just barely begun as Senate Republicans brace for more grueling elections in 2010 that threaten to further weaken the party's influence in Congress."

http://www.nationaljournal.com/njonline/print_friendly.php?ID=ol_20090630_9191

How Dysfunction Helps the GOP (Thomas Frank) from the Wall Street Journal

"Where the conservative mythologists show their hand is when they use their own monumental screw-ups, committed during conservatism's long years in charge of the government, to prove that government in general is a futile proceeding, and that Democratic health-care plans, in particular, can't possibly succeed."

Chaos and Arm-Twisting Gave Pelosi the Win with Climate Change from Politico

"After lawmakers had devoured the last of the Kalua Pig at last Thursday night’s White House Luau, Nancy Pelosi summoned her team back to the Capitol — to ensure the climate change bill wasn’t the next thing roasted on the spit. "

FLORIDA POLITICS NUGGET!!

FL-Sen: Another Potential Republican Defection (kos) from Daily Kos

"All those Dems and Independents who love Crist won't have a say in the matter in the Republican contest. And I predict that by the end of the year (or end of Q1 2010 at the latest), the polls in that Republican primary will be tied.  So the question will then be -- at what point will Crist realize that he's in deep shit?"

I think kos is WAY ahead of himself here -- but I do agree that Rubio is going to make Crist's primary battle VERY ugly.

PENNSYLVANIA POLITICS NUGGET!!

The Sestak Factor (Amy Walter) from the National Journal

"Even so, can we really assume that Sestak, who's never had a real race, will be a strong general election candidate? Sestak's win in 2006 had as much to do with incumbent Curt Weldon's implosion as Sestak's strengths."