Priceless image from June 3, 2008. This is Michelle and Barack watching Hillary Clinton's "non-concession" speech after the last primaries in South Dakota and Montana. Obama is about to go out and claim victory in St. Paul, MN. Both of their expressions speak volumes about their views of Hillary at the time. Seems like a long time ago now! From the New York Times.
I was able to get in one more posting before hitting the road!
Looking Beyond the Reset (Editorial) from the Moscow Times
"No sooner had U.S. President Barack Obama left Moscow than numerous experts, swelling with ambition and guided by instinctual aggressiveness, began wailing that the summit did not produce the much-anticipated “reset” of U.S.-Russian relations, and that the new Cold War continues as before. But is that really the case?"
Will Iran's Political Turmoil Shake Hezbollah'? from the Christian Science Monitor
"Hezbollah is the only organization outside Iran that subscribes to that nation's ideology of theocratic leadership. The group was founded with Iranian help, still receives Iranian funding, and has at times turned to Iran's supreme leader for guidance on major political issues. Therefore, the outcome of current debates there over the way theocratic authority is wielded and the secular question of how Iran should manage its external relations is sure to reverberate inside Lebanon."
Iran: What Comes Next? from World Politics Review
"Despite post-election speculation on the prospects for a second Iranian revolution, the current situation more closely resembles a civil rights movement -- one emerging organically from within the framework of the country's constitution."
Iran's Tragic Joke (Roger Cohen) from the New York Times
"Iranians, aware of that history, are a proud people. They do not take kindly to being played around with, nor to seeing their country turned into a laughing stock. They do not like the memory of an election campaign that now seems like pure theater, the expression of the sadistic whim of some puppeteer."
Comment: Frank and Fair (Editorial) from the Times of India [in English]
"Clinton, who began her trip in Mumbai, is addressing a broad range of issues on her maiden visit as secretary of state. This bodes well for bilateral ties between the two countries. "
Obama Takes Healthcare Debate and Runs with it from the Los Angeles Times
"President Obama is becoming more personally invested in rallying the public and Congress behind a healthcare overhaul, even as some Republicans raise the stakes in the debate by claiming that defeating his plan would undermine his presidency."
Turning Point on Health Care (Editorial) from Politico
"If Democrats pull it off, they may look back at this week as a turning point. Barack Obama has gone on offense, firing up the rhetoric and attacking Republicans in stump-like speeches. The president has called wavering House Democrats to the White House for a critical meeting. And House Dem leaders have backed off their most radical ideas – a surtax on the rich – realizing it was a nonstarter with more than just Republicans. It’s all setting up for some kind of a deal down the road."
Rumors of the Demise of ObamaCare Have Been Greatly Exaggerated (Nate Silver) from FiveThirtyEight.com
"Obama should have done more to frame the debate and put a particular health care bill in front of Congress, rather than letting Congress handle it themselves. Maybe health care would be in a little bit better shape right now if he had done that and maybe it wouldn't; we'll never really be able to test the counterfactual. But because he didn't do that, Obama still has most of his tactical flexibility intact. And there are at least four scenarios under which health care reform could still pass this year:"
Morning Fix: Specter vs. Sestak Heats Up from the Washington Post
"Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter has ended his silence in his Democratic primary fight against Rep. Joe Sestak, repeatedly ripping the challenger for his spotty voting record as a private citizen and a series of missed votes in Congress."
The Obama Haters' Next Move from the Daily Beast
"Crackpot anti-Obama conspiracy theorists now include congressmen, a former GOP presidential candidate and an Army major. John Avlon on the "Birthers" attempts to pass federal legislation, and their new claims 170 soldiers will refuse to serve the president."
Rampant insanity!
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