Image from Ibiza Island off the coast of Spain from the London Telegraph
On Iran, Do Nothing. Yet (Fareed Zakaria) from Newsweek
"Tehran needs to work out its turmoil. ... Underneath the calm, there is intense activity and the beginnings of a political opposition."
Middle East: Obama Seeks Results (Editorial) from the Editorial Board from the [Manchester] Guardian
"After one of the worst weeks of his presidency in which Barack Obama battled to save the healthcare reforms, the centrepiece of his domestic legislation, a bevy of government officials are in Israel today. George Mitchell, the Middle East envoy; Robert Gates, the defence secretary; and Jim Jones, the national security adviser, are all pounding around the region in a drive to revive another patient on life support – the Middle East peace process. Mr Obama has lost none of his ambition."
Further Rifts in Iranian Leadership (Nico Pitney) from the Huffington Post
Good time to catch up on the latest shifts in Iranian politics from Nico Pitney's live-blog.
Iran: The Tragedy and the Future (Roger Cohen) from the New York Review of Books
"Iran, thanks in part to the revolution, now has many of the preconditions for democracy, including a large middle class, broad higher education, and a youthful population that is sophisticated and engaged. If Khamenei and the revolutionary establishment deny that, as they did with violence after June 12, they will in the end devour themselves."
Britain and US Prepared to Open Talks with the Taliban from the [Manchester] Guardian
"A concerted effort to start unprecedented talks between Taliban and British and American envoys was outlined yesterday in a significant change in tactics designed to bring about a breakthrough in the attritional, eight-year conflict in Afghanistan."
War, Peace and Operation Khanjar (Editorial) from the Far Eastern Economic Review
"President Obama’s strategy, ... , is more than just about militarily defeating the Taliban. It also hopes to strike at the root of the Taliban’s support from the Pakistan side of the border by forcing the Pakistani Army to take on its own extremists like Baitullah Mehsud – and slowly, over time, Afghan Taliban leaders based in the Pakistani city of Quetta – and to stop the flow of arms from Pakistan into Afghanistan."
The Dust of Dissent Can Still Choke this Regime from the Times [of London]
"Oppression in Iran seems tougher than ever, but beneath the surface, cracks are appearing and public anger still burns"
Iran's Protesters: Phase 2 of Their Feisty Campaign (Robin Wright) from Time Magazine
"Phase 2 has begun. Six weeks after millions took to the streets to protest Iran's presidential election, their uprising has morphed into a feistier, more imaginative and potentially enduring campaign."
Where We Stand Now on Healthcare Reform from Daily Kos
"First, where we've been, and what a week it was."
What Do Americans Want on Health Care? (Timothy Noah) from Slate
"A new survey says they still want health care reform, with one troubling caveat."
The Five Biggest Hurdles to Health-Care Reform (Jay Newton-Small) from Time Magazine
"Why can't a popular President with poll numbers in the 60s and supermajorities in both chambers of Congress get this done? Here are the five biggest hurdles to health-care reform"
Dems Have Huge Day with Latinos from Politico
"Republicans’ dilemma in connecting with the growing Hispanic electorate will be on vivid display Tuesday: GOP members of the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote overwhelmingly against confirming Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latino nominee to the Supreme Court. And the Democratic Party chairman will address the nation’s largest Latino political group — partly in Spanish. No national GOP official is speaking."
Cheney's Plan for a Military Coup (Scott Horton) from Harper's Magazine
"On Saturday, Mark Mazetti and David Johnston of the New York Times, quoting sources close to former President Bush, revealed that former Vice President Dick Cheney had advocated deploying the military for domestic policing purposes. Bush apparently declined to take Cheney’s advice. The discussions occurred against the backdrop of the so-called “Lackawanna Six” case, involving a group of six Yemeni-Americans from the Buffalo area who later pleaded guilty to charges of providing material support to Al Qaeda and received prison sentences." The disclosures shed considerable light on two memoranda prepared in the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel by John Yoo."
GOP Headache: The Birther Issue from Politico
"When lawmakers return home for recess in August, they can expect to hear tough questions from constituents on the economy, health care and government spending. But Republicans are preparing for something else: the birthers."
How Lou Dobbs Scared Rush Limbaugh Off the Birther Story from Media Matters for America
"I can think of three (inadvertent) positives that came out of Lou Dobbs' ill-advised embrace of the birther movement."
Birthers Embarrass the Republicans (Thomas Noyes) from the [Manchester] Guardian
"Rightwing extremists who don't believe Barack Obama is a US citizen are making life hard for moderate Republicans"
Voinovich Slams DeMInt and Coburn for GOP Downfall from The Hill
"Too many conservative senators like Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) are to blame for the GOP's downfall, one of their retiring Republican colleagues complained Monday."
AUDIO NUGGET!!
The Fury of the 'Birthers' on NPR's On Point
HISTORY/BOOK NUGGET!!
Dunkirk: A Miracle of War from the [London] Telegraph
"To mark the 70th anniversary of the start of the Second World War, we publish an exclusive extract from a gripping new book by Andrew Roberts"
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