The Decider: Who Runs U.S. Foreign Policy? (Michael Crowley) from the New Republic
"When Obama came to office six months ago, he seemed likely to be consumed by domestic politics: ... His high-powered foreign policy team, led by Hillary Clinton as secretary of state and a holdover defense secretary in Robert Gates, suggested that Obama was prepared to outsource the management of world affairs to people with something more than his four years of experience on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. ... Six months later, however, these assumptions have been shattered."
The Making of an Iran Policy (Roger Cohen) from the New York Times Sunday Magazine
"Although Obama’s denunciations of the clampdown grew stronger as it worsened, the extended hand, which had proved more unsettling to Iran than all the Bush administration bluster, was not withdrawn."
US-Israeli Talks Focus on Ahmadinejad's Possible Ouster from the DEBKAfile [of Israel in English]
"DEBKAfile's Iranian sources report that Ahmadinejad's cabinet is falling apart; of his original lineup of 21 ministers, only nine remain at their posts. A dozen have either resigned or been sacked and although the president pretends they are all at work, the gaps in his administration are big enough to paralyze key elements of national government."
Clashes and Arrests Reported at Tehran Mourning Ceremony from the New York Times
"Iranian riot police used tear gas and wooden batons to disperse thousands of opposition supporters in central Tehran on Thursday as they massed to commemorate those killed in the unrest after the disputed June 12 presidential election, witnesses said."
Make Them Wait: The Case for a Tactical Pause with Iran from Foreign Policy Magazine
"Although diplomacy must remain the policy, the momentous upheaval in Iran has completely changed the political landscape. Opening talks with Iran's current government at this decisive moment could backfire severely. Indeed, now is the time for a tactical pause with Iran."
Many Unhappy Returns: The Anniversary of Neda Soltan's Death Shows Why Iran's Green Wave Won't Die from Newsweek
"It's tempting to think that protesters may have finally given up on overturning Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's disputed election. ... But a funeral Thursday showed not only that the Green Wave lives on, but that we can expect regular revivals well into the future."
U.S. Opens Way to Ease Sanctions Against Syria from the New York Times
The Obama administration said Tuesday that it would take new steps to ease American sanctions against Syria on a case-by-case basis, the latest sign of a diplomatic thaw.
Strategic Indonesia-US Partnership Expanding (Editorial) from the Jakarta Post
"The Indonesia-US relationship is on the most positive track ever in its long history. Though we are used to ups and downs in the relationship, we are now into new upside territory."
"It was disturbing to learn the other day just how close the last administration came to violating laws barring the military from engaging in law enforcement when President George W. Bush considered sending troops into a Buffalo suburb in 2002 to arrest terrorism suspects. Unfortunately, this is not necessarily a problem of the past. More needs to be done to ensure that the military is not illegally deployed in this country."
Health Care Reform: Fasten Your Seatbelts -- Congress is at the Wheel (Walter Shapiro) from Politics Daily
"The truest legislative assessment of the prospects for health care reform was uttered by none other than Bette Davis in "All About Eve:" "Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night.""
Rove Had Heavier Hand in Prosecutor Firings Than Previously Known from the Washington Post
"Political adviser Karl Rove and other high-ranking figures in the Bush White House played a greater role than previously understood in the firing of federal prosecutors almost three years ago, according to e-mails obtained by The Washington Post, in a scandal that led to mass Justice Department resignations and an ongoing criminal probe."
How Worried Should Obama Be About His Poll Numbers? (Katie Connolly) from Newsweek
"So just how bad are these polls for the president? They’re certainly worrying, but in my view there are hopeful signs. We in the news media delight in dramatic narratives, and these polls can easily paint a damaging picture. But there is enough conflicting evidence in the numbers that the message I’m taking away is this: Americans are hedging."
The Craziest Senator: James Inhofe from the Daily Beast
"Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma earned national derision when he endorsed nutty birther theories earlier this week. But he is actually a shrewdly calculating politician playing to his state’s far-right base."
And the Bucks Keep Flowing In from the Miami Herald
"Unlike Sarah Palin, Charlie Crist has chosen not to quit his governorship early. Florida's own one-term wonder is using his remaining time to ingratiate himself with as many deep-pocket interest groups as possible. The governor's unseemly burst of groveling is directly connected to his upcoming run for the U.S. Senate. ... Many of Crist's longtime supporters were surprised, but they shouldn't have been. Charlie has no problem with timely pandering."
Obama to Award Presidential Medal of Freedom to 16 from the [Manchester] Guardian
"President Obama will award the presidential medal of freedom to 16 people, including political ally senator Edward M Kennedy, tennis legend Billie Jean King and Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa. The White House announced the list of recipients today."
HUMOR NUGGET!!
Nine Nicely Insane Ideas for Fringe GOP Extremists When the "Birthers" Thing Dies Off (Mark Morford) from the Huffington Post
"Who knew, in the wake of all those madcap Christian fundamentalists who ruled like drunken virgins over the Dark Days of Bush, who happily burned books and shunned science and hated on gays and woman and trees, after all of that, who know the right still had such a cavalcade of intellectual toddlers waiting in the wings to come out and play in the fields of Infantile Fantasyland, and further guarantee the party's merciful irrelevance for years to come?"
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