A wonderful image of two manatees in Florida
CALL TO ACTION! TODAY! YES, IT IS TODAY THAT THE HOUSE IS DOING ITS FINAL MARKUPS ON THE HEALTH CARE BILL! Call your congressman - NOW - and urge your rep to support a strong public option -- and whatever else you want in the legislation. I had posted the contact information in a previous post which you can access HERE. Remember to call the Washington office. That is where they all are and they'll get the message soonest. Go gettum'!!
Obama May Seem to Dither, but He is Ready to Strike (Andrew Sullivan) from the Times [of London]
"There is a strange quality to Barack Obama’s pragmatism. It can look like dilly-dallying, weakness, indecisiveness. But although he may seem weak at times, one of the words most applicable to him is something else entirely: ruthless. Beneath the crisp suit and easy smile there is a core of strategic steel"
I totally agree with Sullivan's assessment here.
Iran: Nuclear Fission from the Editorial Board of the [Manchester] Guardian
"If Tehran tries to renegotiate the draft nuclear deal agreed in Vienna on Wednesday, it could all fall apart. But before we list the pitfalls that lie ahead, it is worth contrasting where we are today with what was on offer a year ago."
Progress -- But Bush Era Lingers at Iran Nuclear Talks from Novosti [of Russia in English]
"It was then that Iran was made to feel guilty until proven innocent. ... It remains to be seen if there really is anything new to U.S. policy on this subject. But from a technical point of view, it's clear from the talks in Vienna that things could turn out well."
Iran's Biggest Worry: Growing Ethnic Tension from Time Magazine
"The Iranian regime has a problem, and it's not a velvet revolution or Israel's threat to bomb its nuclear facilities. No, what really keeps the mullahs up at night is the specter of ethnic and sectarian conflict"
Poll Fiasco Gives Obama Room for Maneuver from the Times [of London]
"For President Obama, the debacle of the first round of the Afghan elections has had a silver lining: it has bought him more time before he has to say what his plan for the country is. It has not made his options any more attractive, but it is very likely to produce a demand for President Karzai to be much more helpful to the US — and a refusal to commit many (or any) more US troops if he is not."
America, Condoms, and the Taliban (Editorial) from the Asia Times
"One look at CNN on Tuesday afternoon was sufficient to see the misery on the face of Afghan President Hamid Karzai as he lined up for a photo-op announcing that he had been stripped of the votes that would have given him victory in the presidential election, and a runoff against Abdullah Abdullah will be held on November 7. A cultural mishap has taken place. The Americans didn't seem to care it was unprecedented for a Popolzai chief to be made to
admit defeat in front of his people."
Obama's Sudan Strategy from the Center for Strategic and International Studies [in Washington DC]
"The realities of Sudan itself appear to have forced an end, at least for the moment, to protracted internal bickering and deadlock between hard-liners ... and realists. ... The new policy officially turns away from isolation and condemnation, reduces ambiguity and potential for misinterpretation of U.S. strategy going forward, and raises confidence that the various factions within the administration ... are working from the same single playbook. The review endorses a policy based on realism and pragmatic engagement, .... It is based on an acknowledgement that to avert the unraveling of the CPA and a potentially destabilizing regional crisis, the United States must maintain a sustained, adult dialogue with the Khartoum government and find common ground with a broader set of multilateral partners."
Hope Springs Eternal (Anna Quindlen) from Newsweek
"Assessing a young presidency. Barack Obama campaigned as a populist firebrand but governs like a cerebral consensus builder. The founding fathers wouldn't have it any other way."
Democrats See a Positive in a Bad Economy from the New York Times
"The bad economy is good for President Obama and Democrats as they try to reinvent the health care system with scant Republican support. That is the conclusion of many Congressional Democrats, who say that economic insecurity and high unemployment stoke public support for their proposals to guarantee insurance for millions of Americans."
Prognosis Improves for Public Option from the Washington Post
"Democratic leaders in the Senate and House have concluded that a government-run insurance plan is the cheapest way to expand health coverage, and they sought Friday to rally support for the idea, prospects for which have gone in a few short weeks from bleak to bright."
Good update as to where things are right now!
Here's more from the Washington Post from today.
Conservative Democrats Signal They Won't Block Public Option from Raw Story
"Support for including some version of a public option in the Senate's version of a healthcare overhaul appears to be solider than initially believed."
Liberals Confident in Public Plan from the Hill
"Hopes are running higher than ever for supporters of creating a government-run public option as part of healthcare reform. The question is not settled and the healthcare reform project itself is far from guaranteed to succeed but liberals see mounting evidence that their position is going to prevail."
Gorbachev Says Obama Deserves Nobel Peace Prize from Radio Free Europe
Said Gorbachev: "America means a lot [to the world] and will continue to do so for a long time... That's why [we have to] support a president of such stature, who gave his own country and the world such a strong push forward. And it's already showing real effects. That's honorable."
Interesting comments. By the way, Gorbachev looks awful.
The Magic of Michelle (Charles Blow) from the New York Times
"Forgive me in advance for fawning, but Michelle Obama is the coolest first lady ever. She clinched it for me this week by jumping double Dutch on the South Lawn as part of a “healthy kids fair.”"
Why is Dick Cheney Helping Obama? (David Corn) from Politics Daily
"for a guy who seems to detest the president and everything he stands for concerning national security, Cheney is inexplicably providing political aid and comfort to Obama."
CNN Poll: GOP in Free Fall from CNN
"They have also spent a lot of time in 2009 working against Democratic proposals. That hasn't left them a lot of time so far this year to present a positive, post-Bush message."
COMPUTER NUGGET!!
Five Things You Should Know About Upgrading From XP to Windows 7 from the Washington Post
"Upgrading or switching operating systems often comes with some trials and tribulations and the Windows 7 upgrade is no exception. Microsoft has tried to provide the tools users need to make the transition as easy as possible, but you may hit some snags. Here are five things you should be aware of as you upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7."
SILLY ANIMAL NUGGET!!
Halloween Costumes for Pets: Literary Edition from the New Yorker
"Is your pet a member of the Critterati? Submit a photo of your dog, cat, or other (nonhuman) animal dressed as a literary character."
The pictures here are hilarious!
RADICAL ENVIRONMENTALIST NUGGET!!
The Whale Warriors, an article posted on the CMU Activities Board
Tom Watson spoke at CMU in 2006 -- he's a very interesting radical environmentalist!
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