News Nuggets 254

A rare King-Bird-of-Paradise from a remote valley in Indonesia - from the Manchester Guardian

Europe's Continent Envy from the Daily Beast

"As Obama jets off to Asia, Europeans are still licking their wounds over his decision to blow off the Berlin Wall anniversary. Alex Massie on the Atlantic crowd’s case of continent envy."

US Finally Wise to Pyongyang's Ways (Editorial) from the Asia Times

"In the past few weeks, North Korean watchers have been confronted with a sight they do not see frequently: Americans outsmarting North Koreans. "

Kim Jong Il's Cry for Help from the Global Post

"But most analysts believe that what appeared to be an aggressive clash was in fact a sign from Pyongyang that it is willing to continue engaging with the rest of the world."

We Have a President (Andrew Sullivan) from the Atlantic

"The news that Obama has refused to sign off on any of the four major options presented to him in Afghanistan reminds me of why he was elected president. This critical decision - arguably the most critical of his young presidency - is one that will not be rushed the way such decisions often are."

My Solemn Meeting on Veterans Day with President Obama at My Friend's Resting Place in Arlington from the NY Daily News

"He didn't introduce himself. He didn't have to. President Obama simply stuck out his hand and asked for my name as he stepped toward me amid a bone-chilling drizzle in the Gardens of Stone."

Gen. Powell to Obama on Af-Pak Strategy: "Take Your Time" from ABC News

"Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Colin Powell revealed that he recently advised President Obama to take his time in devising his strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan.."

The Plural to Anecdote is Data (Paul Krugman) from the New York Times

"There’s the observation: walking around, things look better than I expected."

Take a Deep Breath (Gail Collins) from the New York Times

"In troubled times, it is important to try to maintain a certain level of serenity. Right now we citizens have quite a lot on our plate and there is no reason to go completely crazy about the least little thing."

Texting Last Week's Lies Today (Joe Conason) from the New York Examiner

"Within hours after the House of Representatives approved health care reform by a narrow margin, Republicans predicted retribution at the polls next fall. They promised to make every Democrat regret that historic vote as the first step toward the reversal of power in Washington. And as the current debate has proved, they aren't going to let honesty become an obstacle."

A Defining Choice (Nicholas Kristof) from the New York Times

"President Obama and Congress will soon make defining choices about health care and troops for Afghanistan. These two choices have something in common — each has a bill of around $100 billion per year. So one question is whether we’re better off spending that money blowing up things in Helmand Province or building up things in America."

A Hard Choice on Health Care (E.J. Dionne) from the Washington Post

For some years, Democrats have denounced parodies that cast their party as utterly closed to the views of those who oppose abortion. Last weekend, Democrats proved conclusively that they are, indeed, a big tent -- and many in the ranks are furious.

The Misfits: Eight Politicians Who Really Ought to Switch Parties (Jill Lawrence) from Politics Daily

"It would make perfect sense for a lot of the misfits to switch parties. But that would mean sacrificing their dissident status and the attention that goes with it. It would also mean less havoc -- a sad prospect for those who enjoy political spectacle."

Obama's Organizing Army Finally Targets Republicans (Ari Melber) from the Nation

It's ABOUT TIME!

"In an unusually aggressive move, Organizing for America announced Wednesday that it is mobilizing its volunteer army to confront the 32 Republican legislators who voted against health care reform -- despite representing districts that voted for Obama."

Who Are the Blue Dogs? (Michael Tomasky) from the New York Review of Books

"A crucial fact about today's Congress, and one that even many politically astute observers may not fully appreciate, rests in the vast ideological differences between the two congressional parties. I don't mean by this that the Democrats have become uniformly liberal and the Republicans uniformly conservative, which is the standard grievance issued by the press, but rather that only the latter has happened—and that it has happened with surprising speed."

Underdogs' Senate Bids Put Pressure on GOP from the Wall Street Journal

"The trend suggests that conservative surges in a New York House race and a Senate primary in Florida were not isolated incidents and pose a dilemma for the GOP. Party leaders have stopped endorsing candidates, and in some cases establishment candidates have shifted to the right."

Tea Party Civil War? Lawsuit, GOP Friction Splits Leaders from the Huffington Post

"In October, Amy Kremer, a founder and top staffer for the Tea Party Patriots (whose activists swarmed health care town halls last summer), was forced out of the group for joining a second, more "moderate" Tea Party organization -- the Tea Party Express. Now, the Tea Party Patriots have filed a lawsuit against Kremer and issued a temporary restraining order because she tried to lock down TPP resources on her way out."

There we go! An insurgency within the insurgency!!

DOG NUGGET!!

Catering to Their Needs from the Washington Post

"For pet parents who pledge allegiance to Whole Foods and the locavore lifestyle, the number of unpronounceable and unthinkable ingredients in mass-produced canine treats can cause a paw-size pause. So, if cooking at home is good enough for human foodies, could it work for your pet, too? Many animal lovers and canine chefs think so."

YOU-CAN'T-MAKE-THIS-STUFF-UP NUGGET!!

The Right to Have Loud Sex from The Week

"A British court says Caroline Cartwright can't scream during sex because she scares the neighbors. Is noisy sex a right, or a privilege?"