Some of you probably know about the Chinese terra cotta soldiers being unearthed in China for the last decade or so. Some of them are on tour in the US right now. They were originally built over 2,000 years ago during the Han dynasty, the first dynasty that unified China approximately as it is constituted now. The picture shows the progress of the archeologists. WHAT a spectacle! Absolutely amazing! From Smithsonian Magazine.
Do We Have Enough Troops for Afghanistan Surge? from the Atlantic
Answer: NO.
"ll of the options that President Obama is reportedly considering for troop increases in Afghanistan require tens of thousands of soldiers. The top commander there, General Stanley McChrystal, has requested at least 40,000, the high end of the options under consideration. But an in-depth investigation by Spencer Ackerman reveals that the American military may simply lack enough troops for that to be a viable option."
Russia's Imperial Crutches (Op-Ed) from the New York Times
"Stalin’s ghost come back to haunt not only the Metro, but all of Russia. This appeared as a Rubicon. To cross it would be to start anew on the whole glorious path of Soviet imperialism. But President Dmitri Medvedev, in his last two broadcasts over the Internet, tried to blow up the bridges."
Holder's Reasonable Decision (Op-Ed) from the Washington Post
"Reasonable minds can disagree about Attorney General Eric Holder's decision to prosecute Khalid Sheik Mohammed and four other alleged Sept. 11 perpetrators in a Manhattan federal court. But some prominent criticisms are exaggerated, and others place undue faith in military commissions as an alternative to civilian trials."
Leaving Afghanistan Won't Risk Collapse (Editorial) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"Many advocates of continuing or racheting up our presence in Afghanistan are cut from the same domino-theory cloth as those of the Vietnam era. They posit that losing in Afghanistan would almost certainly lead to the further “loss” of the entire South and central Asian region."
Why is it a Problem? (Josh Marshall) from Talking Points memo
"A lot of people ... were on the Sunday shows yesterday denouncing the administration's decision to jail and try KSM and four accused 9/11 plotters in New York City. And most of the criticism comes under three distinct but related arguments...The first two arguments strike me as understandable but basically wrong on the facts. The third I find difficult in some ways even to understand and seems grounded in bad political values or even ideological cowardice."
Small Town to Liz Cheney: We Want Gitmo Detainees, Not Your Fear-mongering (Greg Sargent) from the Plum Line and the Washington Post
"Officials in a small Michigan town featured in a new video about Guantanamo by Liz Cheney’s national security group want her to know that they’re not falling for her “fearmongering” — and tell us they want Gitmo detainees in their town."
Senate Likely Has 60 Votes for Motion to Proceed on Health Care Bill from Open Left
"It now seems quite likely that the Senate has the 60 votes necessary to force cloture on the motion to proceed with the health care bill. The final three votes Senate majority leader Harry Reid needed were Ben Nelson, Blanche Lincoln, and Mary Landrieu, but all three now appear to be ready to vote "aye." Here is a rundown of all three"
A Leap Forward to Better Care (Peter Orszag) from the Washington Post
"The nation stands on the verge of achieving fundamental health-care reform. For the first time in history, the House of Representatives has enacted comprehensive health-reform legislation, and the Senate has begun its own debate. These bills will provide a bedrock sense of security and stability for Americans who have health insurance, and quality, affordable options for Americans without it."
Why I Voted 'No' to Health Reform (Jason Altmire) from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette
OK, JASON -- What's up?!
"When Congress set out to accomplish health-care reform earlier this year, I had two main goals in mind: slowing the growth of health-care spending over the long term and building a system that focuses on quality of care, rather than simply quantity of care."
The Palin Effect (Max Blumenthal) from the Nation
This long-form article is right on-the-money! A very interesting examination of the larger Palin problems the GOP faces.
"Why has her appeal only increased in the wake of her catastrophic political expeditions? Why won't she listen to, or abide by, conventional political wisdom? The answer lies beyond the realm of polls and punditry in the political psychology of the movement that animates and, to a great degree, controls, the Republican grassroots--a uniquely evangelical subculture defined by the personal crises of its believers and their perceived persecution at the hands of cosmopolitan elites."
It is Still 1960 in Washington (Amy Walter) from the National Journal
"The decision by Scozzafava to drop her bid -- and ultimately endorse the Democratic candidate -- just 72 hours before the election looked impetuous. She had been tanking the polls, and most of us had long since dismissed her odds of winning. Still, the move was out of the ordinary. The response from Karl Rove, however, was downright 1960. He told Fox News' "On the Record" that "you can understand this. Her feelings were hurt." Really? What's next -- someone wondering if "lady troubles" were responsible for her downfall?"
Election 2010: Arizona Senate GOPO Primary Poll Sees McCain in Trouble from Rasmussen Reports
It seems like the Tea Party crowd will find fertile ground in Arizona next year. It certainly would be amazing if they gave McCain the ax in the primaries.
"2010 Arizona GOP Primary: McCain 45%, Hayworth 43%. Senator John McCain’s future in the U.S. Senate may be a little less assured than previously thought."
Poll: Majority of Republican Think Obama Didn't Actually Win 2008 Election -- ACORN Stole It! from Talking Points Memo
"This number goes a long way towards explaining the anger of the Tea Party crowd. They not only think Obama's agenda is against America, but they don't think he was actually the choice of the American people at all!"
Given the vitriol we've heard over the last year, it may surprise some of you to hear me say that it is THIS poll's finding that leaves me the most stunned and, to some extent, despairing. I had long assumed that (at some point) the a majority of the nutjobs would eventually come to some accommodation with the REALITY of Obama's presidency. That 52% of Republicans think Obama and ACORN stold the election shows clearly that they are simply fleeing further into UNREALITY. We're talking 20-30% of the electorate, much higher in some regions of the country. God only knows what havoc they will cause in the coming years or decades.
Tea Partiers Turn on Each Other from Politico
"After emerging out of nowhere over the summer as a seemingly potent and growing political force, the tea party movement has become embroiled in internal feuding over philosophy, strategy and money and is at risk of losing its momentum. "
Aww, what a SHAME! And there was so much possibility for good over there!
The Return of McCarthyism (Rick Unger) from True/Slant
"The conditions couldn’t be more perfect. And with no shortage of candidates lining up to take on the modern day role of Joseph McCarthy, in what could easily become a repeat of one of the nation’s most disgraceful legacies, the question must be asked – Are we entering a new era of McCarthyism?"
You betcha'!"
Palin and the Future of Conservatism (Cal Thomas) from RealClearPolitics
"The Palin phenomenon -- for that is what it is because her celebrity flows singularly from John McCain's choice of her as a running mate -- offers an opportunity for conservatives to choose their path to the future. Will it be a path of the angry and disenfranchised outsider, or will it be something of substance that produces triumphs in both politics and policy? The victim thing is getting old."
HINES WARD CULTURE NUGGET!!
The President, the Professor, and the Wide Receiver from Foreign Policy
"When the biracial U.S. President Barack Obama visits South Korea tomorrow, he will be visiting a country grappling with its prejudices about race."
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