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Wednesday, March 3, 2010

News Nuggets 290

Blankets were left strewn across the network of 156 caves, used by Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden's deputy. See the first story below from the New York Times


Pakistan's Army Takes Control of al-Qaeda Cave Network on Afghan Border from the Times [of London]

"Pakistani forces have taken control of a warren of caves that served until recently as the nerve centre of the Taleban and al-Qaeda and sheltered Ayman al-Zawahiri, the second-in-command to Osama bin Laden."

As I posted the other day, I suspect Mullah Omar and bin Laden's days on the lamb are numbered.


There's a New Red Scare - But is China Really So Scary? (John Pomfret) from the Washington Post

"Having lived in China during the past two decades, we have witnessed and chronicled its remarkable economic and social transformation. But the notion that China poses an imminent threat to all aspects of American life reveals more about us than it does about China and its capabilities. The enthusiasm with which our politicians and pundits manufacture Chinese straw men points more to unease at home than to success inside the Great Wall."


On this subject, see also What the People's Bank of China Cannot Do With Its Reserves (Michael Pettis) of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and James Fallows comments at the Atlantic HERE.


Greece, Europe and Alexander Hamilton (Roger Cohen) from the New York Times

"Europe has reached an “assumption” moment. The economic woes of southern “Club Med” countries have illustrated the untenable tensions of linking nations of vast economic disparities in a currency zone without a central fiscal authority or unified budget to address imbalances."


Beijing Frets About the Iran Lobby (Daniel Drezner) from Foreign Policy Magazine

"A story about the myriad ways in which Beijing is becoming enmeshed in Middle East politics ... Welcome to the Middle East, China!!"


A related story is HERE from the Financial Times [of London]


Obama Shouldn't Trumpet a Black Agenda (Deron Snyder) from The Root

"Whether or not black mayors and legislators eventually exhaust their reservoir of goodwill, how do we not cut Obama some slack from jump street? Knowing what we know about our country's ever-tenuous race relations, and the hardcore hate that's sprouting in some quarters, how can we expect Obama to come out with guns blazing on black issues?"


Brazilian "Envy" for America's Televised Health Care Debate (Editorial) from Folha [of Brazil in English]

"For Brazilians, there is only envy in seeing a model of accountability in action that doesn't exist here. Has any party, any person suggested, at the very least, for there to be a televised debate between Brazil's government leaders and the opposition."


The Basement Boys (George Will) from Newsweek

"Although women are a majority of the workforce, perhaps as many as 80 percent of jobs lost were held by men. This injury to men is particularly unfortunate because it may exacerbate, and be exacerbated by, a culture of immaturity among the many young men who are reluctant to grow up."

I can't remember the last time George Will made anything worthy of 'nugget' status -- but, while I think he's off on many of the details, as a college professor, I can't help but see some general truths here.


James Dobson Signs Off at 'Focus on the Family' from NPR

GOOD RIDDANCE!! This trouble-making hoser has been a major GOP spear-carrier in the culture wars for 20+ years and, in my view, has done more than most to warp the political views of evangelical christians.

"James Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family, gives his final radio broadcast for the organization Friday. CNN religion writer Dan Gilgoff talks to Steve Inskeep about how changes at Focus on the Family reflect broader changes in the evangelical movement. Dobson became an overtly political leader. New leadership is seeking to soften the group's message."


When Tax Rage Goes Over the Edge (Clarence Page) from the Chicago Tribune

"Some of today's populists are giving elitists a good name. That thought came to mind after Joseph Stack fatally crashed his single-engine plane into a building that houses Internal Revenue Service offices in Austin, Texas."


Be Not Afraid of Palin (Clarence Page) from the Chicago Tribune in early February

Yes -- Clarence gets a two-fer today.

"Sarah Palin's conservative fans ask me why "the liberal media" are "so afraid" of the former governor of Alaska. I, for one, am unafraid. And I am delighted that the former Republican vice presidential candidate refuses to rule out running for the presidency. I am also relieved that, so far, she does not appear to have a ghost's chance of winning. As food for commentary, her recent weekend foray through Facebook, Fox News and the National Tea Party Convention leaves me with more choices than the proverbial mosquito in a nudist colony."


Under Fire, Rangel Steps Aside as Leader of Committee from the New York Times

This is very good news for the Dems. The Ways and Means Committee is one of the most powerful committees in the House, and this scandal was promising to be the GOP's exhibit #1 this fall for labeling the Dems as somehow THE party of corruption. My one question though is ... why temporary?

"Caught in a swirl of ethics inquiries, Representative Charles B. Rangel, the dean of the New York Congressional delegation, announced Wednesday that he would temporarily step down from his powerful post as chairman of the tax-policy-writing Ways and Means Committee."


Some House Foes Eye Switch to "Yes" on Health Care from the Associated Press

"Ten House Democrats indicated in an Associated Press survey Monday they have not ruled out switching their "no" votes to "yes" on President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, brightening the party's hopes in the face of unyielding Republican opposition."


The Republican Civil War: Your Guide to This Year's Primaries from the New Republic

"In a string of GOP primary elections stretching from now until September, the future ideological composition of the elephant party hangs in the balance. Many of these primaries pit self-consciously hard-core conservatives, often aligned with the Tea Party movement, against “establishment” candidates"


Specter (D) Pulls Ahead of Toomey (R) in Pennsylvania Senate Race from Politics Daily

REALLY!?! He's been behind for sooo long, I'm not sure I buy this.

"Although more than half of Pennsylvania voters do not think Sen. Arlen Specter deserves another term, he has pushed past Republican opponent Pat Toomey in the fight to keep his sea"


Blanche Lincoln (D) Makes Gains in Arkansas Senate Race from Politics Daily

"Embattled Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln, who now has a challenger for the Democratic nomination in Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, has improved her weak numbers against Republican hopefuls running for her job, but still trails them as does Halter."

These two stories make me wonder if the Dems haven't hit bottom in their polling and are perhaps on the rebound. I pegged both of them as doomed in November.


At the Tea Party (Jonathan Rabin) from the New York Review of Books

A long-form piece on one writer's visit to the Tea Party Convention in Nashville.


Constituents Confront GOP Rep. Myrick Over Muslim-Bashing at Tense Town Hall fromTalkingPointsMemo

"Muslim constituents repeatedly challenged Rep. Sue Myrick (R-NC) at an emotional town hall meeting in Charlotte Thursday, with Myrick scrambling to distance herself from the Islam-bashing co-author of the book Muslim Mafia, whose foreword was written by the congresswoman herself."


ANOTHER ANCIENT EGYPT NUGGET!! [We had one earlier in the week]

Burial Chamber of Ancient Egyptian Queen Unearthed from the Associated Press via Yahoo News

"The necropolis of Saqqara outside Cairo has yielded a string of new discoveries as 10 different teams excavate a previously untouched area of these burial grounds were used continuously for more than 2,000 years until Roman times."


CONFLICT & CULTURE NUGGET!!

Pakistan's Taliban War: Bringing Back the Music from Times Magazine

"At his desk inside Bala Hissar, an ancient brick fortress that looms above the rooftops of Peshawar, General Tariq Khan heard an unusual sound drifting up. "It was music," says the general. "And I hadn't heard it in a long, long time. That's because this Pakistani frontier city, despite its large army garrison dating back to the British colonial days, had been in the grips of the Taliban's reign of fear."


DANGEROUS PETS NUGGET!!

When Man's Best Friend is Deadly: Photos of 9 Dangerous Pets from the Huffington Post

"Some people just love having unusual pets -- perhaps for their cuteness or the fact that they're uncommon pets. Even Paris Hilton had her own unusual pet: the kinkajou she called "Baby Luv." Well, Baby Luv sent Hilton to the emergency room twice. So, a word of caution to Hilton and all those out there who want a "different" kind of pet: they often are not meant to be domesticated."

Oh dear! Poor Paris!


TOTALITARIAN ART NUGGET!!

The Comic Books That Brainwash North Koreans from the Global Post

I couldn't pass this one up.

"Mighty Wing, Pyongyang's equivalent of Mickey Mouse, is a honeybee that confronts a swarm of capitalist wasps."


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