News Nuggets 327

The Da Filoli Gardens in San Francisco. From Smithsonian Magazine.

America's New Position: Lean on Israel (Editorial) from the Globe and Mail [of Toronto, Canada]

"The idea is several presidents in the making, but Barack Obama has made clear its erstwhile ally needs to be part of the solution"

The Obama Effect on America (Editorial) from the Khaleej Times [of the United Arab Emirates in English]

"Obama appears to have sincerely and courageously tried to tackle the issue that has been at the heart of America’s explosive rift with the Arab-Islamic world. Of course, with Israel stonewalling as ever those efforts have yet to succeed. But the message has gone to the world that Obama is trying – and trying hard."

Sanctions on Iran's Gasoline Imports? That's War Talk from the Editorial Board of the Christian Science Monitor

"Congress is moving quickly to force Obama into blocking gasoline sales to Iran over its nuclear ambitions. A US naval blockade is the only real way to enforce that. And from Iran's point of view, that means war."

In terms of the general status of the confrontation with Iran, I think the CSM Board captures it pretty well -- but their historical analogy (Iran = Japan before WWII) is WAY off base as are their general conclusions about the inevitability of conflict.

Hillary Clinton: Obama's Bad Cop (Michael Hirsh) from Newsweek

"Clinton's played the heavy with Iran, Russia, and even Israel—and her sometimes hawkish views are finding favor with the president."

Running on Empty (Gail Collins) from the New York Times

"The country may have moved to the right, but conservatives tend to underestimate the amount of blue that’s still out there. The new Republican governor of Virginia seemed stunned that his state reacted badly to his call for a Confederate History Month that did not mention slavery. But really, the very definition of a purple state is a place where, when you devote an entire month to recalling the glories of the confederacy, you have to give some time to the bondage angle."

How to Save the Catholic Church (Peggy Noonan) from the Wall Street Journal

"Many—not all, but many—of the men who staff the highest levels of the Vatican have been part of the very scandal they are now charged with repairing. They are defensive and they are angry, and they will not turn the church around on their own. ... In the past few decades, they not only fought persons—"If you were loyal you'd be silent"—they fought information. What they don't fully understand right now—what they can't fully wrap their heads around—is that the information won.."

Our on-the-money pundit of the day!!

Catholic Church Faces More Resignations, Suits from MSNBC

"Pope Benedict has accepted the resignation of Bishop James Moriarty, the Vatican said Thursday, bringing to three the number of Irish bishops who have stepped down due to the sexual abuse crisis."

Opportunity in Crises from Newsweek

"The Catholic left hopes to disentangle Catholic morality from the church hierarchy."

The Surrendered Court (Dahlia Lithwick) from Slate

"You can keep on characterizing this as merely "calling balls and strikes," but it's becoming amply clear to most Americans that with this court behind the plate, only big business ever gets to first."

Finally, a Library for Our First President (Kathleen Parker) from the Washington Post

"It is one thing to debate the merits of American exceptionalism, though at the rate our national ignorance is growing, there soon won't be anyone with whom to argue. It is another thing not to know the essential facts of our founding. Students can't be blamed for not knowing what they haven't been taught"

Have Conservatives Gone Mad? (Marc Ambinder) from the Atlantic

"I want to find Republicans to take seriously, but it is hard. Not because they don't exist -- serious Republicans -- but because, as Sanchez and others seem to recognize, they are marginalized, even self-marginalizing, and the base itself seems to have developed a notion that bromides are equivalent to policy-thinking, and that therapy is a substitute for thinking."

Florida's Charlie Crist Could Use a Hug (Dana Milbank) from the Washington Post

"The crucifixion of Crist by Republican leaders says less about him than it does about the party. ... The Crist crisis is a whole new level of Jacobin excess; in the case of Lieberman, Democrats at least waited until he lost the primary to purge him. Not so the Republicans, who are in a dogmatic race to the bottom as they drop Crist for his far-right challenger, Marco Rubio."

One only needs to recall that the SRCC worked REALLY hard on Crist to recruit him for this race! All the thanks he gets.

Party of Palin (Eleanor Clift) from Newsweek

"McCain's campaign manager says the GOP should shy away from the closed-mindedness that his former running mate represents."

CULTURE NUGGET!!

Die-Hard Archie Fans Grapple with New Gay Character from the Atlantic

"For the small subset of Americans who still read Archie Comics, there was a big development this week. The publishers introduced Kevin Keller, the franchise's first openly gay character."

How earth-shaking is this? It seems to me that Archie was the only obviously straight guy in Riverdale. Moreover, one can easily speculate on the bi-sexual paring of Betty and Veronica. Jeez -- they hung out with each other way more than they did with any guy in the series. Just speculating.

FISH NUGGET!!

Aliens of the Deep: Several Strange New Species of Fish Found Off Greenland from National Geographic News