This amazing statue is part of the new Cleopatra exhibition at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. See the Ancient Egypt Nugget below. From the Daily Beast.The Reset Has Begun (Editorial) from the Moscow Times [of Russia in English]
“Russia’s tone, especially toward the United States, began to change last year, but the Kremlin’s support for a fourth version of United Nations Security Council sanctions on Iran demonstrates that, today, there is real substance. Moreover, surrendering territorial claims in the Arctic — the stakes in the dispute with Norway — is no small matter.”
How Do You Say Frenemies in Turkish? (Steven Cook) from Foreign Policy Magazine
“It is hard to admit, but after six decades of strategic cooperation, Turkey and the United States are becoming strategic competitors -- especially in the Middle East. This is the logical result of profound shifts in Turkish foreign and domestic politics and changes in the international system.”
Wake Up Lula! Obama is Better Than Ahmadinejad from Folha [of Brazil in English]
"Because of our defense of positions of a despotic regime, which is cruel in its persecution of minorities and its opposition, we have picked a fight with one of our most important global partners, the United States - which remains by far the greatest power on earth."
US-India Relations an Affair of the Heart from The Hindu [of India in English]
“India and the United States concluded their Strategic Dialogue here on Thursday evening, issuing a joint statement that indicated a significant increase in the breadth of collaborative initiatives between the two countries.”
Bush’s Glib Waterboarding Admission Sparks Outrage (Dan Foomkin) from the Huffington Post
“George W. Bush's casual acknowledgment Wednesday that he had Khalid Sheikh Mohammed waterboarded -- and would do it again
Bush is such a dope!
HERE's Michael Tomasky's take on Bush's comments from the Guardian of the UK.
"In other words, he could have said many things that bore directly on the well being of the polity and the people. But no. His greatest regret was failing to push through a highly ideological and highly unpopular measure that was the love child of a couple of conservative and libertarian think tanks."
The Recovery Is Real: Why Fears of a Second Recession are Overblown (Daniel Gross) from Newsweek
"If you want a double dip this summer, you’ll have to go to Carvel. “The scenario in which there is a double dip is fairly remote,” says Joel Prakken, managing director and cofounder of Macroeconomic Advisers, the St. Louis–based consulting firm. “I just can’t really see it happening unless there is an extreme crisis of confidence.”"
Obama Knew the Spill was Hopeless (Richard Wolffe) from the Daily Beast
"As the president visits the Gulf anew, Richard Wolffe reports that he was first briefed in April on how bad the spill would be. Plus: the real reason the White House is so mad at Carville—and why Obama would rather talk about the economy."
My BP Mole Spills the Secrets of BP's Cleanup Ops (Mac McClelland) from Mother Jones
"Workers have spent inordinate amounts of time sitting around waiting to be utilized, a frustration echoed by other workers who talked to friends of mine who were on a day trip to the beach. The workers are also upset because last Friday, many of them weren't paid as scheduled."
‘Drill, Baby, Drill’ May Haunt Effort to Taint Obama (Patrick O’Connor) from Bloomberg News
“Republicans’ embrace of offshore oil drilling and their skepticism of “big” government may hamper the party’s efforts to gain politically from President Barack Obama’s handling of the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.”
Four-Day School Weeks Gaining Popularity During Downturn from the Associated Press via the Huffington Post
"During the school year, Mondays in this rural Georgia community are for video games, trips to grandma's house and hanging out at the neighborhood community center. Don't bother showing up for school. The doors are locked and the lights are off. Peach County is one of more than 120 school districts across the country where students attend school just four days a week."
This is so disturbing on so many levels. What is it with wingnut states!? Yes -- OK, NM, and (no great surprise) ME are also toying with this plan. The problem: instead of raising taxes (or otherwise making up the difference), these folks prefer to believe in magical learning! WHERE are the kids supposed to make up for that fifth day?!
More Premature and Puerile Verdicts on Obama (Robert Shrum) from The Week
“Is he imperiled by scandal? Does he fail to emote? What we talk about while Barack Obama shapes the future of America.”
Republicans Risk Latino Ire with Hard Line on Migrants from Reuters
"Arizona's migrant crackdown has hurled immigration back to the fore in the run-up to the November congressional elections. And embracing it has become a litmus test for Republican primary candidates facing scrutiny from the party's resurgent right wing."
Altered Mural Fuels Racial Debate in Prescott, AZ from the Arizona Republic
"A group of artists has been asked to lighten the faces of children depicted in a giant public mural at a Prescott school. The project's leader says he was ordered to lighten the skin tone after complaints about the children's ethnicity. ... "It is being lightened because of the controversy," Wall said, adding that "they want it to look like the children are coming into light.""
Umm ... right. There are two features to this story that really interest me. How is it that so many state and local officials now deem it OK to let their racial and other bigotries free reign? Equally interesting is how genuinely surprised they are when they get called on it!! To me, these are simply further manifestations of how disconnected they are from the realities of America in the 21st century. They are still living in some fifty-years-ago fantasy world.
Dems' Plan to Hold Congress (Andrew Romano) from Newsweek
“The Democrats are “going down.” Well, not quite. In politics, winning may the most important thing, but managing expectations is a close second. What’s really happening here is that the Dems are downplaying their chances in November for the same reason Barack Obama’s campaign team compared Sarah Palin to every orator short of Cicero in the run-up to her 2008 debate against Joe Biden: political results are only as useful as they are unexpected.”
Ten Things to Watch for on Super Tuesday from RealClearPolitics
“The real Super Tuesday of the 2010 midterm cycle's primary season is June 8. ... it's a safe bet that many on Capitol Hill will have their eyes glued to the election results in 11 states.”
IL-Sen : Mark Kirk’s Comments on Military Service Questioned AGAIN from the Huffington Post
“Archived video of Rep. Mark Kirk surfaced Wednesday showing the Illinois Senate hopeful claiming that he was shot at while flying aboard an aircraft in Iraq."
See also:
Mark Kirk May Have Misstated Another Instance In Which He Was 'Shot At' (Sam Stein) from the Huffington Post
"Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill) has been savaged in recent days over an ever-expanding list of incidents in which he misled, embellished, or simply lied about his service in various military outposts and units. Another one may soon be added to the list. In a questionnaire he filled out for the Chicago Sun-Times this past January."
More on this from Lynn Sweet at Politics Daily:
FL-Sen: Dem Strategists Turning to Crist in Florida Senate Race from the New York Post
"Top Democratic strategists are abandoning their party's frontrunner in the Florida Senate race in favor of Independent Charlie Crist, who bolted the Republican party over the state party's rightward lurch toward the Tea Party."
NOT a good sign if you are the probable Democratic nominee, Kendrick Meek.
Maine Republicans Backing Away from Tea Party-Inspired Platform from the Associated Press via the Huffington Post
"A tea party tempest is losing steam in Maine, a state that prides itself on its independence and moderation. With inspiration from tea partiers, Republicans there adopted a party platform last month that raised eyebrows nationally, with planks calling for the elimination of the Department of Education, a reference to global warming as a "myth" and a declaration that health care "is not a right. It is a service.""
ANCIENT EGYPT NUGGET!!
Cleopatra's Comeback from the Daily Beast
"The legendary Egyptian queen is the subject of a new blockbuster show in Philadelphia. Pulitzer prize-winning historian Stacy Schiff, author of a forthcoming book on Cleopatra, on the underwater expeditions revealing her mysterious history. VIEW OUR GALLERY"
An extraordinary series of artifacts in this exhibit. Please DO check out the gallery!
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