Obama Adds to Iran Sanctions from the Los Angeles Times
"The Obama administration Wednesday added several dozen Iranian individuals and organizations to its sanctions blacklist, its first steps to intensify international pressure in the aftermath of international sanctions adopted last week by the United Nations Security Council."
While No One's Looking, the Palestinians Are Building a State (Op-Ed) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"Rather than seeking an impossible military victory or waiting for the sudden achievement of a major peace treaty, the state-building program seeks to create Palestine as a practical reality. Even as they continue to insist on their moral right of self-determination, Palestinians are seriously taking up their practical responsibilities of self-government."
Kurdish Promise:The Obama-inspired Political Party That's Transforming Iraqi Politics from the New Republic
"The organization has given birth to a political party known as the Change Movement ("Gorran")—a name borrowed from Barack Obama's political campaign—and in the Kurdish assembly’s regional elections, it claimed, to the surprise of many observers, 25 of the 111 seats. Gorran has become the third-strongest player in Kurdish politics, and it is undoubtedly the party to watch in the north. But who exactly are these people? And what do they want for Kurdistan—and Iraq?"
BP Agrees to Pay (Michael Tomasky) from the Guardian [of the UK]
"This counts as an Obama win. I'd love know what the conversation was as it went down in the Oval Office this morning."
The GOP's BP Problem (Richard Wolffe) from the Daily Beast
"Pundits panned Obama’s speech, but Richard Wolffe reports the White House is taking comfort in research that suggests swing voters liked it, want a bill passed—and see Republicans as the obstacle."
Obama Seeks to Shift Arc of Oil Crisis (Peter Baker) from the New York Times
"Obama has been 'fighting his own powerlessness.' Everyone is frustrated, everyone is upset. And right now everyone in the Conventional Wisdom world/chattering class, etc. is taking it out on this president, good speech or not.""
Obama’s Oil Spill Response Is The Worst One Possible….Except for All The Others (Chris Thomas) from True/Slant
"Obama has been lambasted for his failure to take control of the crisis, for his failure to involve international assistance, and for his failure to – quite simply – stop the leak. And there can be no contest; Barack Obama has failed to do all of those things. Yet, perhaps the question Americans should be asking is, did we really want or expect him to?"
Republicans vs. Making BP Pay, Ct. from Daily Kos
"These are just the latest examples of how extremely vulnerable Republicans are on this issue. As Josh Nelson points out, BP's oil disaster puts Republicans in a terrible spot and gives Democrats ample opportunity to go on offense."
I wouldn't bet on the Dems exploiting their advantage here. Way too many Dems have substantial ties with BP (including, sad to say, Obama). Philosophically, they lack the 'soak the corporations' mentality, -- and, also sad to say, I think the leadership lacks the nerve to really go where the blogger suggests. My bet: the Dems will take incoming on the spill from the GOP until November with little or no response.
Conservative Outraged at National Rifle Association Deal from National Journal
"Conservative movementarians, and some of the top GOPers on Capitol Hill, are furious with the National Rifle Association for cutting a deal with House Dem leaders that could speed passage of a measure aimed at increasing campaign finance disclosure requirements."
The 'M' Word: Democrats are on a Winning Streak—So Why are They Acting Like Losers? (E.J. Dionne) from the New Republic
"President Obama is not Jimmy Carter, not even close. And Obama's speech on Tuesday was nothing like Carter's 1979 "malaise speech" in which Carter never actually used that word. Obama gave a good and sensible speech that was not a home run. What's odd is that Obama was seen as needing a home run. This is where the Democratic malaise comes in. "
GOP Shields Angle and Paul to Avoid Making Them Face of '10 from TalkingPointsMemo
"Each time Paul or Angle stray from party talking points by promoting Social Security privatization, abolishing the Department of Education or backtracking on the Civil Rights Act, more moderate Republican candidates have to field questions about whether they agree on those issues"
Has the Tea Party Peaked? (Clarence Page) from the Chicago Tribune
"The panel agreed that the tea party's biggest rallying issue cooled when Obama's health care overhaul passed. History indicates that it is unlikely to be undone, regardless of how much some Republicans may call for its repeal, since American voters are not in the habit of taking a major benefit away from themselves."
AP-Gfk Poll Shows Gain for Health Care Overhaul from the Associated Press vie Google News
"A new Associated Press-Gfk poll finds public support for President Barack Obama's health care law has risen to its highest point to date."
KY-Sen: Rand Paul's Ideas Crash into Reality (Editorial) from the Editorial Board of the Lexington Herald-Ledger [of KY]
"It's only June, but collisions between reality and the ideals of Republican Senate candidate Rand Paul are lighting up the sky like bottle rockets on the third of July. There's the time that Paul, an eye doctor, wanted board certification but didn't like the new rules for earning it. So he created his own medical board. He's now certified by the National Board of Ophthalmology of which he's president, his wife is vice president and his father-in-law is secretary."
This nugget really showcases how untenable much of the Tea Party anti-government rhetoric is.
AK-Sen: Tea Party Express Follows Palin's Lead, Backs Miller from the Anchorage Daily News
"The Tea Party Express is pledging to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to boost little-known Joe Miller's bid to defeat U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski."
There's certainly no love lost between Palin and Murkowski in this fight. The primary in Alaska isn't until August. It'll be interesting to see if Palin still has any pull with GOP voters there.
MARS NUGGET!!
Ancient Mars Had Vast Ocean, New Evidence Shows from National Geographic Daily News
"An ancient ocean on Mars would mean the planet once had a thick atmosphere and a hydrological cycle similar to that of Earth. "If Mars had an ocean, it must have had clouds and rain, snow in the highlands, ice caps forming, a groundwater system, and all of these things that we have here on Earth," Hynek said. And where water flowed, life could have arisen."
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