A wild ferret at La Palma in the Canary Islands. From the Guardian.
In Russia-US Relations, the Reset is Working from the National Interest
"The cancellation of the sale of the S-300 air-defense system by Russia to Iran, on the eve of President Dmitri Medvedev’s visit to Washington for his summit with President Obama, is a clear signal that the strategy of offering the Kremlin concrete incentives rather than vague assurances of goodwill is more likely to produce results."
Danger Signs in Turkey's Strategic Depth (Editorial) from the Asia Times [of Hong Kong in English]
"It is not yet possible to see with any certainty if Erdogan and Davutoglu are waving triumphantly in a sea of ''strategic depth'' or gradually drowning in it. "
Strike Out: What the Foreign Media Misses in Covering China's Labor Unrest from Foreign Policy Magazine
"Two things have been missed in much of the foreign coverage of these strikes and the government's response: the significance of workers toiling for foreign-owned companies, and the rich symbolism of the mid-May dates."
How Obama Should Handle McChrystal (Harold Evans) from the Daily Beast
"With the president ordering a face-to-face meeting with his Afghan general for publicly blasting the White House, Harold Evans reports on what Obama can learn from President Truman’s dismissal of General Douglas MacArthur."
Further analysis is HERE and HERE by Marc Ambinder, HERE from James Fallows, HERE from Joe Klein, and HERE from Jonathan Capehart
The Ahab Parallax: Moby Dick and the Spill from the New York Times
"A quenchless thirst for whale oil, then petroleum, pushed man ever farther and deeper. And with great hubris, great risk."
Don't Believe the Hype: Rahm Emanuel Not About to Step Down (Jonathan Alter) from Newsweek
"The truth is this: Emanuel has said publicly and privately for months that if Rich Daley doesn't seek reelection (which he will determine at the end of the year) for mayor of Chicago, Rahm will move back home and jump in the race. He may leave his job then anyway, mostly because he's just tired. But he continues to enjoy Obama's full confidence and he has no political problem with the thrust of Obama's decisions."
Obama Uses Powers to Expand Federal Rights, Benefits for Gays and Lesbians from the Washington Post
"In the past year and a half, President Obama has quietly used his powers to expand federal rights and benefits for gays and lesbians, targeting one government restriction after another in an attempt to change public policy while avoiding a confrontation with Republicans and opponents of gay rights."
How Obama Changed the Right (E.J. Dionne) from the Washington Post
"Barack Obama's campaign promise of change did not include a pledge to transform American conservatism. But one of his presidency's major legacies may be a revolution on the American right in which older, more secular forms of politics displace religious activism."
How to Succeed in Politics (Patrick Allit) from the National Interest
"The Tea Party movement is blazing its anti-tax and anti-government agenda across the America. But this is a movement without a cause. If the Whigs, Populists and Feminists can be co-opted by the the Democrats and Republicans, it is clear this newest third party will suffer the same fate."
IA-Gov: Vander Plaats Candidacy Could Doom GOP Hopes of Beating Culver from the Iowa Independent
"While it remains unclear just how serious Bob Vander Plaats is considering an independent run for governor, one thing almost everyone agrees on is that his candidacy would almost assuredly guarantee another term for Democratic incumbent Gov. Chet Culver."
IL-Sen: Mark Kirk Makes Like Bunny, Flees From Press from Crain's Chicago Business
"Mr. Kirk literally ran out the hotel door rather than answer questions about a host of recent reports that he repeatedly has exaggerated his experience and credentials."
IL-Sen: White House Seeing Hope in Illinois? from the New York Times
"This spring, the White House declined to say whether it would put any muscle behind the Illinois seat, saying that it would be evaluated with the rest of the competitive races in the midterm election year. The race, in the eyes of Democrats, apparently now seems worth the fight."
The Tea Party is a Turn-Off for US Moderates (David Frum) from the Telegraph [of the UK]
"America's angriest political force could learn from David Cameron, argues David Frum."
Why Doesn't the Media Interrogate Tea Partiers' Beliefs (Ben Adler) from Newsweek
"The media's enduring, and understandable, fascination with the Tea Party movement continues unabated, as this weekend's coverage demonstrates. Unfortunately, what appear to be false notions of objectivity—or perhaps a lack of interest in policy—is preventing that coverage from illuminating what the movement actually represents and what it would do if empowered."
The Tea Party Movement is like a delicate flower that looks really great on TV -- too many questions, however, diminish its ratings ... eh, I mean its appearance.
NY-23rd: GOP Faces Possible NY-23 Repeat from National Journal
"GOPers stung by a divisive intra-party battle last fall face the prospect of a split party, once again, in the race for an upstate NY House seat that should favor the minority."
ANCIENT GREECE NUGGET!!
The New Acropolis Museum from the New York Times [ from a year ago]
"The New Acropolis Museum, which cost $200 million and sits near the base of the Acropolis with a direct view of the Parthenon, is one of the highest-profile cultural projects undertaken in Europe in this decade."
Get a 360º view of the acropolis and the museum HERE -- pretty cool!
ANCIENT EGYPT NUGGET!!
Radar Reveals Extent of Buried Ancient Egypt City from the Associated Press via Yahoo News
"Egypt was ruled for a century from 1664-1569 B.C. by the Hyksos, a warrior people from Asia, possibly Semitic in origin, whose summer capital was in the northern Delta area."
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