News Nuggets 407

Cows grazing among the lavender.

US Reasserts its Presence in Asia (Editorial) from the Globe and Mail [of Toronto, Canada]

"Not only is Washington taking part in military drills off eastern China, it’s also pushing the envelope in the South China Sea."

Mitt Romney's Dangerous Game (Daniel Larison) from The Week

GOP hawks are taking a reckless stance in opposing the START nuclear treaty. Has a willingness to endanger the country for partisan advantage become the Republicans' new litmus test?

The Seditious Ahmadinejad? (Editorial) from The Diplomat

"Ultra conservative criticism of Ahmadinejad is growing and Khamenei’s fatwa looks desperate. Will regime in-fighting boil over?"

Afghanistan's Naysayers (Jacob Heilbrunn) from the National Interest

"Obama, in other words, has been careful not to pin himself down. Obama has left himself some political wiggle room by refusing to define what victory would actually look like in Afghanistan, or even to use the term. There’s no illusion of American omnipotence in Obama’s statements about the war."

Are Millennials Losing Faith? Why So Many Gen Yers are Abandoning the Church from The Root

"Many church principles simply don't reflect the views of young Americans. A recent study discovered that young people are more accepting of homosexuality: 63 percent of young adults believe that homosexuality should be accepted within society, versus 50 percent of adults in general. In most churches, discussing homosexuality is a taboo."

The Church in 2010 and France in 1940 (Eugene Cullen Kennedy) from the National Catholic Reporter

"This parallels the activity that alternately astounds and enrages Catholics who understand what their bishop/generals do not -- that the hierarchical structures of the church are buckling under the lightning strikes of modern times."

Despite Tough Climate, Public Prefers Obama's Policies (Jason Dick) from the Pew Research Center

"Despite a tough year for President Obama, the public believes his administration's policies offer a better chance at improving the economy over the policies of his predecessor, former President George W. Bush."

The Right and the Climate (Ross Douthat) from the New York Times

"Most of all, they’ve blamed conservatives — for pressuring Republican lawmakers to abandon legislation they once supported, and for closing ranks against any attempt to tax and regulate our way to a lower-carbon economy. Cap-and-trade’s backers are correct to point the finger rightward. If their bill is dead, it was the American conservative movement that ultimately killed it."

There's a Battle Outside and It is Still Ragin' (Frank Rich) from the New York Times

"We reached a new low last week. What does it say about America now, and where it is heading, that a racial provocateur, wielding a deceptively edited video, could not only smear an innocent woman but make every national institution that touched the story look bad? The White House, the N.A.A.C.P. and the news media were all soiled by this episode."

Rich is spot-on here.

Race, Lies and Videotape: Lessons from the Shirley Sherrod Saga (Richard Kim) from the Nation

"It's the story that has been told to white middle and working class voters by the right since the Reagan administration in order to explain their dwindling paychecks and prospects: Racism is over; it is minorities who now have too much power; they are stealing your jobs, your future."

When the Facts Get In the Way (Jon Meacham) from Newsweek

"The seasonal issue is one particular to the age of Obama, if universal to American politics: the underlying role that white prejudice against blacks plays in our national life. The Sherrod video was posted in order to execute a bit of sulfurous jujitsu. See, the right wing was saying, they really are after us."

Enough Right-Wing Propaganda (E.j. Dionne) from the Washington Post

"The smearing of Shirley Sherrod ought to be a turning point in American politics. This is not, as the now-trivialized phrase has it, a "teachable moment." It is a time for action."

Obama, Pelosi Urge Activists at Netroots Nation to Keep Fighting for Change from the Washington Post

"By the conference's close Saturday, liberals had swallowed a dose of reality from the Democratic Party's top officials. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) arrived Saturday with a blunt appeal: The gates to a progressive agenda have opened under Democratic control, she said, and they will close if Republicans seize power."

Momentum for Senate Filibuster Reform Builds from the Huffington Post

"Momentum is building to reform Senate rules that allow silent filibusters and force a 60-vote requirement for virtually any action, interviews with Democratic candidates and sitting senators indicate."

The Rise of Netroots Nation from Politico

"In five years, the annual convention of progressive bloggers known as Netroots Nation has grown to become one of the premier events on the Democratic calendar. "

Campaign 2010: Why Democrats Think They Can Hold the House (David Corn) from Politics Daily

"Noting that he has long been forecasting that the Republicans are close to bouncing Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Cook evaluated the case made by Democratic strategists who insist that their party has a good shot at retaining the House. And it's not a bad argument."

Despite Defeats, Liberals See Hope in Remaining Primaries from The Hill 

"Liberal Democrats battling the party hierarchy have met with limited success this primary season.  Thus far their record is more of high expectations and at least one really close call than of actual success."

NV-Sen: Republicans Fret as Angle Slips from Congressional Quarterly

"Republicans are growing increasingly frustrated with Sharron Angle and her lackluster campaign to unseat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), fearing she is jeopardizing what they had long viewed as a sure pickup and costing them a chance to reclaim the majority."

NEWS NUGGETS NUGGET!!

The nuggetsman gets a letter to the editor published in USA Today.  (I hadn't originally intended to letter for publication -- I simply sent this brief note to compliment the editor for their TARP letter).  It's below the Mel Gibson nonsense.

PHOTO NUGGET!!

Blood on the Track from Foreign Policy Magazine

"Photos from the dangerous journey to El Norte."