Storm clouds over South Dakota. From National Geographic.
Behind the Hiker Release: Iran's Power Struggle (Tony Karon) from Time Magazine
"Nothing is ever simple when it comes to the Islamic Republic, and the tug of war between different arms of the Iranian government that preceded Sarah Shourd's release on Tuesday reveals a level of chaos and political infighting inside the regime that could complicate future diplomatic efforts."
Tax Cuts Prove Better for Politicians Than for Economy from the New York Times
"The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office this year analyzed the short-term effects of 11 policy options and found that extending the tax cuts would be the least effective way to spur the economy and reduce unemployment. The report added that tax cuts for high earners would have the smallest “bang for the buck,” because wealthy Americans were more likely to save their money than spend it."
US Homes Lost to Foreclosure up 25 Pct on Year from the Associated Press
"Lenders took back more homes in August than in any month since the start of the U.S. mortgage crisis."
Warren Picked to Oversee Consumer Bureau from The Hill
"President Obama will name Elizabeth Warren to a position overseeing the creation of a new federal consumer financial protection office, according to a Democratic source."
The Bright Side of GOP Midterm Victories for the Obama Team (Will Inboden) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"The 112th Congress will still have to address a number of national security concerns. If the GOP does take the House and make substantial Senate inroads, here's what it will likely mean for several key issues:"
The Tea Party's Snarl from the Editorial Board of the New York Times
"Republican leaders have to decide if they want the tiny fraction of furious voters who have showed up at the primary polls to steer them into the swamp for years ahead. They have a chance to repudiate the worst of the Tea Party crowd and show that they can govern without appealing to the basest political instincts."
An Old-School Trick: Put Country First (David Ignatius) from the Washington Post
"Was there really a time like that, when party interests were subordinate to making the country work? And how could the America of 2010, a nation with an increasingly dysfunctional political system, ever get back to that Arcadia?"
Eight Lessons of the 2010 Midterms (Carl Cannon) from Politics Daily
"The lack of a consistent narrative has left even political professionals at a loss. ... When asked by a local reporter about this unexpected result, Professor Thomas spoke with disarming candor: "I'm confused," he conceded. He's hardly the only one."
What do you mean you're confused about the "narrative"? Isn't that what pundits are paid for?
Poll Suggests Opportunities for Both Parties in Midterms from the New York Times
"The latest New York Times/CBS News poll also finds that while voters rate the performance of Democrats negatively, they view Republicans as even worse, providing a potential opening for Democrats to make a last-ditch case for keeping their hold on power."
Tea Party Cannibals (David Frum) from The Week
"The Tea Party has an appetite for RINOs, but not for the kind of compromises that bring a party together."
In Delaware, Frustration With Republican Party Led to Christine O'Donnell's Win (Gardner and Somashekar) from the Washington Post
"A sentiment had taken hold that party elders weren't listening, weren't true to conservative beliefs and assumed that everyone who votes Republican would go along with their decisions, just as they always had."
Softball Practice in Boehner Land (Dana Milbank) from the Washington Post
"It's not surprising that Boehner, and those around him, are uneasy. Expectations are that he'll receive the speaker's gavel from Nancy Pelosi in January -- unless he screws up. Democrats are only too happy to facilitate said screw-up."
Mike Castle's Defeat - and the End of Moderate Republicanism (E.J. Dionne) from the Washington Post
"The nine-term member of Congress was mourning the decline of both the conciliatory style of politics that animated his career and the moderate Republican disposition that the Tea Party is determined to destroy."
EDUCATION NUGGET!!
The Top 100 Universities 2010- How the Times Higher Education Ranks Them from the Guardian [of the UK]
"Where's Harvard? Why are all the British Universities out of the top five? The Times Higher Education has published its list of the top 100 universities in the world - just days after a competing list was published. See how they compare."
CMU comes in at No. 20 IN THE WORLD!! US News & World Report doesn't even put it in the top 20 of just US-based colleges and universities. Interesting.
SOVIET UNION NUGGET!!
Reexamining Russian History from the National Interest
"Disentangling this glorious victory, which saved Russia and Europe from the Nazis, from the appalling domestic and international crimes of Stalinism, is, to put it mildly, not an easy one."
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