News Nuggets 466

Moscow's famous Saint Basil's Cathedral. from National Geographic.

Reflections on the elections: Thank God that's over!!

What Now? An Epic Election Meets the Future (Marc Ambinder) from the Atlantic
"Privately, White House officials hope that Republicans immediately adopt a celebratory, no-compromise, "we're back!" posture, and hope that they don't take the advice of Sen. Mitch McConnell, who will call the election a mere "course correction." "
A long interesting take on the next several months.

A Wave (with an Undertow), But No Tsunami (Ed Kilgore) from the Democratic Strategist
"Last night's returns contained a few surprises, but for the most part, were only surprising to people who hadn't been paying much attention, and to those conservative commentators who had been predicting a Republican takeover of the Senate and House gains in the neighborhood of 80-100 seats. It was indeed a Republican "wave" election, but not what you'd rightly call a tsunami."

Blue Dog Coalition Crushed by GOP Wave Election from the Huffinton Post
"One group hit especially hard was the Blue Dog Coalition, with half of its members losing their seats. According to an analysis by The Huffington Post, 23 of the 46 Blue Dogs up for re-election went down on Tuesday."

The GOP's Senior Moment (Andrew Romano) from Newsweek
"The GOP owes its victory in large part to seniors. Why that could spell trouble ahead."

Jubilant Tea Party Eyes GOP with Suspicion from Politico
"Emerging from its first election with a string of major victories – and two glaring defeats – leaders of the tea party movement wasted no time claiming credit and taking names, signaling to the Republican establishment that they intend to remake the GOP, not merely help it regain power in Washington."

John Boehner Inherits Troubled House from Politico
"Now, he has the top job in Congress, but with a rotten, if not impossible task: Running the House in a divided Washington while carrying incredible, almost unrealistic expectations of his entire party."

Tea Party Backlash (David Frum) from The Week
"On the whole, these insurgents lost big. And that's good news for the Republicans.

Bush: 'I Was a Dissenting Voice' on Iraq from TalkingPointsMemo
""I was a dissenting voice. I didn't want to use force," Bush said. "I mean force is the last option for a President. And I think it's clear in the book that I gave diplomacy every chance to work. And I will also tell you the world's better off without Saddam in power. And so are 25 million Iraqis."  Bush went on to say that he still feels like going to war was the right decision."
INcredible!!  I'm sorry but -- what a shameless sack of @#$%!!  "I gave diplomacy every chance to work" -- he DID NOT.  I can guarantee that this "rehabilitation" tour will only reinforce the dominant memes about his tenure if this is what he has to say about Iraq.  [See the REVIEW NUGGET below] I recall reading about Kennedy's times during the Cuban Missile Crisis when he was the ONLY MAN IN THE ROOM saying we shouldn't go to war.  The President can't come back later and say that he was a "dissenting voice" -- when his voice is the only one that really matters!!  We need to whistle up the Bush posse again!

BOOK NUGGET!!
The Woman Who Had the World Enthralled: A Review of Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff from the New York Times
"She gives us a cinematic portrait of a historical figure far more complex and compelling than any fictional creation, and a wide, panning, panoramic picture of her world."

BOOK REVIEW NUGGET!!
Meanwhile, Back in 2000-2008: A Review of Decision Points by George W. Bush (Juli Weiner) from Vanity Fair
"As a strange and unfamiliar Republican party takes power, many may be tantalized to wax nostalgic about the rose-colored days of the GOP’s statesman-like old guard. The perfectly timed release of Decision Points appears to be a powerful corrective to this temptation."

HOLLYWOOD NUGGET!!
Marilyn and Her Monsters from Vanity Fair
"For all the millions of words she has inspired, Marilyn Monroe remains something of a mystery. Now a sensational archive of the actress’s own writing—diaries, poems, and letters—is being published. With exclusive excerpts from the book, Fragments, the author enters the mind of a legend."

CELEBRITY PROFILE NUGGET!!
Cher on Chaz, Sonny, and Staying in the Spotlight from Vanity Fair
"Of her secret to remaining in the spotlight for the past five decades, Cher tells Smith, “I feel like a bumper car. If I hit a wall, I’m backing up and going in another direction. And I’ve hit plenty of fucking walls in my career. But I’m not stopping. I think maybe that’s my best quality: I just don’t stop.”"
While Cher certainly has her faults (self-absorption being one), you've got to admire her for her perseverance.  This link has excerpts from the article.  The full article is in the newsstand edition.