News Nuggets 494

A prairie dog at the Salzburg Zoo.  From the Huffington Post

US and Allies Plan More Sanctions Against Iran (David Sanger) from the New York Times
"Three days after the first nuclear talks with Iran in more than a year adjourned with no progress, President Obama’s chief nuclear adviser said on Friday that the United States and its allies planned a new round of sanctions against the country in coming weeks, part of an effort to test “how high Iran’s pain threshold is” and force the country into suspending its production of nuclear fuel."

On Myanmar, U.S. and China Worked Closely, Cables Show from the New York Times
"China seems to share American frustrations with the junta, secret cables show, and Americans diplomats are critical of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the opposition leader."

McCain: 'We are very close' on START from Politico
"Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) lent a nudge of support to the stalled START treaty Friday, saying he hopes the Senate will consider it next week before the end of the lame-duck congressional session.
“We are very close,” he said in a speech Friday at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, urging leaders to take a broader look at the U.S.-Russia relationship and questioning attempts by President Barack Obama and his two predecessors to “reset” it."

An Obama Foreign Policy Win in South Sudan (Michael Gerson) from the Washington Post
"The Obama administration, elsewhere challenged by Iranian nuclear ambitions and North Korean brinkmanship, is on the verge of a major diplomatic achievement in Sudan. Barring technical failures that delay the vote, or unexpected violence, South Sudan will approve an independence referendum on Jan. 9. Six months later, a new flag will rise, a new anthem will be played. It is a rare, risky, deeply American enterprise: midwifing the birth of a new nation."
I hope Gerson is correct -- my fear is that it is just neocon happy talk. I think this is going to get much messier when it comes down to it.

Cables Reveal Resentment at Chinese Influence in Africa from Der Spiegel [of Germany in English]
"China has strengthened its economic and political ties in Africa in recent years in an effort to open up new markets and secure much-needed raw materials. The leaked US diplomatic cables reveal that Africans are growing increasingly resentful of China's aims and methods."

China and the Nobel Committee: Explain in Vain from the Economist [of the UK]
"The Norwegians will be hard-pressed to match the atmosphere of farce that was achieved by a hastily organised ceremony in Beijing yesterday. Ostensibly, the Chinese ceremony was designed to honour the recipient of the newly established “Confucius peace prize”. The winner was Lien Chan, a rather dowdy senior Taiwanese politician…Indeed, a statement from Mr Lien’s office said that he had never heard of such an award and had no plans to accept it."
OMG!! What a farce!!  What's with this totalitarian regime that it can't get its propaganda shit together?!  Half-baked doesn't even begin to capture...

Dutch Panel Found 2,000 Church Abuse Claims from the New York Times
"The Roman Catholic Church, battered by sexual abuse scandals from the United States to Belgium, is facing a new set of damaging allegations in the Netherlands. Figures released Thursday by an investigative commission showed that almost 2,000 people had made complaints of sexual or physical abuse against the church, in a country with only four million Catholics."

Obama's Very Good Week (David Brooks) from the New York Times
"Cluster liberals (like cluster conservatives) view politics as a battle between implacable opponents. As a result, they believe victory is achieved through maximum unity. Psychologically, they tend to value loyalty and solidarity. They tend to angle toward situations in which philosophical lines are clearly drawn and partisan might can be bluntly applied."

The Swindle of the Year (Charles Krauthammer) from the Washington Post
"Barack Obama won the great tax-cut showdown of 2010 - and House Democrats don't have a clue that he did."
WOW! I think this is TWICE this year Charles has made an appearance among the nuggets.  May miracles never cease!  And, boy, does he sound off!

Obama Finally Stands His Ground (Dana Milbank) from the Washington Post
"For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of President Obama.  I'm not particularly proud of the tax-cut deal he and the Republicans negotiated. But I'm proud that he has finally stood firm against the likes of Peter DeFazio."

The 'Real Jew' Debate (Roger Cohen) from the New York Times
"The view that American Jews supportive of Israel but critical of its policies are not “real Jews” is, however, widespread. Israel-right-or-wrong continues to be the core approach of major U.S. Jewish organizations, from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac) to the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations."

Why Japan Keeps Whaling (Anthony Fensom) from the Diplomat
"Every year, Japanese whaling provokes international outrage, resulting in huge damage to the country’s image. So why does it keep doing it?"

Memo to the Left: Hands Off Obama (Colbert King) from the Washington Post
"Warning: If the Democratic left does to Obama in 2012 what it did to incumbent President Carter in 1980 via Ted Kennedy's damaging Democratic presidential primary challenge - or what the Republican right did to incumbent President George H.W. Bush in 1992 with Pat Buchanan's entry into the GOP primary - the Democratic party as a whole will find itself paying a steep price for years to come. That's a promise, not a threat."

States Get Their Way and Lose Rail Money from the Wall Street Journal
"Gov.-elect Scott Walker in Wisconsin and Gov.-elect John Kasich in Ohio campaigned on pledges to stop passenger-rail projects in their states. On Thursday, they got their wish.  U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood rescinded nearly $1.2 billion that had been allocated to Wisconsin and Ohio for new train lines. Wisconsin, which received $810 million for a passenger train between Madison and Milwaukee, will have to forfeit the entire amount. Ohio must give up $385 million of the $400 million allocated for a train connecting Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland."
Talk about DUMB!  PLEASE don't invest in the future of my state!  Make sure other states get that money and that they will be much more competitive than my rust belt backwater!!  It would be one thing if by denying the money that taxpayers were saved from footing the bill -- but the money is simply being re-directed to other states, giving those new recipients more juice for THEIR rail programs!!  IN-credible!!  But -- boy, these two GOP governors just gave their dem challengers in 2014 some serious ammunition!!  The saddest part of all: with dopes like this in charge, it is almost certain that WI and OH will still be deeply mired in recession in four years.

COLD WAR NUGGET!!
Inside the Apocalyptic Soviet Doomsday Machine from Wired Magazine
"The technical name was Perimeter, but some called it Mertvaya Ruka, or Dead Hand. It was built 25 years ago and remained a closely guarded secret."

WATERGATE NUGGET!!
In Tapes, Nixon Rails About Jews and Blacks from the New York Times
"While previous recordings have detailed Nixon’s animosity toward Jews, including those who served in his administration like Henry A. Kissinger, his national security adviser, these tapes suggest an added layer of complexity to Nixon’s feeling. He and his aides seem to make a distinction between Israeli Jews, whom Nixon admired, and American Jews."