An octopus in a glass vase in the waters off the Philippines. From National Geographic.
UP-FRONT LOCAL ACTIVISM NUGGET!!
Occupy Pittsburgh Event Set Oct. 15 from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Occupy Pittsburgh, the grassroots effort inspired by but separate from the massive Wall Street demonstrations, are planning their first big event Downtown on Saturday, Oct. 15."
"“We told you so”. That captures the reaction of many American bankers and policymakers towards Europe these days. Ever since America unveiled its own troubled asset relief programme in 2008, observers in Washington and New York have muttered darkly about Europe’s failure to grasp its banking nettle."
An interesting column -- but only half a story really. As Michael Lewis's new book, Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World, makes clear, big US Wall Street "masters of the universe" are deeply complicit in the European economic crisis -- and there is no small irony reading the "tut tut"ing from some of the people quoted here. US financial houses overvalued and oversold worthless financial instruments and bankrupt-making policies to European banks, governments and financial houses. Across the board, US financiers viewed many of their European counterparts as the easiest patsies willing to buy "Brooklyn Bridge" sized securities which they KNEW were bad investments. The seventh lesson should be "In the future, don't pay any attention to those people on Wall Street."
McChrystal: Afghan War a Job Half-Done from CBS News
The headline hides the real story. This is the REAL headline:
"The U.S. began the war in Afghanistan with a "frighteningly simplistic" view of the country and even 10 years later lacks knowledge that could help bring the conflict to a successful end, a former top commander said Thursday."
McChrystal (who had to resign ignominiously last year) is already a tainted figure -- but here we are TEN YEARS into the conflict and we now begin to get SOME CANDOR on the Afghan conflict from military authorities about how badly they made a mess of things. As I noted the other day, the "golden boy" Patraeus will have (I suspect) as much if not more to answer for when there is more truth-telling.
The Two Obamas: Professor and Populist from Politico
"President Barack Obama’s midmorning White House news conference on Thursday offered a rare glimpse of an inwardly calm, disciplined and analytical president wrestling with his outer demons. For 72 minutes in the East Room, Obama the Professor publicly grappled with Obama the Populist."
Is Obama Repeating the Same Mistake, Expecting New Results? Not this Time (Steve Benen) from Washington Monthly
"The fight for the American Jobs Act is the first time in a long while that the president has tried a more aggressive posture, not because he prefers confrontation, but because Republicans haven’t responded to countless appeals for constructive negotiation. With the GOP repeatedly slapping away his outstretched hand, Obama wasn’t left with much of a choice. And some White House political reporters want to know why Obama isn’t trying to negotiate with those bent on destroying his presidency? Seriously?"
Gabrielle Giffords Returns To Washington To Attend Retirement Ceremony For Husband Mark Kelly (PHOTOS) from the Associated Press via the Huffington Post
"...there was no chance to ask Giffords questions or for her to make any statements. She did not have extended conversations with colleagues at the beginning of the reception, but she turned to them and waved or blew them kisses when they were introduced. She also wore a heavy brace on her right hand."
Reid Triggers ‘Nuclear Option’ to Change Senate Rules, End Repeat Filibusters from The Hill
"In a shocking development Thursday evening, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) triggered a rarely used procedural option informally called the “nuclear option” to change the Senate rules. Reid and 50 members of his caucus voted to change Senate rules unilaterally to prevent Republicans from forcing votes on uncomfortable amendments after the chamber has voted to move to final passage of a bill."
Dems Change Rules; Senate in Chaos from Politico
"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s move to suddenly overhaul a key Senate rule without warning infuriated Republicans and put an already bitterly divided chamber on edge as senators from both sides of the aisle traded angry accusations over whether the fight would fundamentally limit the rights of the minority party."
Confronting the Malefactors (Paul Krugman) from the New York Times
"There’s something happening here. What it is ain’t exactly clear, but we may, at long last, be seeing the rise of a popular movement that, unlike the Tea Party, is angry at the right people."
Occupy Wall Street: The Democrats' Tea Party? (Jim O'Sullivan) from the National Journal
"For President Obama and his party, anti-Wall Street protests present an opportunity—and a dilemma."
Occupied Wall Street, Seen From Abroad (Anne Marie Slaughter) from the New York Times
"THE American mainstream media is gradually beginning to pay attention to the Occupy Wall Street movement and its spinoffs springing up in Atlanta, Chicago, Boston and Seattle. But from the very beginning the movement has attracted extensive coverage from Al Jazeera and other Middle Eastern news outlets and Twitter users — probably because they recognize the forces that are reshaping politics across their region."
How to Stop the Political Insanity (David Sirota) from Salon
"Recent research shows that turbulent times reward crazy leaders. Here's what we can do to counteract that."
Palin: Already Almost Forgotten (David Frum) from the Frum Forum
"In the end, she exploited, abused, or embarrassed almost everyone who had believed in her. Most embarrassing of all: she was never even a very good con artist. Everything that was false and petty and unqualified in her was visible within the first minutes of encountering her."
The whole article is just as pointed!
The GOP's Post-Palin Comedown (Michael Tomasky) from the Daily Beast
"First Christie, and now Palin. The GOP is going to have to adjust to the reality that its biggest names aren’t running for president. It’s going to be a rocky road, says Michael Tomasky."
POLITICAL HUMOR NUGGET!!
A Tea People’s History (Alex Pareene) from Salon
"Exclusive read from the history book they won't teach in schools: Our holy Constitution."
NOBEL PRIZE NUGGET!!
Nobel Peace Prize Awarded to Three Activist Women from the New York Times
"The winners were Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf — Africa’s first elected female president — her compatriot, peace activist Leymah Gbowee and Tawakul Karman of Yemen, a pro-democracy campaigner. ... Most of the recipients in the award’s 110-year history have been men, and the award seemed designed to give impetus to the cause for women’s rights around the world."
FIRST LADY NUGGET!!
'You Just Tell Me When and Where to Run': Michelle Obama Visits Secret Service and Reveals Her Kids Fight Over Their Favourite Agents from the Associated Press
"This is what passes for dinner table conversation in the Obama White House:
Sasha wants Scott. So does Malia. The first lady wants Beth. So does Barack.
Turns out everyone's fighting over who gets which Secret Service agent."
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