News Nuggets 823

DAYLEE PICTURE: The Rodel Saltmarsh on the Isle of Harris 

in Scotland's Outer Hebrides.  From the Daily Mail of the UK. 

REACTION TO OBAMA'S KANSAS SPEECH!
Why Obama is Listening to Teddy Roosevelt for 2012 (John Avlon) from CNN
A big quote is worthy here.  Read the whole thing.
"... in recent years representatives of the right-wing talk radio crowd have started to throw Teddy Roosevelt under the bus as part of their RINO (Republican in Name Only) hunting expeditions. ... This attempted purge of Teddy Roosevelt by some conservatives reflects the electoral opportunity that President Obama is trying to seize in his re-election: painting a picture of a GOP that is too ideologically rigid and extreme to respond to the remorseless squeeze of the forgotten middle class, while the ranks of the super-rich have grown exponentially in recent decades. President Obama has gotten the message that this election will be decided by the middle class, and whether they believe the Republican nominee will look out for them more than the Democrat incumbent."

The Most Important Economic Speech of His Presidency (Robert Reich) from the Huffington Post
"The President's speech today in Osawatomie, Kansas -- where Teddy Roosevelt gave his "New Nationalism" speech in 1910 -- is the most important economic speech of his presidency in terms of connecting the dots, laying out the reasons behind our economic and political crises, and asserting a willingness to take on the powerful and the privileged that have gamed the system to their advantage."

Obama’s New Square Deal (E.J. Dionne) from the Washington Post
"The president’s speech on Tuesday in Osawatomie, Kan., the site of Theodore Roosevelt’s legendary “New Nationalism” speech 101 years ago, was the Inaugural address Obama never gave. It was, at once, a clear philosophical rationale for his presidency, a straightforward narrative explaining the causes of the nation’s travails, and a coherent plan of battle against a radicalized conservatism that now defines the Republican Party and has set the tone for its presidential nominating contest. In drawing upon TR, Obama tied himself unapologetically to a defense of America’s long progressive and liberal tradition."

Obama in Osawatomie from the Editorial Board of the New York Times
"After months of Republican candidates offering a cascade of bad ideas about the economy, President Obama’s speech in Osawatomie, Kan., Tuesday came as a relief. He made it clear that he was finally prepared to contest the election on the issues of income inequality and the obligation of both government and the private sector to enlarge the nation’s shrinking middle class."

Now -- back to our regular nuggets!
China Factory Unrest Spreads Amid Economic Uncertainty (James Pomfret And Royston Chan) from Real Clear World
"Workers at a foreign-owned factory in China were on strike on Wednesday after a week of industrial disputes in coastal manufacturing hubs, with a wave of unrest showing no sign of abating as they push back against rising economic pressures. China's economy is showing signs of strain due to mounting piles of local government debt, a sharp drop in external demand for exports and nagging inflation."

Mapping The European Debt Situation (Matthew Yglesias) from Slate
"I'm pleased to be able to bring you, in partnership with the New America Foundation, a cool interactive map of European debt levels (note that Greece is lurking behind the map legend)that helps illustrate the real diversity of situations that the different countries are facing:"

Obama’s Pacific Pivot (Joseph S. Nye) from Project Syndicate
"US foreign policy over the past few years has been buffeted by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, concerns about terrorism, nuclear-proliferation threats in Iran and North Korea, and the recent Arab uprisings. Obama’s November trip to Asia was an effort to align US foreign-policy priorities with the region’s long-term importance."

On Private Call, Republicans Say Attacking Obama Personally is Too Dangerous from Yahoo News
"Recent polling data indicates that while the president suffers from significantly low job approval ratings, voters still give "high approval" to Obama personally, Thompson said."

Rep. Jerry Nadler, Occupy Wall Street’s Friend in the House (David Sessions) from the Daily Beast
"Rep. Jerry Nadler has asked the Justice Department to investigate alleged police misconduct against protesters and reporters. David Sessions on the roots of the New York City Democrat’s civil-liberties fight."

Occupy Wall Street: A Generation Of 20-Somethings Airs Its Grievances, Its Frustrations (Amanda Fairbanks) from the Huffington Post
""I came here for a job search and was so demoralized by the lack of meaningful jobs that I figured this was a more valuable use of my time," says Barchus, standing in the middle of Zuccotti Park in early November. "Here I am utilizing all of my skills, which is more than I could say about any job I could possibly land right now.""
What a SAD commentary on our economy right now!

From the GOP version of America:
Tennessee Family Home Burns While Firefighters Watch from Yahoo News
"A Tennessee couple helplessly watched their home burn to the ground, along with all of their possessions, because they did not pay a $75 annual fee to the local fire department."

Election Monitor: Eyes on Gingrich But Obama the One Stealing the Show (Steve Lombardo) from the Huffington Post
"The President has had the best 30 days since the first few months of 2009. Improvement in the unemployment rate, a gradual rise in the President's approval rating, a sharply focused re-election strategy (propelled yesterday by a laser like populist speech) and the stumbling of a cadre of GOP candidates who seem intent on giving away this election has made it at least a 50/50 shot that Obama wins re-election in 2012. "

Newt's Reach (Ronald Brownstein) from the National Journal
"...in terms of the range of voters that each man is currently attracting, these results suggest that as of today, at least, Gingrich is positioned to compete in a broader range of states than Romney."

Gingrich: Man Who Created Gridlock (Bill Schneider) from Politico
"Gingrich’s problem is that the voters don’t like him. In 35 polls taken over the past 17 years, Americans expressed a negative impression of Gingrich 32 times. Republicans know that. In that same CNN poll where Gingrich was the top choice of Republicans, he was rated fourth most likeable —after Romney, Herman Cain and Perry. And far less likely than Romney to beat Obama."

MA-SEN: Elizabeth Warren Leading Scott Brown By Biggest Margin Yet from the Huffington Post
"The survey conducted by the University of Massachusetts Lowell and The Boston Herald finds Warren leading Brown by a 49 to 42 percent margin. Warren's showing represents a significant improvement over a previous UMass Lowell/Herald poll conducted in late September that had Brown with a nominal 41 to 38 percent lead."

DINOSAUR NUGGET!!
Dinosaur Skull Dismissed as 'Rubbish' for 90 Years is New Species - a 'Missing Link' in the Triceratops Family from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
Even for a dinosaur, this one is pretty exotic looking!
"The skulls had languished in London's Natural History Museum for nearly 90 years - kept on shelves and deemed too scrappy for exhibit, after the Museum's Keeper of Geology dismissed them as 'rubbish' in 1916. The bones have now been revealed to be an entirely new dinosaur species, Spinops sternbergorum - which could be a 'missing link' that forces scientists to rethink how they classify the horned dinosaur group, including Triceratops."