News Nuggets 837

DAYLEE PICTURE:  A girl flying a kite in India.  From National Geographic.

The Nuggetsman is off for a holiday break -- so postings will be intermittent at best.  Regular Daylee News will resume around the 31st.

UP-FRONT MEDIA NUGGET!!
The Media's Deaf, Dumb, and Blind Campaign Coverage (Bob Garfield) from the Atlantic
"The most powerful segment of the political right has moved into fringe territory. Why has the press been largely silent on this?"

In the Middle East: Don't Just Do Something, Stand There! (F. Gregory Gause III) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"What should America do about the Arab Spring? Not much."

European Central Bank Will Loan $640 Billion to Debt-Laden Banks from the Washington Post
"The European Central Bank announced Wednesday that it is loaning about $640 billion to European banks for an unusual three-year term as part of its effort to free up credit tightened by the euro zone’s government debt crisis."

Will China Break? (Paul Krugman) from the New York Times
"I’ve been reluctant to weigh in on the Chinese situation, in part because it’s so hard to know what’s really happening. All economic statistics are best seen as a peculiarly boring form of science fiction, but China’s numbers are more fictional than most. I’d turn to real China experts for guidance, but no two experts seem to be telling the same story. Still, even the official data are troubling — and recent news is sufficiently dramatic to ring alarm bells."

A Foreign Correspondent Reflects On The Arab Spring (AUDIO) (Terry Gross & Anthony Shadid) from NPR's Fresh Air program
"Veteran war correspondent Anthony Shadid spent much of the past decade in Baghdad covering the Iraq war, first for The Washington Post and then for The New York Times. Last December, Shadid left Baghdad for his home in Beirut, Lebanon, where he's been based for more than a decade."

Poll Shows Overwhelming Support for President Obama on Ending War in Iraq (Jed Lewison) from Daily Kos
"Most Americans said they believed the war in Iraq was a mistake, and a majority called it a "dumb" war—the same word Barack Obama used when he opposed it from the very beginning. Moreover, slightly more then 70% said they believed money spent on the war was "one reason for economic problems" facing the nation today."

President Obama’s Middle-Class Momentum (Chris Cillizza) from the Washington Post
"President Obama’s resurgence in a new Washington Post-ABC News poll — his 49 percent job approval rating is as high as its been since May — is built in no small part on a growing sentiment in the electorate that he is fighting for the middle class."

The Ongoing Republican Plan to Shame the Poor (Jamelle Bouie) from the Nation
"Drug tests and GED classes are the new requirements for anyone who dares to collect unemployment insurance."

The GOP’s Dangerous Divide (Robert Reich) from Salon
"White Southern radicals are threatening to take over the party once and for all."

The Point at which Mitt Romney Loses his Mind (Steve Benen) from Washington Monthly
"Confident that his Republican primarily rivals simply won’t (or can’t) catch him, the former one-term governor ignored the other GOP candidates in his speech, and focused exclusively on attacking President Obama. Unfortunately for those who have even a passing interest in reality or a civil discourse, Romney, allegedly the responsible one in the Republican field, has been reduced to lying uncontrollably."

Newt Gingrich is an Overly-Ambitious 'Pig' (Patrik Eschemeyer) from the News [of Switzerland in English]
"Gingrich, who wanted to bring down Bill Clinton because of his affair with an intern while he himself was cheating on his wife, is one political animal who in a matter of minutes can change his political opinion by 180 degrees if it suits him - and he will let go the full force of his wrath on anyone who points this out."

Three Reasons the House GOP Won't Win this Fight (Chuck Todd et al.,) from MSNBC
"there are three reasons why the House GOP probably won’t win this fight, PR-wise, especially if the tax cut expires. Reason #1: House Republicans allowed the Senate to break for the Christmas holiday without explicit orders it would need to come back. In fact, Politico notes that the silence from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is deafening. ..."

Michael Tomasky on the GOP’s Christmas Gift to Obama (Michael Tomasky) from the Daily Beast
"President Obama has had an awful year. But thanks to the politically asinine miscalculations of House Republicans, he’s ending 2011 with a bang, says Michael Tomasky."

Capitol Stand-off: Republicans Caving? (Jonathan Karl) from ABC News
"My prediction: House Republicans will eventually cave in and accept the two-month extension of the payroll tax cut passed last week by the Senate. I base this on conversations with House Republicans who know they are losing the public relations battle and losing it badly. They know they are taking the blame for a stand-off that threatens to raise taxes on 160 million Americans. And they cannot let that happen."

Behind John Boehner’s Debacle on the Payroll Tax Cut Battle (Patricia Murphy) from the Daily Beast
"Democrats pummel the House speaker as he loses control of his caucus, which voted down the bipartisan payroll tax-cut compromise forged in the Senate. Patricia Murphy on how the latest deal came undone—and how long Boehner can survive as leader."

How Dare The WSJ Blame The House GOP? (David Frum) from the Frum Forum
"The Journal is blaming House Republicans for believing things the Journal itself taught them to believe. ... the Journal does not come with clean hands. If the payroll tax holiday is not a sufficient answer of itself, it remains a huge improvement over the various remedies proposed by the Journal, which would actively deepen and prolong the slump: tighter money and large, immediate cuts in government spending."

ODD BUT INTERESTING PORNOGRAPHY NUGGET!!
Pornstar Aurora Snow on the Sasha Grey School Controversy (Aurora Snow) from the Daily Beast
"After two recent controversies involving former adult stars and school kids, pornstar Aurora Snow issues a polemic about equating work in porn with bad morals."

AMAZING WILD GORILLA VIDEO NUGGET!!
Touched by a Wild Mountain Gorilla (VIDEO) from YouTube via AmericaBlog
"An amazing chance encounter with a troop of wild mountain gorillas near Bwindi National Park, Uganda."
An astounding must-see video clip!! You can completely get how YOU DO NOT want to mess with a full-grown male silverback gorilla.  At the same time, it's amazing how non-chalant the whole troop was!  Check it out!

OBAMA VIDEO NUGGET!!
Obama Goes Christmas Shopping in Virginia (VIDEO) from the Washington Post
"President Obama and the first dog Bo, visited a PetSmart in Virginia on Wednesday. The President then headed to Best Buy to pick up a few gifts for Sasha and Malia. On the last stop of his trip, Obama picked up three pizzas from Del Ray Pizzeria."


PITTSBURGH CHRISTMAS VIDEO NUGGET!!
Boys Ask Santa for their Soldier Mom Home from Iraq...and he Delivers on the Spot (VIDEO) from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"Tyson, sat on his father Scott's lap, was stunned and burst into tears, before the whole family embraced in the emotional reunion watched by their family and friends in Pittsburgh, reports WTAE.com."