Syria: a Soviet Hangover Turned Headache from the Editorial Board of the Guardian [of the UK]
"Russia inherited its Middle East presence from the Soviet Union. Is it about to lose its last ally in a newly democratised Arab world?"
Dictators of Taste (Peter York) from Financial Times [of the UK]
"With ostentatious interiors and over-the-top designs, despot decor is emerging as a trend in big western cities."
Foreclosure Auctions Stopped—Again (Laura Flanders) from the Nation
"There were four properties scheduled to be auctioned in Brooklyn last Thursday. Only one sale took place. Here’s why. According to Rob Robinson of Take Back the Land.org, the disruption caused total chaos. “The court officers don‘t know what to do when the singing starts.”"
Working Poor: Almost Half Of U.S. Households Live One Crisis From The Bread Line (Alexander Eichler) from the Huffington Post
"What does it mean to be poor? If it means living at or below the poverty line, then 15 percent of Americans -- some 46 million people -- qualify. But if it means living with a decent income and hardly any savings -- so that one piece of bad luck, one major financial blow, could land you in serious, lasting trouble -- then it's a much larger number. In fact, it's almost half the country."
Increasing Number of Ethics Probes Rattles House Republicans from The Hill
"An increasing number of House Republicans are getting wrapped up in allegations of ethics violations ahead of the November elections, handing Democrats easy campaign fodder and putting the GOP in an unexpected bind. "
Florida Fight Rattles GOP Leaders from Politico
"After a week in which a cocky Romney taunted Gingrich about his lackluster debate performances and the furious former House speaker suggested that his chief rival was insensitive to Jews and Catholics, veteran Republicans have become nervous that the primary is damaging the party."
A Low Road Through a Weak Field (Roger Simon) from Politico
"The road is low, the field is weak and the future is bleak. Just three things to consider after yet another primary."
Florida 2012 Republican Primary: 5 Takeaways (Maggie Haberman) from Politico
"After losing the state in 2008, the resurgent front-runner rose off the mat from his South Carolina loss to rout Newt Gingrich on Tuesday after a bloody battle. Below are POLITICO’s five takeaways:"
Thank Romney and His Florida Primary Win for Saving Us From Gingrich (Peter Beinart) from the Daily Beast
"The weeks since Iowa have delivered us Gingrich in all his erratic, bigoted megalomaniacal glory—and thrown Romney’s competence and honorability into high relief. Florida voters chose the better man, says Peter Beinart."
What Mitt Romney's Victories Have in Common: a Low Republican Turnout. Terrific News for Barack Obama (Mike Smithson) from the Daily Telegraph [of the UK]
"...what might be worrying GOP strategists is that turnout was down sharply compared to four years ago. Florida will be one of the critical battlegrounds in November and the last thing the party wants is for Republican-inclined voters to be less enthusiastic."
Romney’s Fight to Win Comes at a Cost, Polls Show (Michael Shear) from the New York Times
"In a Washington Post/ABC News poll last week, 49 percent of the respondents nationwide held an unfavorable view of Mr. Romney, while only 31 percent had a favorable one. That is a reversal from last September, when more people held a favorable view of Mr. Romney than an unfavorable one. Independents, in particular, now have a less favorable opinion of Mr. Romney, with favorable opinions dropping from a high in the mid-40s in late November to a low of 23 percent last week, according to the Post/ABC News poll."
A Li-Mitted Victory for Presumptive GOP Nominee (Ron Fournier) from the National Journal
"There is no doubting the magnitude of his Florida victory on Tuesday night and his alpha-dog status atop the Republican presidential field. But these questions are as unavoidable as they are unpleasant for the presumptive GOP nominee: Will this brutal contest end soon? And will Romney be the weaker for it? Likely answers: No ... and, Yes."
The High Cost Of Romney's Scorching Victory (Joe Conason) from the National Memo
"Triumph could cost Romney much more than the million dollars or so that bought each point of his 46-32 margin over Newt Gingrich. Already the former speaker has shaped the plutocratic image of Romney now visible in national polls. Now a furious, wounded Gingrich could go still further -- demanding, for instance, that Romney release many more years of tax returns. ... The scorching character assaults that incinerated Gingrich have left him yearning for revenge, and he is a past master of the politics of personal destruction. "
Prepare for a Contentious Republican Convention (Jeff Greenfield) from Bloomberg
"Why? Because if there’s sentiment for a fight over a platform plank, or whether convention rules outlaw winner-take- all voting, all the dissidents need is 25 percent of the votes in the respective committees -- a mark the combined anti-Romney forces might well achieve. Further, if Gingrich wants his name put in nomination, all he needs is a plurality of delegates -- not a majority -- in five states. He already has that plurality in South Carolina and may yet pick up pluralities in four more states along the way."
Charles Krauthammer seems to share Greenfield's view here.
Is Newt Gingrich Threatening To Go Rogue And Leave The Party? (Howard Fineman) from the Huffington Post
"If you listened carefully to Newt Gingrich's "concession" speech tonight, you heard the first strains of what could be an independent, third-party run for the White House if he doesn't get the Republican nomination."
Go all the way to the convention, theoretically possible. Go third party? My skept-ometer reads very high on this one -- but between Newt and Ron Paul, it seemed more than possible that one of them might ultimately really swing out there. I think everyone has been waiting for the GOP primary race to return to some recognizable pattern -- and so far it has defied those expectations.
Howard has a two-fer:
Democrats Planning On Doing To Mitt Romney What He Did To Newt Gingrich (Howard Fineman) from the Huffington Post
"The nastiest campaign is about to get nastier -- and will stay that way all the way to November. The Democrats are planning to play the game the same way the Republicans have been playing it: on character more than issues."
If true, I think this is a mistake. I think Obama can win on the issues and on some version of a 99% message. I could be wrong, but I simply don't get Obama as an effective attacker on someone else's character. On lots of other issues, yes. But on character? When was he ever good at that? It is SO not in his nature.
Michael Medved (someone I rarely agree with) oddly echoes the point:
Mitt Romney and the Real Wealth Gap (Michael Medved) from USA Today
"The biggest challenge for Mitt Romney isn't that America hates the rich; it's that the public hates the undeserving rich, and deeply resents privileged punks and politically connected connivers who never performed constructive service to make their millions."
In WI, Democrats Unveil Three Senate Candidates (John Celock) from the Huffington Post
"With a heavy reliance on current and former legislators, Wisconsin Democrats have announced candidates against three of the four Republican state senators facing recall elections this year."
IN-REP: Rep. Dan Burton (R) Announces Retirement from Congress from the Indianapolis Star
"Burton is the 11th-most senior Republican in the House. But he has been marginalized recently by GOP leaders."
There are a number of interesting mini-nuggets for Congress watchers in this story. Example: this very senior powerful guy has been in Congress for decades -- and yet, when asked what his biggest accomplishments were, his list is PATHETIC!! Also, am I missing something or does it seem like there have been an inordinate number of retirement announcements lately, especially in the House, many of them Republicans, and many of those quite senior, such as Dan Burton? What do they know?
DOG & CAT VIDEO NUGGET!!
Pitbull vs. Kitten (Real Love Real Fights) from YouTube
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