Premature Evacuation from Afghanistan?: Why Cutting and Running in Afghanistan is Good Politics for Obama (Michael Cohen) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"Obama probably understands better than his opponents that such attacks have rather limited political saliency. Voters strongly oppose the war in Afghanistan and have for quite some time. Indeed, 56 percent of Americans would, if they had their way, bring U.S. troops home from Afghanistan immediately."
Did Obama Just Declare Victory in Afghanistan? Why Not? Nothing Else has Worked (Fred Kaplan) from Slate
"What does this all mean? A few inferences can be drawn with fairly high confidence.
First, President Obama really is getting out of there."
A fairly clear-eyed assessment of Obama's shift in the pace of withdraw.
Is Israel Preparing to Attack Iran? (David Ignatius) from the Washington Post
"This U.S. policy — signaling that Israel is acting on its own — might open a breach like the one in 1956, when President Dwight Eisenhower condemned an Israeli-European attack on the Suez Canal. Complicating matters is the 2012 presidential campaign, which has Republicans
candidates clamoring for stronger U.S. support of Israel."
Effort to Rebrand Arab Spring Backfires in Iran from the New York Times
"Iran invited young activists to Tehran for a conference on the “Islamic Awakening,” but the fact that no one from Syria’s opposition was invited disrupted the whole script."
Susan G. Komen Fights to Contain Planned Parenthood Damage from Politico
"If this was supposed to be damage control, Susan G. Komen for the Cure proved Thursday that it has a lot to learn."
Komen Supporters Jumping Ship on Guidestar.org from Daily Kos
"Guidestar.org is an extraordinarily important resource for nonprofits. Prospective donors, if they're smart, check out a nonprofit at guidestar.org before even considering giving a donation. ... The Personal Reviews section, which I honestly did not know existed before today, exploded in the last two days, and brought SGK's rating down to one star out of five. "
Reimagining Speaker Pelosi from the Wall Street Journal
"John Boehner realizes, if many Republicans don't, that retaining the House is no sure thing."
To Fix Image, Republicans in House Think Small from the New York Times Unpopular and divided, the once mighty House Republicans are laboring to repair their image and frame a new agenda.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/03/us/politics/to-fix-image-house-gop-thinks-small.html?_r=1&hp
Romney Playing With Fire on Afghanistan (Alex Roarty) from the National Journal
"But for a candidate diligently preparing his general election argument on every other policy, this is an odd political play."
The GOP’s “Entitlement Society” Myth (Robert Reich) from Salon
"Newt and Mitt blame our economic woes on the use of food stamps and unemployment insurance. They have it backwards."
The GOP’s Rush to the Right in Congress (Michael Tomasky) from the Daily Beast
"Washington loves a lullaby—like the one about both sides deserving blame for the decline in bipartisanship. Thankfully, a new study tells the truth about who’s really responsible."
Who Had the Worst Week in Washington? The Tea Party from the Washington Post
"In recent days, some voices that have defined the movement over the past two years — former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, erstwhile 2012 candidate Herman Cain, Nevada Republican Sharron Angle and real estate mogul/self-promoter Donald Trump — offered their endorsements in the GOP presidential race. And the political world yawned in unison."
Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, and GOP Rivals’ Ferocious Battle in Nevada Caucus (Ben Jacobs) from the Daily Beast
"Romney comes into the Nevada caucus on Saturday with a strong organization and Mormon support, but Gingrich, Santorum, and Paul are all jockeying for a strong showing in a state sharply divided between Tea Party conservatives and moderates."
Coulter's Shameful Defense of Romneycare (Philip Klein) from the Washington Post
"Ann Coulter’s support for Mitt Romney entered a new stage today with a column offering an all out embrace of Romneycare. In the process, she insults the intelligence of conservative critics of the law and doesn’t address their actual arguments against it. ... This is a shameful argument, and she must have a very low opinion of conservatives if she thinks this is actually true. "
Y'know -- it's interesting. In right-wing land, we have reached a point where people can't have straight-forward policy differences: it HAS to be framed in both personal and moral terms. Coulter becomes shameful; Obama becomes Hitler or Stalin; Romney becomes whatever bad thing Newt can think up today.
The Gingrich Playbook (Doyle McManus) from the Los Angeles Times
"He expects to be fighting all the way to the GOP convention floor."
BRITISH LITERATURE NUGGET!!
Revealed, the Real-life Neighbors of Dickens called William Sykes and Scrooge Who were the Inspiration for his Best Loved Characters from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"Characters from Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol were based on real-life people who lived near writer, research claims. "The names of Bill Sikes and Scrooge may have derived from real people linked to the famous writer, according to new research. The thug in Oliver Twist, the famous Christmas Carol miser and the ghost of his deceased partner have all been associated with people who worked or lived near Dickens's first London home."
GOLD TREASURE NUGGET!!
We've Still Got a Few Quid then! Bank of England's Glittering Stash of £156BILLION in Gold Bars Stored in Former Canteen Under London from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
The pictures are interesting!
"Despite the financial crisis, it seems the country still has some money left in the Bank of England's vault beneath London. In fact, there are stacks of gold bars worth a whopping £156billion stored in an old canteen deep below the streets of the capital."
BIG SHRIMP NUGGET!!
We’ll Need a Bigger Barbecue! World’s Biggest ‘Prawn’ Discovered as Scientists find ELEVEN INCH Crustacean in Deep Sea from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"A British expedition to one of the deepest parts of the ocean has discovered an enormous species of crustacean that looks like a prawn and is 11ins long."
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