U.S. Evaluating Size of Baghdad Embassy, Officials Say from the Washington Post
"The United States in Iraq, population 16,000, is a country within a country. It has a $6 billion budget, its own airline and three hospitals, and imports virtually all of its food. Its central fortress, otherwise known as the Baghdad embassy compound, is nearly as large as Vatican City. But what seemed like a good idea seven years ago — when plans to construct the embassy and its various outposts were initiated and U.S. interests in Iraq appeared limitless — now increasingly looks like a white elephant of questionable value and staggering expense, critics say."
Another Bush-era fiasco for US taxpayers to choke on!! Let's be really clear about what has happened here: whether they said so or not, the Bush folks and their pals in Congress (read John McCain et al.) had always planned for the US to STAY in Iraq permanently. This "embassy" is in fact a combination of a military base and a transplanted "Green Zone" as what existed in Baghdad. Just the latest example from Bush's expanding legacy of fiascos both in Iraq and across the Middle East.
Iran’s Achilles’ Heel (Efraim Helevy) from the New York Times
"Ending Iran’s influence in Syria would transform the Middle East."
Putin Is Already Dead (Leon Aron) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"The sweeping protests that have riled Moscow signal the end of Russia's strongman, but the real gains will require millions to adopt the project of democracy and dignity."
Sorry, Mitt: It Won't Be an American Century (Charles Kupchan) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"Abroad, the charge for the next U.S. president can hardly be to stick his head in the sand and deny that the global distribution of power is fast changing. On the contrary, it is to react soberly and steadily to the implications of such change and ensure that the United States remains secure and prosperous even as economic and military strength spreads to new quarters. President Barack Obama is on the correct path."
Online Feminism's Big Win Against Komen for the Cure (Jessica Valenti) from the Nation
"With Karen Handel's resignation, online feminism's victory against the giant cancer charity is complete. ... Just three days after the behemoth breast cancer foundation Komen for the Cure announced they would defund Planned Parenthood—about $600,000 in grants for cancer screening for low-income women—the organization was forced to reverse their decision when the online backlash became too big too handle. And just this morning, the Komen official widely considered responsible for the debacle, its new vice president for public policy Karen Handel, resigned with a surly letter that implicated the whole Komen board [1] in the decision."
Why the Komen/Planned Parenthood Breakup—While It Lasted—Was Good for Feminism (Amy Schiller) from the Nation
"It might not look like it at first, but Komen’s actions and the ensuing backlash are a huge boon for the feminist movement. The fact that Planned Parenthood will again be eligible for funding in future grant cycles, on top of the $3 million it has raised in the past week, just makes the incident a win-win. But the Komen controversy still has ramifications beyond the budgets of the two organizations: it provided a long-overdue spotlight on the difference between feminism as a brand and feminism as a political movement."
Komen Incites Women’s ‘Tahrir Square Moment’ (Gloria Feldt) from the Daily Beast
"Komen’s dirty trick was nothing new, but it should galvanize women to fight the powerful fringe obsessed with others’ sex lives, writes former Planned Parenthood president, Gloria Feldt."
Obama: The Most Polarizing Moderate Ever (Ezra Klein) from the Washington Post
"Obama is the most moderate Democratic president since World War II. Which raises a question: How can Obama simultaneously be one of the most divisive and most moderate presidents of the past century?"
Clint Eastwood Chrysler Super Bowl Ad Shows Obama Messaging Is Weak (John Avlon) from the Daily Beast
"Clint Eastwood says his Chrysler Super Bowl commercial isn’t pro-Obama—but the ad’s emotional power and appeal remind us how ineffective the president’s own messaging campaign has been."
No truer words have been said. It is in this area that the Obama team has failed most dramatically: selling their policies. The messaging has INDEED been dreadful!
Obama Inches Past Romney In Virginia Presidential Race from Quinnipiac
"For the first time in this election cycle, President Barack Obama inches ahead of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the leading Republican candidate, 47 - 43 percent in Virginia, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today."
Revisiting ‘That Vision Thing’ (Josh Kraushaar) from the National Journal
"Lacking a clear message of why their ideas are better, Republicans could squander their chance to take the Senate and White House."
Failed Candidates and Faded Icons Reflect Tea Party Decline (Naureen Khan) from the National Journal
"Heroes of yesteryear are either sitting on sidelines or proving ineffectual."
The Tea Party is on its way out! Who called it?! Looking ahead to the 2012 election in November, I wonder how long the GOP leadership will be quacking in its boots in fear of this growing constituency of zombies.
Santorum Sweeps Midwestern GOP Races from Raw Story
"Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) won the Missouri GOP primary and Minnesota causes on Tuesday."
Santorum Romps Through Clean Sweep (Markos Moulitsas) from Daily Kos
An interesting (and not surprisingly snarky) analysis of the results from last night.
"he still suffers the problems of cash (or lack thereof) and organization. A week ago Santorum was bragging about having raised $200,000, which was hilariously quaint and charming -- not enough for a House race, much less a White House bid. But the GOP base doesn't seem to care anymore. They want blood, and now united behind a single candidate, they're ready to deliver some serious pain to their party establishment."
Given that there were no delegates at stake last night, analysts are still unanimous that it was a TERRIBLE night for Romney. Some fairly representative examples follow:
Danger Signs for Mitt Romney as Colorado, Minnesota, Missouri Ready Vote (Howard Kurtz) from the Daily Beast
"He faces a tight Minnesota race, but a worse problem is his weakening position vs. Obama. Plus, 15 fun facts about Tuesday's primary states."
Mitt Romney Has Reason to Be Concerned (John Fund) from the National Review
"... what Romney won’t be able to explain away is just how much more poorly he did tonight in those three states than in his 2008 showing — when he lost the GOP nomination for president."
The Front-Runner Who Leaves the GOP Cold (Eugene Robinson) from the Washington Post
Even at this point, after Romney trounced Newt Gingrich in the Florida primary and the Nevada caucuses, there are some fairly compelling reasons for Republicans to pause before bowing to the party establishment’s decision that Mitt must be It. First is the fact that so many GOP voters still can’t summon much enthusiasm for their likely standard-bearer."
Minnesota Deals Mitt Romney his Biggest Blow (Aaron Blake) from the Washington Post
"Tuesday was an embarrassing night for Mitt Romney, and nowhere was that more true than in Minnesota. This was a state where the former Massachusetts governor had nearly everything going for him:"
Santorum Spanks Romney in Midwestern Primaries (Paul Begala) from the Daily Beast
"It was a stunning repudiation of the ostensible frontrunner. Mitt’s super PAC outspent Santorum’s 40 to 1—only to come in third place in Minnesota?"
G.O.P. Race Has Hallmarks of Prolonged Battle (Nate Silver) from the New York Times
"Whatever your perspective on how likely Mitt Romney was to lose the Republican nomination race prior to Tuesday evening, it should be acknowledged that he had about the worst results conceivable."
Preferring the 'Sweet Meteor of Death' Over Romney (Erik Erikson) from RedState.com
"For months I have said I am for “Not Romney.” It is not because I think either Gingrich or Santorum have a better shot at winning than Romney, but because I still hold out hope for a broker convention to save us from ourselves. ... Romney certainly should not expect me or other conservatives to do anything for him in the general election other than, hopefully it won’t just be me, showing up to vote for him. That’s about all I plan to do for the man."
MARILYN MONROE NUGGET!!
My Day with Marilyn: Stunning Black and White Photos Show Effortless Glamour of Hollywood's Greatest Sex Symbol After They were Hidden in a Drawer for 50 YEARS from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"The photographs, taken by LIFE photographer Ed Clark, were shot in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park in August of 1950. He revealed in a 1999 interview with Digital Journal that a friend from 20th Century Fox had called him about a ‘hot tomato’ he just signed."
The photos are really GOOD. It's surprising they were never published.
VETERAN NUGGET!!
The Very Last World War I Veteran Has Died from the Atlantic
"Florence Green joined the RAF at the age of 17 and died just before her 111th birthday, which would have been Feb. 19. "
AMAZING NATURE-GALAXY PHOTOS NUGGET!!
A Galaxy Not So Far Away: Salt Lake City Photographer Captures Spectacular Images of Our Own Milky Way Arched Over the Pillars and Canyons of Utah from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"Salt Lake City photographer Royce Bair uses digital cameras and what he describes as a 'copious collection of portable incandescent and flash lighting equipment' to capture his unique views of the night sky over Utah's spectacular canyons."
No comments:
Post a Comment