News Nuggets 904

DAYLEE PICTURE: A polar bear and her cub in Canada.  From the Daily Mail of the UK.

Obama: Israel's Best Friend (Thomas Friedman) from the New York Times 
"Every Israeli and friend of Israel should be thankful to the president for framing the Iran issue this way. It is important strategically for Israel, because it makes clear that dealing with the Iranian nuclear threat was not Israel’s problem alone. And it is important politically, because this decision about whether to attack Iran is coinciding with the U.S. election."

In China, Sobering Signs of Slower Growth from the New York Times
"The nights are a little darker now here in the main metropolis of southeastern China, at the center of one of the country’s largest export hubs.  It is but one sign of the slightly dimmer economic outlook for China that Premier Wen Jiabao forecast on Monday, when he reduced the government’s minimum growth target for 2012 to what would be, if growth fell that far, the lowest rate in more than two decades."

Assad May Lose Russia, China; McCain Calls for Airstrikes from Bloomberg News Service
"Russia and China decried the violence in Syria and dispatched diplomats to the region this week, raising the possibility of a diplomatic breakthrough that could end their opposition to United Nations Security Council action critical of the Assad regime."

The End of Ahmadinejad (Max Fisher) from the Atlantic
"Why this weekend's election means the Iranian president, and perhaps even the presidency itself, could be on their way out."

The Petrostates of America (Steven Kopits) from Foreign Policy Magazine 
"Yes, the U.S. economy is addicted to oil -- selling it."

Ohio Senate Bill Offers Male Lawmakers A Taste Of Their Own Medicine from Talking Points Memo
"On Tuesday, Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner (D-Cleveland) will introduce a bill aimed at cracking down on prescription drugs like Viagra that treat erectile dysfunction. Turner’s legislation would make men jump through certain hoops — such as psychological screenings — before they could obtain the meds. The bill follows FDA recommendations to determine the underlying causes of erectile dysfunction — but that’s certainly not the only reason Turner is putting the measure forward."

Two Sets of GOP Voters: Rationals and Notionals (Major Garrett) from National Journal
"Notional voters have never been with Romney. They have a notion there's someone better; someone who is more conservative, who is a better debater, who is more of a culture warrior, who has better ideas, who has a better record on job creation, who is more inspiring, more dedicated to tea party princples or who has more guts and business guile."

Obama Super Tuesday Sneak Attack Focuses on Foreign Policy (Glenn Thrush) from Politico
"Planting himself defiantly in the middle of a day that might (or might not) end with Mitt Romney’s coronation as his presidential rival, Obama railed against Romney, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum. Without ever naming them, he denounced their collective claim that he’s been a weakling on Iran, willing to sell out Israel for a few months of pre-election tranquillity."

Not-So-Super Tuesday (Ruy Teixeira) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"The real winner of the Republican primary is Barack Obama. ... As Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum do battle this Super Tuesday, March 6, they have dug themselves ever farther into the mire of a hard-line conservatism that is woefully out of step with America's changing electorate. No matter who wins on Super Tuesday, the Republican Party will have a huge problem expanding beyond its base and forging a winning coalition."

Lasting Damage for Romney (Ruth Marcus) from the Washington Post
"The tedious fable of the Republican primaries, “The Tortoise and the Hares,” is limping toward its predictable close. But if “fear the turtle” turned out to be wise advice for Mitt Romney’s Republican opponents, the general election promises an even bumpier road for the plodding
candidate."

Santorum: Single Moms Are "Breeding More Criminals" from Mother Jones Magazine
"EXCLUSIVE: The GOP candidate claimed in 1994 that single mothers were destroying the "fabric of the country." His solution? "Kicking them in the butt."

For Mitt Romney and Republicans, Super Tuesday Wasn't So Super After All (Jed Lewison) from Daily Kos
"If Mitt Romney and the Republican establishment hoped last night would end the Republican nomination battle, they were sorely disappointed. The good news is that it is still impossible to imagine anybody but Mitt Romney winning the nomination. The bad news is that it's equally hard to imagine Romney winning it. Here's my quick thoughts on yesterday ..."

5 Super Tuesday Takeaways (Maggie Haberman) from Politico
"... it basically guarantees that the contest keeps going through April 24, when a number of states, including Connecticut, New York and Pennsylvania, hold their primaries. All of that will require money that Team Romney did not want to have to spend on an internecine battle. He continues to be a man in search of a message, a fact that is only highlighted by his rivals’ ability to connect with voters in ways he can’t, and Romney will likely be bled by his opponents for at least six more weeks."

Super Wednesday: GOP Establishment Lays Down the Law to the Right (Brent Budowsky) from The Hill
"When the rooster crows on Super Wednesday, the insider establishment that runs the GOP will lay down the law to Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul and all true conservatives: It is time to unite behind the candidate of the establishment that runs the party, which does not include Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Sarah Palin, Donald Trump, Rick Perry, Herman Cain or true conservatives of any kind."
I got to see that!

Rush Limbaugh and the Poisoning of the GOP Brand (Steve Kornacki) from Salon
"How the least-liked “news personality” in America became the symbol of a major political party."
I've often found it interesting how the GOP has so embraced the notion that their party has and should have "a brand."  I never hear Democrats talk this way.  It suggests to me the extent to which the Republican Party (at least at the top) is little more than an elaborate PR firm selling a line of products.  One has to give them credit, as a PR firm, they do AMAZINGLY well -- especially given the Edsalls, Pet Rocks, and Ronco "Blast-from-the-past" culture war BS that makes up their product line.  Ah, but past success does not necessarily determine future earnings.  If they were in my portfolio right now, I'd be hitting the "sell" button.

Rush Limbaugh Instills Fear in GOP Candidates (Eugene Robinson) from the Washington Post
"How’s this for political cowardice? Right-wing bloviator Rush Limbaugh launches a vile attack, full of sexual insults and smarmy innuendo, against a young woman whose only offense was to speak her mind. Asked to comment, the leading Republican presidential candidates — who bray constantly about “courage” and “leadership” — run from the bully and hide."

Despite Sandra Fluke Apology, Rush Limbaugh Advertisers Sign Off (John Avlon) from the Daily Beast
"Rush’s slurs against the 30-year-old Pennsylvanian woman reinforce a problem for both right-wing talk radio and the Republican Party."

Andrew Breitbart, a Bomb-Thrower Without Ideas (Richard Cohen) from the Washington Post
"The distance from Wilson to Breitbart is one way to measure how deeply lost the American conservative movement has become. The recent lineup of earnest fools who have proclaimed their readiness to rule the nation and the world was — and remains — a depressing and frightening sight. Imagine President Perry or Santorum or Bachmann or Palin or Gingrich. This horror is partially the product of a Republican intellectual and political establishment that has only one value: to win."

TREE HOUSE NUGGET!!
Now That's How to Enjoy the High Life: The Luxury Tree Houses that Sell for £250,000 from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
Even for those already living the highlife, owning one of these luxury tree houses would be a real tree-t.. At £250,000 each, these fairytale treetop palaces are the latest in a global trend for bespoke garden living, claims their English designer."