News Nuggets 905

DAYLEE PICTURE: Clammers at the end of the day in China.  From the Daily Mail of the UK.

An Israeli-Iranian War That Seemed So Possible Until Recently Is Averted (Michael Adler) from the Daily Beast
"Israel and the U.S. have agreed to stick with sanctions as the only leverage against Iran for now, while Iran, bowing to international pressure, agrees to talks and perhaps the presence of U.N. inspectors at its nuclear fuel sites."

Is U.S. Energy Independence Finally Within Reach? (John Ydstie) from NPR's Morning Edition
"Since the Arab oil embargo of 1973, energy independence has been a Holy Grail for virtually every American president from Richard Nixon to Jimmy Carter to Barack Obama. But now, it might just be within reach."

Private-Sector Jobs Rose by 216,000 in February from Reuters
"The pace of job creation by private employers accelerated more than expected in February, a report by a payrolls processor showed on Wednesday."

Two Senior Journalists at News International in Apparent 'Suicide Attempts' Following Arrests from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"Three sources close to News International told the Reuters news agency that two of the company's staff had appeared to try and take their own lives, as the pressure from both the corruption inquiry and the on-going phone hacking investigation grows. "
MULTIPLE attempts at suicide?!  Now, God knows that I am not British -- but so far I haven't seen anything from this Murdoch scandal that would warrant someone trying to take their own life.  But for MORE THAN ONE PERSON to do so suggests that there still more to this story than meets the eye.

House Slowing Down on Contraception Legislation from Politico
"House Republican leaders are taking their foot off the gas, slowing down plans to pass legislation taking aim at the Obama administration’s contraception coverage requirement, according to sources close to leadership."

Republican Turnout Woes Intensify (Markos Moulitsas) from Daily Kos 
"So for a party that claims to be all fired up to take on the illegitimate Kenyan socialist in the White House, they sure don't seem to thrilled about choosing President Barack Obama's opponent. Not that anyone can blame them, given the D-list cast of clowns they're working with."

The Unbearable Weakness of Mitt Romney (Alec MacGillis) from the New Republic
"Romney does well in the places where Barack Obama does well, and he does poorly in the places where Obama does poorly. This was true in Ohio, where Romney won easily in the big metro areas of Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Columbus while losing to Santorum in the rural counties, much as Obama and Hillary Clinton split the state in 2008. But it's even more striking when one considers Oklahoma and Tennessee. ... the downside for Romney in this ironic alignment between his geographic strengths and Obama's is that it underscores how poorly suited he is for this moment in his party's trajectory—and for the campaign he himself is trying to run."

So ... how's the GOP primary looking to the rest of the world?
Romney's Issue-Dodging Is Bad for the US and Europe (Peter Schmitz) from Der Spiegel [of Germany in English]
"Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is fond of called President Barack Obama a "European socialist." But his ongoing mudslinging contest with the other GOP candidates has so far shirked most of the issues vital to America's future. It is time for that to change -- for the good of the US and the world."

'Oddball Extremist' Santorum Could Make Obama's Day (Jean-Eric Boulin) from Jeune Afrique [of Senegal in English]
"A fundamentalist Catholic, he is fiercely opposed to homosexual relationships, which he compares to relations between man and dog, and he supports a total ban on contraception. And of course, he hopes and prays for a return of women to the kitchen. As one of his critics commented, the former Pennsylvania senator would be one of the greatest minds … of the 18th century."

A Contest Now Getting Ever More Farcical (David Usbourne) from the Independent [of the UK]
"Ten states are at stake this week in a Republican primary process that is as clear as Mississippi mud."

A Silent Romney Would Be a Better Romney (Peter Schmitz) from Der Spiegel [of Germany in English]
"Presidential candidate Mitt Romney may be the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, but he has developed a curious penchant for tripping over his own tongue. Particularly when talking about money, he has increasingly veered into Dan Quayle territory. His verbal slip-ups could ultimately doom his campaign."

Santorum: 'Prince of Sanctimony' (Anirudh Bhattacharyya) from the Hindustan Times [of India in English]
"In a 2003 interview, Santorum expressed his displeasure with gay marriage, placing it in the context of pedophilia and even bestiality. He believes that America is threatened by Iran and Satan - not necessarily in that order. ... The Republican base seems to be suffering a form of schizophrenia that can only be cured with a lobotomy. Meanwhile, President Barack Obama’s approval numbers keep rising."


The US coverage of the Romney campaign isn't much better:
No Clear Path to Victory for Romney (John Avlon, Ben Jacobs) from the Daily Beast
"After Super Tuesday, Romney’s chances of cleanly claiming the nomination plunge, report John Avlon and Ben Jacobs."

Mitt Romney’s Weaknesses Show No Sign of Going Away (Jonathan Martin) from Politico
"He struggles in the South and with evangelical voters. He’s not conservative enough. He loses among rural voters and with voters down the economic scale. All of his flaws were on full display Tuesday as he failed to wrap up the GOP nomination on an evening when it was within his grasp."

Meet Mitt Romney, Independent Candidate for President (Michael Hirsh) from the National Journal
"Mitt Romney is still extremely likely to get the GOP nomination, but it looks like he will have to run in the general election as an Independent. He certainly seems to have no home in the Republican Party. ... Just a snapshot of the final results in Ohio tells the main story: Romney eked out a 1 percent plurality over Santorum by losing most of the traditional Republican districts but managing to take the big urban and suburban centers--Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus--that usually vote Democratic. He lost 69 of Ohio's 88 counties."

HILARIOUS LIMBAUGH NUGGET!!
Some Unusual Advertisers Suddenly Want to Support Rush Limbaugh from the Atlantic
"Now that over a dozen companies have bailed on Rush Limbaugh after he called Sandra Fluke a "slut" on air, a couple of new companies are swooping in to buy up that abandoned air time. AshleyMadison.com, the dating site that helps people cheat on their significant others, has offered to buy up all of Limbaugh's existing ad inventory."

LOCAL NPR INTERVIEW NUGGET!!
Scott Simon Relates Horrors of War from the Observer-Reporter [of Washington & Greene Counties]
"National Public Radio host Scott Simon began his lecture Tuesday at Town Hall South by relating a series of interesting facts about those who listen to NPR. Thirty-five percent of listeners consider themselves liberals and 32 percent believe they are conservative. But perhaps the most telling statistic: a full 96 percent of NPR listeners say they are right and everyone else is wrong."

LOCAL PITTSBURGH NUGGET!!
Forbes Names 'Burgh a Survivor: Population Shift Earns 'Comeback City' Honor from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Two years after pronouncing Pittsburgh the nation's "most livable city," Forbes.com delivered another honor Monday, putting Pittsburgh on a list of "comeback cities" because Allegheny County in 2009 reversed years of population loss. "It's important that we look to these ratings as an opportunity to not only tell our good story and attract more people and businesses to Pittsburgh, but to roll up our sleeves and work on getting even safer, creating more jobs and being more livable," Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said in a statement."
The PG Editorial Board has a comment HERE.