DAYLEE PICTURE: WHEEE! A European brown bear sliding on a hill
in a Bavarian animal park in Germany. From the Daily Mail of the UK.
Bombing Iran May Appear Justified, But Would be Sheer Madness (Max Hastings) from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"As if the world did not have troubles enough, we now face a real threat that Israel will launch an assault on Iran’s nuclear sites. The implications of such action are uncertain but assuredly immense. It would precipitate an open-ended conflict between Iran and the West. Oil prices could surge as the vital tanker conduit through the Strait of Hormuz came under attack. Much of the Muslim world would back Iran, not from affection for its mullahs but because an attack would be seen as new evidence of Western partisanship for Israel: a hated foe — and illegal nuclear power."
Three Scientific Problems for Iran's Nuke Program (Tom Hartsfield) from Real Clear Science
"Why is it a struggle for an entire nation to assemble a lump of metal smaller than a volleyball and build a bomb around it? The answer is three-fold: (1) Fuel for nuclear weapons is hard to come by; (2) The design of the bomb is daunting; and (3) The brainpower to run the project is hard to assemble."
Iran and U.S. Election-Year Politics (Aaron David Miller) from the New York Times
"The notion that 5.5 million American Jews in tight alliance with the country’s evangelical Christians hold America’s Middle East policy hostage is one of the most dangerous yet enduring myths of American politics and foreign policy. It is particularly strong in Europe and in the Arab world, where the inability to understand either how American politics actually works or the depth of the U.S.-Israeli relationship lead to a cardboard conspiracy theory whereby an Israeli prime minister turns the White House and Congress into Israeli occupied territory. ... The reality is that if this were 2011, and not an election year, and the current tensions were as high as they are now, the president’s policy would be very much the same ..."
Syrian Minister Appears to Defect and Join Opposition from the New York Times
"A man identifying himself as the deputy oil minister, Abdo Hussameldin, appeared in a video posted to YouTube on Wednesday, and said he had left his post."
Four More Generals Defect from Syrian Army: Rebels from Reuters
"The men fled over the past three days to a camp for Syrian army deserters in southern Turkey, according to Lieutenant Khaled al-Hamoud, a spokesman for the Free Syrian Army (FSA). He told Reuters by telephone from Turkey the desertions bring to seven the number of brigadier generals who have defected."
U.S., Pakistan Take a Breather (David Ignatius) from the Washington Post
"After several years of a passionate but star-crossed courtship, the United States and Pakistan seem to be trying something different: a calmer, quieter relationship with lower expectations, greater distance and fewer feuds. The two countries, in effect, have taken a step back from their intense partnership and moved toward a more pragmatic framework. If this were a marriage, you wouldn’t speak of a divorce, or even a separation, but of a cooling-off period — with each side happy to have a bit more breathing space."
Containment Gets a Bad Rap (Greg Scoblete) from the Real Clear World blog
The interactive map graphic with this posting is VERY cool!
"It could be that American politics, in its infinite maturity, has put the word "containment" out of bounds. Or it could be that President Obama really has embraced the Bush Doctrine. Either way, it doesn't seem right to simply cast "containment" out of the conversation, especially when "containing" Iran itself is well within the means of the U.S."
Skyline Innovations Sees Bright Future For Solar Hot Water Heating In U.S. from Talking Points Memo
"Hot water heating may seem like an unconventional target for clean energy innovation, but that’s not the way Zach Axelrod, President and CEO of solar hot water heating company Skyline Innovations sees it. “A couple things made it appealing,” Axelrod told TPM in a telephone interview, of his decision to launch the Washington, D.C.-based company three years ago. “A lot of us on the founding team came from the smart grid and smart metering world,” Axelrod said, “We saw that solar hot water heating has better fundamental economics than solar PV.”"
Kansas Abortion Bill Could Raise Taxes On Women Seeking Procedure (UPDATE) from the Huffington Post
"The sweeping anti-abortion bill working its way through the Kansas Legislature would levy a sales tax on women seeking abortions, including rape victims. Buried in the 69-page bill being considered by the House Federal and State Affairs Committee are several provisions, in fact, that opponents say would increase taxes on those who seek abortions."
Dems Twist Knife in Birth Control Fight (Greg Sargent) from the Washington Post
"Senate Democrats believe they have Republicans boxed in. They think the push for the Blunt amendment and Rush Limbaugh’s attacks on Sandra Fluke are damaging Republicans among key swing constituencies — women and independents — and that Republicans would like this whole battle to go away. But Republicans can’t put this behind them, Dems believe, because the conservative base is still itching for this fight to continue."
GOP Strategist: Appeal to Latino Voters is Party's 'Great Challenge' from the Christian Science Monitor
Boy, the numbers are NOT looking good for the GOP in this department! "Said Ayres: "It is pretty obvious that we can't continue to lose Latinos two to one as we did in 2008 and remain competitive as a national party. If we don't do better among Latinos, we are not going to be talking about how to get back Florida in the presidential race, we are going to be talking about how not to lose Texas.""
In case you're wondering, a Fox News Latino poll released this week found that Latino voters favor Obama by six-to-one over any of his possible Republican presidential challengers.
Obama’s ‘Split-Screen’ Strategy (Matt Miller) from the Washington Post
I LOVE this!!
"Barack Obama is the new master of the “split screen.” The White House is managing the president’s schedule and activities so that major events on the GOP campaign calendar become chances to contrast the president in the news cycle with the frivolous, shrill and increasingly surreal Republican race. The targets of this campaign are the independent voters who will decide the November election. The “split-screen” strategy is looking very effective so far."
OUR PUNDIT-OF-THE-DAY!!
It was a Super Tuesday for Democrats (Robert Shrum) from The Week
"... a Romney nomination and subsequent loss would reap the whirlwind among Republicans. The almost certain reaction, the almost irresistible rationalization, would hold that the fault lies in an establishment that foisted another "moderate" on the party; that Romney wasn't reliably far right enough — and the next time, the nominee has to be someone who's truly, fully, and uncompromisingly conservative."
I agree with Shrum ... up to a point. I think conservative voters will react exactly as Shrum describes: they will go super-tea party in 2016 if Romney loses in November. I think this will also make it easier for whichever Democrat is nominated in 2016 to win the White House. Ultimately, however, I think the continuing stranglehold the hard right has on the Republican Party is bad for the country. All you have to do is look at the havoc they are reeking in state legislatures and as almost a rump third party in the House to see how much harm they are causing almost on a daily basis. I'd like to see these folks pass from the system (like a bad kidney tone) ASAP!
Democrats Warm to Obama as a Campaign Ally from the New York Times
"On Capitol Hill, Democrats have begun to mention Mr. Obama more often and to publicly back his proposals."
John Boehner Stacks Up Losses on Legislation from Politico
"Speaker John Boehner’s got quite the losing streak going."
Worst. Speaker. Ever.
Mitt: Pay for Your Own College! (Jonathan Chait) from New York Magazine
A sad but true dynamic identified here.
"The glue holding together the contemporary Republican agenda – the fierce defense of entitlement spending on the elderly, the equally fierce opposition to welfare spending on the young, the backlash against illegal immigration, the nationalist foreign policy, the cultural traditionalism – is ethnocentrism. Republicans are defending the shared cultural prerogatives of a certain group of people. That is why I am arguing that the shifting demographic tides will require the GOP to undertake a major reorientation in order to maintain its competitiveness. There’s simply no way to transpose their sense of what is and what is not a legitimate government function onto a progressively younger, browner electorate.."
The Price of Mitt Romney’s “Death March” (Steve Kornakci) from Salon
"The 5 biggest Romney vulnerabilities that have been exposed by the GOP primary process."
Is Mitt Romney The New Bob Dole? (Mollie Hemingway) from Ricochet
"Romney is the least-liked front-runner in decades (and no, it wouldn't be better with Santorum or Gingrich). You might remember the enthusiasm that greeted Bob Dole when he got the "It's my turn" nomination back in 1996. But he was only -4% on the negative/positive thermometer. Romney is -12%, with 40% of Americans reporting a negative view of him."
Romney Lags in Small Donors as Big Givers Hit Limits from the New York Times
"... several factors are working against him. Mr. Romney’s victories have come largely in states where he was favored to win, depriving him of the kind of dramatic upsets that can thrill grass-roots voters and spur them to donate. "
Ultimately I don't think this will matter a great deal. The SuperPACs will be provide Romney's campaign with more than enough for him to fully compete all the way to the end.
Romney Facing Skepticism in Republican South (Emily Wagster Pettus) from the Associated Press via the Real Clear Politics
"Mitt Romney faces a tough sell in the Deep South. With Mississippi and Alabama primaries coming up next Tuesday, there's concern that he's too slick, not really a conservative. In a region where the evangelical vote is important, some are skeptical about his Mormon faith."
Romney Team Ponders How to Rise Above the Fray from the New York Times
Unhappy staff.
"Mr. Romney, aides say, has become too mired in the nuts and bolts of how to win the nomination rather than offering an inspiring argument for why he should. ... One adviser, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Mr. Romney had too often resorted to micromanaging, especially on speeches and opinion pieces for newspaper editorial pages. ... Several campaign aides acknowledged that fatigue had settled in for both the candidate and his staff here in Boston."
Having followed closely the Obama-Clinton race in '08 I empathize. It's clear to me that they (and Mitt) will have to raise his game to a whole other level if he is going to have any chance against Obama.
The Effect of the Republican Primary on Mitt Romney (it Ain't Pretty) from Daily Kos
"The above graphs say it all. And since Romney's colossal incompetence means that this race will likely drag out into June, there's is no respite ahead for Team Red."
How Would Santorum Do Without Gingrich? (Nate Silver) from the New York Times
"Slightly more than half (57 percent) of Mr. Gingrich’s supporters would go to Mr. Santorum. About a quarter (27 percent) would go to Mr. Romney. The remainder (16 percent) would go to Ron Paul."
Rush Limbaugh’s Show Targets Jerks, Judging From the Latest Ads (Alexandra Petri) from the Washington Post
"“Here we thought lots of pleasant, upstanding people were listening to and enjoying the rational things Rush had to say,” dozens of companies said. “Apparently not.” It turns out that people who really, truly still enjoy Rush Limbaugh’s show are — how do I put this? — jerks. At least that’s what the new advertisements moving into the vast empty lot of Rush Limbaugh, Inc., implies."
TSUNAMI RECOVERY NUGGET!!
Japan’s Battered Coast, Then and Now (PHOTOS) from the Washington Post
The before-and-after pictures are quite compelling!
"The tsunami waves that struck Japan’s east coast on March 11, 2011, killed nearly 19,000 and displaced more than 340,000. Authorities say a full recovery will take at least a decade. These 13 images show the devastation in the days after the disaster and the same spots nearly a year later."
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