Syrian Violence Spills into Lebanon and Turkey from the Washington Post
"Conflict in Syria burst into neighboring Lebanon and Turkey on Monday, with one Lebanese cameraman killed and at least four people injured in fighting on the Syria-Turkey border. The attacks, on the eve of a deadline under a fading U.N.-backed deal for Syrian troops to withdraw from cities and cease hostilities amid a widespread uprising, risked bringing the Syrian conflict to what the Turkish government called a “new stage.”"
The Age of Irrational Petro-Exuberance Hits the US (Steve LeVine) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"In our now half-decade-old era of regularized black swans, a few energy thinkers are cautioning against a bubble of wishful enthusiasm with regard to U.S. oil -- a widely embraced paradigm shift that, if true, would disrupt geopolitics from here to the Middle East and beyond. A shift is afoot, but not a new world, says Dan Pickering, co-president of Tudor, Pickering, Holt, a Houston-based energy investment firm."
Europe Has Yet to Make Europeans (Gideon Rachman) from the Financial Times [of the UK]
"The construction of a group identity typically takes generations. But Europe’s politicians no longer have the luxury of time. Unless they can persuade the 500m or so citizens of the EU to feel more attachment to Europe and less to their nations, they may be unable to take the necessary steps to save the euro."
To Be a Woman in Pakistan: Six Stories of Abuse, Shame, and Survival: Interviews with a Handful of the Country's 88 Million Women and Girls (Zara Jamal) from the Atlantic
"Poor and uneducated women must struggle daily for basic rights, recognition, and respect. They must live in a culture that defines them by the male figures in their lives, even though these women are often the breadwinners for their families. Quietly, slowly, in piecemeal legal reforms, female empowerment is coming in Pakistan."
Americans See Unfairness as Bigger Economic Problem than Over-Regulation (Jed Lewison) from Daily Kos
"With those kinds of numbers, it's easy to see why it makes political sense for President Obama to focus on the Buffett Rule..."
Karl Rove and Company are Losing the Argument Over Inequality (Greg Sargent) from the Washington Post
"In that big Times story yesterday, Steven Law, the leader of the Rove-founded Crossroads groups, conceded that Obama is winning the argument over tax fairness and inequality. ... So get ready for Crossroads’ response."
The Disconnect: Why are So Many Americans Living by Themselves? (Nathan Heller) from the New Yorker
"...yet the reputation of modern solitude is puzzling, because the traits enabling a solitary life—financial stability, spiritual autonomy, the wherewithal to buy more dishwashing detergent when the box runs out—are those our culture prizes. Plus, recent demographic shifts suggest that aloneness, far from fading out in our connected age, is on its way in."
The Science of Fox News: Why Its Viewers are the Most Misinformed (Chris Mooney) from AlterNet
"Authoritarian people have a stronger emotional need for an outlet like Fox, where they can find affirmation and escape factual challenges to their beliefs."
Racism and the National Review (Joan Walsh) from Salon
"Derbyshire may be gone, but William F. Buckley's magazine championed divisive racial politics – and still does."
Obama Holds Key Leads on Romney, as Economy Malaise Looms Over Reelection Bid from the Washington Post
"With the general-election campaign beginning to take shape, President Obama holds clear advantages over Mitt Romney on personal attributes and a number of key issues, but remains vulnerable to discontent with the pace of the economic recovery, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll."
Obama leads Romney by 13 in Colorado from Public Policy Polling
"Barack Obama's opened up a 13 point lead on Mitt Romney in Colorado at 53-40. He's gained 11 points in the state since December when he led just 47-45."
Huge Gender Gap Powers Obama Lead Over Romney (Ronald Brownstein) from the National Journal
"Another new national poll confirms that President Obama's lead over Mitt Romney is now powered largely by an overwhelming preference for the president among socially-liberal, well-educated women. The ABC/Washington Post survey released Wednesday showed Obama leading Romney overall by 51 percent to 44 percent among registered voters, which replicates his margin of victory in 2008 over John McCain. Like national, swing state, and state polls released last week, the ABC/Post poll found that Obama was benefiting from a huge gender gap..."
National Circus: Romney Is the Only One Playing ‘Hide-and-Seek’ (Frank Rich) from New York Magazine
"Yesterday Romney accused the president of running a "hide-and-seek" campaign. Is claiming that we still don't know the "real Barack Obama" a winning play? This tactic tells us little about Obama but a lot about the continued haplessness of the Romney campaign even as he wins the nomination."
Rick Santorum Drops Out: GOP Presidential Candidate Suspends 2012 Presidential Campaign (LIVE VIDEO) from the Huffington Post
"In a surprise decision Tuesday, former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Penn.) will announce that he is suspending his presidential campaign, The Huffington Post's Jon Ward has learned and several other outlets have reported."
George W. Bush Decries Raising Taxes on 'the So-Called Rich' from The Hill
"Former President George W. Bush on Tuesday voiced opposition to raising taxes on “the so-called rich” in a rare public policy speech. “I wish they weren’t called the ‘Bush tax cuts,’ ” he said of the tax rates set to expire at the end of the year. “If they were called some other body's tax cuts, they're probably less likely to be raised.”"
JUST when I thought I might be mis-remembering how thoroughly bone-headed and insouciant W actually was, he brings it ALL back with this comment which nicely colors one of Bush's worst economic policies with whining self-pity! Where's a good sized pretzel when you need one!?
BRAND NAME NUGGET!!
QUIZ: How Well Do You Know Your Food Mascots? from the Huffington Post
"But despite turning to some of these names everyday for years on end, what do we really know about these food-brand mascot and the companies they represent? We can spot their friendly, iconic faces, from across a room. But do we know anything more? Take the quiz below to test your knowledge of the food you eat."
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