News Nuggets 937

DAYLEE PICTURE: Martial arts practice on a beach in India. From National Geographic.

UP-FRONT PRESIDENTIAL HISTORY & NEWS NUGGETS!!
How the World's Most Exclusive Club Was Born (Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy) from Time Magazine
"It was one of those moments that, in a mere second or two, changed American history: On January 20, 1953, at the inauguration of President Dwight Eisenhower, Harry Truman greeted Herbert Hoover on the platform. "I think we ought to organize a former presidents club," Hoover suggested."
Time Magazine has 6 or 7 REALLY interesting stories looking at Obama and the recent history of the presidency.  Check them out!!

The Shape of a Deal with Iran (Fareed Zakaria) from the Washington Post 
"The Obama administration’s Iran strategy has worked so far. Unprecedented pressure has forced Tehran to the negotiating table. It will take extraordinary diplomatic skills to reach a settlement in the talks this weekend among Iran and the “P5+1” — the United States, Britain, Russia, China, France and Germany. But there is too much pessimism in the air. A robust deal is possible if, as with any successful negotiation, both sides can come away with something. What would a deal look like?"

North Korea Rocket Breaks Up in Flight from CNN
"Defying warnings from the international community, North Korea launched a long-range rocket on Friday, but it broke apart before escaping the earth's atmosphere and fell into the sea, officials said."
Even as we speak, some North Korean scientists are on their way to some very uncomfortable gulag.

Saudi Women's Spring (Steven Miller) from the National Interest
"Capitalizing on the Arab revolts, the women's movement in Saudi Arabia finds its voice."

Analysts: Gas Prices May have Peaked from The Hill
"Prices at the pump reached nearly $3.94 last Friday, the highest point this year, according to AAA. But prices have decreased slightly over the last five days, reversing increases that began in December of last year... Declining gasoline prices would be welcome news for the president, who has faced sustained and aggressive political attacks from Republicans over the issue."

Prosecutors: Zimmerman Provoked Confrontation from MSNBC
"George Zimmerman pursued Florida teenager Trayvon Martin as he tried to run home and provoked a confrontation before shooting Martin in the chest during a struggle, prosecutors contended in court documents made public Thursday."

The Gay Marriage Long Game (Steve Kornacki) from Salon
"The current Democratic president faces an election year dilemma that the next one won't."

Romney’s Hill to Climb (Scott Clement) from Foreign Policy Magazine 
"If Romney thinks he can beat Obama on foreign policy, he's going to have to do a whole lot more than just criticize the president."

Mitt Romney Stumbles Over ‘War on Women’ (Rachel Weiner) from the Washington Post
"Romney has gotten stuck. Asked to expand on how the president's policies hurt women in particular, his staff couldn't answer. Asked if Romney supported the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act, which makes it easier for workers' to sue over gender-based pay disparities, they again were unsure."

Major Leagues: Team Obama Outmaneuvers Romney On Women (Benjy Sarlin) from Talking Points Memo
"It took tens of millions of dollars, years of preparation and three months of primary contests, but Mitt Romney is finally the GOP’s presumptive nominee. Now comes the hard part. Romney’s first day of the general election turned into a stark reminder that Obama will be a far tougher opponent than the poorly funded, disorganized candidates he battled in the primary."
A MUST-READ about how Romney is facing a much more formidable opponent in Obama than the GOP midgets he's faced up to now.  The Obama people had him coming and going yesterday.

The Voice of Today's GOP: Allen West Says Democrats Are Commies (David Horsey) from the Los Angeles Times
"These days, Republican town hall meetings often take on the tone of John Birch Society gatherings. Alarmed citizens stand up to speak of dark conspiracies and Democratic Party schemes to destroy the Constitution. Apparently, the meeting where West made his remarks ran along those lines. And, when the man stood up to ask about the percentage of card-carrying commies in the Congress, West first said, “That’s a good question.” No it wasn’t. It was a crazy, paranoid question."

Republicans’ Desperation Exposed in Ann Romney ‘Controversy’ (James Downie) from the Washington Post
"With respect to the presidential campaign, she is nothing but a person with an opinion. That’s it. To tie so many talking heads who appear on cable every dayto either campaign is a preposterous exercise, and a standard neither side of the political debate should want."

Is This All There Is? Campaign News Day Jumps A Cliff With ‘War’ On Moms, Adoptive Parents from Talking Points Memo

Combined with the Romney campaign run-around story from above, we begin to get a sense of what the general election will look like.  Crazy/stupid/hilarious -- pick your adjective!

"The apology train had come full circle, but not before it eclipsed any actual news that might have had a run in the spotlight. Is this what the general election is going to be like? “Dear God, I hope not,” said one unaffiliated Republican consultant who worked in the Republican primaries. “This presidential campaign makes me want to start doing drugs.”"

BIOGRAPHER BIOGRAPHICAL NUGGET!!
Robert Caro’s Big Dig from the New York Times
Caro is one of my FAVORITE biographers!  His big works are a bio of NY city planner Robert Moses and a multi-volume bio of LBJ!
"Robert Caro probably knows more about power, political power especially, than anyone who has never had some. He has never run for any sort of office himself and would probably have lost if he had. He’s a shy, soft-spoken man with old–fashioned manners and an old-fashioned New York accent (he says “toime” instead of “time” and “foine” instead of fine), so self-conscious that talking about himself makes him squint a little."

AUTHOR NUGGET!!
David Sedaris: What Book is on Your Night Stand Now? from the New York Times
"I like nonfiction books about people with wretched lives. The worse off the subjects, the more inclined I am to read about them. When it comes to fictional characters, I’m much less picky."