Why Obama Went to Afghanistan (Zachary Keck) from The Diplomat
"U.S. President Barack Obama’s trip to Afghanistan last week was widely dismissed for being driven solely by election year politics. This view is mistaken. Although there was a political element to the trip, its overriding purpose was to revive peace talks with the Taliban."
TWO US NAVY NEWS NUGGET!!
As part of our primer in US defense policy, I found these two items. The first is a this list of US ports-of-call around the world. Very interesting.
In contrast, there's this good overview of the Chinese navy's status with ports of call:
The Chinese Navy’s Emerging Support Network in the Indian Ocean (Daniel Kostecka) from the US Naval War College
"The development of a support network by China for its naval forces operating in the Indian Ocean represents a natural outgrowth of the ongoing counterpiracy mission and the PLAN’s tentative yet very real steps away from home waters and into the global maritime domain.77 Beijing’s official policy of noninterference is seemingly a stumbling block to formal agreements for logistical support to PLAN ships in the Indian Ocean."
Bishops Group to Investigate Girl Scouts from the New York Times
"Critics contend that Scouts’ materials should not contain links to groups like Doctors Without Borders, the Sierra Club and Oxfam because they support family planning or emergency contraception."
Sigh.
Why Atheists Have Become a Kick-Ass Movement You Want on Your Side (Greta Christina) from Alternet
"Atheists are becoming a force to be reckoned with. They are a powerful ally when inspired to take action -- and a powerful opponent when they're treated like dirt."
Obama's Gay-Marriage Endorsement is a Moral and Political Win (Robert Shrum) from The Week
"Pundits are eager to pontificate on how supporting same-sex marriage will cost Obama in November. They couldn't be more wrong."
Why Gay Rights May Be President Obama’s Biggest Legacy (Jonathan Rauch) from the New Republic
"...it’s now clear that the Obama administration has quietly accumulated an impressive and unprecedented record on gay rights. Indeed, with his health-care reform bill in jeopardy of being overturned by the Supreme Court or repealed by a future Congress, there’s a real possibility that his efforts for gay equality will prove to be his most enduring legacy."
Obama’s LBJ Moment with His Gay Marriage Endorsement (Robert Dallek) from the Daily Beast
"In an election year nearly 50 years ago President Johnson took a risky stand on a civil rights and triumphed. Historian Robert Dallek on the parallels with Obama’s gay marriage endorsement."
A Generational Shift in Cultural Attitudes (Michael Gerson) from the Washington Post
"Principled or calculating or a bit of both, President Obama’s choice on gay marriage is a bet on the political future — a wager on the views and values of the millennial generation making its long march through American institutions. ... looking beyond a single election, it is undeniable that America is in the midst of a large, consequential shift in the attitudes of the rising generation."
Cash Pours In For Obama After Same-Sex “Evolution,” No Boost For Romney (Matt Taylor) from the Daily Beast
"Socially liberal Wall Street Republicans could distance themselves from Romney, reports Matt Taylor."
Don’t Expect A Sister Souljah Moment From Mitt Romney from Talking Points Memo
"Couple that with a nasty primary that drove everyone to the right, a reputation for flip-flopping and a speech at Liberty University this weekend, and Romney appears to be backed into a far-right corner, unable or unwilling — or both — to move toward the center on key social issues that could sway independent voters."
On the Romney teen bullying story:
Mitt Romney's 'Cruel and Nasty' High School Bullying: 5 Ways it Hurts Him from The Week
"The story of one mean-spirited act from 50 years ago is causing Team Romney a huge headache. A look at why it could get even worse."
"Pranks" (Andrew Sullivan) from the Daily Beast
"I do not believe Romney has no memory of this. I believe he is lying. His absurd statement that he has no memory of the event but that he didn't target the boy for being gay is hilarious for its self-contradiction. A boy who routinely snickered "Atta girl!" when one young gay kid in his class spoke up is not just bashing hippies. I went to an all boys high school in the 1970s. What Romney did was a gay-bashing."
Romney’s Too-cute Apology (Richard Cohen) from the Washington Post
"...there is something about Romney that brings to mind the towel-snapper. This incident, as old as it is, only reinforces the image. That’s why it required a formulaic response: confession of amnesia and a pre-wrapped apology. He’s sorry. He sure is."
Yes, Mitt Gets Worse (Joan Walsh) from Salon
"Romney's chuckling non-apology for his prep school bullying shows his entitlement and lack of empathy"
Mitt Romney's Empathy Problem (Alex Koppelman) from the New Yorker
"...it’s getting harder to escape the conclusion that there’s a pattern to Romney’s behavior, that he has a real problem understanding and caring for those with whom he can’t easily identify. ... We know that when he’s on the trail, Romney has a real problem connecting with ordinary people—or even just talking to them."
Bully Pulpit Second Thoughts (Joe Klein) from Time Magazine
"He doesn’t remember it. This is patent nonsense. How could he not remember it? Obviously, he remembers it or he wouldn’t have been so quick to issue his blanket apology yesterday for any and all hurt he may have caused at Cranbrook. And this transparent fudge once again raises questions about his character."
First Thoughts: An Off-Script Week (Chuck Todd et al.,) from MSNBC
"...this story exposed a bigger problem for Romney. The first thing anyone running for office has to do is own their own narrative; they need to define themselves before the other side does it for them. And the bigger issue here is that the story brings to light how Romney - despite running for president for five years - is still not completely defined..."
The Content of Romney’s Character (Jonathan Chait) from New York Magazine
"The story does give the sense of a man who lacks a natural sense of compassion for the weak. His prankery seems to have invariably singled out the vulnerable -- the gay classmate, the nearly blind teacher, the nervous day student racing back to campus. It's entirely possible to grow out of that youthful mentality -- to learn to step out of your own perspective, to develop an appreciation for the difficulties faced by those not born with Romney's many blessings. I'm just not sure he ever has."
MOTHERS DAY NUGGET!!
Unlikely Mothers: Adoption in the Animal World (PICTURES) from the Washington Post
"National Geographic magazine writer Jennifer S. Holland shares photos and stories of unlikely animal pairs that share a parent-child relationship from her book, “Unlikely Friendships: 47 Remarkable Stories from the Animal Kingdom.”"
HOLLYWOOD NUGGET!!
Who Invented Chaplin's Tramp? from the Los Angeles Review of Books
"The evolution of Charlie Chaplin's most famous character—and the woman who helped shape it. On actress-director Mabel Normand and her effect on Chaplin's work: "
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