The Fog of Civil War: What's Really Going on in Syria is Too Complicated to Fit in a Headline (Stephen Starr) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"Living in this town for the first 11 months of the uprising, I tried, and failed, to get articles published questioning why the regime tolerated protests or allowed free assembly in some areas, but not others. These incidents didn't fit the narrative that all protests were being violently quashed. The majority, of course, were -- and often brutally -- but the full picture was unnervingly complex."
As Assad Regime Totters, The Kremlin And Beijing Shudder (Paul Gregory) from Forbes Magazine
"Two other constrained dictatorships, Russia and China, want to keep Assad in power. Both shudder at a fellow totalitarian regime falling to a disorganized opposition. They will abandon him (with great fanfare) only when it is clear that he has lost."
In Syria, the Powers Play Hardball (Michael Bell) from the Globe and Mail [of Toronto]
"The hardball players that really count are relying on traditional raw power mechanisms. ... Washington is acting covertly with hard-core regional allies like Saudi Arabia and Qatar to support the Free Syrian Army on the ground. ... the shared concern of this trio is countering Shia Iranian dominance, and such co-operation is persuasive, given Iran’s revanchist agenda."
ACA a Bigger Victory Than We Knew (Ronald Dworkin) from the New York Review of Books
"So the United States has finally satisfied a fundamental requirement of political decency that every other mature democracy has met long ago, and that a string of Democratic presidents, from FDR to Bill Clinton, tried and failed to secure for us. We finally have a scheme of national health care provision designed to protect every citizen who wants to be protected."
NCAA Hits Penn State With $60 Million Fine, Postseason Ban, Loss Of Scholarships And Wins from the Huffington Post
"On Monday, Emmert presided over a press conference in Indianapolis and revealed sanctions, including a hefty fine, a postseason ban, and loss of scholarships and previous wins. "Football will never again be placed ahead of educating, nurturing and protecting young people," Emmert said during a press conference that lasted approximately 45 minutes."
Penn State’s Life Sentence: Beyond the NCAA Sanctions (Kevin Cirilli) from the Daily Beast
"Today’s NCAA punishments, while crippling, are only the beginning. Kevin Cirilli on the battle brewing off the field—impending legal action against ousted president Graham Spanier."
Republican Party in California Is Caught in Cycle of Decline from the New York Times
"... the state party... is caught in a cycle of relentless decline, and appears in danger of shrinking to the rank of a minor party... Registered Republicans now account for just 30% of the California electorate, and are on a path that analysts predict could drop them to No. 3 in six years, behind Democrats, who currently make up 43%, and independent voters, with 21%."
Obama Job Approval Up Slightly in 14th Quarter from Gallup
"Obama appears in much better shape now than the two recently elected presidents who were denied a second term -- Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush -- both of whom averaged below 40% approval their 14th quarters in office."
In Swing States, Economic Picture a Little Brighter for Obama (Chris Cillizza) from the Washington Post
"Nationally, the economic picture is decidedly dismal — a sullen state of affairs that has led many political observers to conclude that President Obama is an underdog in his bid for a second term. But in the 12 (or so) swing states — where Democrats and Republicans will spend the lion’s share of their time and money in the 100 or so days between now and Nov. 6 — the economic picture is considerably sunnier."
The Scariest Chart for the Romney Campaign on Bain Attacks (David Graham) from the Atlantic
"Although there's some polling evidence and Mitt Romney's allies are getting worried, it's a little early to tell how effective President Obama's attacks on the Republican nominee's time at Bain Capital will be -- or how much that will affect the ultimate result of the campaign. But we can say with some confidence that the attacks are getting Americans' attention."
Nuke ’Em (Frank Rich) from New York Magazine
"Why negative advertisements are powerful, essential, and sometimes (see “Daisy”) even artistic."
GOP's Obama Obsession Will Lose it the Election (Maria Cardona) from CNN
"Obama won 67% of the Latino vote in 2008. A few months ago, I would have said it would be a big challenge for him to repeat those numbers, especially given some disappointment among Latinos about the president's not being able to deliver on immigration reform, as well as his record on deportations. But he is now on track to gain the same amount, if not more, of the Latino vote."
Mitt Romney’s Overseas Trip Smacks of Cold War Nostalgia (Peter Beinart) from the Daily Beast
"The GOP’s presidential hope heads overseas with an agenda that’s hopelessly out of date. Peter Beinart on Mitt’s Cold War worldview—and what he’s missing."
Mitt Romney, Beware the Ghost of John Kerry (Dick Polman) from the Philadelphia Inquirer
"The president is a polarizing figure whose reelection is imperiled by his handling of the nation's No. 1 issue. However, he's blessed with an opponent who is easy to attack — a rich Massachusetts patrician with seemingly flexible convictions and a personality that impedes any visceral connection with voters. But enough about George W. Bush and John Kerry."
Taking the Wisconsin Senate Mattered (Markos Moulitsas) from Daily Kos
"During the redistricting process, Republicans kept a tight lid on any information related to their gerrymandering efforts. ... The citizens of Wisconsin will now get to see the documentation Republicans fought so hard to keep from the public eye."
LOCAL BEAR NUGGET!!
Bear Enters Mall Through Automatic Doors In Pennsylvania (VIDEO) from the Huffington Post
"The frightened creature headed towards the mall and entered a Sears Grand store through the automatic doors, according to WTAE."
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