News Nuggets 1124

DAYLEE PICTURE: A sunrise in Saxony, Germany.  From National Geographic.

Five Myths About the Unemployed (Rick McGahey and Teresa Ghilarducci) from the Washington Post
Very interesting findings here!
"...let’s take a look at the misconceptions that often arise when the unemployed take center stage in Washington. 1. People who receive unemployment benefits are slow to search for work."

A New, Bolder Obama from the Editorial Board of the Chicago Sun-Times 
"We like this new President Barack Obama. Assured and direct, Obama is refusing to yield to Republicans on a core idea he ran — and won — on: increasing the tax rate for America’s top earners. ..."

Obama Won't Play That Way, Fiscal Cliff Edition (Garnce Franke-Ruta) from the Atlantic
"The president's hard line on the Bush tax cuts represents the first major test case for his theory that the GOP "fever" can be broken in his second term."

Obama Won Election & Will Win Again on Fiscal Cliff (Robert Shrum) from the Daily Beast
"The fiscal cliff fight can play out in different ways—but in any scenario, the Bush tax rates for the rich are gone. Obama may make some concessions to the GOP, but he’ll end up victorious, just as he did in November, says Robert Shrum."

"He Really Means It" (Andrew Sullivan) from the Daily Beast
"Obama and Geithner are acting as if they were Republicans who had just gotten re-elected. They are acting as if they have a mandate to roll back the extremism of the GOP, and prevent it from threatening another self-induced credit crisis. Imagine that."

Democrats Stroll Toward Edge of Fiscal Cliff (Chris Frates) from National Journal
"Democrats did not do much on Wednesday, adopting a deliberate strategy to slow-walk Republicans to the edge of the fiscal cliff in a belief that mounting pressure from within the GOP will force conservatives to fold on tax hikes."

The Republican Glasnost (David Brooks) form the New York Times
"There are increasing signs that House Republicans are willing to unite behind Speaker John Boehner so he can cut a deal to avert the “fiscal cliff.” There has been an epidemic of open-mindedness as Republicans try to win minority votes and create a version of their party that can be competitive in states like Connecticut and California."
I think Brooks is deluding himself.  The grassroots of the GOP has no interest in the types of compromise he discusses.

Rift at Tea Party Group Reveals Questions about Movement’s Direction (Alex Altman) from Time Magazine
"The messy split this week between Dick Armey and the Tea Party organization FreedomWorks may be a harbinger of things to come."

Reaction Roundup: Jim DeMint Leaves the Senate, and Everybody's Happy About That (Hunter) from Daily Kos
"The reactions on this one are almost unanimous: Nearly everyone is damn glad to see Republican Jim DeMint (head bitter crank among bitter old cranks, kingmaker of his own asylum, biggest cracked pot in the tea party) leave the Senate for his turn in the lands of sweet, sweet wingnut welfare."

Sen. Jim DeMint's Resignation a Sign of Bad Times for Tea Party from the Los Angeles Times
"Sen. Jim DeMint's surprise resignation comes as the political winds appear to be blowing against the South Carolina Republican and the conservative movement he has spoken for."

Jim DeMint Gains More Power Over GOP in Move from Senate to Heritage Foundation (David Freedlander) from the Daily Beast
"But few maps would have included the lightning bolt that struck the Capitol on Thursday, when Tea Party firebrand Jim DeMint announced, “I’m leaving the Senate. But I am not leaving the fight.” In taking up a new post as head of the Heritage Foundation, DeMint pulled off a move many lawmakers would have considered laughable: leaving elected office—for a think tank no less!—because the gig isn’t powerful enough."

Jim DeMint, Failure (Joan Walsh) from Salon
" I hadn’t planned on weighing in, but after watching all the ways it’s being spun as some kind of victory for DeMint and the Tea Party, I had to say: Enough! ... But somebody has to say it: DeMint isn’t leaving the Senate in glory; he’s leaving with his most fervent goals unfulfilled."

Tea Party Gains Control Over Republican Policy Incubators (Julie Bykowicz) from Businessweek
"The Republicans’ anti-tax Tea Party wing, which failed in its goal to defeat President Barack Obama and the Senate Democratic majority, is rising to leadership positions in policy and activist groups that have guided the party’s direction for years."
Oddly, I kind of view this as a good thing.  The GOP has worked for decades to build up the Heritage Foundation and their ilk just enough that they pass the smell test in the world of credible sources.  As the Tea Party people take these organizations over, look for their "research" to become as kooky as most of the Tea Party agenda already is.  

Suddenly, America’s Top Corporate Leaders Are Shunning Tea Party Extremism (Joe Conason) from the National Memo
"Leaders of the American business community, who have long indulged the Republican far right as an instrument toward their own ends, seem to be growing weary of its political excesses. Recognizing the public verdict of last month’s election, corporate officialdom is moving toward moderation on taxes and other issues, showing support for the Obama White House and edging away from congressional Republicans."

Booted GOP Lawmakers Not Letting Go from Politico
"Three conservative Republican freshmen are demanding an explanation from House Speaker John Boehner as to why they were recently removed from committees."

The Year in Conspiracy Theories (Alex Koppleman) from the New Yorker
"Why do some people think that the President is a gay Kenyan Muslim son of a Communist?"

DOG RESCUE NUGGET!!
The latest video from Hope-for-Paws!!