News Nuggets 1240

DAYLEE PICTURE: A wild parrot in the Cuzco region of Peru.  From National Geographic.

The Nuggetsman will be away for the holiday!  Have a great Memorial Day weekend!!  Nuggets will resume on Tuesday.

UP-FRONT POLITICAL NUGGET!!
No Wonder Republican Criticism of Obama Isn’t Working (Charlie Cook) from National Journal
"They’re attacking the president where he’s least vulnerable at a time when they have minimal credibility."

The Covert Commander in Chief (David Ignatius) from the Washington Post 
"Watching President Obama's compelling speech on counterterrorism policy Thursday, one couldn’t help wondering what he might accomplish if he could apply the same intellectual focus and intensity to governing the nation that he has shown as covert commander in chief. By announcing new
restraints on the use of armed drones for targeted killing and pushing again for the closure of the Guantanamo prison, Obama signaled more strongly than ever that he means to turn the page of American history that began on Sept. 11, 2001."

The World Still Needs American Muscle (Robert Kaplan) from Real Clear World
"The fact is that hard power is supremely necessary in today's world, for reasons having nothing to do with humanitarian intervention. Indeed, the Harvard professor and former government official, Joseph S. Nye, Jr., who, in 2004, actually coined the term "soft power" in an eponymous book, has always been subtle enough in his own thinking to realize how relevant hard power remains."

Pivoting From a War Footing, Obama Acts to Curtail Drones from the New York Times
"In a widely anticipated speech, President Obama on Thursday said he would impose new curbs on the use of drone strikes, and he sought to renew his effort to close the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba."

The End of the Perpetual War from the Editorial Board of the New York Times
"For the first time, President Obama clearly stated that the current state of war is unsustainable for a democracy."

Boy Scouts Vote to Allow Gay Members from USA Today
"The Boy Scouts of America voted Thursday to allow gay youth to participate in scouting. The historic vote, with 60% in favor, signals another shift in American public opinion about homosexuality but still leaves the organization with many future hurdles."

Don't Hold Your Breath Waiting for Public Opinion to Turn Against Obama (Jill Lawrence) from National Journal
"The president has a base of loyalists that won't quit and, at least for now, there's no evidence he was involved in any scandals."

Fewer Americans Identify as Economic Conservatives in 2013 (Andrew Dugan) from Gallup
"Thirty percent say they are liberal on social issues, a new high"

More Evidence that Scandalmania is Taking a Toll on the Party of Nixon (Jed Lewison) from Daily Kos
"... by the end of the summer he's going to be forced to resign, after which he will be forced to live in ignominy with William Jefferson Clinton, the last president to have been impeached by the Republican Party. But in the meantime, let's enjoy the party, because as the latest ABC/Washington Post survey shows ... the GOP isn't enjoying the fruits of its scandal-exposing labors (RVs, 5/16-19, ±3.5 percent):"

Debt Limit, Budget Fight Fracturing GOP (Joan McCarter) from Daily Kos 
"The best political show in D.C. this week wasn't the IRS hearings, it was the GOP drama playing out sporadically on the Senate floor as four tea party bombthrowers, Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Mike (me-too! me-too) Lee faced off against Susan Collins and John McCain over the budget."

The Al Jazeera Revolution: Al Jazeera is the Best Thing to Happen to Journalism -- Unless it Isn't (Christopher Dickey) from Newsweek
"I’ve been following the ups and downs of Al Jazeera America all year, talking to staffers in the States, Europe, and the Middle East, and it’s still a good guess its pockets are too deep for it to fail, at least in the short term. ... And it will bring a lot of fresh energy as well as controversy to the news scene in the world’s most important television market. It could transform the way we see news and the way we think about it. But, then again, it could be a disaster in almost every sense of the word."

Obama Met Privately with Friedman, Ignatius, etc. from Politico
"President Obama held a private meeting with top national security journalists on Thursday afternoon following his national security policy address at the National Defense University in Washington, POLITICO has learned."

PRES-2016: Gov. Walker Travels to Iowa, Sparks 2016 Talk from USA Today 
"Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker heads to Iowa on Thursday, stoking the inevitable speculation about whether he's interested in running for president. ... These days, trips to early presidential primary and caucus states inevitably warrant talk about 2016."
GREAT.  Now, let's see.  Who does that give us?  Rand Paul ... Ted Cruz ... now Scott Walker.  I'd say the field is rounding out very nicely -- for a GOP rout in 2016.

A Brief History of Romantic Comedies from the Atlantic
"In this video, Orr looks back at some of the most memorable scenes from classics like The Philadelphia Story and Annie Hall — reminders of a time before Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson, when romantic comedies were driven by real tensions and real rewards."

Michelle Obama Overtakes Hillary Clinton in List of the World's Most Powerful Women from the Daily Mail [of the UK] 
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"First Lady Michelle Obama has overtaken Hillary Clinton in Forbes list of the world's most powerful women unveiled today. The former First Lady and Secretary of State dropped three places from last year's no 2 ranking before taking a seat directly behind Mrs Obama who came in fourth."

DOG AND CHILDREN PHOTO NUGGETS!!
Dogs And Babies Sleeping Are What The World Needs Now from the Huffington Post
"Because they are not just man's best friends..."