News Nuggets 1250

DAYLEE PICTURE: A Grey Squirrel in Saint James Park in London.  From the Atlantic.

As will sometimes be the case this summer, the Nuggetsman will be on the road Friday -- so the next posting will be on Monday.

UP-FRONT FOREIGN POLICY NUGGET!!
China is Not the World’s Other Superpower (Fareed Zakaria) from the Washington Post
"China is the world’s second-largest economy and, because of its size, will one day become the largest. (On a per-capita basis, it is a middle-income country, and it might never surpass the United States in that regard.) But power is defined along many dimensions, and by most political, military, strategic and cultural measures, China is a great but not global power. For now, it lacks the intellectual ambition to set the global agenda."

U.S., Citing Use of Chemical Weapons by Syria, to Provide Direct Military Support to Rebels from the Washington Post
"The United States has concluded that the Syrian government used chemical weapons in its fight against opposition forces, and President Obama has authorized direct U.S. military support to the rebels, the White House said Thursday."

My “Faith” In Obama (Andrew Sullivan) from The Dish
"... judging political events in real times does require some grip on the character of those in office, and the inevitable compromises that requires, and I remain an admirer of Obama’s temperament, pragmatism and small-c conservatism. And I don’t think that abstract ideological issues can ignore the role of human beings and their prudential judgments over time. A conservative will always recognize that there is no substitute for character in political leaders and that representative government requires some basic form of – sorry – minimal trust if it is to function at all."

The Tragic Fall of the White Race in America (Josh Marshall) from Talking Points Memo
"Let’s not mince words. It’s hard being a white person in America. I hadn’t noticed this but that’s what everyone seems to say. So I was struck when a group of stories came together today in what seemed like a serendipitous way. ... There are now enough non-white people in America and just as critically enough whites who are either at least comfortable or even welcome being in a multiracial party and country, that the electoral calculus has changed. And that’s a really good thing."

Some on the Right Going Too Far in NSA Criticism (Michael Gerson) from the Washington Post
"It is one thing to oppose the policies of the administration; it is another to call for resistance against a “regime” and a “police state.” It is the difference between skepticism about government and hatred for government. And it raises the question: How is it even possible to love such an Amerika?"
It is almost too late for any kind of rational conversation between sane GOP types like Gerson and the main Tea Party currents that represent the base opinion of the Republican Party.  Given the firestorms of partisan rhetoric that are blowing through the right-wing alternative universe right now, Gerson's admonitions will fall on deaf ears.  I have very little concern that either the Benghazi breakdowns, the IRS scandal, the AP press story, or now the NSA surveillance story will substantively impact the course Obama has set.  This is NOT because there aren' things to criticize or to find major fault with.  No -- it's because Obama's critics are more connected with their dark anti-gov't fantasies than they are with reality -- even at the highest levels of gov't.  It's like asking clowns in brightly-colored diapers to teach advanced calculus.  There's just way too much distraction in the space to take what they say seriously. See the following as a case in point.

Darrell Issa's IRS Investigation Is Falling Apart (Joshua Green) from Businessweek
"...after a burst of attention, Issa’s investigation appears to have stalled. ... The news this week that he won’t release the full transcripts of his interviews with IRS officials—interviews he selectively quoted from to imply White House complicity—suggests that what they contain may in fact exonerate the administration of the very charge Issa is laboring so hard to prosecute."

Edward Snowden’s Misplaced Idealism (David Ignatius) from the Washington Post
"... maybe he would argue that he’s answering to a higher moral code, or that Congress and the courts are wrongly interpreting the Constitution. These claims will be tested in the coming debate, but we should be wary about endorsing any contention that it’s okay to violate laws because you’re acting on higher authority."

Unpaid Internships on ‘Black Swan’ Violated the Law. So Are They Dead? (David Freedlander) from the Daily Beast
"A judge for the Southern District of New York ruled Wednesday that Fox Searchlight violated the law by not paying interns on ‘Black Swan.’ David Freedlander on whether unpaid internships are on their way out."

North Carolina Is the New Wisconsin (Ari Berman) from the Nation
"Like in Wisconsin, a homegrown grassroots resistance movement has emerged—and grown rapidly—to challenge the drastic right-wing agenda unveiled by Republicans in the state. Just like the Koch brothers backed Scott Walker, the Koch’s billionaire ally and close associate Art Pope funded North Carolina’s Republican takeover in 2010 and 2012."

Three Signs Republicans Haven't Learned Any Lessons From 2012 (Josh Kraushaar) from National Journal
"After last year's drubbing, Republicans vowed to change their ways. But as 2013 wears on, they’re sticking to the script that got them in trouble."

CLASSIC MOVIE NUGGET!!
Cruising Through Town He Put on the Map from the New York Times
"For the past hour, Mr. Lucas had served as the grand marshal of a classic-car parade, the highlight of this city’s annual three-day American Graffiti Car Show festival, which took place last weekend."