News Nuggets 1304

DAYLEE PICTURE:  A feather in a lake in Russia.  From National Geographic.

Obama Just Gave His Most Significant Foreign Policy Speech (John Judis) from the New Republic
"President Barack Obama’s speech Tuesday to the United Nations was his most significant foreign policy statement since becoming president. It showed he had clearly learned something from the recent “red line” fiasco in Syria. The speech also displayed what has always been the most attractive feature of Obama’s foreign policy, one that clearly sets him off from his predecessor—his willingness to court erstwhile enemies and adversaries, or to put it in negative terms, his not possessing what my former colleague Peter Scoblic called an “us versus them” view of the world."

Final Word On Obamacare Coverage: Cheaper Than Expected from Talking Points Memo
"Though there will be variations across the country, most Americans will be able to choose from multiple health insurance plans and pay lower-than-expected premiums for coverage on the Obamacare health insurance marketplaces, according to data released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services."

The Finger of Blame Points Only One Way (Paul Waldman) from the American Prospect
"Republicans are going to try to convince Americans that a government shutdown would be Barack Obama's fault. No one will believe them."

What Tea Party Voters Don't Understand (Mark Salter) from Real Clear Politics
"... when you see how the country reacts to your shutdown, you might have less of an appetite for holding the debt ceiling hostage as well. You might even get an inkling that governing requires, well, governing, as best you can in a politically divided government and country, seeking advantageous compromises, picking your battles carefully, measuring your strength accurately to advance your ideals a few accomplishments at a time."

How Bad Is the GOP Rift? Worse Than Democrats in the 1980s (Stuart Rothenberg) from Roll Call
"Now, libertarian and tea party elements of the GOP are in open warfare with pragmatists and institutionalists. Republicans in the House and Senate taunt each other on a daily basis in newspapers or on cable television, which is only too happy to provide a platform. The structure of today’s parties and the way we consume news make it more difficult for the GOP to resolve its differences successfully."

Hillary Clinton’s Dare to Republicans (David Freedlander) from the Daily Beast
"During a panel discussion at the Clinton Global Initiative on Tuesday, Clinton took on the GOP over their Obamacare threats."

Why Obamacare Is a GOP Nightmare (Eugene Robinson) from the Washington Post
"To understand the crisis in Washington, tune out the histrionics and look at the big picture: Republicans are threatening to shut down the federal government -- and perhaps even refuse to let the Treasury pay its creditors -- in a desperate, last-ditch attempt to keep millions of Americans from getting health insurance.  Seriously. That's what all the yelling and screaming is about. As my grandmother used to say, it's hard to know whether to laugh or cry."

Shutdown Threat Reveals Split in Republican Party from the Los Angeles Times
"Tea party lawmakers get an earful from GOP colleagues over their strategy to strip funding from the new healthcare law."

The Double Absurdity of Ted Cruz's 'Filibuster' (Molly Ball) of the Atlantic
"Who says Republicans and Democrats can't agree on anything? These days, they are largely united in their loathing for Ted Cruz, the pugnacious Republican freshman senator from Texas. ...  Leaving aside the policy or even the political advisability of Cruz's undertaking, though, there are a couple of basic logical problems with what he's trying to do ..."

Harry Reid Accuses GOP Of 'Thelma And Louise' Fanaticism Over Shutdown Threat from the Huffington Post
"The Republicans bent on defunding Obamacare or shutting down the government are "fanatics" with a "Thelma and Louise"-like mission to drive the nation off a cliff, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Monday. The federal government will run out of money after Sept. 30 if Congress does not act by then to authorize more spending."

Steve Schmidt Rants Against GOP ‘Asininity’ from Politico
"John McCain’s former senior adviser Steve Schmidt says he has “deep regret” for helping to create a “freak show” wing of the Republican Party when he had a hand in bringing former McCain running mate Sarah Palin to the national stage. Schmidt said Monday on MSNBC’s “Hardball” that it’s time for the GOP to stand up to the “asininity” embodied by Palin and others."

Mitch McConnell Rejects Ted Cruz Push To Filibuster Bill Defunding Obamacare from the Huffington Post
"Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) doesn't back the push by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to vote against bringing up a bill to defund Obamacare, a McConnell aide told The Huffington Post. "Senator McConnell supports the House Republicans' bill and will not vote to block it, since it defunds Obamacare and funds the government without increasing spending by a penny," McConnell spokesman Don Stewart said."

VIETNAM WAR NUGGET!!
Searching for Madame Nhu from the Daily Beast
"Lyndon Johnson flirted with her. JFK hated her. Historians blamed her for South Vietnam's downfall. And decades later, a writer found her hiding out in Paris. A new book uncovers the final days of Saigon’s infamous Dragon Lady."