DAYLEE PICTURE: A view of the Kilauea Volcano on Hawaii. From the Daily Mail of the UK.
Charts: The Worst Long-Term Unemployment Crisis Since the Depression (Dave Gilson, Tasneem Raja, and AJ Vicens) from Mother Jones Magazine
"Corporate profits have rebounded while more than four million Americans have been without work for six months or longer."
How to Prevent a War Between China and Japan (Kishore Mahbubani) from Bloomberg
"China and Japan, Asia’s two most powerful nations, are increasingly jousting in the skies and in the seas near a set of disputed islands. Although their economies remain deeply intertwined, relations between the two governments seem locked in an irreversible, dangerous downward spiral."
New York Times Benghazi Investigation Confirms Paper's Early Reporting On Video's Role from the Huffington Post
"Following a months-long investigation, The New York Times reported Saturday that it had found no evidence that al-Qaeda, or any international terrorist group, was involved in the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on a U.S. diplomatic facility in Benghazi, Libya. The Times’ David Kirkpatrick also wrote that the attack “was fueled in large part by anger at an American-made video denigrating Islam,”..."
So ... I guess we're back where we started with this over-hyped, over-politicized, follow-the-bouncing-ball lemming media story: some bad official mistakes, lots of bad reporting, and lighting-fast over-reaction from partisan Republicans. Basically, the same thing we saw with the IRS pseudo-scandal and much of the initial reporting on NSA surveillance.
Obamacare, Impeachment, Iran, and More Political Predictions for 2014 (Michael Tomasky) from the Daily Beast
"Sure, budget brinksmanship and Hillary presidential hints are a given. But millions more sign-ups for health-care coverage and the ousting of Mitch McConnell? They could happen, too."
2013 Wasn’t as Bad as You Might Think (E.J. Dionne Jr.) from the Washington Post
"... something else happened this year that may, over time, prove far more important than the great Web site flop. In 2013, the tea party began to decline in both real and perceived power, and Republicans began a slow retreat from the politics of absolutism."
I have said here many times that, coming out of the 2012 elections, the marginalization of the Tea Party was at the top of Obama's To-Do list -- and he has pursued that goal with great skill and precision. At every opportunity, the President has shoved wedge issues at the GOP caucus with the unstated goal of dividing the Tea Party people from so-called "establishment" Republicans. Republican lawmakers know this to be the case -- and it is another reason (if they needed any) that they hate the President. Now, as the media has been tooting for some time now, the GOP at the state and national levels is embroiled in a divisive "civil war." In addition make no mistake, the Tea Party's "brand" (a term I despise!!) has been severely damaged by the political currents of 2013! While the MSM seems to have missed it, this war did not just happen on its own accord. Nor was it a natural or purely internal outcome from the 2012 elections. Obama, both the President and the person, are at the center of this conflict. My suspicion is that Obama conceded in his own mind that 2013 would be largely a year where little was done -- but that if he could break the GOP, there could be more opportunities for more substantive accomplishments for next year and beyond.
Obama, Clinton Continue Reign as Most Admired: Sixth Year in a Row for Obama, 12th Straight Year for Clinton from Gallup
"For the sixth consecutive year, Barack Obama ranks as the Most Admired Man among Americans, and Hillary Clinton is again the Most Admired Woman. Both won by comfortable margins."
Fiscal Fever Breaks (Paul Krugman) from the New York Times
"Instead of talking about mass unemployment and soaring inequality, Washington was almost exclusively focused on the alleged need to slash spending (which would worsen the jobs crisis) and hack away at the social safety net (which would worsen inequality). So the good news is that this fever, unlike the fever of the Tea Party, has finally broken."
How to Escape the Community-College Trap from the Atlantic
"More than half of community-college students never earn a degree. Here's how to fix that."
'We Are Creating Walmarts of Higher Education' from the Atlantic
"As colleges feel pressure to graduate more students for less money, professors worry that the value of an education may be diminished."
Caught in a Revolving Door of Unemployment from the New York Times
"For Ms. Barrington-Ward, joblessness itself has become a trap, an impediment to finding a job. Economists see it the same way, concerned that joblessness lasting more than six months is a major factor preventing people from getting rehired, with potentially grave consequences for tens of millions of Americans. The long-term jobless, after all, tend to be in poorer health, and to have higher rates of suicide and strained family relations. Even the children of the long-term unemployed see lower earnings down the road. The consequences are grave for the country, too ..."
Trusting the Poor (Judith A. Levine) from the Boston Review
"I interviewed ninety-five low-income women for my research on how the climate of distrust reinforces poverty. Many expressed high levels of distrust in employers, child care providers, romantic partners, and, even sometimes friends and family members. This expression of distrust surfaced across race, age, education, work history, number of children, marital status, and a host of other factors."
Why Public Schools Outperform Private Schools (Jeffrey Aaron Snyder) from the Boston Review
"Would it surprise you to learn that students attending traditional, district-run public schools outperform their peers in charter schools and private schools? That is the bold claim at the heart of Christopher and Sarah Lubienski’s new book, The Public School Advantage."
Tram wars! Why Streetcars are Back — Whether You Like it or Not from Salon
"Across the country, battles are raging over this retro form of transportation."
I’m a Republican — and “Social Conservatism” Must be Stopped (Matt Barnum) from Salon
"For a Republican like me, the current agenda of many on the right is politically stupid and counter-productive."
The New, Not Necessarily Improved, Chris Christie (Lloyd Grove) from the Daily Beast
"In a flash, the 2016 contender has seen his reputation slide from straight-talking pragmatist to partisan bully. Could a local scandal really take down Hillary’s biggest competition?"
"Hillary's biggest competition"? Only inside the beltway and other islands of moderation where pragmatism has any purchase at all. Evangelicals and Tea Partiers will never vote for this man in the GOP primaries. In addition, beyond Bridge-gate, there are many more skeletons waiting to leap out from Christie's closet.
Sarah Palin Admits She Defended Phil Robertson's Anti-Gay Remarks Before Even Reading Them from the Huffington Post
"Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) was one of the first political figures to defend Phil Robertson, star of A&E's "Duck Dynasty," when he came under fire for making anti-gay comments in an interview with GQ. In an interview with Fox News' Greta Van Susteren on Monday, Palin admitted she never even read the interview before rushing to defend the TV star."
Ah, John McCain's wonderful gift to the nation - it just keeps on giving!! Palin has been a joke for quite a while -- but she's now devolved into a right-wing, media ambulance chaser competing with the likes of Orly Taitz and Jerome Corsi.
BLENDED FAMILY NUGGET!!
7 Things We've Learned From Our Blended Families Of The Week from the Huffington Post
"If there's one thing the families we've featured in our Blended Family Friday series can agree on, it's that raising a stepfamily is no easy feat. With the year coming to a close and a new one about to begin, we thought we'd take a moment to reflect on some of the best advice they shared in 2013."
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