News Nuggets 1394

DAYLEE PICTURE:  Lake Towada in Aomori, Japan.  From the National Geographic.

UP-FRONT ACADEMIC JOB NUGGET!!
Goodbye to All That - Leaving the Academy (Josh Marshall) from Talking Points Memo
"I wanted to write about the great issues of the day, about politics and the culture at large. I was pretty sure I had something to say and I wanted to be part of that world. The only problem was I had no idea how to do it. And I also wasn't sure I had the courage to cut my ties to my plan for my own life. ... even though I was realizing I'd probably just chosen the wrong career, it is important to understand that every incentive in academic life is geared against engagement with the world outside of academics. There's no other way to put it."

UP-FRONT SYRIA NUGGETS!!
Don't Blame President Obama for Deaths in Syria (Ryan Cooper) from The Week
"Obama's greatest strength in foreign policy is his palpable reluctance to commit the U.S. to ground wars. ... On the specific points Ferguson is laughably wrong. Furthermore, the mindset underpinning his worldview betrays the misguided nature of the interventionist project. ... I have almost no trust in Western institutions to intervene and guide these places to security and democracy. After all, the last time we listened to Niall Ferguson and his ilk it was a bloody catastrophe — and continues to be so."

Hegemonists and the Dishonest Charge of “Retreat” (Daniel Larison) from the American Conservative
"... the U.S. cannot be blamed for the consequences of armed conflict in which it has not been directly involved. The U.S. is responsible for what it does and for the policies that it supports, but it cannot conceivably be held responsible for things it has not done."

Seven Reasons Putin Won't Give Up Ukraine (Peter Coy) from Businessweek 
"... as much as the situation seems to be slipping out of control, it’s hard to imagine that Putin will just walk away and leave Ukraine to its own devices. Here are seven reasons why: ..."
I share Coy's pessimism here.  Putin has too much at stake to simply walk away.

An opposing point of view:
Putin Options Dwindle in Ukraine as EU Takes Lead in Peace (Henry Meyer) from Bloomberg
"Sending the military into Ukraine would be “extremely dangerous” for both Russia and Europe, which depends on Russian gas for a quarter of its consumption, Pavlovky said. The risk is that Russia may be drawn into a direct military confrontation with its Cold War opponent NATO, according to Markov."

Supreme Court Declines Challenges To Gun Laws from Reuters
Some good news on the guns front!
"The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to wade into the politically volatile issue of gun control by leaving intact three court rulings rejecting challenges to federal and state laws. The court's decision not to hear the cases represents a loss for gun rights advocates, including the National Rifle Association, which was behind two of the challenges. "

Hillary Clinton Emerged as Top Obama Ally on Health: Book from the Bloomberg News Service
"Hillary Clinton, once President Barack Obama’s political foe, emerged as his top ally on what would become his signature policy achievement: revamping the U.S. health-care system."

Governors: Obamacare Is Here To Stay from the Associated Press
"The explosive politics of health care have divided the nation, but America's governors, Republicans and Democrats alike, suggest that President Barack Obama's health care overhaul is here to stay. While governors from Connecticut to Louisiana sparred on Sunday over how best to improve the nation's economy, governors of both parties shared a far more pragmatic outlook on the controversial program known as "Obamacare" as millions of their constituents begin to be covered."

Health Care Horror Hooey (Paul Krugman) from the New York Times
"The whole “death tax” campaign has rested on eliciting human sympathy for purely imaginary victims. And now they’re trying a similar campaign against health reform."

Republicans Are Officially Out Of Obamacare Attacks from National Memo 
"Republicans have two huge problems: They can’t say how they’d replace Obamacare, but they have said how they would ruin Medicare."

Republican Scramble to Distance Themselves from Arizona Discrimination Bill Begins (Laura Clawson) from Daily Kos
"Arizona state Sen. Steve Pierce, a Republican, voted for the okay-to-discriminate bill awaiting action by Gov. Jan Brewer. But—talk about buyer's remorse—he now hopes Brewer will veto the bill: ..."

Ohio GOP Makes Voting Harder for Elderly People, City Dwellers, and Military Members (Travis Gettys) from Raw Story
"Both measures were sponsored and passed by Republican lawmakers, including one who wondered aloud why the state should “cater to” voters who are unwilling or unable to get to a polling place unless someone drives them there “after church on Sunday.”"

Stability and Chaos, Hallmarks of Presidential Races, Swap Parties (Jonathan Martin) from the New York Times
"Democrats are playing the part of the royalists seeking a smooth succession. At the same time, the Republicans are acting like the Democrats of yore, anticipating a free-for-all primary that highlights the competing and at times fractious constituencies in their coalition."

Those Sounds You Hear? They Are the Death Pangs of the Religious Right (David Harris Gershon) from Daily Kos
"What we are seeing right now are the last gasps of religious fundamentalism and its normative influence on the national stage. Just as an individual on his deathbed experiences a momentary flurry of energy and clarity before descending into his final end, we are witnessing the religious right's final flailing on the national stage."

Federal Judge Voids Texas’ Gay Marriage Ban, Though He Delays Order from Taking Effect Immediately from the Dallas News
"A federal judge in San Antonio ruled Wednesday that Texas’ ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutionally deprives some citizens of due process and equal protection under the law by stigmatizing their relationships and treating them differently from opposite-sex couples."

Jeb Bush Phones Key Funders (Mike Allen) from Politico
"“A lot of people think [Jeb’s] not serious [about 2016], that he just likes the spotlight … But … I spoke to several Republican fundraisers this past week, who got phone calls from Jeb Bush, … who hasn't said he's going to run, but is starting to ask some serious questions.  So people think that at least he's giving it a very serious look.”"

Scott Walker on Fox News Dodges Question on Secret Emails: Investigation is 'Old News,' Governor Says from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"Gov. Scott Walker declined again Sunday to answer whether he knew of the existence of a secret email system in his Milwaukee County executive office. Instead, during the appearance on "Fox News Sunday," Walker called the controversy over the release of thousands of emails "old news" and said Democrats were trying to switch the subject from his budget successes."
If Walker is even considering running in 2016 he'll have to come up with something better than this.

Code Blue for Dr. Milton Wolf (Jennifer Rubin) from the Washington Post 
"A Kansas race shows that the GOP needs to think more seriously about candidates they support."

AUDIOBOOK NUGGET!!
Audiobooks and the Return of Storytelling (T.M. Luhrmann) from the New York Times
"We shouldn’t regard reading a book as more serious than hearing it out loud."