News Nuggets 607

Old dock posts and fish at Lake Ohrid in Macedonia.  From National Geographic.  

In Afghanistan’s South, Signs of Progress in Three Districts Signal a Shift (Rajiv Chandrasekaran) from the Washington Post
"Those indications of progress are among a mosaic of developments that point to a profound shift across a swath of Afghanistan that has been the focus of the American-led military campaign: For the first time since the war began nearly a decade ago, the Taliban is commencing a summer fighting season with less control and influence of territory in the south than it had the previous year."
This long-form item is from the author of Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq's Green Zone, a withering description of Bush's civilian reconstruction efforts in Iraq.  He is one of the most wide-awake commentators on the Middle-eastern and South Asian scenes out there.  All I can say about this article is "THIS is progress?!"

The War In Afghanistan: How Much Are You Paying? (Amanda Terkel) from the Huffington Post
"The group, a project of the Brave New Foundation, has created a Cost of War calculator, allowing Americans to figure out how much of their tax dollars are going toward the war, based on their income and filing status."

Syrian Security Forces Open Fire On Rally from NPR's Morning Edition
"The Syrian government's crackdown against demonstrators hasn't deterred them from taking to the streets. There are reports that security forces have fired on a large protest in the country's third-largest city Homs. Philip Sands, of The National, and English-language newspaper based in the United Arab Emirates, talks to Renee Montagne about the protests."

Republican Horror Movie Sequel Hits Theaters (Jonathan Alter) from Bloomberg News Service
"Republicans jumped all over President Barack Obama’s budget speech at George Washington University as political, and they are absolutely right. It was the old Obama, the one who changed history in 2008, and he is back on his game, both thematically and tactically. The domestic debate now is much clearer and the takeaway for Republicans is out of a horror movie: Be afraid. Be very afraid."

Budget Mulligan Puts Obama in Game (John E. Sununu) from the Boston Globe
"... the recent battle to settle 2011 spending levels demonstrated that there is an effective process for future negotiations. It’s nice to have this debate off the table, but even more valuable is the working relationship that has been established by Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Set aside partisan perspectives for a moment. This was a tough, complex negotiation where Reid and Boehner represented their members’ interests with determination. Both parties gave something and, arguably, got something. ... Each walked away with even stronger support within his own caucus, a better understanding of his counterpart, and credibility with one another."
A surprisingly fair and candid assessment from the usually partisan Mr. Sununu.

Today's (Needless) Hysteria: the S&P Panic (James Fallows) from the Atlantic
"I know that markets run on fear, greed, instinct, and panic as much as on logic. But seriously, how could this non-story have dominated the news today?"

How Nancy Pelosi Can Save The Day, And Regain Power, In Debt Ceiling Fight from Talking Points Memo
"That's where Boehner would get stuck. He knows the debt limit needs to be lifted. He knows that to get a debt limit bill through the Senate, he needs Democratic buy in. And if Pelosi and her leadership team keep Democrats aligned, he knows that means ditching just about all the concessions Republicans want. Boehner would thus be forced to lift the debt ceiling on Pelosi's terms."

Postcard From New Hampshire: Angry Republicans, Eager Candidates (Michael Crowley) from Time Magazine
"“This is a bipartisan restaurant!” she pleaded.) The couple eventually stormed out of the room. “Low-lifes is what you are,” the fuming man declared on his way out. Welcome to New Hampshire, where conservatives are mad as hell and looking for a presidential candidate who can channel it–and beat Barack Obama in 2012. ... The overall picture is one of a restless Republican base that sees defeating Obama as a matter of national survival."
Crowley presents an interesting portrait of the Tea Party movement right now -- if you are part of the establishment GOP, you can only cringe over where these folks will ultimately land in the various nominating processes coming up for 2012.

SC Tea Party Rally a Dud from Fitnews
"Politicians, political operatives and members of the media came close to outnumbering attendees at a much-hyped Columbia, S.C. Tea Party rally starring U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann and S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley on Monday."
More evidence of the declining cohesion of the Tea Party movement at the grassroots level.  See a similar phenomena in Nevada HERE.

Gov. Scott Walker Reportedly Planning Financial Martial Law In Wisconsin (Rick unger) from Forbes
"Reports are surfacing that Scott Walker is now preparing his next assault on the democratic political process in the State of Wisconsin."

Ex-Iraq Commander May Throw Hat in Texas Senate Race from the McClatchy News Service via the Bradenton Herald [of FL]
"Democrats appear to have recruited retired Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez to run for the U.S. Senate in Texas, setting the stage for a potentially competitive race in 2012 for the seat of retiring Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison."
While Sanchez has been linked with the Abu Ghraib scandal, I will have to say that I have heard him speak, and he can be quite compelling.  Potentially, he could be a good fit for the Texas electorate.

Wisconsin Recall: Organizers Over 110% of Minimum Signatures Against Third GOP State Senator (Chris Bowers) from Daily Kos
"Those gathering signatures to force incumbent State Senator Sheila Harsdorf into a recall election in June have indicated they have collected more than the 15,000-plus signatures needed.(…)"

The Donald Thinks the GOP is Stupid (Roger Simon) from Politico
"According to the hot, new theory, Trump does not really buy into the nonsense of birtherism, and once he has established himself with Republican regulars, he will abandon it, announcing that his investigators could find no proof that Obama is not a natural-born citizen of this country."
There is a part of me that would love for this to be true.  What a perfect antidote for the over-hyped, content-less, celebrity politics of our time, where voters live in wholly fabricated realities.

Why Trump Soars (David Brooks) from the New York Times
"But he is actually riding a deep public fantasy: The hunger for the ultimate blowhard who can lead us through dark times. He is riding something else: The strongest and most subversive ideology in America today. Donald Trump is the living, walking personification of the Gospel of Success."

Krauthammer Doubles Down on the ‘Trump is the GOP’s Al Sharpton’ Claim from the Daily Caller
"It turns out that George Will isn’t the only conservative who isn’t impressed with the Donald’s effort to pump himself up for the White House. On last weekend’s broadcast of the syndicated weekend public affairs program “Inside Washington,” columnist Charles Krauthammer called Donald Trump the “Al Sharpton” of the GOP presidential primary contest and he elaborated on that claim."

WATERGATE HISTORY NUGGET!!
Watergate's 'Last Chapter' from Politico
"The museum’s display on Watergate quoted a book accusing Bob Woodward of “offering bribes” to get scoops. The library director made his own views plain: “I don’t think we’d ever open the doors to Bob Woodward. He’s not a responsible journalist.” On Monday evening, the library did indeed open its doors to Woodward and his old boss, former Washington Post executive editor Ben Bradlee. They flew in to see a new Watergate exhibit—one that aims at last to tell the story dispassionately and portrays the journalists as truth-seekers."