An amazing view of the night sky as seen from Australia. From National Geographic.
Obama's Historic Mideast Gamble (Leslie H. Gelb) from the Daily Beast
"The president's speech was sensible, courageous, and fair. Sadly, it was challenged for reasons good and bad in a region unable to transcend its ancient grudges. "
The Bibi-Barack Chess Game (Andrew Sullivan) from the Atlantic
"...the rank hysteria that immediately sprang from Jerusalem and quickly enveloped the far-right-wing-media-industrial-complex, revealed far more plainly than before that the gulf between Israel and the rest of the world is simply vast."
Sullivan's analysis here is right on-the-money!
Obama's Visit Marks a New Special Relationship of the Super-realists (Jacob Weisberg) from the Guardian [of the UK]
"With a shared pragmatism on foreign policy, the president and Mr Cameron may have a good deal in common."
Iran's Supreme Leader and President Wrestle for Power from the Los Angeles Times
"The dispute between Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ignites concern inside the nation that the infighting weakens Iran's ability to project power internationally amid historic instability across the Mideast."
Ahmadinejad Has Fuelled Iran's Power Struggle from the Guardian [of the UK]
"Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's disregard for the constitution has brought him up against both the supreme leader and parliament."
Dominique Strauss-Kahn: [Many] New Claims of Sexual Misconduct Add to Pressure on Former IMF Chief from the Daily Telegraph [of the UK]
"Fresh allegations of sexual misconduct have emerged against Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former head of the International Monetary Fund accused of sexually assaulting a New York chambermaid."
I will be curious if the chambermaid's lawyers will call any of these people as witnesses when the case goes to trial.
How Dominique Strauss-Kahn's Arrest Awoke a Dormant Anger in the Heart of France's Women from the Guardian [of the UK]
"When the former head of the IMF was taken into custody, many in the French elite saw him as a victim – until an outraged feminist movement began to speak out against what it saw as years of pernicious and ingrained sexism in French life."
GLAD to hear it!
Dominique Strauss-Kahn: Why French Women Put Up with It from the Daily Telegraph [of the UK]
"The culture that allows French men to see female colleagues as fair game is still alive and well, says Anne-Elisabeth Moutet in Paris."
French Weekly Magazines Review the DSK Affair from Radio France International
"The French weeklies all put up special dossiers on the Dominique Strauss-Kahn affair. The right-leaning magazines aren’t mincing words. "Shame" headlines Le Figaro.”Downfall" writes Le Point. "The scandal that changes everything" says l’Express and “descent to hell”, according to left-leaning Le Nouvel Observateur."
Haunted by Their Medicare Vote from the Editorial Board of the New York Times
"Democrats insist they have a chance of regaining the House next year. It will not be easy, but the Republican plan to radically reshape Medicare is alienating fence-sitting voters and highlighting the sharp differences between the two parties’ visions of government."
A Doctor’s Push for Single-Payer Health Care for All Finds Traction in Vermont from the New York Times
"Many people move to Vermont in search of a slower pace; Dr. Deb Richter came in 1999 to work obsessively toward a far-fetched goal. She wanted Vermont to become the first state to adopt a single-payer health care system, run and paid for by the government, with every resident eligible for a uniform benefit package"
In the End, Rapture Believers Weren't Going Anywhere from the Los Angeles Times
"To many who put stock in Harold Camping's prophecy about the end of the world, disillusionment was profound. It ended up being apocalypse … not."
Long Island Firefighter's Wait For the Rapture Goes Unfulfilled from New York Magazine
"“Wanna order a pizza?" Jeff asks. "I don’t know if we’ll have time to eat it, but we might as well get it.” ... Jeff orders a large Sicilian pie for delivery. “And please put a rush on it,” he tells the person taking his order. “We’re—we’re in a rush here.”"
I'll have to say that, for some of these folks, I just feel sorry for them. The anguish of this guy -- and his long-suffering wife -- is palpable in this article.
Other Times the World Was Going to End and Didn’t (Does This Make Us Due?) (Alexandra Beggs) from Vanity Fair
"For the skeptics out there, here is a compilation of the Apocalypse’s greatest hits—mostly misses:"
GOP Primary Election Sees Democrats Meddle In Slow-Starting Race from the Associated Press via the Huffington Post
"Maybe President Barack Obama and his friends got tired of waiting for the 2012 campaign to start. The early action was supposed to be in the competitive Republican primary. But the White House and its allies are meddling from the sidelines with a good cop, bad cop routine, hoping to exploit the GOP's late start."
The Elephant in the Green Room (Gabriel Sherman) from New York Magazine
"The circus Roger Ailes created at Fox News made his network $900 million last year. But it may have lost him something more important: the next election."
Mitch Daniels' Decision Not To Run For President Leaves GOP Floundering (Jon Ward) from the Huffington Post
"The fallout is two-fold: It will renew pressure on New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan to consider a run and could potentially lure others who were waiting on Daniels' decision into the race . Second, it initiates a shift of GOP money and operatives..."
Why Mitch Daniels Said No (Erin McPike) from RealClearPolitics
"... she made it clear that she blames Cheri Daniels for breaking up her own family, and she speculated that the Danielses got back together at Mitch Daniels' urging because of his political ambitions -- such as his gubernatorial run."
If this is true, boy, did the Daniels family DODGE A BULLET here. I actually think this says something positive about the compassion and/or character of Mitch Daniels -- that he wasn't willing to DRAG his family through a muddy media mine field for the next year and a half -- unlike some current and past candidates (re: John Edwards and Sarah Palin) who marched forward, seemingly blind to the costs to their spouses, their families, and the media meat grinder that presidential candidacies inevitably would put them through.
Newt Gingrich’s Meltdown on the Launch Pad (Eugene Robinson) from the Washington Post
"From Gingrich: “I want to make sure every House Republican is protected from some kind of dishonest Democratic ad. So let me say on the record, any ad which quotes what I said on Sunday is a falsehood, because I have publicly said those words were inaccurate and unfortunate.” A grateful nation thanks you, Newt Gingrich. The presidential campaign is just starting, and already you’ve given us a passage that will live in infamy — forever — in the annals of American political speech."
GOP Contender Herman Cain Demonstrates Clueslessness On Middle East Policy, Confused By ‘Right Of Return’ from Think Progress
"Wallace then helpfully offered Cain a definition of “right of return” — “Palestinian refugees, the people that were kicked out of the land in 1948, should be able to or should have any right to return to Israeli land.” Cain again showed his lack of knowledge, veering completely off his pro-Likud script. “I don’t think they have a big problem with people returning,” Cain said."
What is it with far right conservatives that they do SO LITTLE just-common-sense types of prepping before they officially "throw their hats into the presidential ring"? This so reminds me of Palin back in '08. In a backhanded kind of way, it showcases the exceptional inadequacy of Fox News (and similar venues) as ACTUAL NEWS ORGANIZATIONS. Folks like Cain, Palin, Bachmann, etc., can thrive for YEARS there and never face an even remotely challenging question. Oddly enough, by so dismally failing to do their job, Fox and company actually end up torpedoing conservative candidates because those folks delude themselves into thinking they are ready for prime time. After these last two weeks, I wouldn't be at all surprised if the GOP primaries devolved into an almost endless series of jaw-dropping gaffes from virtually all of the contenders! With the exception of Romney, none of them have had to face the blowtorch fire of real media scrutiny.
OBAMA EUROPEAN VISIT NUGGETS!!
Inside the Royal Suite Where the Obamas Will Stay During Their Visit to Buckingham Palace from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"At Buckingham Palace, after their ceremonial welcome followed by the mandatory carriage drive along the flag-bedecked Mall, President Obama and the First Lady will be given the use of the Belgian Suite on the ground floor at the rear of the Palace."
Putting the O’ in Obama from the Boston Globe
"Tomorrow, the president visits the Irish hamlet his mother’s ancestors hail from. A kind of craze precedes him."
Dear Michelle Obama (Kira Cochrane) from the Guardian [of the UK]
"As the Obamas make their first official state visit to the UK, we have a warm welcome for the star of the show – the first lady."
In case you missed it, CHECK OUT our First Lady Michelle -- doing the Dougie at a DC Middle School!! What an AMAZING role model!!
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