UP-FRONT HEALTH CARE NUGGET!!
BREAKING: Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin Makes History By Signing Into Law Single Payer Health Care from Think Progress
"Last month, the Vermont Senate passed legislation, approved earlier by the House, that would establish a single payer health care system in the state. The legislation would make Vermont the first state in the nation to, as Gov. Peter Shumlin (D) said, make health care “a right and not a privilege.”"
I actually found myself surprisingly moved by this announcement.
Mullah Omar, Where Are You? (Sami Yousafzai) from the Daily Beast
"Rumors of the Taliban leader’s death were transparently false, but they shook up his Afghan insurgent followers. That was probably the point. Sami Yousafzai and Ron Moreau on why Omar needs to break his long silence—and why America needs him alive."
Blinded by the Right (Michael Cohen) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"The GOP's blatantly partisan love for Bibi obscures a dangerous reality: that unwavering support for Israel actually hurts wider U.S. interests in the Middle East."
Netanyahu's Boorish Performance Gives Obama the Edge (Robert Dreyfuss) from the Nation
"Obama has put the focus where it belongs: on Palestine, Israel’s borders and the need for a Palestinian state. Netanyahu didn’t help his case by displaying a stunning set of bad manners. He was rude, boorish and recklessly arrogant. Pocketing the support of the Israel lobby, neoconservatives, hawks and the Republicans (including the 2012 presidential candidates), Netanyahu decided that rather than deal with the issue at hand, he’d instead play American politics, rallying opponents of Obama in a challenge to the president’s political future. That won’t work."
China Wants Pakistan? Great, Let Them Have It (Clyde Prestowitz) from Foreign Policy Magazine
While probably not practicable, I appreciate the author's sentiment here. A lengthy excerpt is in order here.
"I'm serious. We Americans have for too long been thinking backwards or upside down. Our top priority has been to extend our geo-political influence in order to provide global public goods in the form of relative freedom and safety of the seas along with the stability and relative calm of the international system of nation states. To this end, we have established over 800 U.S. military bases and missions around the globe and have involved ourselves in endless disputes and armed actions in Asia, Europe, Africa, and Latin America. We provide this often unrequested and unwanted service to the rest of the world to the tune of over $1 trillion annually even as we struggle to raise debt limits and reduce federal deficits. Meanwhile, our global partners like Germany, China, India, Japan, Brazil, and many others are focusing single mindedly on becoming or staying rich through economic development."
Deadly Blasts in Eastern China from Al Jazeera English
"Three explosions at government offices in the city of Fuzhou kill two and injure six, state media reports."
I'm surprised this story has not gotten more attention in the western media. These sound like very organized terrorist attacks, something China has not had to deal with very much. Given China's rather ambiguous roles in nuclear proliferation, I'll be curious to see who or what the source(s) are for this wave of bombings.
The Incredible Shrinking Ahmadinejad (Barbara Slavin) from Foregin Policy Magazine
"Iran's president is looking weak, and that's just what the supreme leader wants."
Manufacturing Renaissance In The Rust Belt (Tom Ashbrook) from NPR's On Point
"Hiring is up in the rust belt. Could tried and true American manufacturing bring back America’s economy?"
On the other side of the above story:
Eclipsed: Why the White Working Class is the Most Alienated and Pessimistic Group in American Society (Ronald Brownstein) from National Journal
"Amid all of this change, whites without a four-year college degree remain the largest demographic bloc in the workforce. College-educated whites make up about one-fifth of the adult population, while minorities account for a little under one-third. The picture is changing, but whites who have not completed college remain the backbone of many, if not most, communities and workplaces across the country. They are also, polls consistently tell us, the most pessimistic and alienated group in American society."
Hope, Change, Nietzsche: A Review of Reading Obama: Dreams, Hope, and the American Political Tradition by James T. Kloppenberg (David Greenberg) from the New Republic
A very interesting long-form look at Obama's leadership and his intellectual roots.
"Along with his historic achievement in becoming our first black president, it was this esteem that seems to have generated the large literature about him, by journalists (David Remnick’s The Bridge, Jonathan Alter’s The Promise) and scholars (Tom Sugrue’s Not Even Past, William Jelani Cobb’s The Substance of Hope). Of this latter group, none has gotten more attention than James T. Kloppenberg’s book."
Where Are the Obama Scandals? (Brendan Nyhan) from the University of Virginia Center for Politics
"One of the least remarked upon aspects of the Obama presidency has been the lack of scandals. Since Watergate, presidential and executive branch scandal has been an inescapable feature of the American presidency, but the current administration has not yet suffered a major scandal, which I define as a widespread elite perception of wrongdoing. What happened, and what are the odds that the administration’s streak will continue?"
I have been noting this for some time. So far -- not even the faintest hint of corruption, wrong-doing, etc.
Wisconsin Union Law Struck Down By County Circuit Judge from the Associated Press via Huffington Post
"Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi ruled Thursday that Republican legislators violated Wisconsin's open meetings law during the run up to passage. She says that renders the law void. ... Lawmakers could also pass the law again in order to nullify open meeting concerns that led to the judge's ruling Thursday."
Wisconsin GOP Could Simply Re-pass Law, but Recall Elections Causing Delay from Daily Kos
"Since union households account for almost the entire swing in Wisconsin public opinion, re-passing a union-busting bill right before the election elections would be harmful to Republican chances. That's the real reason why Wisconsin Republicans are waiting on the courts to enact the law for them."
Huntsman: The GOP's 'Cool Uncle' (Joshua Green) from the Atlantic
"During his five-day swing through the state, Huntsman's events were mobbed by reporters, who often outnumbered actual citizens. Part of the interest stemmed from the anticipated clash with conservatives upset at having a moderate in their midst. That confrontation never came, and one reason why it didn't is that Huntsman showed himself as much more conservative than advertised."
First Thoughts: Who Wins (and Loses) if Palin Runs (Chuck Todd et al.) from MSNBC
"While we’re still unsure she actually runs (it could simply be a gambit to get into the political spotlight), a Palin bid would have a profound effect on the rest of the field."
Palin's "Exploratory" Campaign: A Nationwide Bus Tour (Scott Conroy)from RealClearPolitics
""Starting this weekend, Sarah Palin will embark on a ‘One Nation' tour of historical sites that were key to the formation, survival, and growth of the United States of America," SarahPAC treasurer Tim Crawford said in a statement to RealClearPolitics. "The tour will originate in Washington, D.C. It will proceed north up the east coast.""
And where is she going? Her rough itinerary is HERE. First stop: an event clearly tied to the formation of modern America! The annual Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally!!
CHECK OUT this, um, slightly attention-getting bus she's taking on her national "Restoring the Good in America [Read: "Restoring My Reputation"] tour! Whether she plans to run or not, I'm clear this is ALL about herself. Things to look for: is she charging for her appearances? To what extent is this simply a glorified book-and-movie promotional tour?
ENVIRONMENT NUGGET!!
GE Sees Solar Cheaper Than Fossil Power in Five Years from Bloomberg News Service
"Solar power may be cheaper than electricity generated by fossil fuels and nuclear reactors within three to five years because of innovations, said Mark M. Little, the global research director for General Electric Co. "
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