Libya's Rebels Await the Arrival of Nato Helicopters in Misrata from the Guardian [of the UK]
"Troops in high spirit after announcement of 'rapid deployment' of Apaches against Gaddafi's forces."
Pakistan - Silencing the Truth-Seekers (Karamatullah K Ghori) from the Asia Times [of Hong Kong in English]
"Where does one draw the line between a devoted journalist's right to sift the truth from fiction and report, and an assassin's bloodlust to silence him? The kidnapping and murder of Asia Times Online's Pakistan bureau chief, Syed Saleem Shahzad, only days after he had exposed a possible link between al-Qaeda and Pakistani servicemen, in the macabre but gory drama of Karachi's apparently well-guarded naval-aviation base, Mehran, invaded on May 22 by a handful of terrorists, raises that obvious question."
The basic thread of this story leads straight back to the extent of Pakistan's ties with domestic/regional terrorist groups. This is a good place to start if you're looking for a fuller picture of what's going on in Pak.
How France Lost Africa to the U.S. (G. Pascal Zachary) from the Atlantic
"Francophone African nations are shifting their cultural allegiance from their old colonial master to America, a process that will change both Africa and the West."
Cyber Combat: Act of War from the Wall Street Journal
"Pentagon Sets Stage for U.S. to Respond to Computer Sabotage With Military Force."
An important related story:
Hackers Broaden Their Attacks from the Wall Street Journal
"Lockheed and PBS Join the Roster of Recent Victims as Motives Expand; 'Almost Anyone Is a Target'."
DSK and Conspiracy Theory in France (Roger Cohen) from the New York Times
"Countless Franco-American differences of culture have been highlighted by the DSK case — in the judicial system, the press, attitudes to public figures’ private lives, sex and the gravity of a rape charge — but a very fundamental one lies in the relation to authority. French deference to power — with the accompanying conspiracy theories — has encountered the hard-knuckled application of U.S. law as applied equally to anyone accused of a serious crime."
Hispanic Population, Rising Faster Than Anticipated, A 'Huge Weapon' For Obama (Sam Stein) from the Huffington Post
"Operatives from both sides of the ledger agree, however, that a both Democrats and Republicans have a generation-defining opportunity at hand. But only one party seems positioned to take advantage. In 2004, 5.1 million Hispanics voted for Democratic candidates, 4.3 million for Republicans. In 2008, the ratio changed, with 7.8 million voting Democratic and 3.6 million voting Republican, according to data compiled by New Policy Institute."
Like the Auto Bailout? You Should Love the Bank Bailout (Daniel Indiviglio) from the Atlantic
"Democrats may run on saving Detriot—but helping Wall Street paid off much better"
Barack Obama Finds Solid Ground, High Approval Ratings, White House Confident About Reelection from the Associated Press via Huffington Post
"The White House now displays an air of confidence, bolstered in part by achievements such as the killing of Osama bin Laden by U.S. commandos and the financial success of an auto industry that Obama bailed out over the objections of many. Obama is also benefiting from the absence of negatives."
Hard Times, Fewer Crimes (James Q. Wilson) from the Wall Street Journal
"The economic downturn has not led to more crime—contrary to the experts' predictions. So what explains the disconnect? Big changes in American culture, says James Q. Wilson."
Sociology and Other 'Meathead' Majors (Harvey Mansfield) from the Wall Street Journal [Subscription wall in place]
"Archie Bunker was right to be skeptical of his son-in-law's opinions. .. Most colleges offer a cornucopia of choices, and most of the choices are bad. The bad choices are more attractive because they are easy."
You get the gist here. If you can get the whole article, check it out. It captures a growing skepticism (I would even go so far as to describe it as enmity) on the part of many university administrators, parents, and critics of higher ed towards some social sciences, the arts and humanities generally.
Who's the Most Unpopular Governor in America? (Andy Kroll) from Mother Jones Magazine
"He's a GOPer. In a battleground state. And that's good news for Obama's reelection bid."
Wisconsin Dems 6. Wisconsin Republicans 0 (Greg Sargent) from the Washington Post
"Dems have alleged that the signature gathering by Republicans is fraudulent, and now the board has explicitly claimed that their reason for not approving the recall elections against Dems is that the signatures “have raised numerous factual and legal issues which need to be investigated and analyzed.” Translation: The fraud allegations just may have something to them. What this means: While Dems only need to net three recall elections to take back the state senate, it is now within the realm of possibility that even as twice that number of Republicans face recall elections, no Dems will."
2008? 2012 is so 2000-and-late from Politico
"While no one expects a campaign with an incumbent president to match the intensity of 2008’s wide open field, even seasoned pros are surprised by how long it has taken for the Republican field to take shape and for the media to become fully engaged in covering the campaign."
The GOP’s Self-Destruction Derby (Eugene Robinson) from the Washington Post
"...the fact that Palin’s ego trip so easily stole the spotlight from the actual Republican candidates shows what a challenge the party faces in trying to deny President Obama a second term."
Why Democrats Are Loving the GOP Primaries So Far (Michael Scherer) from Time Magazine
"While President Obama tours the world, looking presidential and pretending to be unconcerned with electoral politics, Republicans will be battling in the political muck. And Obama’s supporters will be cheering from the sidelines."
Palin Creates Buzz But Rivals Bet She Won't Run (Byron York) from the Washington Examiner
"...the fact is, some of the most serious people in the 2012 Republican race don't believe Palin will run. While the press looks at the former Alaska governor's publicity operation, political pros look at her campaign operation, or, more accurately, her lack of a campaign operation."
Joshua Green at the Atlantic comments on York's piece HERE.
Palin Rewrites the Rules but is That Enough? (Dan Balz) from the Washington Post
"The experts — those who have had experience in campaigns — say no. One Republican with considerable campaign experience, who wouldn’t agree to be identified in order to be as candid as possible, called the “One Nation” bus tour that Palin and her family are on “a joke.” Another called it “an ill-conceived” venture as a precursor to a campaign."
Why Birthers Won't Die (Michelle Goldberg) from the Daily Beast
"President Obama's long-form birth certificate release hasn't stopped Jerome Corsi's Where's the Birth Certificate? from hitting the bestseller list—or the author's new racially charged arguments from spreading, writes Michelle Goldberg."
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