News Nuggets 677

Death Valley in California.  From the Daily Mail of the UK.

Ahmadinejad Denounces Allies' Arrest On Corruption Charges As 'Politically Motivated' from the Associated Press via the Huffington Post
"Dozens of the president's allies have been detained over the past months in an evolving power struggle between Ahmadinejad and Iran's clerical leaders. Four senior government officials were arrested last week. There have also been calls by hard-liners for the arrest of Ahmadinejad's chief of staff."

How the Demise of a Trusted Adviser Could Bring Down Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from the Independent [of the UK]
"Iran's President has survived mass uprisings, but a corruption row engulfing his inner circle may soon be his undoing. Robert Fisk reports from Tehran"

Libya Rebels Seize Kadafi Arms Depot from the Los Angeles Times
"After two opposition fighters are killed and government forces flee, rebels plunder the vast arsenal that residents had avoided for fear of the Libyan leader's wrath."

Greek Parliament Approves Austerity Plan from the New York Times
"Stock markets, which began rallying earlier in the day across Europe and much of Asia amid indications that the measures would be approved, continued to climb higher after the vote. Investors had feared that a collapse in Greece might have repercussions throughout the international financial system."
While the markets are happy -- there is a lot to be concerned about with Europe -- as this and the following item make clear.

Leaderless in Europe from the Editorial Board of the New York Times
"The survival of the common European Union currency, free movement across national borders and trans-Atlantic collective security are all in serious doubt. Europe’s leaders are in denial or paralyzed. How could any European leader let these pillars of the Continent’s well-being be jeopardized? The problem is there are no European leaders, just a German chancellor, a French president, an Italian prime minister and others who profess a continental vision but never look much beyond their local political interests."

Sixth Circuit Panel Upholds Individual Mandate from Politico
"The panel of three judges — two nominated by Republican presidents — upheld the mandate 2-1, with one GOP-nominated judge ruling in favor of the mandate and the other dissenting. The ruling marks the first time a Republican-nominated judge has ruled in favor of upholding the mandate."

Obama Comes Out Swinging (Howard Kurtz) from the Daily Beast
"The president's fiery tax speech today was the battle cry liberals have been waiting for. Howard Kurtz on whether Obama will follow through on the rhetoric this time."

Catholic New Yorkers Approve Of Cuomo 3-1, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Cuomo Tops Other Governors, Over Christie By 20 Points from Quinnipiac University
"New York State voters approve 64 - 19 percent of the job Gov. Andrew Cuomo is doing, 20 points better than New Jersey Gov. Christopher Christie and leading governors in other states surveyed by Quinnipiac University. White Catholic voters approve 62 - 22 percent. "

Utopia on the Hudson (Maureen Dowd) from the New York Times
"Just as his father seized a social issue and established himself in opposition to the church with his Notre Dame speech on abortion, now the son has seized a social issue and established himself in opposition to the church with gay marriage."

The Shifting GOP on the Environment from E: The Environmental Magazine
"New Hampshire aside, the reluctance within the GOP to advocate real action on climate change—often due to ideological resistance among the Republican base and particularly within the Tea Party—has left candidates like Mitt Romney with little room to develop and push for strong legislative solutions."

Poll: Obama Leads All Potential GOP 2012 Nominees from the Miami Herald
"Only 36 percent of registered voters say they'd definitely vote for President Barack Obama next year - but he still tops all Republican challengers in one-on-one matchups, according to a new McClatchy-Marist poll... But none of his potential GOP rivals would beat him today. Republican candidates, said Miringoff, "have not at this point developed credibility with voters."

A Religious Test for President? (Jeff Greenfield) from Politico
"What’s really going on here, I think, is that for many voters, the Mormon faith is, well, strange. The idea of multiple gods and universes, or a post-Resurrection Christ proselytizing among Native Americans, strikes unfamiliar chords. Which may be one reason why a smash-hit Broadway musical can treat the faith as a source of parody, if not ridicule."

WI Recall: New Daily Kos Polling Shows Path to Victory (David Nir) from the Daily Kos
"We've been asking for your help to support the recall campaign, and now we have some very interesting news to share. Over the weekend, we tested the waters in three races where Democrats are running against incumbent Republicans. This is what the state of play looks like:"

Tea Party Finds Power Leads to Policy Splits from the New York Times
"When Tea Party groups celebrated their victories here in November — they had helped take the governor’s office and the legislature — it seemed that one of their priorities, school choice legislation, would have an easy time passing. Instead, the bill, which would provide vouchers to poor families who want better schools for their children, has sparked what one Tea Party activist called a “fight within the family.”"

What the GOP Field Should Know About Rick Perry (William McKenzie) from the Dallas Morning News via the Sacramento Bee
"Let's assume Rick Perry runs for president. Once a high-profile leader says he doesn't want the job but then starts talking about it and giving speeches around the country as the election heats up, you can bet he's running. Here, then, are a few things his GOP opponents need to know about Texas' governor: Most of all, don't underestimate his ability to win."
I am QUITE skeptical.  Everything I've heard about Perry is that he's pretty dumb.