News Nuggets 294

"No fox could be found in England's capital. On the verge of losing hope, Laurent returned to an old haunt. It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship between man and beast." See the Urban Fox nugget below.

Letting Women Reach Women in Afghan War from the New York Times

"The Marines in a recent “cultural awareness” class scribbled careful notes as the instructor coached them on do’s and don’ts when talking to villagers in Afghanistan: Don’t start by firing off questions, do break the ice by playing with the children, don’t let your interpreter hijack the conversation. And one more thing: “If you have a pony tail,” said Marina Kielpinski, the instructor, “let it go out the back of your helmet so people can see you’re a woman.”"

Good News on Iraq from the National Interest

"Although it is too early to know who will eventually emerge as the next Iraqi prime minister, the fact is that the March 7 election was fiercely fought, witnessed a relatively high turnout despite violence, and was monitored by thousands of international election observers who found no earth shattering violations (as was the case when Afghanistan held elections in August 2009). ... It is very much in American interests that whatever coalition emerges over the coming weeks, it be effective in diffusing the many problems that still bedevil the country"

Poll: Obama Doing Better Job Than Bush on National Security from Daily Kos

"Poll finds that most people think President Obama is doing at least as good a job on national security than Bush -- and a plurality, 39%, think he's doing a better job."

Cap'n Barack Obama, the Crafty Trimmer (Andrew SUllivan) from the Times [of London]

"He has bent to the prevailing winds and not picked battles when he was unsure he could win them. But in the end there isn’t weakness here. There is a suppleness and pragmatism that is a kind of strength."

The Wrong Kind of Green from The Nation

"Environmental groups used to be funded largely by their members and wealthy individual supporters. They had only one goal: to prevent environmental destruction. Their funds were small, but they played a crucial role in saving vast tracts of wilderness and in pushing into law strict rules forbidding air and water pollution. But Jay Hair--president of the National Wildlife Federation from 1981 to 1995--was dissatisfied. He identified a huge new source of revenue: the worst polluters."

Democracy is a Pesky Thing (Jon Meacham) from Newsweek

"My point is that Americans who are engaged enough to vote or to contact their lawmakers are not as dopey or as easily led as the Charlotte e-mailer thinks. You cannot be for democracy when you are winning an argument and against it when you are losing one. Like free speech, democracy is pesky."

Left Gears Up to Fight Media Wars from Politico

"The battle over Jennings convinced Media Matters that it needed to not only monitor other media but to do its own original reporting. On Monday, Joe Strupp, who covered the press for 11 years with Editor & Publisher magazine, will launch a new media blog after signing on as the group’s first investigative reporter."

Senate Hopefuls, Veteran GOP Leaders Face Tea Party Voters from The Hill

"Many Tea Party activists say Republicans in Washington lost sight of their principles during the Bush years and outsider candidates running in GOP primaries are trying to take advantage of this."

Tea Party Candidates Falling Short from Politico

"But as spirited political movements have shown in the past, translating passion and activist fury into votes can be difficult. And so far, success at the ballot box has been elusive for these grass-roots conservative activists — if not entirely nonexistent."

RNC Fallout: 'Ashamed' Donor Closes Checkbook from Politico

"Mark DeMoss, who heads a major Christian public relations firm in Atlanta and served as a liaison to the Evangelical community for Mitt Romney in 2008, wrote Chairman Michael Steele yesterday that he was "ashamed" of the presentation, calling depictions of Obama, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Majority Leader Harry Reid "shameful, immature and uncivil, at best.""

Guess it was BIG NEWS to this fellow that the GOP was "shameful, immature and uncivil". Go figure.

SCARY FISH NUGGET!!

Thought Jaws was Scary? 10 More Fish to Inspire Nightmares from Treehugger.com

"Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water... This collection of scary fish will put your fear of Jaws on the back burner."

URBAN FOX NUGGET!!

Where the Wild Things Are ... in London and Barcelona from Wild Wonders in Europe via Treehugger.com

Yes -- it is a two-fer for Treehugger.com!

"Slowly, as the photographer shadowed her day and night, the fox became accustomed to his presence. Laurent made occasional soft whistling noises so the vixen would not be surprised by his visits, and might learn to recognize him when he looks for her."

This interesting phenomena is discussed in greater detail in Nocturnal Wildlife in Your Own Back Garden from the Guardian [of London]

News Nuggets 293

An amazing picture of a gorilla at the National Zoo in Washington DC - from Americablog.

British General: Taliban Thought We Were on the Run, But the Tables Have Turned from Telegraph [of the UK]

"Now the Taliban have been driven from their primitive citadel, and the tribal chiefs have crowded into the dusty compound to thank the British troops who had masterminded their liberation. "The British are our friends. They have given us our lives back," explains one farmer. "We now have the chance to make a better life for ourselves.""

Leading Pakistani Taliban Deputy Believed Killed from RealClearWorld

"Maulvi Faqir Mohammed was believed to be among a number of insurgents killed Friday at a sprawling compound in the northwest Mohmand tribal region, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said."

Iran in Its Intricacy (Roger Cohen) from the New York Times

"The war option remains unthinkable, a potential disaster for the United States and Israel. It’s therefore worth outlining, before the drumbeat intensifies in the run-up to the mid-term U.S. elections, 10 truths about Iran."

Talking to Iran Has Helped the US (Editorial) from the Guardian [of the UK]

"Critics say it has been a waste of time but Barack Obama's worldwide diplomatic outreach is beginning to deliver results."

Bybee, Yoo and America's Tortured Soul from The Root

"No, the authors of the notorious torture memos did not get away with it, no matter what they – or the media –say."

Why Obama Will Ultimately Win with Health Care (Ellen Ratner) from FOX News

From FOX News to God's ear!

"The Democrats may lose seats in the mid-term elections but in the end getting access to health care and eliminating the games played by the health insurance industry will make many reticent Americans come over to the Obama side."

For Pursuit of Education Reform, Give Obama Credit (Michael Gerson) from the Washington Post

"In its rhetoric, spending and budget, the Obama administration has promoted two ambitious principles: serious consequences for chronically failing schools, including mass teacher firings and takeovers by charters, and the use of student performance to assess individual teachers and principals. There is no purely political explanation for this approach."

Virginia Attorney General Orders Colleges to STOP Protecting Gays from the Washington Post

This is truly outrageous. Here's a conservative official conducting an ANTI-CIVIL RIGHTS movement - using state power to INSURE inequality! Supreme Court - here we come. This (I suspect) will lay the rationale ultimately for federal civil rights legislation banning discrimination against LGBT folks. It'll be years or even decades from now -- but I can't help but think this is going to powerfully up the ante for gay civil rights groups and their supporters.

"Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II has urged the state's public colleges and universities to rescind policies that ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, arguing in a letter sent to each school that their boards of visitors had no legal authority to adopt such statements."

Young Voters' Approval of Obama Historically High -- Can Dems Keep Them? (Eric Kleefeld) from TalkingPointsMemo

"A new analysis from Gallup finds that as President Obama's ratings have gone up and down, one constant has remained: A sharply disproportionate level of support among younger voters, with an age gap that simply didn't happen with his two predecessors."

Karl Rove Sets the Record Straight - Sort Of (Dana Milbank) from the Washington Post

"Rove's book is 600 pages thick, the work of a man with a lot of scores to settle. But it deserves a better title. In the model of Karen Hughes's memoir, "Ten Minutes from Normal," Rove's work should be called "Ten Thousand Miles from Self-Aware.""

Bart Stupak Abortion Claims Debunked: Health Bill Would NOT Force Federal Spending on Abortion from ABC News via Huffington Post

WOW! ABC actually commits journalism!! They didn't just do the "he said, she said" followed by the "go figure."

"Stupak argued that "when you read the legislation, $1 per month for all enrollees must go into a fund for reproductive care which includes abortion coverage." Karl's research of the wording of the bill finds this statement to be false."

Makes you wonder what his game really is.

The Texas Taliban from Little Green Footballs

"There’s been talk lately in Texas about seceding from the US. Even Republican Governor Rick Perry has broadly hinted that Texas should exercise its “tenth amendment” rights. Well, here’s a website that makes me think it might be a good idea to let them do it: Repent Amarillo. This is the Texas Taliban, similar in almost all respects to their Afghanistan soulmates, except that they pray to a different God."

WHALE NUGGET!!

Swimming with Sperm Whales from The Week

"A close encounter with the species that inspired "Moby Dick" filled author Philip Hoare not with dread but wonder."

MIDEAST CULTURE NUGGET!!

Mullahs Help Promote Birth Control in Afghanistan from USAToday

"Use of the pill, condoms and injected forms of birth control rose to 27% over eight months in three rural areas — up to half the woman in one area — once the benefits were explained one-on-one by health workers, according to the report published Monday."

An ONLY-IN-EUROPE NUGGET!!

The Hoof, the Whole Hoof...Swiss to Vote on Legal Rights for Animals from the Independent [of the UK]

"Opinion polls have indicated that 70 per cent of the Swiss population support the scheme. It is already illegal to keep lone goldfish, guinea pigs, canaries and budgerigars in Switzerland because they could become lonely and suffer as a result. Dog owners have to take training courses and from 2013 it will be against the law to keep horses tied up in their stalls."

I am a staunch supporter of strict animal cruelty laws and have no problems with sending offenders away for long stints in the slammer -- but, maybe its just me, this strikes me as more than excessive.

News Nuggets 292

The biggest frog that ever lived. It was way beck in pre-historic times. See the 'Big Beasts' nugget below - from National Geographic News.

Pakistan: Another Taliban Leader Captured from the Associated Press via TalkingPointsMemo

"The arrest of Agha Jan Mohtasim is the latest step in an apparent crackdown against a movement that has long enjoyed relative safe haven in Pakistan."

New Woe for Vatican as Usher Linked to Prostitution Ring from the Washington Post

"One of Pope Benedict's ceremonial ushers and a member of an elite choir in St Peter's Basilica have been implicated in a gay prostitution ring, in the latest sexual scandal to taint the Vatican."

I rarely dwell on stories like this. In the main, I don't have it in for the Catholic Church. Indeed, even in reference to all the child rape cases that have come up in the US over the last 15 years or so, I don't hold a special grudge against the Vatican. Where I DO take exception, though, is in how Pope Benedict and his predecessors have dealt with the scandals. On this issue, there are no lessons in PR and messaging that the GOP could teach the Holy See. For the longest time, they claimed that it was a problem with American culture, not the church. When the same thing came up in Ireland, they ignored it. Now it's happening, basically, in the Pope's office. Not just an usher soliciting sex -- but a whole damn prostitution ring for heaven's sake! Were they using the Pope's private apartments!? Did they have wild orgies!? In my view, this is a defining moment for this Pope.

Obama's End Game for Passing Health Care Reform (John Dickerson) from Slate

"The most likely scenario is that around mid-March, the House will vote on the Senate health care bill that passed by a supermajority in that chamber last Christmas. The president will sign that bill. Then, the House members will take up a second bill, full of fixes to the Senate bill they just passed. That bill will have to pass the Senate via reconciliation."

The Tricks Up Pelosi's Sleeve to Gain Votes from the Financial Times [of London]

"Because of changes to the composition of the House, Ms Pelosi will need 216 votes to pass the measure. Despite these challenges, Washington insiders said on Wednesday that Ms Pelosi has a number of tools at her disposal to win support."

The GOP's Dickensian Fix for Health Care (Jonathan Chait) from the New Republic

If this is true, the Dems need to fire up their rather moribund message machine and go to work on this.

"What separates the two parties is not how far to go, but in which direction to go. The divide is simple. Democrats propose to shift resources from the rich and the healthy to the poor and the sick. Republicans want to do just the opposite."

For Democrats, it's Do or Die (Bob Shrum) from The Week

"The legislative machinery is in place and the GOP opposition is irrelevant. Only Democrats can prevent health reform from passing now."

Shrum is right-on-the-money here. If anyone is going to bring the health care legislation down, it will be the Democrats themselves. Indeed, the posturing I've seen since Monday makes me fear this will be how it goes.

'Race to the Top' Finalists are Named from the Wall Street Journal

For the 'Obama-hasn't-done-anything' crowd, the Race to the Top program has been one of the most praised programs of Obama's entire domestic agenda.

"The Obama administration has picked 15 states and the District of Columbia as finalists to win billions in federal education funding, part of a high-stakes bid to pressure local educators to shake up underperforming schools."

For a decent overview of Obama and education as it stands now, see Congress, Obama Can Score a Big, Bipartisan Success: School Reform (Morton Kondracke) from Roll Call. This is the first time Mr. Kondrache has written something worthy of 'nugget' status. In the main, he is one of the most INANE pundits in the media! But this item covers this topic fairly well.

"Obama has inspired considerable optimism among school reformers that he’s willing to take political risks to push reform. In the latest instance, at the America’s Promise event, he referred favorably to the firing of all teachers at Central Falls High School in Rhode Island after only 7 percent of its 11th-graders passed the state’s math test and teachers refused to work 25 extra minutes a day to help them improve."

Republicans Embarrassed by 'Evil Empire' Obama Smear (Richard Andrews) from the Guardian [of the UK]

"The document also contained a wealth of embarrassing details about Republican fundraising tactics. Politico reported: "The small donors who are the targets of direct marketing are described under the heading 'Visceral Giving.' Their motivations are listed as 'fear;' 'Extreme negative feelings toward existing Administration;' and 'Reactionary.'"

Tweaking the RNC's Fundraising Strategy (Kevin Hoffman) from the Washington Post

This mocking 'memo to the RNC' is HILARIOUS!

"Your plan divides Republican donors into two main categories: small donors who are "visceral," "reactionary" and motivated by "fear," and large donors who are "calculated," "ego-driven" and motivated by "access." I don't know these guys as well as you do, but my experience in the field suggests a potential need for rebranding. What if, instead of labeling your small donors as "reactionary," you thought of them as "passionate"? And for the large donors, instead of "ego-driven," you could consider them "thought leaders." You see what I did there? It's a slight nuance, but if you give your donors a teeny bit more credit, it sets up a different framework to address some of the message and outreach challenges delineated below."

For GOP, Embrace of Tea Party Carries Some Risk (Gerald Seib) from the Wall Street Journal

"Clearly the movement is marked by hostility to big government, ... Just as clearly, those impulses make the Tea Party phenomenon a net plus for Republicans. But the areas of disconnect have gotten less attention. In significant sectors of the broad Tea Party movement, the war on terror, and the intelligence and law-enforcement policies originally crafted by the administration of Republican President George W. Bush to fight it, arouse sentiments ranging from suspicion to hostility."

The RNC's Self-inflicted Wound (Conor Friedersdorf) from the Daily Beast

"The secret GOP memo calling for Obama fear-mongering is sure to backfire, alienating GOP donors at every level."

Money Worries Curb GOP Optimism from Politico

"While wind at one’s back is a good thing, cash in the bank would be better, and on that score Republicans are lagging behind. Their candidates have raised less than half the $84 million that experts estimate it will take to seriously threaten the Democratic majority in the House. The situation at the National Republican Congressional Committee is even bleaker."

Grayson (D) Leading in REPUBLICAN Primary from Huffington Post

What is one to make of this!?

"Republicans like a politician who stands up for what he believes -- even if he believes the Republican Party is populated by a bunch of "knuckle-dragging Neanderthals." The candidate leading the Florida GOP primary to determine who will take on Rep. Alan Grayson, the Democrat who represents the Orlando-based district, is none other than Grayson himself, according to a poll paid for by his campaign."

HUMANITARIAN NUGGET!!

The Sex-Slave Rescuer (Michelle Goldberg) from the Daily Beast

"Sunitha Krishnan, a speaker at The Daily Beast’s Women in the World summit, works inside the bleak netherworld of human sex slavery in Indian slums. Michelle Goldberg reports on how the Prajwala founder remains, somehow, an optimist."

FLYING NUGGET!!

New Zealand Inventor Creates 'Flying Hovercraft' from the Telegraph [of the UK]

The video clip is really amazing!

""This machine is fast and furious, it roars like a lion and is not for the faint-hearted. It is adrenalin-pumping and exciting. "Having a go on it is like a bungee jump, however, the thrill lasts as long as the ride.""

TRAGIC DINOSAUR NUGGET!!

Asteroid Terminated Dinosaur Era in a Matter of Days from National Geographic News

"The city-size asteroid that slammed into Earth with the force of a million nuclear bombs is what snuffed out the dinosaurs and half of all other species on Earth 65 million years ago, an international group of scientists who reviewed all available evidence said today."

BIG BEASTS NUGGET!!

Seven of the Biggest Beasts of All Time from the National Geographic News

The man-sized scorpion scares the shit out of me!

"We all know about the size of dinosaurs, of course, but how about a rodent the size of a bull, a sea scorpion bigger than a man, a frog as large as a beach ball, a penguin the size of a small adult human, a 1,000-pound ground-sloth-like marsupial, and a shark that may have grown longer than 50 feet and weighed up to 30 times more than the largest modern great white?"

FROM THE DOPEY-AND-UNUSUALLY-WHACKED DEPARTMENT

I've purposely avoided this tragic and gruesome topic -- but leave it to religious nuts out there to force me out of my attempt at dignified silence.

Whale That Killed Its Trainer at Seaworld 'Must be Stoned to Death' Says American Religious Group from the Daily Mail [of the UK]

"The American Family Association said Biblical teachings dictate that the five-ton killer whale Tilikum should be executed for dragging to death trainer Dawn Brancheau. They also said the head trainer at the Orlando theme park where the incident took place a week ago should suffer a similar fate."

News Nuggets 291

From earlier this week, Michelle Obama at an event promoting reading. Her expression here is priceless!! From the Washington Post.

UP-FRONT HEALTH CARE NUGGET!!

Our previously unrecognized pundit-of-the-day, Jill Lawrence!

Obama on Health Care: Stunning Arrogance or the Edmund Burke Theory of Leadership? (Jill Lawrence) from Politics Daily

"[Burke] said he would give great weight to his constituents' wishes, high respect to their opinions and "unremitted attention" to their business, but would not abandon his conscience or independence: "Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion." Obama took the Burkian approach on Wednesday."

How We're Doing in the World from the Brookings Institution

Part three in a multi-part series.

"Judged by most standards, America and the world are better off today than they were a year ago when President Obama entered office. While few Americans will forget the fear of global economic meltdown that accompanied the 44th president’s inauguration and the drastic stimulus and triage measures that had to be taken to arrest the economic freefall, public optimism, as measured by a variety of opinion poll measures, has recovered."

Global Governance Reform: An American View of US Leadership (Stewart Patrick) from the Stanley Foundation and the Council on Foreign Relations

"Obama administration is limited in its practical ability to promote and embrace sweeping reforms to global governance. Rather than casting its lot entirely with universal organizations like the United Nations, the United States will adopt a more pragmatic approach to international cooperation, relying on a combination of formal institutions and more flexible partnerships to achieve US national interests. The balance sheet for Obama’s first year in office underscores both the opportunities for, and the constraints on, global governance reform in the current geopolitical environment."

Pieces Falling into Place for Vote on Health-Care Reform (Ezra Klein) from the Washington Post

"Over the past 48 hours or so, you've seen the pieces falling into place on the path forward for health-care reform. Timetables have leaked, putting passage somewhere in mid- to late March."

Perfect Storm Nearly Killed Health Reform: Another Storm May Save It (Marc Ambinder) from the Atlantic

"With no perceptible change to the political landscape, the chances of major legislation passing are greater today than they've been in two months. Granted, the deal hasn't been sealed, much less delivered or signed. Democrats, however, have moved from the half court to the three-point line. How's that? "

The Republicans' Big Lie About Reconciliation (E.J. Dionne) from the Washington Post

""Obama's critics have regularly accused him of not being as tough or wily or forceful as LBJ was in pushing through civil rights and the social programs of his Great Society. Obama seemed willing to let Congress go its own way and was so anxious to look bipartisan that he wouldn't even take his own side in arguments with Republicans. Those days are over. On Wednesday, the president made clear what he wants in a health-care bill, and he urged Congress to pass it by the most expeditious means available."

Forward March: New Villains in Old Story, But Dems Face Own Distractions from The Note blog at ABC News

"The health care push lingered long enough to get Democrats something new: some villains to make the story more interesting. (And that might even be a message that could break through, if Democrats weren’t doing such an effective job producing bad guys of their own right now.)"

Obama and the Middle Way (Paul Knitter) from his blog at the Union Theological Seminary

"I’m sure many of us resonate with what Pollitt is urging: Get tough, Mr. Obama! All your reconciliation stuff and your efforts to build consensus have hit the brick wall of Republican obstinacy and downright meanness. So hit back! ... But my “better angels” — who include Jesus and Buddha — come fluttering in to hold me back from joining in Pollitt’s calls for responding to recklessness with recklessness. The same principle that warns against violence applies here: meanness, nastiness, refusal to cooperate, putting your enemies in their place — it will all only bred more of the same. The law of karma: hate begets hate. And yet, yes, Obama has to change course. He has to get tough. But how?"

Michelle: No Longer a 'Caricature' from Politico

"“As first lady, people see me more often, and they see me. They don’t see a caricature of me; they don’t see a sound bite of me; they see all of me. And even if they see a piece of me, they will see many pieces over the course of time, and that will fill out their view,” Obama said in an interview with POLITICO. "

GAUDY PENTHOUSE NUGGET!!

Rush Limbaugh's Gaudy Fifth Avenue Penthouse is Now for Sale from Gawker.com

"It looks like Rush Limbaugh is moving ahead with his threat to leave New York City. He's (finally!) put his tacky Fifth Avenue apartment up for sale. The cost of ridding NYC of Rush once and for all? $13.95 million."

As John Aravosis said at Americablog, "Someone grab a towel, Marie Antoinette just threw up in the bedroom!."

DINOSAUR NUGGET!!

Dinosaurs Ten Million Years Older Than Thought from the Huffington Post

"A new dinosaur relative found in Tanzania is the oldest known creature of its kind--a discovery that pushes back the origin of dinosaurs by at least ten million years, paleontologists say. Dubbed Asilisaurus kongwe, the Labrador retriever-size creature was a silesaur, the closest relatives to true dinosaurs. The newfound animal lived 243 million years ago, during the middle Triassic period."

ANOTHER DINOSAUR NUGGET!!

Huge New Dinosaur Found Via 'Mind-Boggling" Skulls from National Geographic News

"Four skulls of a giant new species of plant-eating dinosaur may give scientists a head start on understanding the biggest animals ever to have walked the Earth, a new study says."

ANCIENT EGYPT NUGGET!

King Tut Mysteries Solved: Was Disabled, Malarial, Inbred from National Geographic News

"King Tut may be seen as the golden boy of ancient Egypt today, but during his reign, Tutankhamun wasn't exactly a strapping sun god. Instead, a new DNA study says, King Tut was a frail pharaoh, beset by malaria and a bone disorder—his health possibly compromised by his newly discovered incestuous origins."

News Nuggets 290

Blankets were left strewn across the network of 156 caves, used by Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden's deputy. See the first story below from the New York Times

Pakistan's Army Takes Control of al-Qaeda Cave Network on Afghan Border from the Times [of London]

"Pakistani forces have taken control of a warren of caves that served until recently as the nerve centre of the Taleban and al-Qaeda and sheltered Ayman al-Zawahiri, the second-in-command to Osama bin Laden."

As I posted the other day, I suspect Mullah Omar and bin Laden's days on the lamb are numbered.

There's a New Red Scare - But is China Really So Scary? (John Pomfret) from the Washington Post

"Having lived in China during the past two decades, we have witnessed and chronicled its remarkable economic and social transformation. But the notion that China poses an imminent threat to all aspects of American life reveals more about us than it does about China and its capabilities. The enthusiasm with which our politicians and pundits manufacture Chinese straw men points more to unease at home than to success inside the Great Wall."

On this subject, see also What the People's Bank of China Cannot Do With Its Reserves (Michael Pettis) of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and James Fallows comments at the Atlantic HERE.

Greece, Europe and Alexander Hamilton (Roger Cohen) from the New York Times

"Europe has reached an “assumption” moment. The economic woes of southern “Club Med” countries have illustrated the untenable tensions of linking nations of vast economic disparities in a currency zone without a central fiscal authority or unified budget to address imbalances."

Beijing Frets About the Iran Lobby (Daniel Drezner) from Foreign Policy Magazine

"A story about the myriad ways in which Beijing is becoming enmeshed in Middle East politics ... Welcome to the Middle East, China!!"

A related story is HERE from the Financial Times [of London]

Obama Shouldn't Trumpet a Black Agenda (Deron Snyder) from The Root

"Whether or not black mayors and legislators eventually exhaust their reservoir of goodwill, how do we not cut Obama some slack from jump street? Knowing what we know about our country's ever-tenuous race relations, and the hardcore hate that's sprouting in some quarters, how can we expect Obama to come out with guns blazing on black issues?"

Brazilian "Envy" for America's Televised Health Care Debate (Editorial) from Folha [of Brazil in English]

"For Brazilians, there is only envy in seeing a model of accountability in action that doesn't exist here. Has any party, any person suggested, at the very least, for there to be a televised debate between Brazil's government leaders and the opposition."

The Basement Boys (George Will) from Newsweek

"Although women are a majority of the workforce, perhaps as many as 80 percent of jobs lost were held by men. This injury to men is particularly unfortunate because it may exacerbate, and be exacerbated by, a culture of immaturity among the many young men who are reluctant to grow up."

I can't remember the last time George Will made anything worthy of 'nugget' status -- but, while I think he's off on many of the details, as a college professor, I can't help but see some general truths here.

James Dobson Signs Off at 'Focus on the Family' from NPR

GOOD RIDDANCE!! This trouble-making hoser has been a major GOP spear-carrier in the culture wars for 20+ years and, in my view, has done more than most to warp the political views of evangelical christians.

"James Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family, gives his final radio broadcast for the organization Friday. CNN religion writer Dan Gilgoff talks to Steve Inskeep about how changes at Focus on the Family reflect broader changes in the evangelical movement. Dobson became an overtly political leader. New leadership is seeking to soften the group's message."

When Tax Rage Goes Over the Edge (Clarence Page) from the Chicago Tribune

"Some of today's populists are giving elitists a good name. That thought came to mind after Joseph Stack fatally crashed his single-engine plane into a building that houses Internal Revenue Service offices in Austin, Texas."

Be Not Afraid of Palin (Clarence Page) from the Chicago Tribune in early February

Yes -- Clarence gets a two-fer today.

"Sarah Palin's conservative fans ask me why "the liberal media" are "so afraid" of the former governor of Alaska. I, for one, am unafraid. And I am delighted that the former Republican vice presidential candidate refuses to rule out running for the presidency. I am also relieved that, so far, she does not appear to have a ghost's chance of winning. As food for commentary, her recent weekend foray through Facebook, Fox News and the National Tea Party Convention leaves me with more choices than the proverbial mosquito in a nudist colony."

Under Fire, Rangel Steps Aside as Leader of Committee from the New York Times

This is very good news for the Dems. The Ways and Means Committee is one of the most powerful committees in the House, and this scandal was promising to be the GOP's exhibit #1 this fall for labeling the Dems as somehow THE party of corruption. My one question though is ... why temporary?

"Caught in a swirl of ethics inquiries, Representative Charles B. Rangel, the dean of the New York Congressional delegation, announced Wednesday that he would temporarily step down from his powerful post as chairman of the tax-policy-writing Ways and Means Committee."

Some House Foes Eye Switch to "Yes" on Health Care from the Associated Press

"Ten House Democrats indicated in an Associated Press survey Monday they have not ruled out switching their "no" votes to "yes" on President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, brightening the party's hopes in the face of unyielding Republican opposition."

The Republican Civil War: Your Guide to This Year's Primaries from the New Republic

"In a string of GOP primary elections stretching from now until September, the future ideological composition of the elephant party hangs in the balance. Many of these primaries pit self-consciously hard-core conservatives, often aligned with the Tea Party movement, against “establishment” candidates"

Specter (D) Pulls Ahead of Toomey (R) in Pennsylvania Senate Race from Politics Daily

REALLY!?! He's been behind for sooo long, I'm not sure I buy this.

"Although more than half of Pennsylvania voters do not think Sen. Arlen Specter deserves another term, he has pushed past Republican opponent Pat Toomey in the fight to keep his sea"

Blanche Lincoln (D) Makes Gains in Arkansas Senate Race from Politics Daily

"Embattled Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln, who now has a challenger for the Democratic nomination in Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, has improved her weak numbers against Republican hopefuls running for her job, but still trails them as does Halter."

These two stories make me wonder if the Dems haven't hit bottom in their polling and are perhaps on the rebound. I pegged both of them as doomed in November.

At the Tea Party (Jonathan Rabin) from the New York Review of Books

A long-form piece on one writer's visit to the Tea Party Convention in Nashville.

Constituents Confront GOP Rep. Myrick Over Muslim-Bashing at Tense Town Hall fromTalkingPointsMemo

"Muslim constituents repeatedly challenged Rep. Sue Myrick (R-NC) at an emotional town hall meeting in Charlotte Thursday, with Myrick scrambling to distance herself from the Islam-bashing co-author of the book Muslim Mafia, whose foreword was written by the congresswoman herself."

ANOTHER ANCIENT EGYPT NUGGET!! [We had one earlier in the week]

Burial Chamber of Ancient Egyptian Queen Unearthed from the Associated Press via Yahoo News

"The necropolis of Saqqara outside Cairo has yielded a string of new discoveries as 10 different teams excavate a previously untouched area of these burial grounds were used continuously for more than 2,000 years until Roman times."

CONFLICT & CULTURE NUGGET!!

Pakistan's Taliban War: Bringing Back the Music from Times Magazine

"At his desk inside Bala Hissar, an ancient brick fortress that looms above the rooftops of Peshawar, General Tariq Khan heard an unusual sound drifting up. "It was music," says the general. "And I hadn't heard it in a long, long time. That's because this Pakistani frontier city, despite its large army garrison dating back to the British colonial days, had been in the grips of the Taliban's reign of fear."

DANGEROUS PETS NUGGET!!

When Man's Best Friend is Deadly: Photos of 9 Dangerous Pets from the Huffington Post

"Some people just love having unusual pets -- perhaps for their cuteness or the fact that they're uncommon pets. Even Paris Hilton had her own unusual pet: the kinkajou she called "Baby Luv." Well, Baby Luv sent Hilton to the emergency room twice. So, a word of caution to Hilton and all those out there who want a "different" kind of pet: they often are not meant to be domesticated."

Oh dear! Poor Paris!

TOTALITARIAN ART NUGGET!!

The Comic Books That Brainwash North Koreans from the Global Post

I couldn't pass this one up.

"Mighty Wing, Pyongyang's equivalent of Mickey Mouse, is a honeybee that confronts a swarm of capitalist wasps."

News Nuggets 289

Elephant seal pups on South Georgia Island in Canada - from National Geographic

How We're Doing in the World from the Brookings Institution

"Judged by most standards, America and the world are better off today than they were a year ago when President Obama entered office. While few Americans will forget the fear of global economic meltdown that accompanied the 44th president’s inauguration and the drastic stimulus and triage measures that had to be taken to arrest the economic freefall, public optimism, as measured by a variety of opinion poll measures, has recovered."

Do Not Even Think About Bombing Iran (M. O'Hanlon & B. Reidel) from the Financial Times [of London]

Coming from O'Hanlon (a closet neocon who supported the Iraq conflict) this is rather interesting and it's a point I have long felt myself.

"The strike option ... lacks credibility. America is engaged in two massive and unpopular military campaigns in the region. Given Iran’s ability to retaliate against the US in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is simply not credible that we would use force in the foreseeable future. Tehran, Moscow and Beijing know this."

Beijing's Labor Pains from Foreign Policy Magazine

"Why the conventional coverage of China may be missing the most interesting story of all."

Learning from History: Israel is Taking a Beating on the International Stage (Editorial) from the Editorial Board of the Jerusalem Post

"In this neck of the woods, where pieces of land, and especially religious landmarks, are often drenched with meaning for two or more faiths, and where men of violence are eager to exploit any opportunity to foster hatred, even the semblance of a change in the religious status quo can trigger a cycle of conflict and confrontation."

Back to the Crash: The American Economy Has Just Had Its Worst Decade Since the 1930s from the Economist [of the UK]

"Taking the decade between 2000 and 2009 as a whole, growth was slower than in previous decades. These figures, compiled by Christopher Wood, a former journalist with The Economist and now a strategist at CLSA, a Hong Kong-based investment group, provide stark reminders of various aspects of the poor performance the American economy demonstrated during the “noughties”."

GOP's Kyl Vows Senate Will Pass Jobless Benefits Extension This Week from the McClatchy News Service

"Congress will pass legislation aimed at keeping certain jobless benefits, highway and transit money and other government programs funded, Sen. Jon Kyl, the Senate's number 2 Republican,said Sunday."

The HealthCare Summit: A Waste of Breath? from the Economist [of the UK]

"Barack Obama’s bipartisan summit on health policy accomplishes more than meets the eye."

The Inkblot Test: Do Democrats have 217 votes, or don't they? from the New Republic

"Does this mean reformers finally have the upper hand? No. But a variety of administration officials, congressional staff, and lobbyists have said in the past few days they feel the odds for passage are higher than they have been at any time since January, when Scott Brown’s victory in Massachusetts took away the Democrats’ filibuster-proof margin in the Senate."

A New Low for the Cheneys and Their Friends (Joan Walsh) from Salon

"While the GOP bashes Obama for adopting Bush terror policies, the U.S. makes gains against the Taliban and al-Qaida"

National Journal's Vote Rankings for "Most Liberal" in Congress from the National Journal

More than anything this showcases how few real progressives there are in the Senate. I simply don't get Chris Dodd as a genuine "liberal." This is the man who as the minority leader on the Senate Banking committee signed off on bankruptcy "reform" back when the GOP was in charge; this was one of the biggest gifts to the credit card companies in decades!

The Party of George Wallace? (Scott Horton) from Harper's Magazine

"They reflect a brand of reactionary Republicanism that stands far to the right of Reagan, and is a sharp repudiation of the legacy of Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Eisenhower. Are they the party’s future?"

GOP's Moderate Poised to Gain Ground in Congress from the Los Angeles Times

It'll take more than one vote on a jobs bill before I buy this line.

"With healthcare legislation mired in partisanship, "tea party" activists on the march and GOP leadership dominated by conservatives, Capitol Hill looks like a parched landscape for the withered moderate wing of the Republican Party. But green shoots are sprouting in Washington and on the campaign trail."

ENVIRONMENTAL NUGGET!!

Ten Things You Can Do to Shrink Your Carbon Footprint from the Nation

"Individuals can be a powerful engine for change by demanding green products and reducing consumption of fossil fuels. This can make you healthier and save you money too, says Mindy Pennybacker, editor of GreenerPenny.com and author of Do One Green Thing: Saving the Earth Through Simple, Everyday Choices, to be published in March. Here are some of her recommendations for small steps that make a big difference."

SNAKE NUGGET!!

How to Catch a Giant Python from the Daily Beast

"The Everglades, overrun with huge reptiles, is about to host its first-ever open season on snakes. Catharine Skipp nabs her first python—and gets out alive."

HOLLYWOOD NUGGET!!

Out of the West: Clint Eastwood's Shifting Landscape (David Denby) from the New Yorker

"Being underestimated is, for some people, a misfortune. For Eastwood, it became a weapon. Certainly, no one meeting him in his twenties, before his movie career began, would have seen much more than a good-looking Californian who loved beer, women, cars, and noodling at the piano—a fun guy to hang out with."