News Nuggets 312

The Obamas doing the Easter egg hunt thing again. See the Easter Photos Nugget below.

Obama's First Year: The Top Ten Sound Bites (Video) from Time Magazine

"A look back at some of the most memorable quotes from the first year of the Obama Administration."

Several of these picks are simply stupid!

President Obama: Calm in the Eye of the Storm (Jonathan Capehart) from the Washington Post

"The president insists on talking to the American people and audiences abroad like adults. Much has been made of his professorial mien when doing so. Perhaps that's because he is most professorial when the political stakes are highest."

Drones Batter Al Qaeda and Its Allies Within Pakistan from the New York Times

"The strikes have cast a pall of fear over an area that was once a free zone for Al Qaeda and the Taliban, forcing militants to abandon satellite phones and large gatherings in favor of communicating by courier and moving stealthily in small groups, they said."

Can the Pope Restore the Purity of Catholicism (Timothy Shriver) from the Washington Post

"The scandal facing Catholics today looks a lot like the Watergate scandal that engulfed the United States in the early 1970s. Then, what started as a crime committed by a few burglars slowly escalated to reveal corruption at the highest levels of authority. The White House counsel, senior advisers and others were punished for their roles. In the end, the president of the United States was implicated and forced to resign. Is the Catholic Church on a similar pathway to the resignation of a pope?"

A Woman's Place is in The Church from Newsweek

"The cause of the Catholic clergy's sex-abuse scandal is no mystery: insular groups of men often do bad things. So why not break up the all-male club?"

Cardinal Defends Pope, Denounces 'Petty Gossip' from Reuters via the New York Times

"A leading cardinal defended Pope Benedict at an unusual address at the pontiff's Easter Sunday Mass, saying the Church would not be intimidated by "petty gossip" about sexual abuse of children by priests."

Clueless. One of the interesting aspects of this scandal is how much it shows the disconnect between a hierarchical, essentially 19th-century subculture and the pluralistic, essentially 21st-century flock that prelates say they are leading. Note: there was a very good piece from Sylvia Peggioli on All Things Considered last night. You can catch it HERE. One thing she notes is how THOUSANDS of Europeans are leaving the church in the wake of this scandal.

Pope's Immunity to Prosecution May be Challenged in Britain from the Associated Press via Rawstory.com

"Protests are growing against Pope Benedict XVI's planned trip to Britain, where some lawyers question whether the Vatican's implicit statehood status should shield the pope from prosecution over sex crimes by pedophile priests."

This is the kind of pressure that could force Benedict out. I think if the Pope was actually BARRED from some countries due to issues surrounding the scandal, it would be "Howard Baker-trip to the White House" time.

Black Folks We'd Like to Remove from Black History from The Root

"As happy as we are for the nation to get its yearly reminder that black people do exist in the context of American history, there’s a growing list of characters that has us harking back to Zora Neale Hurston’s famous words: “All my skinfolk ain’t kinfolk.” "

On the Question of White House Kabuki (James Fallows) from the Atlantic

"During the Obama era the pressure for inside nuggets, with the resulting implicit favor-trading, was even greater than normal, because at the moment the market for Obama-insider books was hot. ... Once an Administration begins, however, the available vignettes are more like the five-remove puppet show. They represent administered rather than observed truth."

'No One Forgives Anyone Anymore': An Interview with former Sen (R) Alan Simson from Newsweek

"No one forgives anyone for anything anymore. People get angry just for disagreeing with them. But remember the old AA phrase: if you can't forgive a person, it's like letting them live in your head rent-free."

David Frum: Off the Fence (James Kirchick) from World Affairs Magazine

"This is still the man who coined the phrase “Axis of Evil.” This is still the man who earned the undying enmity of paleoconservatives for his explosive National Review cover story from 2003, “Unpatriotic Conservatives.” You can judge a man by his enemies, and with each passing day, David Frum accumulates more of the right ones."

The Danger in the Extremist Rhetoric of the Tea Party from The Root

"As a youthful admirer of leftist protest movements during the 1960s, I became a connoisseur of violent political rhetoric. Which is to say that I‘m acquainted with the power of angry words to fuel explosive action. And how, like mystics chanting a mantra to enter a mindless trance, extremist activists, on both the left and right, can hypnotize themselves into believing some really crazy stuff."

For a while now, I've noted the interesting parallels between left wing extremism in the late 1960s and early 1970s and right-wing extremism now.

The Tea Party Goes Hollywood from Newsweek

"Conservatives create their own film festival, but will they get the right stuff?"

The Town Hall Dog That Didn't Bite from TalkingPointsMemo

"On their first recess break since passing historic health care reform legislation, members of Congress have not faced anything like the crowds and anger from anti-reform advocates they faced last summer, when guns, shouts and even fist fights became a part of more than a few town hall meetings."

Doctor Against Treating Obama Supporters Admits Not Knowing What's in Health Reform Bill (Alan Colmes) from the Liberland blog.

Normally I don't deal with small-ball stupidly partisan issues like the rantings of this Orlando doctor -- but BOY did Alan Colmes call him out! The transcript is too good to pass up.

"Dr. Jack Cassell, the Orlando urologist who put a sign on his door letting patients know he doesn’t want to have to treat them if they are Obama/health care reform supporters, was on my radio show Friday night, but didn’t seem to know much about the health care bill he’s criticizing."

For Malia and Sasha - Proust Rather Than Asterix Comics from Le Mond [of France in English]

"The Sarkozys brought the daughters of the president of the United States some Astérix comic books. One may wonder if the adventures of these 'Indomitable Gauls who hold out against the invader' will be to the liking of Malia and Sasha. Were there no other books to offer them that would have embodied French genius?"

OMG!! And I thought only the US's right-wing media bitched about this kind of crap!

COLLEGE NUGGET!!

The 50 Most Stressful Colleges from the Daily Beast

"As admissions letters hit mailboxes—and amid growing concern about mental health on campus, The Daily Beast looks at which schools are the biggest pressure cookers."

BIG CRITTER NUGGET!!

Monster of the Deep: Shocked Oil Workers Catch TWO-AND-A-HALF-FOOT 'Woodlouse' from the Globe and Mail [of the UK]

"The beast normally lives 8,500ft under water and this specimen is thought to be the largest giant isopod ever found at this depth."

We saw one of these suckers the other day. The pictures and film are better here.

AUDIO NUGGET!!

The Political Scene from the New Yorker

In this podcast, David Remnick talks about his new book: The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama.

"David Remnick on the improbable career of Barack Obama."

Here are more reviews of the book from Newsweek, the New York Times, and the Washington Post.

EASTER PHOTOS NUGGET!!

A Gallery of Presidential Easters from the Daily Beast

Several are quite charming.

FOREST NUGGET!!

Forests Growing Back in Eastern US from the Washington Post

"Here, in a forest of woodpecker-holed pine trees, is one of the rarest things in the American environment. A second chance. The United States can now hit "reset" on one of its greatest environmental mistakes: the destruction of the enormous woodland that once canopied the continent from Maine to east Texas."

News Nuggets 311

A rescued baby wombat in Australia - from the Globe and Mail [of the UK]. See the wombat nugget below. Looks a lot like a baby pig -- except for the talons.

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Obama! (Frank Rich) from the New York Times

"Fifteen months after arriving at the White House, Obama remains by far the most popular national politician in the country, even with a sub-50 percent approval rating. And yet he’s also the most enigmatic. While he is in our face more than any other figure in the world, we still aren’t entirely sure what to make of him."

Is President Obama Fulfilling Clinton's Promise? (Peter Baker) from the New York Times

"While they are very different presidents and not personally close, at least some of the unfinished agenda items left from the Clinton administration have found their way to the top of the Obama priority list. And the 44th president is arguably profiting from the work, and the setbacks, of the 42nd president."

While true, in my view it in no way mitigates the fact that the Clintons (largely by their own hands) blew the opportunity they had to be truly transformational.

Justice Stevens Says He'll Retire in Obama's Term from the Associated Press

"Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens says he "will surely" retire while President Barack Obama is still in office, giving the president the opportunity to maintain the high court's ideological balance."

John Paul Stevens Retiring? Top Picks to be the Next Supreme Court Justice from the Huffington Post

"The Huffington Post interviewed a host of constitutional law professors and other legal cognoscenti. Here's a look at the candidates that have emerged as leading contenders for Justice Stevens' seat on the bench, with more reporting about each potential new Justice below."

More Evidence Emerges That Pope Benedict Helped Shield Pedophiles Before He Became Pope from the Associated Press via Huffington Post

"Documents reviewed by The Associated Press show that as a Vatican cardinal, the future pope took over the abuse case of the Rev. The details of the two cases come as other allegations emerge that Benedict – as a Vatican cardinal – was part of a culture of cover-up and confidentiality."

I Believe You've Killed the Church, Holy Father (Andrew Sullivan) from the Times [of London]

"Only a morally bankrupt Pope could call news of his role in a child abuse cover-up ‘petty gossip’."

Pretty brutal commentary from Mr. Sullivan. I'm not there yet. But the Vatican DEFINITELY needs to transform how they are dealing with this crisis.

Devil of a Scandal (Maureen Dowd) from the New York Times

"The exorcist also said that the abuse scandal showed that Satan uses priests to try to destroy the church, “and so we should not be surprised if priests too ... fall into temptation. ...” Actually, falling into temptation is eating cupcakes after you’ve given them up for Lent. Rape and molestation of children is far beyond what most of us think of as succumbing to worldly temptation. This church needs a sexorcist more than an exorcist."

Election Season Tests Tea Party's Ideals from the Boston Globe

"Some tea party activists say Fincher, a Republican candidate in Tennessee’s Eighth Congressional District, isn’t “pure’’ enough to deserve the backing of a movement built on the idea that government must spend less. But others have pledged their support, highlighting a division over what constitutes orthodoxy in the amorphous cause — and who gets to decide."

Your Take: Why Black Folks Won't Drink the Tea (Party) from The Root

"I have joined my fellow black conservatives in an effort to make black America politically diverse. We believe that the full liberation of black America will never come as long as the liberal trend in our community continues its 50-year run. However, I understand the common point made about the Tea Party Movement and its lack of diversity. Black conservatives today must avoid the pitfalls that the Republican Party has incurred for decades."

Crist Requests Probe of GOP 'Mess' in Florida from the Miami Herald

And Crist expects Republicans to vote for him?! WHAT has happened there?! Is the race there turning in a new direction that I have not heard about?

"Gov. Charlie Crist asked federal authorities Friday to investigate the Republican Party of Florida amid growing concerns about secret deals and misspent money. ``It's a mess,'' he said. ``This thing stinks.''"

EASTER NUGGET!!

The Big Question: Why Do We Celebrate Easter, and Where Did the Bunny Come From? from the Independent [of the UK]

"The Easter bunny or rabbit comes from the hare, another ancient, pre-Christian symbol of fertility associated with spring."

Always a good question about the rabbit there.

WOMBAT NUGGET!!

Meet Orphaned Karmann, the Waving Wombat Nursed Back to Health by Humans from the Globe and Mail [of the UK]

"She may only have a tiny heart - but luckily for Karmann the orphaned wombat, she was rescued by an animal lover with a large one. The helpless little creature owes her life to a driver who rescued her from the pouch of her dying mother, who had been run over in East Gippsland, Australia in early March."

ANCIENT ROME NUGGET!!

How Two Brothers Spent Ten Years Creating 47ft Replica of Largest Roman Mosaic Ever Found in Britain from the Globe and Mail [of the UK]

"Two brothers today revealed a painstaking reconstruction of Britain’s largest Roman mosaic that took them ten years to complete. Bob and John Woodward used 1.6 million tiny pieces to produce their copy of the Orpheus pavement."

What an AMAZING job these guys did!!

HOMEOWNERS' NUGGET!!

Struggling Homeowner's Guide to Credit Score Consequences from the Atlantic

"Credit scoring tends to be a very mysterious black box, leaving many homeowners unsure what option is best for their credit. But a conversation with one of FICO's principal scientists, Frederic Huynh, revealed some helpful information that could help struggling borrowers to understand how various decisions might affect their credit score."

URBAN CRIME NUGGET!!

Praising Cory Booker for Newark's Murder-Free Milestone from the Atlantic

"When no one is murdered in Newark, New Jersey that's big news. When it stays that way for an entire month, it's a milestone. The city just achieved its first homicide-free month in over 40 years."

We live in an age when the idea that big city mayors (such as Booker) actually ACCOMPLISH anything in office seems rather novel. As the article says, this is a big deal -- not just for long-suffering Newark, but for all of America's big cities.

News Nuggets 310

Yes -- it's a two-pet photo day. These are from Americablog.

Below is a message perfect for our times -- something to keep in your wallet for an appropriate tea bag moment. From regular reader, Barb.

You didn't get mad when the Supreme Court stopped a legal recount and appointed a President.

You didn't get mad when Cheney allowed Energy company officials to dictate energy policy.

You didn't get mad when a covert CIA operative got outed.

You didn't get mad when the Patriot Act got passed.

You didn't get mad when we illegally invaded a country that posed no threat to us.

You didn't get mad when we spent over $600 billion (and counting) on said illegal war.

You didn't get mad when over 10 billion dollars just disappeared in Iraq.

You didn't get mad when you found out we were torturing people.

You didn't get mad when the government was illegally wiretapping Americans.

You didn't get mad when we didn't catch Bin Laden.

You didn't get mad when you saw the horrible conditions at Walter Reed.

You didn't get mad when we let a major US city, New Orleans, drown.

You didn't get mad when we gave a 900 billion tax break to the rich.

You didn't get mad when the deficit hit the trillion dollar mark.

You finally got mad when the government decided that people in America deserved the right to see a doctor if they are sick. Yes, illegal wars, lies, corruption, torture, stealing your tax dollars to make the rich richer, are all okay with you, but helping other Americans...oh hell no.

China Shifts Away from Iran Toward US from MSNBC

"After months of tense relations, China is showing new willingness to engage in talks with the United States, a diplomatic opening that may help the Obama administration achieve U.N. consensus on tightening sanctions on Iran."

The Party's Over: China's Endgame (Op-Ed) from World Affairs Magazine

"Despite the endless stream of stories touting China's dominance, Gordon Chang argues that the Communist Party there is hemorrhaging financially and politically—and probably won't last much longer"

Environmental Regulations to Curtail Mountaintop Mining from the Washington Post

Another reminder (if we needed one) concerning why voting for Obama makes a difference.

"The Obama administration on Thursday imposed strict new environmental guidelines that are expected to sharply curtail "mountaintop" coal mining, a controversial practice that has enriched Appalachia's economy while rearranging its topography."

Why I Still Love Him (Andrew Sullivan) from the Atlantic

This Clip of Obama in Portland, Maine, is HILARIOUS!

Preacher Compares Attacks on Pope to Anti-Semitism from Reuters via the New York Times

The speaker was much more than just a "preacher;" his title is "Preacher of the Pontifical Household," -- basically he is the POPE's personal preacher. Also -- what in God's name are these folks doing? Taking their cues from Pat Robertson?!

"As the pope listened, Cantalamessa read the congregation a part of a letter he received from a Jewish friend, who said he was "following with disgust the violent and concentric attacks against the Church, the pope..." "The use of stereotypes, the shifting of personal responsibility and guilt to a collective guilt remind me of the most shameful aspects of anti-Semitism," he quoted from the letter."

The response to this offensive blather was predictable. Here're items from the BBC and from the Washington Post.

Good Pope, Bad Pope from Foreign Policy Magazine

"The debate over Benedict's handling of the child abuse scandal is splitting observers. A guide to the antis and the pros."

Papal Indulgences (Katha Pollitt)from the Nation

"There is a positively Nixonian smarmy truculence in the response of church hierarchs to the ongoing scandal, which now involves Pope Benedict XVI himself."

It's The Gays' Fault (Andrew Sullivan) from the Atlantic

"I figured we had gotten past this canard but since Bill Donohue is on every television and radio show loudly proclaiming that the church's abuses can be attributed to "homosexuals", and therefore it is homosexuality and not the church that stands in the dock, it requires some unpacking."

The Anti-Michael Steele (Benjamin Sarlin) from the Daily Beast

"While his GOP counterpart descends into corruption and bondage scandals, DNC Chairman Tim Kaine is pleasing the president by keeping quiet and raising a fortune."

Kaine's efforts seem to be paying off. See With Midterms Approaching, GOP Outmatched by Democrats on Campaign Funds from the Washington Post

"With eight months to go before congressional elections, House and Senate Democratic candidates exceed in virtually every important campaign fundraising category. Democratic House lawmakers appear likely to reverse their seven-cycle record of being outspent by House Republicans, according to recent finance reports."

Dems' Governing Core Stays Intact (Ronald Brownstein) from the National Journal

"Obama compromises more than Bush, but his determination to advance a bright-line agenda is creating a similar dynamic."

An Article of Faith (Charles Blow) from the New York Times

"The Apostles of Anger in their echo chamber of fallacies have branded him the enemy. This has now become an article of faith. Obama isn’t just the enemy of small government and national solvency. He’s the enemy of liberty."

Drowning in Hate (Ellis Cose) from Newsweek

"The more serious danger from this corrosive conduct—and the failure to acknowledge it for what it is—is to our fraying national sense of purpose. It's a symptom of "what happens when [the citizens of] a country can't talk to one another constructively," said Cleaver's spokesperson."

The Top 25 Centrist Columnists and Commentators (John Avlon) from the Daily Beast

"Following Tunku Varadarajan's list of the top pundits of both the left and the right, The Daily Beast's John Avlon provides his take on the most influential voices of the American center."

Note: I have to say -- a number of Avlon's picks stike me as way off!

The conservative pundit, Tunku Varadarajan's original list of best right and left leaning columnists is available HERE and HERE.

EVIL HISTORY NUGGET!!

Not Satisfied with US History, Some Conservatives Rewrite It from the McClatchy News Service

"The Jamestown settlers? Socialists. Founding Father Alexander Hamilton? Ill-informed professors made up all that bunk about him advocating a strong central government. Theodore Roosevelt? Another socialist. Franklin D. Roosevelt? Not only did he not end the Great Depression, he also created it."

PA POLITICS NUGGET!!

A Tale Of Two Candidates: 'Reform' Republican Vs. Progressive Democrat in PA-7 from Crooks and Liars

This is Joe Sestak's former House seat. Looks like the GOP candidate is in trouble there.

"Describing former U.S. Attorney Pat Meehan's nominating-petition drive as a bush-league criminal conspiracy, Democrat Bryan Lentz yesterday asked the feds to investigate forged signatures and other evidence of potential fraud tied to Delaware County Republicans backing Meehan's congressional campaign."

BIG CRITTER NUGGET [No. 1]!!

Bathynomus Giganteus: Terrifying Sea Beast Hauled Up from National Geographic News

"A submarine exploring the ocean's depths recently returned with an unexpected visitor: a crablike critter called Bathynomus giganteus (commonly known as giant ispod) that has left many readers startled and horrified"

BIG CRITTER NUGGET[No. 2]!!

New Spider Found in Giant Sand Dune in Israel from National Geographic News

"With a leg span of up to 5.5 inches (14 centimeters), the new spider is the largest of its type in the Middle East, the scientists said."

ROBOT NUGGET!!

A Robot Autonomously Folding Towels (Video) from littlegreenfootballs.com

Hotel workers, LOOK OUT!

BOOK NUGGET [A REPEAT]!!

Yesterday's link didn't show the full review.

Review of 'The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama' by David Remnick from the Los Angeles Times

"A definitive chronicle of the growth and achievement of the first black U.S. president by the prize-winning New Yorker editor."

News Nuggets 309

The Xkeken cenote in Mexico's Yucatan. From National Geographic.

Time to Rebalance from the Economist [of London]

"America’s economy is set to shift away from consumption and debt and towards exports and saving. It will be its biggest transformation in decades."

Farewell to the Cozy Transatlantic Alliance (Editorial) from Die Zeit [of Germany in English]

"President Obama is shaped neither by the experience of the Cold War that once acted as a binding factor, nor by any transatlantic ideology. As far as partnerships are concerned, he thinks globally and assesses them based on whether they benefit America."

Financial Reform 101 (Paul Krugman) from the New York Times

"Let’s face it: Financial reform is a hard issue to follow. It’s not like health reform, which was fairly straightforward once you cut through the nonsense. Reasonable people can and do disagree about exactly what we should do to avert another banking crisis. So here’s a brief guide to the debate — and an explanation of my own position."

Hitting the Reset Button from the Economist [of London]

"Another sort of nightmare is also beginning to trouble America’s conservatives. It is the possibility that Barack Obama’s big win on health will inject new vigour into what had looked like a prematurely tired presidency, making it harder for the Republicans to thrash the Democrats as thoroughly as they had expected in November’s mid-term elections."

How Obama Measures Up: Lessons from 70 Years of Presidential Scholars (Walter Shapiro) from Politics Daily

"Obama seems particularly elusive these days with the media portrayal of his presidency changing even

faster than magazines can commission new Rahm Emanuel profiles."

Those Angry About Health-Care Generally Concerned About the Country's Direction from the Washington Post

"I grew up in the '50s," said Hugh Pearson, 63, a retired builder from Bakersfield, Calif. "That was a wonderful time. Nobody was getting rich, nobody was doing everything big. But it was 'Ozzie and Harriet' days, 'Leave It to Beaver'-type stuff. Now we have all this MTV, expose-yourself stuff, and we have no morality left, not even by the legislators."

There is SOOO much I could say about this quote. First up, Ozzie and Harriet -- IT WAS A TELEVISION SHOW -- NOT REALITY!! Second -- MTV was so 20 years ago. This is not 1955 AND it isn't 1985 either! Third, and I think this is the larger point here (one that I've said before), it seems to me one of the key reasons white boomers, like this guy, revere the 1950s so much is because the world itself was so ... white! Minorities knew their place, and everyone basically agreed about how perfect the US was at the time. Tea Partiers look to the future with nothing but unalloyed fear -- they have no vision to offer people that is even remotely "forward"-looking. What they offer instead is a mythical, past-based vision of Eisenhower complacency. Some are even advocating an even more retro vision, one based on the pre-New Deal era of Calvin Coolidge! Thank you very much -- I'm sticking with the 21st century!

Without Merit (Eliot Spitzer) from Slate

"The [health care law] suits cites two elements: first, the requirement that all individuals either purchase health insurance or pay a tax, and second, that states modify their Medicaid programs so they cover more poor people. As virtually all constitutional scholars agree, the odds that this suit will succeed are at best marginal."

College Debate Organizers Unable to Find Any Law Professors to Argue Health Reform is Unconstitutional from Thinkprogress

"Yesterday, the University of Washington held a debate about the constitutionality of the recently passed health care reform bill. The Seattle Times reports that none of the panelists at the debate argued that the bill was unconstitutional because the organizers of the event couldn’t find any law professors who held that view"

Catholic League Head: Abuse Not Pedophilia Because Boys were 'Post-Pubescent' from Larry King Live via Raw Story

With defenders like this, the Pope is almost certainly doomed. Is this where the church is going to plant it's flag?! The definition of pedophilia?

"The head of the influential Catholic League says that the priest who allegedly sexually abused 200 deaf boys in Wisconsin did not engage in pedophilia because 'the vast majority of the victims [were] post-pubescent.""

Some on-the-money commentary on Donohue's remarks is HERE from Michael Tomasky of the Guardian.

"In general, William Donohue of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights is one of those figures to whom we've become accustomed in American life, an identity politics ambulance chaser. ... What Donohue said the other night ... was probably the most disgusting thing I've ever heard an American public figure say."

The Ecstasy of Fiscal Policy (David Brooks) from the New York Times

Parts of this are really hilarious!

"Let’s say you’re a political consultant. You’re sitting there in your West Hollywood bondage-themed strip club with party donors picking up the tab, and, of course, you’re thinking about what a great country this is. Swept up in the spirit of gratitude, you decide you’d like to give back. ... What’s needed is a moral revival."

The Only Thing GOPers Have to Fear is the GOP Itself (David Corn) from Politics Daily

"If I had a gift certificate to a bondage-themed strip-tease club for every time I’ve heard Democrats complain that the mascot of their party ought to be a circular firing squad, I’d be able to entertain thousands of GOP operatives. But now it seems that it’s the Republicans who are engaging in an orgy of cannibalism — just when they’re poised to mount one of the greatest political comebacks in years."

Blow Up the GOP (Reihan Salam) from the Daily Beast

"In the wake of the latest RNC antics, it's worth asking whether party headquarters is doing any good at all."

Campaign Continues: Rating Sarah Palin as a TV Host (Review) from the Los Angeles Times

"It’s hard not to see Palin, who, after abdicating her own governorship is hardly an icon of stick-to-itiveness, as using this platform, and these people, to further the idea that she has a special relationship with “real Americans.” Which makes anyone who finds her less than enchanting at best a heartless cynic and, at worst, a traitor."

Um ... I guess it is safe to say that this critic didn't like Sarah's new show. Some more reviews are HERE.

DINOSAUR NUGGET!!

True-Color Dinosaur Pictures: First Full-Body Rendering from National Geographic News

"For the first time, scientists have decoded the full-body color patterns of a dinosaur—the 155-million-year-old Anchiornis huxleyi (pictured)—a new study in the journal Science says."

A related story is HERE.

UK POLITICS NUGGET!!

Britain's Televised Election Debates: US Politics 2.0? from Politics Daily

"For the first time in history, the leaders of Britain’s three main political parties will go head to head in a series of televised political debates. While many are wondering what impact this will have on the upcoming general election, the bigger question on everyone’s mind is whether we are witnessing the Americanization of British politics."

BOOK NUGGET!!

Review of 'The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama' by David Remnick from the Los Angeles Times

"A definitive chronicle of the growth and achievement of the first black U.S. president by the prize-winning New Yorker editor."

News Nuggets 308

I have a backlog of fun dog pictures. These are from Americablog.

Harvesting Democracy in Afghanistan (Joe Klein) from Time Magazine

"There was a distinct giddiness at NATO headquarters in Kabul. Senior military officials briefed the reporters traveling with Mullen and said, in effect, that the tide had turned. In several crucial southern sectors, the Taliban were demoralized. "We're putting unbelievable body blows onto the midlevel Taliban cadre," a senior U.S. official said, adding that he expected to be in a significantly stronger position within four months."

Losing Kennedy Made Obama Find Health Care in Homage to Cause from the Bloomberg News Service

An interesting long-form examination of how health care went to the top of Obama's agenda.

"Daschle, tapped to become Health and Human Services secretary, wanted a commitment that Obama still planned to pursue an overhaul of the health-care system. Top advisers, from Vice President Joe Biden to members of his economic team, were pushing Obama to wait and focus instead on the recession."

Federal Judge Finds NSA Wiretaps Were Illegal from the New York Times

It makes you wonder why it took THIS LONG for a court to say what was obvious at the time!

"A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the National Security Agency’s program of surveillance without warrants was illegal, rejecting the Obama administration’s effort to keep shrouded in secrecy one of the most disputed counterterrorism policies of former President George W. Bush."

Glory Days: How the Health Care Bill Made Nuns Rad from Slate

"In the run-up to passage of the health care bill, representatives of the nearly 60,000 U.S. nuns signed a letter in support of the health care bill, contra the bishops, because, they wrote, supporting better health care is "the real pro-life stance." From there, the dominoes toppled fast—Bart Stupak, the Catholic pro-life Democrat who'd refused to vote in favor of the bill because of the abortion question, initially dismissed the nuns' letter but then backed down and settled for an executive order on abortion of questionable import and scope. And the bill passed."

Pope Paul VI May Have Been Warned of Pedophile Priests in 1963 from the Associated Press via the Huffington Post

"The head of a Roman Catholic order that specialized in the treatment of pedophile priests visited with then-Pope Paul VI nearly 50 years ago and followed up with a letter recommending the removal of pedophile priests from ministry, according to a copy of the letter obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday."

Will Ratzinger's Past Trump Benedict's Present? (John Allen) from National Catholic Reporter

"In a papacy sometimes marred by scandal and internal confusion, Benedict's handling of the sexual abuse crisis has often been touted as a bright spot, one case, at least, of a firmer hand on the rudder. That makes the scandals now engulfing the church in Europe especially explosive; they threaten to once again make Benedict seem more like part of the problem than the solution."

At the Vatican, Up Against the World (Frank Bruni) from the New York Times

"Of the many heartbreaking details in the latest round of outrage over child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, one stands out as particularly emblematic: a tidy window into Church leaders’ mindsets; a bracing glimpse of what went wrong."

What Will Offshore Drilling Mean for Cap and Trade? (Max Fisher) from the Atlantic

"Will the offshore drilling, long a demand of conservative Republicans, pave the way for Democrat-friendly climate legislation such as cap and trade? Will it doom that effort? Or will it simply make the resulting bill more watered down?"

Drill, Barack, Drill: The Lesson from Healthcare Reform (Andrew Sullivan) from the Atlantic

"It's pure long-term, strategic Obama, something the GOP will understand only when it's way too late. So far, they have played directly into the president's hands."

Bloomberg News has a similar assessment HERE.

Climategate Inquiry Vindicates Scientists from the Atlantic

Are ANY major TV news outlets covering this story? The accusations, page A-1; the proof of innocence months later, page B-23.

"When the "Climategate" scandal first broke it was a triumphant day for climate-change skeptics. They scolded the scientific community for distorting global warming data and declared cap-and-trade "dead." But now the results of an investigation by the British government are out and the report largely sides with the scientists."

US Oil Company Donated Millions to Climate Sceptic Groups, Says Greenpeace from the Guardian [of the UK]

"Report identifies Koch Industries giving $73m to climate sceptic groups 'spreading inaccurate and misleading information'."

A climatologist screws up at an obscure journal in the UK: HEADLINE NEWS! Major corporations funding misinformation on the fate of the planet: page B-23.

An Electoral Majority for Obama? (Thomas Edsall) from the Atlantic

"The combination of persistent, prolonged unemployment, record deficits, the refusal of Republicans to raise taxes, the underfunded Social Security Trust Fund, and a demographic transition moving the nation closer to a non-white voting majority have, together, revived, enlarged, and intensified the battle for limited government resources—pitting those seeking to protect what they have against those seeking more."

The Republican Crackup (Matt Miller) from the Washington Post

Matt Miller is the moderate host of NPR's program, Left, Right and Center. See the link to the left.

"As a matter of objective reality, after all, this Republican derangement seems an absurd overreaction. How could taking Mitt Romney's health-care plan national be seen by any balanced person as the beginning of the end? Still, everyone knows that too many big, stressful changes at once -- such as getting divorced, changing jobs and moving homes -- can push even sturdy people over the edge. Three sudden emotional shocks likewise explain the Republican crackup."

A wonderful look at a question I've been pondering for some time.

Glenn Beck and the New US Right: 'Like a Horror Movie' from La Jornada [of Mexico in Engish]

"Like in a horror movie, the new right in the U.S. finds its driving force in fear. To a great extent, this reactionary movement is the result of two intersecting panics: one ethnic, the other of class."

Rhetoric and Guns (Editorial) from the Chicago Tribune

"Obstructionist politicians and the tea party movement have instilled in them the notion that they represent a large segment of angry Americans. Until now, however, these groups have been in survivalist mode, quietly preparing in rural areas for the inevitable conflagration engaging in illegal military training, but otherwise obeying the law. The Hutaree militia group, which allegedly was planning to conduct a mass casualty terrorist attack on agents of the government, may signal a change from this defensive posture."

The Heckler's Veto (Wendy Kaminer) from the Atlantic

"Protesters who disrupt the people they oppose aren't practicing free speech. Instead, they're fighting against the other side's right to speak."

Say It Just So Joe (Katie Connolly) from Newsweek

"It's a little surprising that 15 months into Obama's term, Biden is developing a thriving fan base. Liberal blogger Matthew Yglesias, who writes for Think Progress and The Daily Beast, says he believes "there's been a major rapprochement" between liberals and Biden. "I think it reflects a strategic decision by the administration to position him as a sort of designated progressive friend inside the administration.""

TOTALITARIAN NUGGET!!

They're Not Brainwashed, They're Just Miserable: The North Korean People in 2010 from Foreign Policy Magazine

"The state monopoly over information that once kept North Koreans in the dark about the true nature of their situation is fast crumbling, a victim to economic integration with China, improved telecommunications, and the erosion of control conferred by the socialist economic system. The survey responses depict a society that is increasingly bold about consuming foreign news at the same time that it becomes increasingly available."