News Nuggets 623

 The Lethbridge Viaduct in Alberta, Canada.  From National Geographic. 

UP-FRONT FOREIGN EDITORIAL NUGGET!!

Here's one of the MOST hard-hitting inward (and agonizing to read on one level) assessments I've seen come out of the Middle East/South Asia ever!  At least one person in Pakistan seems to be looking at things in a clear-eyed fashion.
The Emperors’ Clothes: Pakistan This Week has Been Confronted with a Deeply Unsettling Question (Cyril Almeida) from The Dawn [of Pakistan in English]
"Could the self-appointed custodians of the national interest themselves be the greatest threat to national security? ... Nobody has come out and said it openly yet. It’s too early, the story still unfolding. Ask the question in private, though, and with hand on heart, no one will say anything but, yes, they knew he was there."

Bin Laden’s Daughter Confirms her Father Shot Dead by US Special Forces in Pakistan from Al Arabiya [of Saudi Arabia in English]
"Senior Pakistani security officials said Osama bin Laden’s daughter had confirmed her father was captured alive and shot dead by the US Special Forces during the first few minutes of the operation carried out at the huge compound in Bilal Town, Abbottabad. 

"

Who is Obama? Now We Know (E.J. Dionne) from the Washington Post
"Barack Obama is not the man many Americans thought he was. This sudden realization has transformed American politics. The sheer audacity of the successful operation against Osama bin Laden has forced Obama’s friends and foes alike to reassess what they make of a chief executive who defies easy categorization and reveals less about himself than politicians are typically drawn to do."

Ground Zero's Politics Are Over (Michael Tomasky) from the Daily Beast
"Obama’s low-key appearance at the Twin Towers site today has finally neutralized the area blatantly politicized by the GOP. Michael Tomasky on why it doesn’t belong to either party."

It's Obama's Victory (David Frum) from The Week
"If bin Laden's assassination had gone badly, he would have been blamed. That's why he gets the credit."

Bin Laden and His Whole Way of Thinking - is Dead (Editorial) from Dar al-Hayat [Saudi Arabia in English]
"The Arab revolutions have a different lexicon. They demand pluralism, the transfer of power, transparency and respect for differing opinions. They want to belong to the modern world and participate in building it. Their demands are from a lexicon that stands in stark contrast to that of bin Laden."

Clinton: Taliban More Likely to Negotiate After bin Laden Death (Josh Rogin) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday that Osama bin Laden's death could advance the effort to reach a political resolution to the war in Afghanistan, because it might convince the Taliban and al Qaeda to come to the negotiating table."

The Secrets of the Situation Room: From Audrey Tomasan to Burn Bags (Daniel Stone) from the Daily Beast
"The Situation Room is one of the most secure conference rooms in the world; only a few people ever get to see it in action. Daniel Stone decodes the secrets hiding in the Sit Room."
A fun, closer look at the now-famous photo of Obama's team in the White House's Situation Room!  Quite interesting!

Sources: Bin Laden Acted 'Cowardly,' Confused in Final Moments from FOX News
"Sources involved in the operation that took down Usama bin Laden told Fox News the terrorist leader acted "scared" and "completely confused" in his final moments, "shoving his wife" at the Navy SEAL who ultimately shot him."
I don't know why -- but, with all the stories out about the bin Laden raid, I find myself very curious about what bin Laden himself might have been thinking in the final moments of his life.  It doesn't reflect a "so there, ass hole" in-your-face-ness or some gloating about whether he was "cowardly" or not.  Faced with a compound packed with fully-armed Navy SEALS, I'd be pissing in my pants, no two ways about it!  More, my curiosity stems from a question I have about whether the man had *any capacity* for self reflection, regret, or remorse about the cause he had taken up -- and perhaps some concern about what Allah REALLY had waiting for him on the other side.  His will (which I posted yesterday) hints at it. It's just something I'm curious about.

On the bin Laden Raid, the Debacle That Didn't Happen from Slate
"So many things could have gone wrong in the raid on Bin Laden's compound."

Germany's Osama bin Laden Problem (Jacob Heilbrunn) from the National Interest
"What the broad unease, if not condemnations, of America (simply in reading the comments from many readers in newspapers such as Der Tagesspiegel it quickly becomes clear that they view America as a lawless, imperialist aggressor) reveal is a society pathologically committed to the notion that it is superior to the rest of the world by virtue of its refusal to become embroiled in the violent world outside its borders."

Welcome to Paybackistan (Clarence Page) from the Chicago Tribune
"They're celebrating a man's death?" he exclaimed with all of the wisdom of an undergraduate philosophy major. "Has there ever been a time in history when Americans celebrated an individual's death?" Without much thought, I responded, "Hitler?" It worked. Although some people unintentionally trivialize Hitler's unspeakable horrors through overuse of his name, in this instance I felt as though I was standing on sturdy ground. As I told my kid, I was not celebrating "death"; I was celebrating justice.

The President and the Democrats, Post-Bin Laden: Why the Political Payoff Might Come Later Rather Than Sooner (Kyle Kondik) from the Univ. of Virginia Center for Politics
"Bin Laden’s death could, in fact, make terrorism even less a part of the national conversation than before: If Americans weren’t focused on national security while bin Laden lived, will they focus on it more now that he’s dead? Americans also might conclude that bin Laden’s demise means it is time to end the war in Afghanistan, a conclusion that would surely be at odds with national security elites in both parties. So in the short term, it’s not at all clear how much bin Laden’s death will help Obama in 2012, particularly if the economy is sputtering. In the long term, though, Democrats might have new ammunition to turn the tables on the GOP on an issue that liberals have long been perceived as losing."

The Torture Apologists from the Editorial Board of the New York Times
"The killing of Osama bin Laden provoked a host of reactions from Americans: celebration, triumph, relief, closure and renewed grief. One reaction, however, was both cynical and disturbing: crowing by the apologists and practitioners of torture that Bin Laden’s death vindicated their immoral and illegal behavior after the Sept. 11 attacks."

The Longest War (Ta-Nehisi Coates) from the Atlantic
"When people say the Obamas aren't quite American, they continue the old fight against blacks being part of one nation."

This Fact May Not Sit Well: Americans are Under-Taxed (Kevin Hall) from the McClatchy News Service
"Here's a dirty little secret that most Americans don't want to hear: We're under-taxed. That may sound like heresy; nobody wants to pay more taxes. But by historical standards, what we pay in federal taxes — rich, poor and everyone in between — has gone down."

As Debt Talks Begin: Dems Hold Upper Hand (Eli Lehrer) from FrumForum
"Republicans in Congress set to resume debt ceiling talks Thursday should go into them with a clear sense that they have a weak negotiating position. Democrats have the presidency and control of the Senate. Refusing the raise the debt ceiling altogether isn’t an option since default would surely cause a double dip recession that the White House could and would blame on the GOP."

Republicans Face Voter Wrath Over Ryan Budget Ax (Juan Williams) from The Hill
"Republicans return from recess this week having experienced an Easter revelation. The question now is do they believe what they saw from voters? ... The jeers and catcalls are not what the GOP House leadership promised members when they corralled 235 Republicans to vote for the Ryan plan."

Cantor Hints Republicans Won't Win Medicare Privatization Fight from Talking Points Memo
"House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) is in full walkback mode after admitting the obvious: that Republicans will never, under these political circumstances, prevail in their quest to privatize and slash Medicare -- and thus well over 200 Members of his caucus just walked the political plank for nothing."
Guess those town hall meetings penetrated somebody's brains.  If not those meetings, how about these poll numbers?

On a related topic:
Health Care Repeal Is 'Dead,' Says Top Republican, Sights Turned To Repealing Individual Mandate (Sam Stein) from the Huffington Post
"Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.), chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, acknowledged Thursday that Republican plans to repeal President Barack Obama’s signature health care law were “dead.”"
Now, on both of these issues the Tea Party folks will not simply let this alone.  They will GO AFTER the GOP House members for not being "true" to what they promised.  Prediction: Tea Party disillusionment with the GOP is going to set in big time!

The Bailout That Worked, Cont'd (Jonathan Cohn) from the New Republic
"Will the voters will ever give President Obama credit for rescuing the American auto industry? I have no idea. But it looks more and more like they should."

Tucson District in Turmoil Over State Nan on Ethnic Studies from the Christian Science Monitor
"The Tucson Unified School District is considering turning ethnic studies courses into electives. The current setup may be out of compliance with a state law took effect Jan. 1."

Wisconsin Democrats File Formal Challenge Against Recall Petitions Submitted by Republicans (Chris Bowers) from Daily Kos
"At a press conference this afternoon, the Wisconsin Democratic Party announced their formal challenge to all three recall petitions filed against Democratic state Senators. The DPW is alleging widespread fraud, and some of the specifics of their challenge are brutal:"
More HERE from wisdems.org on these irregularities.

Loony-ass Insurgents vs. Waffling Bores: GOP Presidential Fight Starts Tonight! (Matt Taibbi) from Rolling Stone Magazine
"Yes, you read the news right: there is going to be a 2012 presidential debate this evening. Five Republicans are getting together in Greenville, South Carolina to kick off the long process of burying their party as a mainstream political force for the next decade or so."
As usual, Taibbi's piece is HILARIOUS!

Fox News' GOP Debate Debacle (Matt Latimer) from the Daily Beast
"With Mitt Romney, Donald Trump, Mike Huckabee, and other heavyweights absent, the news channel's first 2012 Republican debate was a disastrous clash among also-rans—and Tim Pawlenty, who looked the worse for showing up, writes Matt Latimer."
Ah -- we need to savor the bad music while it lasts.  I take it for granted that the GOP WILL get its sh@# together eventually.

The Do-Nothing Frontrunner (Joshua Green) from the Atlantic
Mitt Romney has put the "invisible" in the invisible primary. And that's working very well for him."

On the other side of the issue:
Romney Death Watch (Jonathan Chait) from the New Republic
"The chairman of Mitt Romney's New Hampshire campaign in 2008 is jumping ship:"

No, Sarah Palin, Obama Won't Release OBL Photos (Joan Walsh) from Salon
"Who does Palin think is "pussy-footing" around? The president? Navy SEALs? In what world does the quitter from Wasilla get to determine "it's part of the mission"? No world we live in, thank God. ... Proof" won't silence the right-wing nut-jobs who make up Palin's base. Plus: Rummy flip-flops on torture!"

BIZARRE IRAN NUGGET!!
Ahmadinejad Allies Charged with Sorcery from the Guardian [of the UK]
"Iranian power struggle between president and supreme leader sees arrests and claims of undue influence of chief of staff."

SPECIAL OPS DOG NUGGET!!
A FASCINATING series of photos on Special Ops dogs!
War Dog: There's a Reason They Brought One to Get Osama bin Laden from Foreign Policy Magazine
"...it should come as no surprise that among the 79 commandos involved in Operation Neptune Spear that resulted in Osama bin Laden's killing, there was one dog -- the elite of the four-legged variety. And though the dog in question remains an enigma -- another mysterious detail of the still-unfolding narrative of that historic mission -- there should be little reason to speculate about why there was a dog involved: Man's best friend is a pretty fearsome warrior."
A related story from Slate is HERE.

ROMAN EMPIRE NUGGET!!
Infanticide Common in Roman Empire from Discovery News
"Before the invention of modern contraception, family planning took the form of a chilling practice."

MOTHERS DAY NUGGET!!
Beyond Flowers for Mom (Nicholas Kristof) from the New York Times
"That’s what some Americans have decided to do: commemorate motherhood by saving the lives of mothers halfway around the world — such as in this impoverished nook of Somaliland in the horn of Africa."

DECADENT COMFORT FOOD NUGGET!!
Ten Things to Do with Mac 'n' Cheese Before You Die from the Huffington Post
"Is mac 'n' cheese the new bacon? Everyone's favorite comfort food has suddenly gotten a lot more versatile, showing up in everything from burgers to desserts. Here are ten insanely creative ways you should try mac 'n' cheese at least once (and probably only once)."

News Nuggets 622

 Death Valley National Park.  From National Geographic.

 UP-FRONT 9/11 AUDIO NUGGET!!
'He Wanted Me To Live A Full Life' from NPR's Morning Edition
"Beverly Eckert received a call from her husband when he was in the World Trade Center's south tower."
A shattering and very inspiring segment from NPR's StoryCorps looking back on one woman's final call with her husband.

Cool Hand Barack (Maureen Dowd) from the New York Times
"No wonder the president’s top generals call him “a Cool Hand Luke.” ... If we could have seen everything unfolding in real time, it would have had the same dramatic effect as the intercutting in the president’s favorite movie, “The Godfather,” when Michael Corleone calmly acts as godfather at
his nephew’s baptism at church, even as his lieutenants carry out the gory hits he has ordered on rival mobsters. Just substitute “Leave the copter, take the corpse” for “Leave the gun, take the cannoli.”

Day 3: Breaking News about Osama bin Laden’s Death by The Daily Beast
"Never-before-seen stealth helicopters were exposed in Sunday’s raid on Osama bin Laden, shedding light on a secret program experts weren’t even sure existed. Plus, shocking new photos from the operation and more updates. "
Check out the video clip here concerning this new helicopter.  This explains a key dimension to the bin Laden operation that had been vexing me for several days; namely how could Obama and JSOC commanders give the green light to this operation without telling the Pakistanis?  They were going to fly a group of Blackhawk helicopters into a garrison town which had thousands of Pakistani troops literally five minutes away -- and do so without even the tacit approval of local military authorities?  This has been vexing -- because the risk of the operation going bad was ALREADY high, and with this added complication (if true), my first reaction was that this seemed little short of reckless.  And, it has to be said, Barack Obama is many things -- but reckless isn't one of them.  This new helicopter helps fill in the gap here. Another aspect that helps explain why the Pakistanis were left out of the loop is that there was a technologically induced blackout during the raid.

U.S. Agents Race to Exploit Data from Bin Laden Raid from the Los Angeles Times
"Intelligence agencies are scouring documents and computer files seized in the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad."

Afghan Taliban, Al-Qaeda May Rethink Ties Now That Osama Bin Laden Is Dead, Say Analysts from the Associated Press via Huffington Post
"Now that Osama bin Laden is dead, some analysts are speculating that al-Qaeda and its Afghan Taliban allies could go their separate ways, increasing the chances for a negotiated settlement in Afghanistan. ... The foundation of their relationship is believed to be rooted in bin Laden's long friendship with the Taliban's reclusive one-eyed leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar, who might now find it more palatable to break with al-Qaida and negotiate a settlement to the war. Much may depend on the newly chastened power-broker next door: Pakistan."

Al Qaeda's Very Bad Year (Doyle McManus) from the Los Angeles Times
"More than the death of Osama bin Laden, the spread of democracy in the Arab world is depriving the terrorist movement of its reason for being."

Bin Laden Mission was Big Risk for Obama from MSNBC
"'When you go into something like this, there are no guarantees ... things go wrong,' former SEAL says."

Obama Ran Serious Risks With Mission To Kill Terrorist Leader (Lolita Baldor) from the Associated Press via Huffington Post
"No guts, no glory. The nail-biting, 40-minute clandestine operation that resulted in Osama bin Laden's death could have been a calamitous political and military failure; a bloodbath in Pakistan that left U.S. forces and scores of civilians dead or captured by America's most ferocious enemy. Or, as it happened, it could unfold largely in textbook fashion – delivering a stunning success for the often maligned intelligence community, a political and national security coup for a struggling president and revenge for Americans still carrying vivid memories of Sept. 11."

How Osama Bin Laden's Death Healed the Democrats' Rift (Patricia Murphy) from the Daily Beast
"The big political payoff from Osama bin Laden’s killing won’t be just boosting President Obama’s stock, but bringing him and congressional Democrats—who’d been at each others’ throats—closer together, says Patricia Murphy."

Bin Laden Reading Guide: How to Cut Through the Coverage (Marian Wang and Braden Goyette) from ProPublica
"The death of Osama bin Laden has sent news organizations scrambling for details on how it happened, where it happened, and what it all means. We’ve rounded up some of the best coverage, being careful to note what’s been said, what’s already being disputed, and what still remains to be seen."

Neocons on the Defensive (Jonathan Bernstein) from the Washington Post
"Are we about to have an old-fashioned and very serious fight over foreign policy in the GOP"

Bush Feels Obama Ignoring Ex-president's Role in Osama Bin Laden Strike for 'Victory Lap' from the New York Daily News
"George W. Bush won't be at Ground Zero with President Obama Thursday in part because he feels his team is getting short shrift in the decade-long manhunt for Osama Bin Laden."
Translation: Obama isn't saying "Bush was RIGHT!"  Yesterday, I noted that Obama's invite of Bush to Ground Zero showed a bigness of spirit I've come to associate with Obama.  THIS item, in contrast, shows Bush's smallness -- or at least his inability to see the enormous flaws in his approach to the 'war on terror' and his (and his closest associates and partisans') on-going unwillingness to admit error.  Obama and his team have given ample credit to the intelligence agencies.  Moreover, what's actually happening today?  What is making up this 'victory lap'?  According to reports, all Obama is going to be doing is meeting with 9-11 victims and their families; no speeches, no blustering high fives, no flight jackets as he emerges from an F-16 fighter, and, God forbid, no big banners declaring 'Mission Accomplished'!  It seems that no matter WHAT OBAMA DOES, it will land for conservatives as grand-standing!  Sad. Bush should savor the moment right now -- because, speaking as a historian, I seriously doubt that history books will present a more favorable picture than the qualified triumphalism he's receiving from some quarters now. Finally, as many have already noted, Obama made the key determination to send live special ops troops to get the job done -- unlike Bush who held back US troops at Tora Bora and then gradually walked away from trying to get bin Laden at all.  

Doubtless, Bush and others are super-steamed by commentaries like the following two (both from long-time conservative pundits) from yesterday:
Obama's Finest Hour: Vengeance Stirs a Wounded Nation (Bret Stephens) from the Wall Street Journal via Investor Village
"There's been a whiff of sour grapes in some of the right-wing commentary about the president's speech. Too much emphasis on the first-person pronoun, not enough credit to President Bush, and so on. It's unbecoming. If ever there was a doubt about just how American Mr. Obama is, Sunday's raid eliminates it better than any long-form birth certificate. This was his finest hour. It's for the rest of us, avenged at long last, to rejoice."

Bin Laden's Last Challenge—to Republicans: Where are the GOP Candidates on Foreign Policy? (William McGurn) from the Wall Street Journal
"... in going after and getting bin Laden as forcefully as he did, Mr. Obama has just undermined one of the primary narratives against him—that of an indecisive president who worries more about the rights of our enemies than the freedom and safety of our citizens. If Mr. Obama ends up toppling Moammar Gadhafi too, he will look even stronger."

Obama, Osama and the Foreign Policy Stature Gap (Chris Cillizza and Aaron Blake) from the Washington Post
"The potential Republican presidential field contains five former governors, one current governor, a former Speaker of the House, a former senator, two sitting members of Congress and two businessmen. And of that dozen, there is not a single candidate with a deep reservoir of foreign policy experience to match President Obama."

Bin Laden Peace Dividend for Middle East? (Martin S. Indyk) from the Brookings Institution
"In an interview with Bernard Gwertzman, consulting editor for CFR.org, Martin Indyk explains how the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden could mean enhanced leverage for the United States in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. According to Indyk, this development could increase President Obama's credibility in the Middle East, both in the Arab world and with the Israelis."

Escaping from Afghanistan's Mad-Max Present (Anne-Marie Slaughter) from Foreign Policy Magazine
What Osama bin Laden's death means for South Asia's future.

An interesting bin Laden note:
Osama's Will: Bin Laden Says his Children Must Not Join Al Qaeda from the International Herald Tribune [Pakistan edition in English]
"Media reports in The Guardian and Al-Anbaa, a Kuwaiti newspaper, have revealed that Al Qaeda’s chief Osama bin Laden‘s last wishes were that his wives do not re-marry and that his children do not join Al Qaeda."

For Obama, Big Rise in Poll Numbers After Bin Laden Raid from the New York Times
"Support for President Obama has risen sharply following the killing of Osama bin Laden by American military forces in Pakistan, with a majority now approving of his overall job performance, as well as his handling of foreign policy, the war in Afghanistan and the threat of terrorism, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll."
I know these numbers won't last -- but it's good to see at least for now.

The Reaction to the Killing of Osama bin Laden Strikes Me as More Interesting than the Death of the Man who Plotted so Many Acts of International Terrorism (Stuart Rothenberg) from Roll Call
"Members of the national media treated the announcement of the demise of bin Laden, who has become a symbol of anti-Americanism and terror, as if it were a combination of V-J Day, the “Miracle on Ice” U.S. hockey team victory and the inauguration of President Barack Obama."

Second Thoughts About Obama and Bin Laden: It’s Not Just the Economy, Stupid (Nate Silver) from the New York Times
"Historically, the correlation between a president's overall approval rating and his rating on foreign affairs is stronger than is the case with his rating on the economy. If you place the two variables into a regression equation, it finds that foreign affairs is the more important component, although both are clearly statistically significant."

For 2012, A Reversal of Obama’s Selling Points (Harold Meyerson) from the Washington Post
"The death of Osama bin Laden — and the success of President Obama’s roll-the-dice decision to deploy troops to get him — may change the landscape of American politics in one surprising particular. When Obama runs for reelection in 2012, he’ll probably be strong where his Democratic predecessors have been weak — and weak where they were strong."

Another version of the same idea:
Democrats Put on Combat Boots from The Hill
"Welcome to Bizarro Washington, where Republicans are trusted to lead on the economy and President Obama is the man with the big stick who killed Osama bin Laden."

Pak Army's Top Brass 'Rattled and Shaken' on Laden Issue from Indian Express [of India in English]
"The demand of inquiry, the daily said, appeared to be focused less on the circumstances of a terror mastermind hiding in an urban area and more on whether the military could defend Pakistan's border and its nuclear arsenal from being snatched or attacked by the US or India."

Signs Point to Pakistan Link from the Wall Street Journal
"U.S. and European intelligence officials increasingly believe active or retired Pakistani military or intelligence officials provided some measure of aid to al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, allowing him to stay hidden in a large compound just a mile from an elite military academy."
No surprise here.  Prediction: this complicity goes all the way to the top in the Pakistani military.

Keeping Pakistan From Falling Apart (Stephen Cohen) from World Politics Review
A really good summary of the reasons why Obama and the brass will be torn about letting Pakistan fall apart.  For me, the biggest reason to stay engaged is the nuclear issue -- Pakistan is already a very problematic source of global nuclear weapons proliferation.  Note: Sometimes there is a subscription wall at this site.
"Pakistan's liberal intelligentsia is hostage to two undemocratic forces that have steadily risen to power. On the one hand, moderates face the wrath of conservative Islamists and their radical fringe supporters, who condemn the government for its permissive stance on the deadly U.S. drone strikes on the Afghan borderlands. ... On the other hand, Pakistani moderates remain constrained by the authoritarian impulses of the military, which has formally handed over power to President Asif Ali Zardari and his civilian administration but continues to effectively control the country's destiny, from its economy to its foreign policy."

Pakistan Plays Double Game When it Comes to Militants, Analysts Say from the Los Angeles Times
"Osama bin Laden's having been in Abbottabad aggravates a U.S. suspicion: that Pakistan paints itself as a reliable ally against militants even while helping some when it suits its interest."

No Carter Echo for Obama as Gas Cost May Ease for Campaign (David J. Lynch) from the Bloomberg News Service
"“I believe prices will stabilize and that $4 a gallon will be an outlier rather than an average during driving season,” Tom Kloza, chief analyst with the Oil Price Information Service, wrote in an e-mail. Prices will be kept in check by “demand destruction” as consumers curb unnecessary driving and as several U.S. refineries now shut for maintenance are started up, Kloza said."

The End of the Inbox Presidency? (Matt Miller) from the Washington Post
"Post-Osama, the fascinating question is this: What does President Obama want to do with this opportunity? Obama’s impressive command of the operation that killed Osama bin Laden has given the president a rare chance to move beyond the inbox nature of his presidency. Though it’s often forgotten by both critics and supporters, the president’s entire tenure has been defined by the mess he inherited. This wasn’t what Obama expected; until September 2008, the candidate of hope and change assumed he would have a more open canvas on which to paint. All that vanished with the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the onset of the financial crisis."

Budget Talks: Republicans Offer to Seek Common Ground with Democrats from the Washington Post
"On the eve of debt-reduction talks led by Vice President Biden, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (Va.) said Republicans remain convinced that reining in federal retirement programs is the key to stabilizing the nation’s finances over the long term. But he said Republicans recognize they may need to look elsewhere to achieve consensus after President Obama “excoriated us” for a proposal to privatize Medicare."

A Near-empty Debate Stage and an Unsettled Presidential Field for Republicans (Karen Tumulty) from the Washington Post
"Normally, the first debate of the presidential primary season serves as a starting gun. The one that will take place on Thursday night could sound more like a distress call."

After My Son Died, I Met his Daughter (Alan Kaufman) from Salon
"After David's drug overdose, my wife and I struggled to keep hope. Then we got a call from the child he never knew."

Donald Trump and the 2012 'Campaign of Lunacy' (Marc Pitzke) from Der Spiegel [of Germany in English]
"In the gestating Republican primary campaign, the real estate shark has quickly taken the lead - as a political clown and caricature of himself. But what’s not so funny is this: Trump is setting the tone. The fact that an airhead like Trump is able to determine the content of news reports says a lot about the political state of America."

Thirty Percent of GOP Still believe Obama Not Born in U.S. from Raw Story
"Many so-called "birthers" believe there is persuasive evidence that Obama was born in Kenya in 1961 and that his birth certificate was faked in order to make him eligible for the Presidency. The conspiracy was first conceived during the 2008 campaign."

On a related note from yesterday, I've given Christopher Caldwell's excellent observations on the Trump enthusiasm a second look -- and several things occur to me.  First, that I suspect that there is a convergence between birtherism and the longer term, largely right-wing critique of so-called 'political correctness'.  For years, I have wondered about the vehemence of these latter critiques; folks like Andrew Breitbart go red-faced with rage when the believe P-C is somehow putting a damper on their or someone else's conversation. What I see now (based on Caldwell's column) is the underlying sentiment that, for these critics, the fear of being politically 'incorrect' is what stops 'average Americans' from coming out and voicing their clear support for the right-wing agenda (particularly in immigration, education, multiculturalism, the president, what have you).  Indeed, Breitbart has said in the past that he viewed political correctness as "one of the biggest threats America faces today." In other words, P-C lives as another type of conspiracy designed to keep 'average people' from expressing their true feelings.  In regards to Trump (and Caldwell touches on this), what birthers seem to REALLY love about him is his complete indifference to 'political correctness.'  He projects a type of 'authenticity' they see as completely lacking, especially from the GOP establishment.  For these people, they look to the MSM and most lawmakers and, for many, they believe firmly that these people KNOW that the birthers are right (as are the other most severe critics of Obama) but WON'T tell the truth!

HOLLYWOOD OBITUARY NUGGET!!
Jackie Cooper, Film and Television Actor, Dies at 88 from the New York Times
"Jackie Cooper, the pug-nosed kid who became America’s Boy in tear-jerker films of the Great Depression, then survived Hollywood’s notorious graveyard of child stardom and flourished as an adult in television and modern pictures, died on Tuesday in Los Angeles."
I came to know Jackie Cooper from his Our Gang re-runs from the 1970s and his portrayal of Perry White, the publisher of the Daily Planet in the Superman films.  He was great!

News Nuggets 621

 Cooper the cat at his own photo exhibition!  His camera automatically takes a picture every two minutes -- so the images provide an interesting "kitty's view of the world."  See the Pet Photography Nugget below.  From the Daily Mail of the UK.

UP-FRONT PRESIDENTIAL CHARACTER NUGGET!!
Bush Declines NYC Invite from Politico
"Former President George W. Bush has turned down President Barack Obama’s invitation to join him at ground zero on Thursday, citing his desire to avoid the media glare."
Since Clinton's time in office (if not earlier) Republicans and conservatives (remember Bob Dole) have gone on ad nauseum about presidential character and values.  In my view, this small item speaks volumes in response to such blatherings when it comes to Barack Obama.  This small, gracious gesture shows Obama to be an exceptionally BIG person in this area.

Democracy Strikes Back: A French View on America After Bin Laden (Dominique Moisi) from Le Figaro [of France in English]
Opinion: The killing of Osama bin Laden marks a unique melding of American hard and soft power, and a boost (with legs) for President Obama. ... America might have entered a relative phase of decline, and its staggering debt places the nation in an undoubtedly uncomfortable situation of dependence on China. But it nonetheless still remains the only great “multi-dimensional” power. Neither China, nor India, nor Russia, and even less so the European Union, have the capacity or the will to undertake an operation like the one that led to the death of Osama bin Laden."
This piece is fascinating on a number of levels both for what it says about the US and about France and the Europeans.  It should also be noted that Le Figaro tends to represent the more conservative side of French politics -- not that that looks much like American conservatism. But it's worth keeping in mind nonetheless. 

Exclusive: Raid Yields Trove of Data from Politico
"The assault force of Navy SEALs snatched a trove of computer drives and disks during their weekend raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound, yielding what a U.S. official called “the mother lode of intelligence.” The special operations forces grabbed personal computers, thumb drives and electronic equipment during the lightning raid that killed bin Laden, officials told POLITICO."

Moment of Triumph: ‘We’ve IDed Geronimo’ (Michael Scherer) from Time Magazine
"The people who gathered Sunday in the Situation Room know all about high-pressure situations. But this was something else. For 40 minutes, the President and his senior aides could do nothing but watch the video screens and listen to the operation and ensuing firefight on the other side of the world."
Nitpicking point of the morning: why did the Ops people feel the need to pick on Geronimo?

Farewell to Geronimo (Thomas Friedman) from the New York Times
"There is only one good thing about the fact that Osama bin Laden survived for nearly 10 years after the mass murder at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon that he organized. And that is that he lived long enough to see so many young Arabs repudiate his ideology. He lived long enough to see Arabs from Tunisia to Egypt to Yemen to Syria rise up peacefully to gain the dignity, justice and self-rule that Bin Laden claimed could be obtained only by murderous violence and a return to puritanical Islam. We did our part. We killed Bin Laden with a bullet. Now the Arab and Muslim people have a chance to do their part — kill Bin Ladenism with a ballot — that is, with real elections, with real constitutions, real political parties and real progressive politics."

Obama Bets the House: How the President Gambled his Presidency on a Gutsy Mission (David Corn) from Mother Jones Magazine
""It was a wonderful evening." He called the mission "a skillful and daring operation that carried considerable risk, but great gain." He was thinking of the special forces that carried out the strike. He could also have been referring to President Barack Obama."

CIA Chief Breaks Silence: Pakistan Would Have Jeopardized bin Laden Raid, ‘Impressive’ Intel Captured from Time Magazine
"Panetta wanted to get those aides’ opinions on the potential bin Laden mission, and he quickly found a lack of unanimity among his team. Some of the aides had been involved in the Carter Administration’s effort to go after the hostages held by the Iranians 30 years ago; others had been involved in the ill-fated “Black Hawk Down” raid against Somali warlords in 1993. “What if you go down and you’re in a firefight and the Pakistanis show up and start firing?” Panetta says some worried. “How do you fight your way out?”"

Obama 'Decapitates' the al-Qaeda Hydra (Liuis Bassets) from El Pais [of Spain in English]
"He who opposed the Iraq War has given the global war on terror its crowning achievement by decapitating the head of the Hydra - that of the defiant leader of mega-terror. What Bush didn't know how to do or couldn't achieve, has been accomplished by a Nobel Peace Prize winner as young as he is controversial."

Al-Qaeda’s Existential Crisis (Fawaz A. Gerge) from the Washington Post
"Indiscriminate targeting of civilians has turned Muslim opinion against al-Qaeda’s tactics and ideology. To most Muslims, al-Qaeda has brought ruin to the ummah, or Muslim global community. As a result, al-Qaeda attracts fewer skilled recruits and finds fewer havens."

Obama Gets Osama: Goodbye Vietnam (Howard Fineman) from the Huffington Post
"The humor was typical Obama: droll, deadpan, dismissive -- and more on target than anyone but the president could have known. Looking back on his comedy riff now, it's clear that it marks the start of a major pivot point in our politics. After nearly 50 years, the crippling "weak-on-defense" accusation -- a staple of Republican attacks going back to Richard Nixon -- may finally have reached the end of its useful life."

All Work and No Play for Obama (John Dickerson) from Slate
"In the timeline of the Bin Laden operation, we see just how closely the secret life of a president bumps against his public life. Though this operation was a special case, it puts in high relief an oft-forgotten truth about the presidency: The president is occupied by a lot more than the public can see."

Arab Response to bin Laden’s Death Muted from the Washington Post
“A decade ago, the Middle East might have responded to the killing of Osama bin Laden with fury at the United States. But with the region convulsed by mostly peaceful popular revolutions, the response to his death has been muted, another signal that the old Arab order is being swept away.”

The End of the Jihadist Dream (Ali Soufan) from the New York Times
“He not only was the embodiment of Al Qaeda’s ideology, but also was central to the group’s fund-raising and recruiting successes. Without him, Al Qaeda will find itself short on cash — and members.”

Defining Moment for Obama? from Politico
"The daring military operation that eliminated the radical Islamist behind the worst terror attack in U.S. history has provided Obama, so often snake-bitten by external events, with that rarest of opportunities: a chance to unite a divided country around an indisputable victory while redefining his complicated, contradictory first term as a success."

Osama bin Laden's Death Will Haunt Pakistan (Simon Tisdall) from the Guardian [of the UK]
"Bin Laden's discovery in a compound 35 miles from Islamabad is a dangerous embarrassment for Pakistan and the ISI."

As if to prove the headline, here’s some evidence from Pakistan’s favorite neighbor:
We Told You So: India is Cackling Over News of Osama Getting Whacked in Pakistan (Henry Foy) from Foreign Policy Magazine
“After years of finger-pointing, indignant accusations, and saber-rattling toward its nuclear-armed neighbor and arch-rival, India had the ultimate smoking gun: irrefutable evidence of bin Laden's sanctuary in Pakistan. The entire country's schadenfreude was irrepressible.”
Wow – practically an entire nation running a really huge racket on its neighbor!!

Osama bin Who? A Decade of Denials and Downplaying from Pakistani Leaders from Foreign Policy Magazine
"Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. special forces on Sunday in the resort town of Abbottabad, just two hours from the Pakistani capital. This ended a nearly decade-long manhunt for the 9/11 mastermind as well a decade of dubious denials from Pakistani leaders that he could possibly be in their country."

My gut feeling is that there has been a sea change in the last 72 hours regarding how average Americans view Pakistan's role in the 'war on terror.'  Even as many Pakistanis are complaining about the US violating their sovereignty, I think public opinion in the US is turning (perhaps decisively) against Pakistan.  The lurking question now seems to be "so -- who else are you hiding?"

The Lies They Tell Us (Mosharraf Zaidi) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"Can the Pakistani government's web of deceit survive the death of Osama bin Laden?"

When Did We Start Chanting "U-S-A"? (Brian Palmer) from Slate
"Spectators at a Phillies-Mets baseball game broke into chants of "U-S-A, U-S-A" as news of Osama Bin Laden's death made its way through the crowd on Sunday night. When did Americans start yelling the name of their country over and over again to express joy or patriotic pride?"

2012 GOP Race Gets Wake-up Call from Politico
"Donald Trump and birtherism won’t disappear. There will still be talk about the creeping threat of Sharia law.  But the dramatic killing of terrorist leader Osama bin Laden by American commandos will immediately reorder a Republican presidential contest that until now had been colored by provocative voices and marginal issues."

The Politics Of Contempt (Christopher Caldwell) from Newsweek
"Trump is wrong that President Obama was born outside the United States. At some level his supporters may see that he is wrong. But they may also see his “birther” assertions as the mark of a laudable cynicism toward those in power. If so, then a terrible trap has been laid: the more absurd the untruth, the more politically trustworthy the one who peddles it."
Normally, I find Caldwell to be just another insufferable conservative pundit [he's an editor at the Weekly Standard] - but I think he's on to something here concerning the support Trump has received from the birther crowd.

A Patriot's Guide to Still Hating Obama for Killing Osama (Alex Pareene) from Salon
"Osama bin Laden, the founder of al-Qaida and the mastermind of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, was recently killed by American commandos, which is, for Real American Patriots, a Good Thing. But Barack Obama is getting all the credit, which is, for said residents of the authentic portion of this glorious nation, decidedly a Bad Thing. How is a typically bloodthirsty right-winger supposed to revel in America's victory over an enemy while still detesting the socialist usurper in the White House who made this victory possible?"

BIZARRE RUSSIAN MONARCHY NUGGET!!
Tsar Harry! Russians Who Want British Prince to take Vacant Throne (Just Don't Mention the Romanovs) from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
“Poll: 39 per cent of Russians want to restore monarchy … Alexander Baunov - a diplomat-turned-journalist - thinks that William's 26-year-old brother should be crowned the first king of Russian since Tsar Nicholas II reigned in 1917 on the eve of the Bolshevik Revolution.”
It is interesting that they're not interested in the contemporary branch of the Romanovs -- who are very much alive, kicking, and holding the torch for their own restoration.

PET PHOTOGRAPHY NUGGET!!
A Cat's-Eye View of Life: Feline Snapper Takes Photography World by Storm from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
“Ever wonder what the cat gets up to when you let it out? Well, now you know, thanks to the amazing Cooper - the feline photographer. This moggy multimedia expert's exploits have been shedding light on the world of cats. Fitted with a timer-operated camera on his collar Cooper takes a picture every two minutes capturing everything from a cat's eye view”
This is pretty hilarious!!

CLASSIC MOVIE NUGGET!!
'Citizen Kane' at 70: The Legacy of the Film and Its Director from the Atlantic
“As the anniversary of the premiere approaches, a look at how the movie changed the industry—and what happened to Orson Welles in the years that followed.”

OUTER SPACE NUGGET!!
The 'Exotic' Super-Earth that's as Dense as Lead from The Week
"Astronomers are thrilled over a nearby world that could promise the most significant breakthrough yet in the study of planetary evolution

HOLLYWOOD NUGGET!!
Remembering My Father, Cary Grant (Malcolm Jones) from the Daily Beast
"In this week’s Newsweek, the movie star’s daughter’s new memoir, Good Stuff, reveals him to be a doting mensch at home."

News Nuggets 620

What an amazing picture!  Obama and his team watching the bin Laden operation in real time from the Situation Room in the White House.  See other pictures below.  From the White House.

Pictured are:
1. Vice President Biden
2. President Obama
3. Air Force Brigadier General Marshall Webb, Assistant Commanding General, Joint Special Operations Command
4. Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough
5. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
6. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
7. Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
8. National Security Advisor Thomas Donilon
9. Chief of Staff William Daley
10. Antony Blinken, National Security Adviser to Vice President Biden
11. Audrey Tomason, Director for Counterterrorism
12. John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism
13. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper

UP-FRONT PHOTO NUGGETS!!
Obama's Osama Bin Laden Mission Captured In Historic Situation Room Pictures (PHOTOS) from the White House via Huffington Post
"The White House has released behind-the-scenes photos of the Situation Room during tense discussions of the mission against Osama bin Laden. The mission, which resulted in bin Laden's death, was announced Sunday evening."

'Minutes Passed Like Days' As WH Watched Osama Bin Laden Operation Unfold from Talking Points Memo
"The President and his national security team spent Sunday afternoon and evening huddling in the West Wing of the White House filled with anxiety while they followed in real time the covert operations of an elite team of Navy Seals penetrating Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan and killing him with shots to the head."

Behind the Hunt for Bin Laden from the New York Times
"For years, the agonizing search for Osama bin Laden kept coming up empty. Then last July, Pakistanis working for the Central Intelligence Agency drove up behind a white Suzuki navigating the bustling streets near Peshawar, Pakistan, and wrote down the car’s license plate."

Day 2: Breaking News About Osama bin Laden's Death by The Daily Beast
"Was Pakistan incompetent or lying to the U.S.? What exactly led intelligence officers to the compound where Osama bin Laden was slain? One the second day after the Qaeda leader's death, the world still had some big questions."

Bin Laden Death Marks Turn in U.S. History (Jonathan Alter) from Bloomberg News Service
"We won’t know for years the consequences of the killing of bin Laden for U.S. foreign policy; they might be transitory. But this feels like a turning point, if not for the world then at least for our sense of ourselves."

Obama's Targeted Warfare Wins a Round (Tara McKelvey) from the Daily Beast
"The killing of Osama bin Laden represents a triumph for President Obama’s embrace of targeted military strikes, including drone attacks and covert operations. Tara McKelvey on the dangers—and brilliance—of relying on Special Ops."

How the U.S. Found and Finished Bin Laden (David Ignatius) from the Washington Post
"The assault on Osama bin Laden — as quick and ruthless an operation as you would see in any spy movie — shows that the CIA and the military’s super-secret Joint Special Operations Command have combined to create what amounts to a highly effective killing machine."

The Secret Team That Killed bin Laden (Marc Ambinder) from National Journal
"After bursts of fire over 40 minutes, 22 people were killed or captured. One of the dead was Osama bin Laden, done in by a double tap -- boom, boom -- to the left side of his face. His body was aboard the choppers that made the trip back. One had experienced mechanical failure and was destroyed by U.S. forces, military and White House officials tell National Journal."

How Bin Laden Was Tracked to His Luxury Home from Der Spiegel [from Germany in English]
"Osama bin Laden was hiding not in a remote mountain cave but in the comfort of a luxury compound in Abbottabad, one of Pakistan's most beautiful cities, some 60 kilometers north of the capital Islamabad. Details of the US mission that killed him are now emerging."

Step by Step: How the U.S. Killed bin Laden (Aamer Madhani and Yochi J. Dreazen) from the National Journal
"Broken helicopters, an affluent compound, a president's approval--this is the story of how bin Laden was killed."

Bin Laden Death Gives US More Options (Daniel Dombey) from the Financial Times [of the UK]
"At the very least the success in killing bin Laden will give Mr Obama more room to manoeuvre over a war some parts of his own administration have signalled doubts about. It also highlights the role of special forces, which some officials see as more effective in dealing with terrorism than is a broad based war effort, as well as the importance of Pakistan as opposed to Afghanistan."

The Post-Bin Laden World (Roger Cohen) from the New York Times
"Osama Bin Laden is dead — and so is an old Middle East. That they died together is fortuitous and apt. Bin Laden lived to propel history backward to the reestablishment of a Muslim caliphate. He died a marginal figure to the transformation fast-forwarding the Arab world toward pluralism and self-expression."

A Transformed Mideast Receives Death News (Margaret Coker) from the Wall Street Journal
"News of Osama bin Laden's death reached a Middle East that has been vastly transformed in recent months by popular nonviolent uprisings that threaten the type of long-entrenched autocratic leaders who helped first inspire his terrorist organization."

Bin Laden's Death: Beginning of the End of the War on Terror (Michael Cohen) from World Politics Review
"While the death of Osama bin Laden represents the long overdue demise of one man, its impact on the long-term trajectory of American foreign policy is likely to be more profound: Along with bin Laden, so too dies the "global war on terrorism.""
One can only hope.

Bin Laden's Death Brings Calls for Afghan Pullout from the Wall Street Journal
"The death of Osama bin Laden is reinforcing calls for a quicker pullout of American troops from Afghanistan and strengthening pressure to end America's longest war by finding a political settlement with the resilient Taliban insurgency." 

Details and Notes on the Death of Osama bin Laden (Steve Coll) from the New Yorker
"No doubt there will be time to reflect more deeply about the news announced by President Obama last night. For now, I thought it might be useful to annotate some of the initial headlines. On where he was found: ..."

With bin Laden's Death, a Triumph for Obama: The CIA, JSOC, and Lesser-known Warriors also in Spotlight (Marc Ambinder) from the National Journal
"The death of Osama bin Laden is a transcendent moment for the country and a pivotal one for President Obama. " 

Obama, Post-Osama (Michael Tomasky) from the Guardian [of the UK]
"In the present context, I couldn't help but think: for those families, for all the military people in that room, for all the US military people in this country and around the world, Obama has a degree of credibility now that he'd lacked before. He's not a military man, not steeped in military culture. That's all still true. But now it's basically canceled out. He got bin Laden. Period stop. An utterly un-rebuttable statement of strength. And I think we will see as more details come out, indeed as we have already seen, that a big part of this operation's success had to do with Obama himself."

Bin Laden Killing Erases Democrats' Wimp Factor (Peter Beinart) from the Daily Beast
"The killing of Osama bin Laden, and Obama’s decision to strike quickly and unilaterally, erase the enduring stereotype of Democrats as weak politicians who won’t use force, and don’t get along with the military, writes Peter Beinart."
Personally, I have NEVER bought into the "Obama as whimp" meme -- he strikes me as a classic example of someone who takes calculated risks.

Mission Accomplished (John Dickerson) from Slate
"How Obama's focused, hands-on pursuit of Osama Bin Laden paid off."

Commander-in-Chief Keeps Cool Head from the Financial Times [of the UK]
"“Who do you want answering the phone?” the ad concluded in a not-so-subtle jab at Mr Obama’s inexperience on national security issues. Since entering the White House, Mr Obama has seen his share of crises, from turmoil on Wall Street to the recession, and upheaval in the Middle East to war in Libya. But none is likely to have a more profound impact on his standing with American voters than his decision as commander-in-chief to authorise a covert operation to bring Osama bin Laden to justice."

Obama's Incredible Poker Face (Lloyd Grove) from the Daily Beast
"The president roasted Donald Trump in Washington, toured tornado devastation in Alabama, and gave a commencement speech in Miami—while directing the secret mission to kill Osama bin Laden. Lloyd Grove on Obama’s uncanny ability to compartmentalize."

World Cheers bin Laden's Death as Victory from Salon
"The death of Osama bin Laden was celebrated around the world as a victory for justice, but many people cautioned that it would not end terrorist attacks or ease suffering of those who lost loved ones in bombings by al-Qaida-linked militants."

Obama and Osama (David Remnick) from the New Yorker
"What the Al Qaeda leader’s death means for America and the President."

Reflections on the Death of bin Laden (Max Boot) from Commentary Magazine
"His death is an important symbolic blow against the Islamist terrorist network but not a fatal one; at most it might lead to the decline of Al Qaeda and the rise of other, competing organizations. Some other thoughts on the Big News:"
From one of the leading neo-con war cheer-leaders of the last ten years.

Declare Victory, Wind Down the War, and Turn to Real Interests (Steve LeVine) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"The question now is whether there is more that the United States can accomplish in Afghanistan or Pakistan. If the answer is yes, what is that more? And if it is no, is it time to wind down?"

A Sure Sign Karzai is in Trouble (Gary Baumgarten) from Salon
"Afghan President Hamid Karzai says the announced timetable for U.S. withdrawal is, in essence,strengthening the Taliban. A sure sign that he is worrying about the mortality of his government. His words translate into this:"

The Anger from Pakistan (Eliza Griswold) from the Daily Beast
"As the world reels from the death of Osama bin Laden, the mood in Karachi is changing from indifference to anger at the continuing American presence there. Eliza Griswold reports from Karachi."

How to Make More Egypts — and Fewer Iraqs (Romesh Ratnesar) from Time Magazine
"Until now, the foreign-policy debate in the U.S. has been about whether to push for the removal of non-democratic regimes in the Middle East. But the bigger test is how to avoid chaos once they are gone. Places like Libya and Syria may look less like Egypt does today than Iraq did after Saddam Hussein: poor countries with weak central governments, vulnerable to terrorism, instability and outbursts of sectarian score-settling. So how can the world prevent another Iraq — and help make more Egypts?"

Utilizing Egypt (Paul Pillar) from the National Interest
"As Egypt's transition toward a more democratic polity continues—and it is very much in the U.S. interest that it does—the principal U.S. priority should be not to do anything to screw up that process or to get the United States on the wrong side of it.

Can We Stop Questioning Obama’s Legitimacy Now? (David Frum) from the FrumForum
"So much to say about the long-awaited visiting of justice upon Osama bin Laden. But there’s one effect on US domestic politics that deserves a thought: Here’s hoping that we have at last seen the end of this ugly insinuation that there is something less than fully American about the black president with the exotic name."
At some point, you'd like to give conservative David Frum permission to leave the asylum.  The inmates have been getting on his otherwise sane nerves for some time now.

The Chinese Are Coming! (Douglas Paal) from The Diplomat
"The hype over China’s military is reminiscent of Cold War fears about Russia. But the US shouldn’t overreact to a new Chinese aircraft carrier."

BRICS Without the Mortar (Kevin Rafferty) from the Japan Times [in English]
"Last month's summit of the BRIC countries, Brazil, Russia, India, China, now renamed BRICS with the addition of South Africa, announced with great fanfare that the group was determined to punch its new muscle on the world economic stage and no longer to be pushed around by the tired old powers. But you have to ask if it was worth the leaders making the long trek to China."
The ONLY thing that unites this group of states is their collective sense that the international order needs to be tweaked to favor each of them individually more than it currently does.  They have NO overarching coherent vision.  Besides this, their are more fundamental issues that actually divide them than unite them, especially China, India and Russia. 

Obama's Trump-Thump: Laughter is the Best Weapon (David Corn) from Mother Jones Magazine
"At the White House Correspondents' dinner, the president proves it's often best to fight a joke with a joke."

News Nuggets 619

Amazing image of gas and flame releases form the sun.  From NASA.

BIN LADEN'S DEATH: 

ANALYSIS AND KEY QUESTIONS ADDRESSED:

Detective Work on Courier Led to Breakthrough on Bin Laden from the New York Times
"The property was so secure, so large, that American officials guessed it was built to hide someone far more important than a mere courier. What followed was eight months of painstaking intelligence work, culminating in a helicopter assault by American military and intelligence operatives that ended in the death of Bin Laden on Sunday and concluded one of history’s most extensive and frustrating manhunts."

Ten Thoughts on Osama bin Laden's Death (Toby Harnden) from the Daily Telegraph [of the UK]
"So what does bin Laden’s demise mean? Here are some initial thoughts:"

Operation Is Blow to al Qaeda, Taliban from the Wall Street Journal
"Osama bin Laden's death is likely to have a dramatic impact on the dynamic between the U.S. and Pakistan, where relations recently have been strained, and in the Afghan war, the longest in U.S. history."

Afghans Fear West May See Death as the End from the New York Times
"While senior political figures welcomed the news of his death, they cautioned that it did not necessarily translate into an immediate military victory over the Taliban, and urged the United States and NATO not to use it as a reason to withdraw."
Sorry dudes.  Bin Laden's death provides Obama and US authorities the biggest opening yet for them to turn DECISIVELY for the exists in Afghanistan AND Iraq.  It allows them (at least rhetorically and politically) to claim that the wars were not a COMPLETE WASTE or resources and human beings.  This shift won't happen quickly -- but the opening for a clear, clean transition exists now. I hope that Obama clearly moves in this direction.  Will it leave things undone or incomplete in Afghanistan and Iraq?  Yes -- and it was always destined to turn out that way.  Only in neo-con fantasies were we ever going to establish functioning, pluralistic democracies in either places.

The War on Terror Is Over (Peter Beinart) from the Daily Beast
"Bin Laden’s death gives the U.S. a golden opportunity to bury the war on terror—a distraction, Peter Beinart argues, that distorted America’s foreign policy for too long."

How the US Tracked Couriers to Elaborate bin Laden Compound from MSNBC
"First a name, then an extraordinary house with high walls — and no telephone or Internet. Bin Laden and a son are among five killed in a firefight."

White House Time Line : Obama Gives Order, Bin Laden Is Killed from ABC News
"The SEALS raided the compound. A firefight ensured. Bin Laden fired back, as did others in the compound. After 40 minutes of fighting, bin Laden, two couriers, and one of bin Laden’s adult sons were killed, as was a woman used as a shield by one of the male members of al Qaeda. Two other women were injured. "

The Pursuit of bin Laden (David Ignatius) from the Washington Post
"His narrative of American weakness was wrong."

In Arab World, Bin Laden’s Confused Legacy from the New York Times
"In the Middle East, reactions to Bin Laden’s death predictably ran the gamut Monday —from anger in the most conservative locales of Lebanon to jubilation among Shiite Muslims in Iraq, victims of carnage committed in the name of Al Qaeda. But most remarkably perhaps was the sense in countries like Egypt, Tunisia and elsewhere that the name Bin Laden was an echo of a bygone era, riven by ossifying divides between West and East, American omnipotence and Arab impotence, dictatorship and powerlessness."
You betcha!  The timing of bin Laden is weighted with significance as, more than his actual physical death, the 'Arab Spring' spells the death of the movement bin Laden led.  The 'Spring" has shown Arabs (secular and religious) that they do not need to resort to decades of violent jihad to achieve meaningful change in their part of the world.  The revolts in Tunisia and Egypt have achieved more in 20 weeks in 2011 than Al Qaeda achieved in 20 years of terrorism and mass murder.  In most circles in the Middle East, bin Laden and Al Qaeda are increasingly being viewed as (at best) irrelevant.

The Osama News (James Fallows) from the Atlantic
Fallows shares a series of reactions to the news of bin Laden's death. Marc Ambinder of the Atlantic has similar reactions HERE.

Death of a Failure (Ross Douthat) from the New York Times
"They’ve taught us, instead, that whatever blunders we make (and we have made many), however many advantages we squander (and there has been much squandering), and whatever quagmires we find ourselves lured into, our civilization is not fundamentally threatened by the utopian fantasy politics embodied by groups like Al Qaeda, or the mix of thugs, fools and pseudointellectuals who rally around their banner. They can strike us, they can wound us, they can kill us. They can goad us into tactical errors and strategic blunders. But they are not, and never will be, an existential threat."

The Political Consequences of Osama bin Laden’s Death (Chris Cillizza) from the Washington Post
"The simple fact is that there is and will continue to be a huge desire for the details of how, when and where he was killed as well as analysis of what it means for American foreign policy. Media coverage for days — if not weeks — will be dominated by the news. That landslide of coverage/attention will force anyone operating in the political space to respond to it. So, while this news is not political, it will cause major reverberations in the political world."

Bin Laden Killing Caps Extraordinary Week for Obama (Anne E. Kornblut) from the Washington Post
"For President Obama, this may well be remembered as the most extraordinary week of his presidency, and not simply because his administration succeeded in finding and killing the nation’s most sought-after enemy."

NATO Doubts Claims that Strike Killed Gadhafi Family Members from the McClatchy News Service
"NATO has found no evidence to support claims by the Libyan government that an airstrike in Tripoli killed Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's youngest son and three grandchildren, two military officials told McClatchy Sunday."

Medvedev Wants to Stay on as Russian President, says Leading MP from the Guardian [of the UK]
"Medvedev set to defy pact with prime minister Vladimir Putin and seek second term, claims prominent politician."
A can't help but view this as good news for what's left of Russian democracy.  Medvedev is the ONLY figure on the Russian scene right now who could credibly challenge Putin.  Now, it is unlikely that Medvedev will win in any election - but who knows?

Air Force Looks to Use Tiny Drones to Track Targets by 'Painting' Them with Goo from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"A walking target!  the U.S. Air Force want to step up the pressure in conflicts around the globe by employing a whole new way of tracking the enemy. The Air Force is looking to introduce a tiny drone that surreptitiously 'paints' an individual with some kind of signal-emitting powder or liquid that allows the military to keep tabs on him or her."

Explaining America's Addiction to Hard Work (Margit Kossobudzka) from Gazeta Wyborcza [of Poland in English]
"When work hours increase from 17 to 60 a week, the percentage of people on the Old Continent who identify themselves as generally happy drops from 28 to 23 percent. Meanwhile, under the same circumstances, the general wellbeing of Americans remains unchanged. Where do these differences come from?"

House GOP Faces Reality of a Deal from Politico
"...they face perhaps the toughest stretch of their young majority — an epic debate and eventual vote on raising the national debt ceiling that will once again create a clash between their conservative ideals and the cold reality of deal making in a divided Washington. On top of that, House Republicans have stumbled on other fronts."

How to Fix Our Flawed Election Coverage: In Presidential Contests, the Press Regularly Elevates Candidates for All the Wrong Reasons (Conor Friedersdorf) from the Atlantic
"What standard should journalists use when deciding which presidential candidates to take seriously? Forget shame. What's required is a press corps that rethinks its role in the nomination process. The dirty little secret of political journalism is that right now a lot of broadcasters, writers, and editors are just thoughtlessly going along with the herd."

The Tables Turn in Town Halls, and Maybe DC (George Zornick) from the Nation
"Over the past two weeks, town halls are once again a big political story. Ever since Republicans in the House of Representatives passed Representative Paul Ryan’s draconian budget, which cuts taxes on top earners while essentially ending Medicare, there have been widespread reports of angry voters challenging Republicans who voted for it."

The Persistence of Conspiracy Theories (Kate Zernike) from the New York Times
"The endless debate over Obama’s birth certificate and the paranoid style in American politics."

CIVIL LIBERTIES HISTORY BOOK NUGGET!!
Book review: 'The Fear Within' by Scott Martelle (Wendy Smith) from the Los Angeles Times
"The former L.A. Times reporter writes persuasively about laws curtailing American civil liberties in times of stress.

News Nuggets 618

A layer of low clouds covers Lago di Olginate and the alpine valleys of northern Italy, just south of Lake Como. From National Geographic.

UP-FRONT BUDGET NUGGET!!
Running in the Red: How the U.S., on the Road to Surplus, Detoured to Massive Debt from the Washington Post
"All told, Obama-era choices account for about $1.7 trillion in new debt, according to a separate Washington Post analysis of CBO data over the past decade. Bush-era policies, meanwhile, account for more than $7 trillion and are a major contributor to the trillion-dollar annual budget deficits that are dominating the political debate."
A must-read to get straight why the budget is so out-of-balance!

Gaddafi’s Youngest Son Killed in NATO Airstrike from Raw Story
"SAYF al-Arab Gaddafi, embattled Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's youngest son, and three of his grandchildren were killed in an airstrike on Saturday, a government spokesman said."

Will the Arab Spring Spread South? from the Guardian [of the UK]
North Africa and the Middle East have witnessed a string of uprisings and attempted revolutions but will the unrest threaten any of sub-Saharan Africa's long-lasting autocratic leaders? Take a look at our guide to the countries facing civil upheaval"
A REALLY INTERSTING multimedia map goes with this article.  Check it out!

Uganda Unrest Gathers Pace Despite Bloody Government Crackdown from the Guardian [of the UK]
"Violent response to protests led by Kizza Besigye has fuelled rioters' determination to throw out President Yoweri Museveni."

Will Pakistan Erupt like Egypt? (David Ignatius) from the Washington Post
"In Egypt, this pressure cooker led to a revolution whose loudest slogan was “dignity.” The same upheaval could spread to Pakistan, and given the strength of Islamic extremism there, it would have devastating consequences. Meanwhile, the relationship between Islamabad and Washington becomes more poisonous by the week. What’s behind this dysfunctional relationship, and what, if anything, can be done to repair it? Is there a way to encourage greater Pakistani independence and confidence without rupturing ties with the United States?"

US-UK - Mind the Gap: Is the Relationship Still Special? (Nile Gardiner) from World Affairs Journal
"Cameron and Obama, both relatively youthful leaders who had revitalized their respective political parties with a message of change, superficially have much in common. But what does the future hold for the special relationship under David Cameron, both for the remaining two years of Obama’s current term, and beyond if there is a handover of power in the White House?"
This conservative British perspective rightly notes (but still understates) the degree to which Obama has little patience for the Europeans -- particularly as they seem to increasingly embrace the "disarm, look to the US, and hope for the best" approach to their defense budgets.  If they expect to be taken seriously in the world, they can't expect the US to bankrupt itself forever on bloated defense budgets -- just so they can cut their defense spending in lieu of cuts in a gold-plated safety net which most Americans have never had in the first place.

Policy in an Age of Post-Truth Politics (David Roberts) from Grist.org
"...the crucial fact of post-truth politics is that there are no more referees. There are only players. The right has its own media, its own facts, its own world. In that world, the climate isn't warming, domestic drilling can solve the energy crisis, and Obama is a socialist Kenyan. (Did you see Obama's birth certificate yet? If he had that much trouble convincing people he was born in the country, how did he expect to convince them he's a reasonable moderate?) Obama can back centrist policies all day, but there is no mechanism to convey that centrism to the broad voting public. There is no judge settling disputes or awarding points."

Republicans Run Away from 2012 Race (Gloria Borger) from CNN
"In conversations with Republican strategists and officeholders, the importance of the upcoming election is never understated: Historic, some say. A must-win for the GOP. An election of great consequence for the nation. All of which may be true. And all of which leads to the next question: Why are so many Republicans running -- away from the race?"

Mitt Romney's Rusty Debut (Joshua Green) from the Atlantic
"Romney, sans necktie, looked a little older, a bit whiter in the temples, tanned and rested. Whatever product he once used in his hair he now seems to be using less of. His expensive sports coat and patrician mien gave him a country club aspect that probably wasn't quite what he was aiming for, but then Romney was off in just about every facet of his performance."
Is Mitt ever "on"?  He sounds like the same guy who ran in '08 -- with just a few more spins of the dial when it comes to his positions on important issues.

Romney on Healthcare: Obama Should Have Asked Me if it Worked from The Hill
"... let me tell you this, if and when I have the occasion to debate President Obama, I'm gonna ask him this question: 'Mr. President, why didn't you call me and ask how it worked?'""
OH! OH!  Now THERE'S a winning strategy against Obama!  "Boy, were you stupid for adopting MY PLAN!"

Jon Huntsman Bets Against History, Taking on Obama in 2012 (Jill Lawrence) from the Daily Beast
"Lincoln trounced his erstwhile Civil War general, George McClellan; Truman dispatched his former commerce secretary, Henry Wallace; and now Obama is looking to do the same in 2012 against his outgoing China ambassador. Jill Lawrence on why Jon Huntsman thinks he can beat the odds—and his boss."

Haley Barbour's Exit Leaves Sad GOP 2012 Field (Matt Latimer) from the Daily Beast
"Now that Haley Barbour, one of the savviest politicos around, has dropped out of the presidential race, we may as just make Tim Pawlenty the Republicans’ Bob Dole for 2012 and be done with it—at least he won’t embarrass the party when he loses, says Matt Latimer."

Birthers, Buffoonery and a Sad Discourse (Kathleen Parker) from the Washington Post
"If you really, really dislike Barack Obama, his long-form birth certificate, finally proffered in exasperation, is quite simply a counterfeit. If you are a fan of the president — or even a respectful critic — you are relieved finally to have rid the country of the plague of “birtherism,” the rabid belief that Obama wasn’t born in this country and isn’t constitutionally qualified to be president. To whichever group one claims membership, one can’t help wondering when exactly we lost our minds."

Obama Birthers: Idiots of the Information Age (James Murray) from 3 News [of New Zealand]
"We live in an era where access to information is seen as a right, but the more we know the less we are able to trust.  ... Yesterday, a black American president showed admirable grace while pandering to a rumour spread by racists. “We don’t have time for this kind of silliness” is a fantastic riposte to the nonsense spread by birthers; but I really wanted Obama to let loose and hammer these bigots for the fundamentally, intellectually challenged morons they actually are."

Tom Tancredo: Obama Withheld Birth Certificate To Make Republicans Look 'Nuts' from Huffington Post
"The idea, according to Tancredo, is that Obama withheld his birth certificate until now simply for the purpose of making Republicans look foolish. And the analogy to Ali seems to suggest a begrudging admiration of the strategy."

Protesters Drive Koran-Burning Pastor Out of Michigan from Raw Story
"A controversial Florida pastor banned last week from protesting at a Detroit-area mosque on Friday cut short a demonstration at a city hall largely drowned out by counter-protesters."

William and Kate’s Royal Wedding: British Monarchy’s New Era is Sealed with a Kiss from the Washington Post
"Then Will and Kate gave them what they wanted. Thirty years after the famous single kiss on the balcony between Charles and Diana, their son Prince William and his new bride, Catherine Middleton, made their own bit of history. Wearing the isn’t-this-silly smiles of a modern, young couple fresh from the altar, they gave the crowd not one, but two. More than any other moment, it symbolized the turning of a page for the British monarchy, of a new generation of kings and queens who would, perhaps, stand somewhat closer to the people."

ENERGY NUGGET!!
Optical Battery' Discovery Could Mean Solar Power Without Solar Cells from the Huffington Post
"Researchers at the University of Michigan have made a scientific discovery that is intriguing all on its own but it is the breakthrough’s potential applications in solar power generation that have them excited."

LBJ HISTORY NUGGET!!
New LBJ Tapes Suggest Past is Prologue from National Journal
In newly released recordings, President Obama might find someone to commiserate with.

TORNADO VIDEO NUGGET!!
A half-mile wide tornado moves near a highway in Tuscaloosa, AL.

HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY NUGGET!!
Experts Examining 'Old Christian' Discoveries to Determine Authenticity from the Jordan Times
"Jordanian antiquities authorities have announced the recovery of several lead-sealed texts which they believe will prove whether a cache of metal books represent the oldest Christian writings ever discovered are authentic or well-crafted forgeries."

AMERICAN CULTURE NUGGET!!
The Most Hated Baby Names from LiveScience
"There is no scientific study on the most-hated names, but these results, culled from hundreds of online message board postings by Baby Name Wizard blogger Laura Wattenberg, suggest that people have very strong opinions about what makes a good name."
Michael?  WTF!?  What's wrong with Michael?! I can totally get all the other names that are on this list.