News Nuggets 168

Obama yesterday in Normany, France commemorating the 65th anniversary of the D-Day invasion

UP-FRONT LOCAL NUGGET!

What Pittsburgh (Don’t Laugh) Can Teach Obama (Howard Fineman) from Newsweek

"Obama announced the city in which the U.S. will host the next G20 summit in September. His choice drew laughter and puzzlement from reporters and diplomats alike. Pittsburgh? Are you serious? As a proud native, I understand and agree with the president's decision. Pittsburgh's story is inspiring and impressive."

With Obama, a 'New Beginning' from Al Madina [of Saudi Arabia in English]

"This new approach is tantamount to a spiritual return to American values and the great achievements of the Founding Fathers, who laid the basis for those values which endowed future generations with the capacity to implement and strengthen them."

'Hussein' is for Bold (Editorial) from L'Orient Le Jour [of Lebanon in English]

"His middle name Hussein demonstrates the Muslim ancestry that he bears with pride and which couldn't fail to confirm the authenticity of his method of approach.  … Obama is an extraordinary product of the interweaving of cultures who has succeeded in rising to the White House, repudiating all prejudices and stereotypes, even going as far as challenging the right of Western countries to forbid their immigrant populations from wearing the veil."

German Editorial Roundup: 'Barack Hussein Globama' ... Proof Opposites Can Unite from Der Spiegel [of Germany in English]

"The expectations were huge. And on Thursday in Cairo, US President Barack Obama did his best to deliver, trying to reverse years of animosity between the United States and Muslims across the globe."

Obama's Call Splits Israelis from Arab News [of Saudi Arabia in English]

"Israeli voters are divided on whether the Jewish state should accede to US President Barack Obama’s demand to stop settlement building and accept a Palestinian state, a newspaper poll showed yesterday."

Obama's Genius is to Say What We All Know (Andrew Sullivan) from the Times [of London]

"It’s [Obama's] biography that made a speech that echoed some of George W Bush’s themes reach a critical mass of credibility. But in many respects this was not a speech, as traditionally understood. It was an intervention."

US Republicans Don't Get It: Bush Soiled Use of the Term 'Democracy' from L'Express [of France in English]

This item really captures something significant Republican neocons have missed.

"U.S. Republicans have responded like frightened virgins, stigmatizing the absence of the term 'democracy' from Obama's speech. This shows a failure to grasp the degree to which since 2003, Iraq has distorted perceptions of the word in the Muslim world. Things have gone so far that the word is now synonymous with being a hypocritical pretext for imperialism."

Obama's Speech Marks a Strategic Revolution for Israel (Editorial) from Al Haaretz [of Israel in English]

"There have been presidents who rose through the political system and could pull the strings in Congress. Barack Obama is a rock star. He has total confidence in his powers of persuasion - if he can just have access to a platform, two teleprompters and airtime. Let him speak to the audience, any audience, and he'll sell them a new, friendly, considerate America. Obama's meteoric rise to the presidency and his massive popularity just go to show that his self-confidence is well founded."

Clinton Shreds Bush-Israel Settlement Understandings, Fuels US-Israel Row from DEBKAfile [of Israel in English]

"The Netanyahu government is now facing its first real test. In Washington, the gloves are off. If the prime minister holds to his defensive, accommodating posture toward on the settlement issue and fails to punch back with demands that the other side - and the United States itself stand by former accords and commitments - he will find himself inexorably forced back step by step on other vital security interests, including Iran's accelerated nuclear weapons program."

Obama Has Passed '3AM' Test from the Huffington Post

"It's been fifteen months since Hillary Clinton charged that Barack Obama lacked the chops to handle a crisis phone call at 3 A.M. And the two have gone from bitter electoral rivals to partners in foreign policy. On Sunday, Clinton revisited that defining attack affirming that Obama could answer that early morning call."

After Cairo, It's Clinton Time (Thomas Friedman) from the New York Times

"“It’s not what he says, but what he does,” many said. No, ladies and gentlemen of the Middle East, it is what he says and what you do and what we do. We must help, but we can’t want democracy or peace more than you do."

Obama Woos Syria in Push for Peace from the Times [of London]

"Former senator George Mitchell’s expected visit follows a fortnight’s intensive diplomatic wooing of Syria in the hope of splintering its alliance with Iran and persuading Damascus to use its influence to moderate Hamas, the militant Islamic group that rules the Gaza Strip"

The Settlement Rift from the Editorial Board of the Washington Post

"President Obama has delivered a necessary shock to Israel's right-wing government. Will he now compromise?"

In Iran, Disparate Powerful Forces Ally Against Ahmadinejad from the Los Angeles Times

"Powerful reformists and conservatives within Iran's elite have joined forces to wage an unprecedented behind-the-scenes campaign to unseat President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, worried that he is driving the country to the brink of collapse with populist economic policies and a confrontational stance toward the West."

Obama Calls France Out on Banning Muslim Veil from Le Figaro [of France in English]

"Taking a position opposed to that of France, Barack Obama defended the right of Muslim women in the West to wear the veil. In 2004, in the name of secularism, France banned all ostentatious religious symbols from schools, including the Islamic veil."

Obama is Blazing a New Trail with His Bold Moves on the Economy from US News and World Report

"Obama is pushing the political pendulum from the conservative approach of Ronald Reagan, who said government was the problem, to a more liberal philosophy that holds that only Washington has the wherewithal to provide the answers. More than anything else, he has brought big, activist government back into play."

In Cairo, Campaign '09 (Kathleen Parker) from the Washington Post

A lot of truth in this column.

"So it was that the Muslim world got to hear the 2009 version of Barack Obama's 2004 Democratic convention speech."

Obama's Trip Raises the Bar from Politico

"Obama is moving into a new season of his presidency where it’s clear that his celebrity is going to be durable, and now he wants to start leveraging it to add clear accomplishments on a long list of issues that have flummoxed his predecessors."

LONG-FORM NEWS NUGGET!

Obama's Team Works Congress from the Inside from New York Times Magazine

"Making good on his promise will require not just public expenditure on a disorienting scale but also the kind of activism and creativity, the birthing of new rules and institutions, at which Washington hasn’t succeeded for generations."

PHOTO NUGGET!

Behind the Scenes at the White House from US News and World Report

HERE is an exceptionally good slideshow of the Obamas in the White House -- check it out!

News Nuggets 167

A Tigertail Butterfly in Mexico -- from Reuters

The Cairo Speech from the Editorial Board of the New York Times

This article SO CAPTURES my own view of Obama -- in so many areas.

"When President Bush spoke in the months and years after Sept. 11, 2001, we often — chillingly — felt as if we didn’t recognize the United States. His vision was of a country racked with fear and bent on vengeance, one that imposed invidious choices on the world and on itself. When we listened to President Obama speak in Cairo on Thursday, we recognized the United States."

Obama's Speech in Cairo: A Bold Vision from the Editorial Board of the Guardian [of London]

"Given the mine-strewn nature of the terrain on which he was venturing, Mr Obama displayed a mastery of touch. And he achieved his aims without side-stepping key issues or keeping to the safety of rhetorical high ground."

Obama Sets Terms for Debates to Come from the Editorial Board of the Australian

"BARACK Obama is the orator of our age. The US President's speech in Cairo on Thursday echoed Lincoln by making a moral case for political change. It also resembled the work of Woodrow Wilson, in its optimistic assumption that the world can be re-made by men and women of good will. ... The tempered tone, the reasoned rhetoric, the appeal to peace were so powerfully expressed that it will be all but impossible for Middle Eastern leaders not to accept his invitation to join the search for a permanent peace."

Bibi, Wake Up (Editorial) from YNet News [of Israel in English]

"Obama’s speech in Cairo presents Netanyahu with unequivocal dilemma."l

Obama Changes the Middle East (Gary Kamiya) from Salon

"It was the most important speech of Barack Obama's young presidency. And he delivered big-time."

Barack Obama Tries to Rebuild a Fractured Relationship (Julian Borger) from the Guardian [of London]

"Obama's speech was a beautifully honed tool chipping away at a solid wall of Islamic cynicism and disillusion."

Obama Takes Aim at Osama from Politico

"White House officials say that the tide may be turning on the world’s most wanted man. “For the first time, they’re beginning to lose the propaganda war,” said a top aide traveling with Obama during his six-day mission to Europe and the Middle East. "

Barack Obama: Humble Realist? (Editorial) from the Nation

"One thing the speech clearly did mark was a dramatic shift in tone, and not merely because Obama didn't mention the word "terrorism" and projected respect and humility rather than the sneering arrogance (laced with ignorance and condescension) that prevailed under George W. Bush."

Just Like Bush: Same Rhetoric, Why More Effective? (Editorial) from the New Republic

"Obama is not Bush. He speaks without a foreign invasion on his resume, and with a reputation for honesty and decency."

Rewriting the Rules in Dealing with the Muslim World (Terence Samuel) from the American Prospect

"After each of these [major speeches], there was a sense Obama had taken us somewhere we hadn't been before -- that he had explained the unexplainable and that he had given voice to some essential truth. Yesterday was no different. The general sense is that Obama has rewritten the rules of engaging with the Muslim world."

Obama's Speech: Significant, Eloquent - and Perhaps Just the Beginning (William Pfaff) from Truthdig.org

"President Barack Obama’s eloquent Cairo speech was distinguished by the quality of his previous major speeches, that of speaking as an adult to adults. He promised to say what he thought, and did so on all of the topics he addressed. He was not a comfortable guest for the Egyptian government, although a courteous and honest one."

Fellow Conservatives, Admit It: Obama Gave a Great Speech (David Horowitz) from Salon

"It was a peaceful and determined insistence upon the ideals at the center of America's founding."  And that was really the core of Obama's speech. It was a defense of America's founding and America's mission. We are a tolerant nation and a peaceful nation, Obama told 1.5 billion Muslims, and we will accept and embrace you if you reject the violent and hateful among you and walk a peaceful and tolerant path."

Jim Jones' Team: Managing the Foreign Policy Process in the Obama Administration (David Ignatius) from the Washington Post

"Despite all the talk about big egos in the Obama group, Gates says that at the top level it is "not a team of rivals, but a team.""

Intel Firestorm: Republicans Reveal Briefing Info from the Hill

"Republicans ignited a firestorm of controversy on Thursday by revealing some of what they had been told at a closed-door Intelligence Committee hearing on the interrogation of terrorism suspects."

This kind of shit drives me CRAZY!  If the Dems had done this under Bush, they either would have been arrested (and excoriated in the conservative media) or, at the very least, booted from attending future closed sessions.  Bet the house -- nothing will happen to the Republicans for this extraordinary breech, one done for purely partisan purposes.

SATIRE NUGGET!

The First Couple Just Might Make America Cool Again, for the First Time (Mark Morford) from the San Francisco Chronicle

"This has got to stop, Mr. President.  I mean, what the hell? Just what do you think you're doing to our famously low, blithely unsophisticated American cultural standard? What are you trying to do to our values and our tastes and our happy, tacky, mass-produced numbskull Wal-Mart aesthetic? "

NATURE NUGGET!

Panthers(!) from the New Yorker

"The Palisades panther(s) first appeared on the morning of March 6th, in Snedens Landing, a hamlet on the Hudson, just over the New Jersey line."

News Nuggets 166

Front page of Liberation, June 6. The headline reads 'OBAMA: PEACE IF GOD WANTS IT'

Obama: Speaker of Verities (Editorial) from Liberation [of France in English]

"One speech can't change everything. Obama is not a demigod and the Middle East is not a land of miracles. But let us give credit to the American president for trying."

Words That Could Heal Wounds of Centuries (Editorial) from the Independent [of London]

"Preacher, historian, economist, moralist, schoolteacher, critic, warrior, imam, emperor. Sometimes you even forgot Barack Obama was the President of the United States of America."

Democracy: Obama v. Bush (Walter Shapiro) from Politics Daily

"After all the sneering intonations by Rush Limbaugh's legions about a Kenyan father's choice of a middle name for his son, after all the bizarro conspiracy theories about forged Hawaiian birth certificates, Thursday was a day to revel in the wonder that America had elected a president whose full name is Barack Hussein Obama."

Iran's Supreme Leader Blasts Ahmadinejad for Corruption Claims from the Guardian [of London]

THIS suggests that the tide may be turning against Ahmadinejad with election there just nine days away.  Between this and Obama's speech, don't be surprised if Ahmadinejad loses to his more moderate opponent.  His scalp could be the first victory for Obama's new deployment of 'soft power.'

"Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, faced a rare backlash from some of the country's most powerful officials today after a furious television debate in which he labelled many of his critics corrupt."

Obama Reshuffles America's Middle East Allies from the Debka File [of Israel in English]

A MAJOR realignment may be in the works here if this story is accurate.

"When he said in his epic speech "America will align its policies with those who seek peace," he was saying that his hands are free to henceforth pick and choose US allies without being bound by the past."

Key US Jews Wary of Netanyahu's Unbending Policy on Settlements from Al Haaretz [of Israel in English]

"It is a disentanglement [of the settlements issue] now seen most clearly in Congress, which in the past served as Israel's stronghold against administration pressure on the issue. But when Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu came to Capitol Hill for a May 18 meeting after being pressed by President Obama to freeze the expansion of West Bank settlements, he was "stunned," Netanyahu aides said, to hear what seemed like a well-coordinated attack against his stand on settlements. The criticism came from congressional leaders, key lawmakers dealing with foreign relations and even from a group of Jewish members. "

Gee -- I wonder who was doing the coordinating?

Obama Delighted at Obama's Address from Arab News [of Saudi Arabia in English]

"For women across the Muslim world, US President Barack Obama’s historic address from Cairo was nothing short of a blessing. ... "What struck a chord within me was his focus on education and the empowering of women through education. ‘Our daughters can contribute just as much to society as our sons.’ I will always remember that line forever. It is so true.”"

The Chicago View (David Brooks) from the New York Times

"All smart analyses of the Obama administration begin with Chicago. ... The Chicago mentality is the one they take with them wherever they go.  That means they start with an awareness of diversity. The nation and the world are a bunch of jostling wards that have to be knit together.  That means they are not doctrinaire. Chicagoans like to see themselves as pragmatists, not ideologues.  That means they contain both sides of The Great Tension."

Speaking Frankly in Cairo (Editorial) from Arab News [of Saudi Arabia in English]

"Citing the Qur’anic verse “Be conscious of God and always speak the truth”, Obama did something practically unheard of for an American president: he told the truth, and frankly."

Obama Speech: Arab Extremists Call Him 'Wise Enemy' from the Huffington Post

"Even some extremist Web sites, which have carried statements from al-Qaida in the past, gave rare praise for Obama by calling him a "wise enemy." "  Further similar statements are HERE including "In response, another writer said Obama "is manipulating the emotions of the people the same as a lute player does. ... He is undoubtedly a wise enemy compared with George Bush, the enemy known for his stupidity.""

Obama on Israeli Settlements (David Ignatius) from the Washington Post

Ignatius poses the problem facing Obama very well -- but I think he misses some of the extra cards Obama has at his disposal.  Namely, that Obama would be just as happy to see the Netenyahu gov't go down the tubes.  Given how adroit he is at political jujitsu, Obama could sink the Likuud gov't and make it look like it was their own fault.  We'll see.

"By traveling to the heart of the Arab world today, President Obama is putting himself at a crossroads: He is raising expectations that America can coax Israel and the Arabs toward a comprehensive peace that has eluded them for more than 40 years. But can Obama deliver?"

The Humiliation Doctrine v. The Humility Doctrine (Marc Ambinder) from the Atlantic

A FIRST-RATE assessment of why conservatives and liberals see Obama's foreign policy so differently.

"For conservatives, America is like a person negotiating a deal; showing weakness, even if calculated, never gets you what you need. But we're not a person; we're a collection of interests with a long but disputed history; and the truth of the matter is that many Americans -- a majority of Americans, if you want to look at election results -- found themselves quite humbled by what the Bush administration did. And facts matter, too. History, at this point, does not support the claim that we invaded Iraq to liberate the Iraqis. Our democracy-promoting efforts in Palestinian territories probably prolonged the conflict there. "

Democrats Maintain Robust 2010 Lead from MyDD

"In 2006, the Democrats won the overall vote for the United States House of Representatives by around 7 percentage points. In 2008 their edge was closer to 9 percentage points. Could that number go up yet again in 2010? It's possible."

News Nuggets 165

Dog and tiger lovers' special twofer today.  The tiger kitten was born in a German zoo but his mommy rejected him -- so the keepers allowed this adult dachshund to foster the little guy.  One can certainly wonder what this relationship will look like two years from now when the kitty weighs in at 500 lbs while his new "mother" still weighs 10.  Ah, but love will conquer all!  Images from Reuters

UK Reaction to Obama in Middle East from BBC2

Interesting talking-head analysis -- from a UK perspective.

Obama Cracks the Code to Reach Islam from the Financial Times [of London]

"No wonder extremist leaders were nervous ahead of Barack Obama’s landmark address in Cairo, frantically firing off warnings to Muslims not to fall for his words. ... Mr Obama took them on, not with threats to “smoke them out” or warnings that “you are with us or against us”, but with eloquence, authority, a deep grasp of Muslim history and an understanding of Muslim grievances."

Obama's Tough Talk (Michael Tomasky) from the Guardian [of London]

"Obama's speech in Cairo today was bold – because he asked that his audience think a little harder about difficult issues."

In Cairo, Praise for Obama's Remarks from the Washington Post

"The fact that he came to downtown Cairo, instead of heading to the Sinai beach resorts where diplomatic gatherings are often held, told them he was serious about connecting on a personal level.  And when he started sprinkling his speech with words from the Koran, and balanced support for Israel with a strong call for a Palestinian state, the deal was closed."

Reactions After Obama's Speech to Muslim World from Hurriyet Daily News [of Turkey in English]

""His speech was sincere, honest and realistic ... The fact that President Obama sincerely shares and personally expresses the feelings and thoughts of many citizens in Muslim countries is extremely promising.""

Arab Students Respond to Obama from the New York Times

"The New York Times asked students in Cairo, Alexandria and Amman to share their thoughts on the president’s speech. Here are some of their impressions:"

Obama Routs Hardliners with Call for a New Start in Middle East from the Times [of London]

"Barack Obama must have said something right if Osama bin Laden, Ayatollah Khamenei of Iran and the Jewish settlers on the West Bank all lined up to denounce his speech to the Arab and Muslim worlds."

Muslims Credit Obama for New Tone from Reuters

"U.S. President Barack Obama won praise from many Muslim leaders Thursday for a speech crafted to repair America's tainted image in the Islamic world, but more skeptical reactions showed he still has a mountain to climb."

Masterpiece (UPDATE: Obama Makes Surprise Visit to Pyramids!!!) from Daily Kos

Interesting mix of speech, analysis and pictures.

"Less than six months ago, Arabs threw shoes at George Bush.  Today, in a address bound to go down in history, President Obama was unexpectedly greeted by a standing ovation in the heart of the Arab-Muslim world."

Obama's Tough Tour de Force (David Corn) from Congressional Quarterly

"President Barack Obama's speech in Cairo on relations between the West and the Muslim world was a tour de force.  ... this episode is a reminder that a speech is composed of two elements: the words and the person delivering them."

If the US Can Change, Why Not Egypt? (Editorial) from Amal Al Ummah (of Egypt in English) 

"In America, there's a system of government that one must respect, even if we would disagree with it one hundred percent of the time. Because there, the president's powers are restricted and in any case, his period in office cannot exceed eight years!"

Obama Tours the Pyramids: "Five Guys was Good, This was Better" [with VIDEO]

"At one point during the tour, Obama is reported to have spotted a hieroglyphic of a large-eared man, spurring the remark, ""That looks like me!" Look at those ears!"  ABC News reports. According to MSNBC, the character in the hieroglyphic represents esteemed qualities"

Back in Control from Politico

"While the eyes of the world are on President Obama’s speech Cairo this morning, there’s major movement on Capitol Hill on health care and climate change. Obama laid down a major marker yesterday by backing an individual mandate on health reform – a huge boost to the public plan proponents. And on climate change, Speaker Nancy Pelosi set a tough June 19 deadline for that legislation. "

Rush and Newt Are Winning (E.J. Dionne) from the Washington Post

E.J. really hits it today.

"A media environment that tilts to the right is obscuring what President Obama stands for and closing off political options that should be part of the public discussion."

The Wilderness Years Begins (Editorial) from RealClearPolitics

"I think building a coalition of social conservatives and social moderates from the middle of the income and education distribution makes much more political sense than trying to hold together a coalition of social conservatives from the middle of the distribution and social liberals from the upper end. Joe the Plumber and Joe the Office-Park Employee make much more plausible political bedfellows than Joe the Plumber and Joseph the Hedge Fund Guy."

Experts: Prognosis Grim as Coleman Runs Out of Legal Options from the Minnesota Independent

"Election-law experts who have tracked the case closely are unanimous in believing that Coleman’s appeal before the Minnesota Supreme Court will fail — and that it will likely be by a unanimous decision. That will clear the way for Democrat "

Liberals Are Taken Aback by Obama's Take-Back of America (Dana Milbank) from the Washington Post

"Now that Obama has actually taken back America, the activists at this year's gathering feel a bit like the dog that finally caught up with the car."

New Survey Shows Cheney, Sotomayor Debates Threaten to Further Isolate GOP from Democracy Corps

"President Obama continues to enjoy a strong standing while the Republican brand remains deeply unpopular. Moreover, two of the most high-profile debates in Washington could damage the GOP further by isolating the party from the vast middle of the electorate."

Connecticut Radio Host Hal Turner Faces Connecticut Charges from the Hartford Courant

IT'S ABOUT TIME SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENED!

"Internet radio host Hal Turner — accused of inciting Catholics to "take up arms" and singling out two Connecticut lawmakers and a state ethics official on a website — was taken into custody in New Jersey late Wednesday after state Capitol police in Connecticut obtained a warrant for his arrest."

Obamas in Paris Soon: Their Visit Eagerly Awaited from the Huffington Post

"Not since the Kennedy era has an American first lady _ and in tow, her presidential husband _ been so eagerly awaited in Paris."

ON-A-BUSY-DAY-DON'T-MISS-IT NUGGET!!

Twenty Years After a Victory and a Defeat, Time for a Progress Report (Timothy Garton Ash) from the Guardian [of London]

A very interesting and important assessment on the need of democratic countries to revitalize democracy and people's commitment to it.

"Europe, China and the US offer three contrasting models, which show us that liberal democracy is in need of renewal."

PROFILE NUGGET!

The Power and the Story from Vanity Fair

"The Obamas may have the smartest, most finely calibrated press operation in White House history, parceling out scoops (The New York Times), partisan talking points (the Huffington Post), and First Family tidbits (the celebrity mags) to a desperate media. Just don’t ask them to admit it."

News Nuggets 164

One of my favorite folks out there, Jane Goodall, making an appearance with one of her friends.  This is from the New York Times

Obama and Merkel: The Trans-Atlantic Frenemies from Der Spiegel [of Germany in English]

"Barack Obama is only passing through Germany on his trip to Europe later this week and does not plan to hold substantial talks with Angela Merkel. The White House views the chancellor as difficult and Germany is increasingly being left out of the loop."

Kerry's Unusual Role in Mediating US-Syria Relations (David Ignatius) from the Washington Post

It seems like things have really been moving forward towards a possible US-Syria breakthrough.  It's interesting how little play this has been getting in the media.

"The long-stalled U.S. diplomatic engagement with Syria is moving forward -- thanks to an unusual bit of mediation by Sen. John Kerry."

Islam and Illusions from Al Jazeera Magazine [in english]

"In Cairo, President Barack Obama has to show if he can make a break with the illusions of the Bush legacy as far as the Muslim world is concerned."

Obama's 'Interference' in Israeli Politics (Glenn Greenwald) from Salon

"As long as Israel remains dependent on the U.S. in countless ways, then Obama not only has the right -- but he has the obligation -- to demand that Israel cease activities which harm U.S. interests."

Obama, Muslim-world Rock Star (Juan Cole) from Salon

"They like him, they really like him! Well, maybe not so much in Egypt. But they're willing to give him a chance."

http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2009/06/03/obama/print.html

Obama on Obama (Thomas Friedman) from the New York Times

"“We have a joke around the White House,” the president said. “We’re just going to keep on telling the truth until it stops working — and nowhere is truth-telling more important than the Middle East.”"

Cheney Led Briefings of Lawmakers to Defend Interrogation Techniques from the Washington Post

In all his media appearances, HOW ODD that Cheney never mentioned this.

"The CIA made no mention of his role in documents delivered to Capitol Hill last month that listed every lawmaker who had been briefed on "enhanced interrogation techniques" since 2002. For meetings that were overseen by Cheney, the agency told the intelligence committees that information about who oversaw those briefings was "not available.""

General Sanchez: We Asked for Help on Interrogations, But 'It Didn't Come' from Talking Points Memo

"Speaking this afternoon to CNN's Rick Sanchez (no relation), General Sanchez repeated the charge that he and his soldiers were abandoned on the battlefield on the issue of harsh interrogations. General Sanchez explained that this occurred "because of a lack of policy guidance, a lack of structure, a lack of training." He added: "And even when commanders were asking for this help, it didn't come.""

Stealth War: Obama Sabotages GOP from Politico

I suspected that this was going on.

"All at once, Obama has selected a nominee who burnishes his bipartisan credentials, opened up a seat prime for Democratic pickup and drained the GOP reservoir of one of the few remaining Northeastern moderates. It’s an event that’s happening with enough frequency to suggest the presence of a design, a plan that not only sketches the outline of a reelection strategy but manages to drive a wedge into the opposition at the same time."

Michael Tomasky comments on this Politico piece in The Nixon in Obama from the Guardian [of London]

"This is positively Nixonian of Obama, which I mean in the good sense. Nixon was really clever about picking off potential opposition in the other party, or doing things that looked magnanimous but had a secret agenda."

The GOP Ain't Dead Yet (Thomas Frank) from the Wall Street Journal

"For Republicans, the big immediate problem of the past few years has been how to distance themselves from George W. Bush and all the disasters for which he stands. How do you put some daylight between yourself and this guy?  Unfortunately, they have been able to come up with only one way: Impostor theory"

The Carnival of the Fire Breathers (Kathleen Parker) from the Washington Post

"Rather than persuading people to think differently about abortion, the Randall Terry-Alan Keyes act makes one want to write checks to Planned Parenthood. And smart Catholics, who were perfectly capable of articulating their objections to the president's invitation to America's premier Catholic university, were suddenly stuck in the frame with rabble-rousers who demean the message."

The Mystery of the Right (Editorial) from the American Prospect

"One of the greatest accomplishments of the first several months of Barack Obama's presidency has been the near-total marginalization of the Republican right. "

Michelle Obama, Daugters Headed to Paris from Politics Daily

"The East Wing has not announced it, but First Lady Michelle Obama will head to Paris next week, after accompanying President Obama to Normandy to mark the 65th anniversary of the June 6, 1944 landing of Allied troops on French shores."

URBAN POLICY NUGGET!

After America: City States from National Journal

"Perhaps the new city-states, like those of old, would even develop their own "foreign" policies and maintain, in effect, their own armies or militias (as the county of Los Angeles, for example, already does). In such a world, both nation-state and empire would be passé."

News Nuggets 163

This happened one year ago tomorrow -- Obama clinched the nomination with the final two primaries. Hard to believe.  See the related story below from The Root. 

US Reaches Out to Iran to Celebrate 4th of July from the New York Times

"Last Friday, the State Department sent a cable to its embassies and consulates around the world notifying them that “they may invite representatives from the government of Iran” to their Independence Day celebrations — annual receptions that typically feature hot dogs, red-white-and-blue bunting and some perfunctory remarks about the founding fathers."

US May Promise Europe 'No More Guantanamos' from Le Monde [of France in English]

“The states of the E.U. are close to an agreement on  taking in ex-Guantanamo  detainees. But at a price.”

Obama Hopeful on Mid-East Peace [both text and video] from the BBC

"US President Barack Obama has told the BBC he believes his country can help to get serious Middle East peace negotiations back on track."

Obama Will Try to Form a Personal Connection in Middle East from the Los Angeles Times

RISKY business -- but if anyone can pull it off Obama can.

"Now, as Obama attempts to forge new relations with a Muslim community that is at best suspicious of American motives, he relies on a diplomacy of personality that rests on the hunch that the best way to make friends for his country is by winning them over himself."

High Expectations for Obama's Cairo Speech from the Washington Post

"Clearly his goal is to signal a new era in relations with the Muslim world. But Obama's words will be measured and analyzed by audiences with conflicting interests, ancient grievances and long memories of other presidents' records."

Obama's Muslim Speech (Madeleine Albright) from the New York Times

Interesting observations here!

"I have attended a number of conferences designed to promote understanding between the United States and people who live in Muslim-majority states. According to Muslim speakers at such events, one fact stands out: When the cold war ended, America needed an enemy to replace Communism and chose Islam."

Netanyahu Reeling Because of Obama (Simon Tisdall) from the Guardian [of London]

"Obama and his acolytes have taken to almost daily, public exhortations to Netanyahu to meet his "roadmap obligations" and freeze all settlement activity, without exceptions, in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. They argue a settlement freeze is essential if the peace process is to be revived.  Israel's response has grown increasingly frenetic."

In President Obama, American Muslims Find Ally from the Washington Post

"Her attempts at cross-cultural connection can sometimes feel futile, Mansoor says, but her energy this year has been fortified by a powerful new ally: President Obama, a Christian who has promised unprecedented outreach to the Muslim world."

General Motors' Collapse Leaves Americans 'Cold' from the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung [of Germany in English]

This article speaks VOLUMES about the differences in industrial policy in the US and Europe!

"The Americans, who have a better understanding of the effectiveness of market forces than most Europeans, know that GM is ruined … even in the city of Detroit, home of GM, there are voices that from a German perspective, are dumbfounding."

Right Demands Tougher Fight from Politico

"Conservatives are demanding that Senate Republicans take a harder line on Sonia Sotomayor, with new signs of tension between the Hill GOP and elements of the Republican base over the direction the opposition should move in the Supreme Court fight."

Joe Sestak: Giant Killer Against Specter? (Terry Madonna) from RealClearPolitics

"Who is this guy? And is he crazy? Does he have any chance to beat Specter? And what if he does? These and many other questions occupy the minds of Pennsylvania's best politicos some 11 months from the 2010 primary election."

The Bump Heard Round the World from The Root

"This June 3, a group of media and design impresarios are promoting “National Fist Bump Day” in honor of the anniversary. They want to celebrate a new iconic American expression of authenticity, political transparency and of course, change we can believe in."

BOOK 'NUGGETS' NUGGET!

'Renegade' CliffNotes from Politico

"Wolffe’s account of the Obama campaign isn’t to be officially released until Tuesday, but POLITICO obtained a copy earlier this week.  Herewith are some of the book’s most fascinating nuggets."

News Nuggets 162

Our celebrity-for-a-day, the humble-looking wood thrush.  See our up-front nugget.

UP-FRONT NATURE AND AUDIO NUGGET!

The Hidden Sounds of Bird Song from the radio program, Living on Earth

An amazing story about my favorite song birds, the wood and hermit thrushes.  These heralds of spring in northern New England are widely considered some of the finest song birds in the world!  Check it out!

Choices or Echoes? The GOP Needs to Change its Thinking on Foreign Policy (Doug Bandow) from the National Interest

This article is ON-TARGET here.

"A number of Republican notables recently began a “listening tour.” At least they seem to recognize the need to transform their fiscal and domestic policies. On foreign policy Republicans appear to be stuck on stupid, as the saying goes."

Philadelphia on the Nile: Handicapping Obama's Egypt Speech (Howard Fineman) from Newsweek

"Now comes the ultimate test of autobiographical speechmaking. Obama this week speaks at Cairo University, in the hub of Muslim-Arab culture. ... On one level, he isn't risking much. After all, George W. Bush set the bar so low. All Obama has to do to be a success is elicit applause—rather than a fusillade of hurled shoes.  But he has privately told friends that his goal is far higher: nothing less than to help "reconcile Islam and modernity.""

Addressing Muslim World, Obama Will Face Many Audiences from the McClatchy News Service

"President Barack Obama has a sweeping goal for his speech Thursday in Cairo, Egypt: to begin remaking the dynamic between the United States and Muslims abroad."

Obama's Speech in Cairo: Getting the Right Audience from the Guardian [of London]

"Typically for a man with unbounded ambition, Mr Obama has made little secret about the size of the audience he seeks to address - one billion Muslims. But surely just as important as the numbers is the issue of who among them will listen. That is an even more daunting task. "

Obama's Message: I Have a Dream for Islam (Andrew Sullivan) from the Times [of London]

"It is, almost certainly, the most important speech of his presidency. On Thursday Barack Obama will address the Muslim world from Cairo University. And no one quite knows what he is going to say."

Envoy to Visit Syria as Obama Ups Detente from the Financial Times [of London]

"Barack Obama is set to send his Middle East envoy to Syria in the most concrete sign yet of rapprochement between Washington and Damascus."

Obama Pivots Pragmatic, Anything but Bush Gone (David Paul Kuhn) from Real ClearPolitics

"The illusions appear gone. On the world stage, the idealistic candidate has become the pragmatic president. George W. Bush took five years to pivot away from neo-conservative idealism. Obama has turned away from his tepid idealism in a matter of months."

Obama to Announce New Gay Agenda in June from the Philadelphia Examiner

"The Obama administration is expected to announce a package of pro-gay initiatives next month, but what it will say is the stuff of mass speculation."

Reagan Did It (Paul Krugman) from the New York Times

"For the more one looks into the origins of the current disaster, the clearer it becomes that the key wrong turn — the turn that made crisis inevitable — took place in the early 1980s, during the Reagan years."

The GOP's Purity Problem from the Editorial Board of the Los Angeles Times

"So Republicans interested in self-preservation would seem wiser to heed the appeal for inclusiveness. But big-tent politics by both parties serves an interest larger than membership; it's good for the polity as a whole. Parties that must rely on voters with a range of views will be less in thrall to ideological interest groups. "

POTENTIAL BOOK NUGGET!

From the Huffington Post, an excerpt from Renegade: The Making of a President about the Obama administration's decision to select Hilary as Secretary of State.  It COULD be quite interesting.