News Nuggets 175

The newest edition for our "What the #@$% is THAT?!" file.  This is from an art exhibition in Venice.  From Reuters

As Night Falls, Tehran Still Ablaze from the Global Post

"A level of rioting unseen since the 1979 revolution continued into the night; rioting also reported in southern cities of Zahedan and Shiraz."

Thanks to Obama, US No Longer a Convincing 'Great Satan' from Die Zeit [of Germany in English]

"Last week during his epochal speech in Cairo, he set a new tone for American policy in the Middle East. ... Many Muslims were genuinely enthralled. That was also to do with Obama's attitude. The usual history lesson delivered from the pedestal of Western infallibility was cancelled."

Mullahs ‘Rigged Poll’ in Fear of Barack Obama Effect from the Times [of London]

A fascinating take on what happened in Iran just before the election.

"Tehran drew a different lesson from Hezbollah’s defeat, according to Lawrence Korb, of the Center for American Progress, who was a foreign policy adviser to Obama during his election campaign. “The mullahs were afraid that if they went 2-0 down, the United States and Europe would have taken a tougher line with them on the nuclear issue,” he said."

Feeding the Beast: The Implications of Ahmadinejad's Win from Newsweek

"So what does this beastly development mean for the region and American policy?"

Obama's Return to 'Old Europe' (Jim Hoagland) from the Washington Post

"The transformation of U.S.-French relations -- begun in George W. Bush's last months and accelerated under Obama -- now underpins a larger challenge in the U.S.-European strategic partnership. The redefinition of what it means to be a U.S. ally two decades after the end of the Cold War figures prominently on Obama's task list."

Cuba Waits for Obama as Ailing Fidel Castro Fades From Scene from the US News and World Report

A very interesting long-form nugget written in March.

""We're waiting to see if Obama can make some changes. We expect a lot. We have to believe in something." These days, such expectations hang heavily over this worn, seaside capital."

Obama on Healthcare Reform: Mr. Flexible from the Christian Science Monitor

"His idea of a public insurance plan to compete with private ones is meeting resistance. Will the alternative of health insurance 'cooperatives' suffice?"

Southern Baptist Church's Obama Dilemma from the Washington Post

"An African-American pastor has put his fellow Southern Baptists in the awkward position of having to decide whether to congratulate President Obama, a mainline Christian and liberal Democrat with whom they disagree on just about every major social and political issue."

Republicans Rethinking the Reagan Mystique from the New York Times

IT'S ABOUT TIME!!

"Some Republicans have begun reassessing whether Mr. Reagan today affords the best example as they seek a path back to power. The economic crisis, which Mr. Obama last fall declared a “final verdict” on the anti-government philosophy that George W. Bush and Mr. Reagan shared, has made Reaganism less politically marketable than at any time in a generation."

'Right-Wing' Rhetoric on Hold After Museum Shooting from the Washington Independent

"The conservative criticism of DHS, which had been waning, became much quieter. ... Coming only ten days after the murder of Kansas abortion doctor George Tiller and only nine days after the murder of Pvt. William Long, a military recruiter in Arkansas, the Holocaust Museum shooting has propped open a door on the complicated politics of extremism."

Sarah Palin Mystifies and Annoys Republican Establishment from the US News and World Report

"Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is mystifying and annoying members of the Republican establishment by sending what they consider to be mixed messages about courting conservative groups."

The Obama Haters' Silent Enablers (Frank Rich) from the New York Times

"WHEN a Fox News anchor, reacting to his own network’s surging e-mail traffic, warns urgently on-camera of a rise in hate-filled, “amped up” Americans who are “taking the extra step and getting the gun out,” maybe we should listen. He has better sources in that underground than most."

POLICY/ECONOMICS NUGGET!!

Too Poor To Make the News (Barbara Ehrenreich) from the New York Times

"The outlook is not so cozy when we look at the effects of the recession on a group generally omitted from all the vivid narratives of downward mobility — the already poor, the estimated 20 percent to 30 percent of the population who struggle to get by in the best of times. This demographic, the working poor, have already been living in an economic depression of their own. From their point of view “the economy,” as a shared condition, is a fiction."

ECONOMICS NUGGET!!

The Capitalist Manifesto (Fareed Zakaria) from Newsweek

There is a lot of interesting assessments in this long-form article concerning where the global economy is -- too many to capture in a single snippet.

"Every expert has a critique of specific policies, but over time we might see that faced with the decision to underreact or overreact, most governments chose the latter. That choice might produce new problems in due course—a topic for another essay—but it appears to have averted a systemic breakdown."

News Nuggets 174

A really great spring day in Manhattan.

AMAZING coverage with liveblogging, video and photos of what's happening in post-election Iran at Huffington Post HERE and HERE, and an interesting story about protesters shouting "Death to the Dictator, Death to Ahmadinejad" HERE.

Iran's Ex-Foreign Minister Yazdi: It's a Coup (Robert Dreyfuss) from the Nation

Dreyfuss has been on the ground in Iran for several days covering the election and has been providing excellent coverage of things there.

"The aftermath of Iran's rigged election, in which radical-right President Ahmadinejad and his paramilitary backers were kept in office, has left Iran's capital steeped in anger, despair, and bitterness."

Iran Setback? Or Not? from First Read at MSNBC

""[W]hen it comes to foreign policy or particular issues involving the United States ... chances are unelected officials and bodies will have the most significant influence," the official said.

He noted that there appear to be different opinions amongst the leadership in Iran about how to approach President Obama's overtures, which could be a good sign for the U.S."

Time for Obama to Show a Hint of Steel from the Times [of London]

"The Obama approach has begun to shift the debate. But he is starting from a long way back. On the two-state solution for Israel-Palestine, he is not yet at the point Bill Clinton reached in the 1990s. On the bigger Middle East picture, the Iranian election has made a difficult task even harder."

Overall, a fairly clear assessment of the depressing situation that has emerged in Iran.  Although, what 'steel' Obama should be showing I cannot guess from the analysis.

Ahmadinejad Reelected - But Outcome Doesn't Change Goals for Obama (Juan Cole) from Salon

"If the government really has descended to the level of fixing the presidential elections, it is a sign of deep insecurity and fear of change, as Tehran is challenged by the Obama administration's outreach and by reformist stirrings among youth and women."

Don't Lead, Don't Follow, and Instead Get Out of the Way (Spencer Ackerman) from Firedoglake

"I think it's wise for the U.S. government to keep its distance," Ghaemi says. The White House can and should "show concern for human life and protesters' safety and promote tolerance and dialogue." But to get any further involved, even rhetorically, would "instigate the cry that the reformers are somehow driven and directed by the U.S., whether under Bush or under Obama, and there's no reason to give that unfounded allegation" any chance to spread."

Global Finance Chiefs Cite Signs of Stability from the Washington Post

"Financial chiefs from the Group of Eight industrialized nations yesterday offered their most optimistic assessment yet of the global crisis, noting encouraging signs of economic stabilization and calling for an "exit strategy" from the policies that have been used to stimulate growth around the world."

The Typecast Party: Aiming for a New Identity, the GOP Misfires (Eleanor Clift) from Newsweek

"The Republicans are a party in search of an identity, and the incendiary language surrounding the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court has shown just how far off track they've gone. "

GOP-Leaning Majority Seen Fading in US from the Washington Post

"For the past few months, political analysts and demographers have been poring over the results of the 2008 election and comparing them with presidential results from the last two decades. From whatever angle of their approach -- age, race, economic status, geography -- they have come to a remarkably similar conclusion. Almost all indicators are pressing the Republicans into minority status."

Two related stories from the Larry Saboto's Center for Politics HERE and HERE.

They STILL Think He's a Muslim from the Daily Beast

"A recent Pew Research Center poll shows that 11 percent of Americans still believe he is Muslim. What the hell is going on?"

HIGH-SPEED RAIL NUGGET!!

Getting Up to Speed from the New York Times Sunday Magazine

A great primer on the development of high-speed rail as proposed by Obama and the bigger picture as well.  Very interesting!

"The train will go from L.A. to San Francisco in just under 2 hours 40 minutes and from L.A. to Sacramento in about 2 hours 17 minutes. Judging by the experiences of Japan and France, both of which have mature high-speed rail systems, it would end the expansion of regional airline traffic as in-state travelers increasingly ride the fast trains. And it would surely slow the growth of highway traffic."

Related Item: The Times Sunday Magazine also does an interview with Obama's Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood HERE.

"The way I characterize it is America is one big pothole, and Americans are ready for their streets and roads and bridges to be fixed up."

News Nuggets 173

Ah!  Spring weather in the Plains states -- isn't it wonderful!  From AmericaBlog.

An Army of One? Debating the 'Obama Effect' from Foreign Policy Magazine

"We asked seven sharp political observers to weigh on whether the "Obama effect" really is inspiring change throughout the world, or whether he is getting credit for developments that would have happened anyway."

The Gospel of Obama (Editorial) from the Jakarta Post [of Indonesia in English]

"Listening to President Obama’s historic speech in Cairo on June 4, I had to conclude that he would go down in the annals of mankind as one of the greatest men ever born, a mahatma, a great soul."

The 'Unencumbered Man' (Michael Tomasky) for the New York Review of Books

An interesting 'big picture' piece on how Obama's agenda is going so far.

"The central fact is that, so far, Obama's coalition is holding together. This is true in the country at large, where his approval ratings, though down several points from the very early days, are still more than high enough to provide him political capital. And it's true among Democrats of all stripes in Washington."

Obama's Mideast Reset (Juan Cole) from the Nation

"Obama clearly won most Egyptians over. According to an instant poll conducted in Egypt by a government think tank, 37 percent believed everything the president said, while 41 percent believed some of it. Only 5 percent rejected the address as a litany of falsehoods."

As Iran Votes, Talk of a Sea Change from the New York Times

"Some Iranians believe that the unruly democratic energies unleashed over the past few weeks could affect this country’s politics no matter who wins. Mr. Ahmadinejad’s radical policies and personal attacks, they say, have galvanized powerful adversaries who will use his own accusations of corruption and mismanagement against him."

Iranians Poised for Change from the Nation

"The people in line were solemn, men and women, some with kids. I do a straw poll, quietly asking voters who they plan to cast their ballots for, and why, and it's clear that at this station at least, it's Mir Hossein Mousavi country."

Obama's Team of Rivals (Charlie Cook) from National Journal

"Looking back, political pros, even the most-partisan Republicans, concede that Obama put together the most sophisticated, brilliant, focused, and disciplined Democratic presidential campaign in history, one worthy of comparison to the Bush-Cheney 2004 campaign, the gold standard on the GOP side."

Who's Against Democracy Now? (Michael Tomasky, WOW! It's a two-nuggets day for Mike) from the Guardian [of London]

"Yes, of course, Khamenei [the Iranian supreme leader] ultimately calls the shots. But to say that the defeat (should such happen) of a demagogue like Ahmadinejad by voters in Iran would be meaningless is absurd."

Netanyahu Yields on Palestinian Soverignty from the Washington Times

ASTONISHING!! The Washington Times may have an actual SCOOP!

"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a major shift, will accept the notion of a Palestinian state -- a policy pushed by the Obama administration but resisted until now."

The Great Unwinding (David Brooks) from the New York Times

"Historians will argue about the Paulson-Geithner-Bernanke reaction, but the economy seems to be stabilizing. And now attention turns to the task of the next decade: slowly unwinding the debt that has built up over the past generation."

Under Obama, Greater Reach for Faith-Based Collaborations from Congressional Quarterly

"President George W. Bush may be forever linked with faith-based initiatives due to his aggressive efforts to allow religious organizations to provide government-funded services. But it's President Obama who could yet turn out to be the chief executive who winds up most expanding the possibilities of government partnering with faith-based groups."

Obama Plan Targets Fallout from Mountaintop Mining from the the Associated Press via the [Charlotte] News and Observer

ANOTHER REASON [if one was needed] why I voted for this guy!

"The Obama administration on Thursday announced steps to reduce the environmental destruction caused in six states by mountaintop coal mining." 

The Big Hate (Paul Krugman) from the New York Times

"Today, as in the early years of the Clinton administration but to an even greater extent, right-wing extremism is being systematically fed by the conservative media and political establishment."

The Ice Age Cometh (Mike Murphy) from the Time Magazine

I had an excerpt of this in yesterday's nuggets.

"I've made a career out of counting votes, and the numbers tell a clear story; the demographics of America are changing in a way that is deadly for the Republican Party as it exists today. A GOP ice age is on the way."

Tribalistic Self-Absorption (Glenn Greenwald) from Salon

"The most predominant mentality in right-wing discourse finds expression in this form:  "I am part of/was born into Group X, and Group X -- my group -- is better than all others yet treated so very unfairly."  This claim persists -- indeed, is often intensified --  even when Group X is clearly the strongest, most privileged and most favored group. "

The Case for Getting Off Base (Peggy Noonan) from the Wall Street Journal

"What occasions the question is the USA Today story this week on a Gallup poll saying nearly half the country's Republicans and Republican-leaners can't come up with a name when asked who their party's leader is.  ... The poll was a source of, or excuse for, interparty needling (the base likes that) and faux sympathy on cable news (their base likes that too.) What no one notes is the poll makes no sense, or rather makes so much sense that it's not news."

Shift at the Standard? (Jacob Heilbrunn) from the National Interest

"News Corp. is selling the Weekly Standard. Is it an early sign that the GOP is ditching neoconservatism?"

Hate Comes Back to the Future from Vanity Fair

"According to the D.H.S. report, law enforcement officials are noticing a spike in the sales of guns and ammunition due to paranoid fears that the new administration or Congress will impose sweeping gun control regulations. Rising unemployment rates, the politicization and radicalization of immigration, and the fact that we have a black president are all serving, according to people who closely follow such things, to encourage the recruitment of angry men and women into extremist causes."

Why the Jews? (Michael Gerson) from the Washington Post

"For some Americans, anti-Semitic conspiracy theories are akin to a shameful hobby -- like collecting old racist knickknacks or Nazi memorabilia. But these ideas are not harmless, because they can inspire an angry, obsessed bigot who sets out on a June morning to kill Jews -- and murders an African American man who had a wife and young son.  The durability of anti-Semitism is a horrifying marvel of history."

Sasha, Malia and the Remarkable Mr. Obama from Nachrichten [of Switzrland in English]

"For men like Obama, politics is a personal and even existential affair. He is just as committed to the United States as he is to his own daughters. When his tenure ends, it is to them that he will be accountable. Perhaps having a perspective longer than the next election isn't such a bad condition for policy making."

LONG-FORM NEWS NUGGET!!

Rise and Fall: Donald Rumsfeld's Dramatic End from the Washington Post

"As Bush started exploring the notion that significantly more U.S. forces might be needed to enhance security, Rumsfeld remained fixated on finding ways to facilitate the turnover of responsibility to Iraqi troops.  It was in this context that the president finally decided to replace Rumsfeld."

News Nuggets 172

A Humboldt's Penguin at a zoo in Germany.

UP-FRONT "KEEP-A-COPY-IN-YOUR-WALLET" BUDGET NUGGET!

America's Sea of Red Ink Was Years in the Making from the New York Times with ann essential graphic HERE.

"There are two basic truths about the enormous deficits that the federal government will run in the coming years.  The first is that President Obama's agenda, ambitious as it may be, is responsible for only a sliver of the deficits, despite what many of his Republican critics are saying. The second is that Mr. Obama does not have a realistic plan for eliminating the deficit, despite what his advisers have suggested.

Reaching Out to the Muslim World (Editorial) from the Japan Times

"Talk of "legitimate grievances" widened the gulf between the U.S. and the Muslim world.  Mr. Obama sought to close that gap. Few Americans, much less presidents, have been better positioned to succeed. "

Muslims' Great Fears: Obama Can't Do It from de Volkskrant [of the Netherlands in English]

"Bush never baffled Muslims. They saw in him the wrong leader and felt that his invasion of Iraq and the crimes of Abu Ghraib legitimated their hatred for him.  When it comes to Obama, Muslims are confused."

Iran Awakens Yet Again (Roger Cohen) from the New York Times

"Iran, its internal fissures exposed as never before, is teetering again on the brink of change. For months now, I’ve been urging another look at Iran, beyond dangerous demonization of it as a totalitarian state. Seldom has the country looked less like one than in these giddy June days."

Obama Wins an Election in the Middle East (Juan Cole) from Salon

"Lebanon's voters gave the White House the victory it wanted -- with a lot of help from Hezbollah.  ...  Whatever the size of Obama's influence, the election has already had a direct impact of the future of Arab-Israeli negotiations and on the realization of U.S. aims in the region."

Ballots Over Bullets (Thomas Friedman) from the New York Times

"I confess. I’m a sucker for free and fair elections. ... [and] in Lebanon it was the real deal, and the results were fascinating: President Barack Obama defeated President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran."

Iran's Presidential Election: What to Watch For from the Brookings Institution

"Coming on the heels of a change in American administrations and a shift in U.S. policy, Iran’s presidential campaign has featured a remarkably frank discourse about engagement. While no election outcome will single-handedly transform Iran’s relationship with Washington – in part because Iran’s presidency is not its ultimate authority in any case – the conclusion of this week’s election will shape the outlook for diplomacy in ways that are unlikely to be straightforward."

Democrats Nearing Consensus on Health Care from the New York Times

"A broad consensus on the contours of legislation to remake the nation’s health care system appeared to be developing among Democratic leaders on Tuesday as three House committee chairmen outlined a bill generally similar to one being written in the Senate."

Large Majority Backs Major Overhaul of Health Care from Diageo/Hotline Poll via Taegan Goddard's Political Wire

"The latest Diageo/Hotline Poll finds that 62% of voters support "the President enacting a major overhaul of the U.S. health care system," with 38% of voters strongly supporting a major overhaul."l

The Six Top Republicans Obama Listens to (Marc Ambinder) from the Atlantic

"Regardless of whether the President's bipartisan outreach is producing legislative results, there is a handful of conservatives and Republicans that the president and his White House team respect. By respect, I mean, quite simply, the degree to which the White House responds to their worries and needs and believes that the time spent responding is useful and necessary."

Half Baked Alaska (Kathleen Parker) from the Washington Post

"Sarah Palin's Dysfunctional Organization May Be Her Undoing"

Obama vs. the Deniers (Michael Gerson) from the Washington Post

"Obama's intensity and clarity on this issue were unexpected -- and needed. Holocaust denial has long been a staple of Middle Eastern anti-Semitism. But it has grown more pervasive since the 1990s ...  The political purpose of Middle Eastern Holocaust denial is to delegitimize the state of Israel."

The Next Obama: Six Rising Black Political Stars from the Daily Beast

"From Newark’s Cory Booker to Alabama’s Artur Davis, a new generation stands poised to follow in Barack Obama’s footsteps. The Daily Beast profiles six up-and-comers who have big elections ahead of them."

A Republican Ice Age from Taegan Goddard's Political Wire

"Republican strategist Mike Murphy in the latest issue of Time magazine:  "Despairing Republican friends have been asking me what I think we should do to rebuild the GOP and begin our certain and inevitable comeback. My answer disappoints them: 'Build an ark.'"

Coach Obama: Shape Up Now from Politico

"From the White House garden to his picks for top health jobs, Obama is telling America’s McDonald’s-loving, couch-dwelling, doctor-phobic populace that things are about to change. "

VIDEO NUGGET!

In DC, Obama's Buns Stimulate Burger Business from TMZ Celebrity Video

News Nuggets 171

UP-FRONT AFRICA NUGGET!

President Barack Obama's Triple Heritage (Ali Mazrui, a noted Kenyan academic) for the Standard [of Kenya in English]

A fascinating, wide-ranging analysis of Obama's first months in office from a well-informed African perspective.

"There are great expectations of his presidency among Muslims and people of African descent, both within the United States and worldwide.  The basis of such expectations have to rely on three kinds of credentials Obama may have."

The Vote in Lenanon from The National Interest

"A victory for March 8 would have been a slap in the face for the West, and lent evidence to the theory that Iran is slowly taking over the Middle East. But, happily, this didn’t happen, and March 14 (the pro-Western one; it’s all very confusing) won the day. "

Three Tests for Obama After 'The Speech' (Robert Dreyfuss) from the Nation

"A top Hamas official, Ahmad Yousef, an adviser to Ismail Haniya, the Hamas leader and prime minister, said: "The things he said about Islam and the Palestinian suffering and their right to have a state is great. It is a landmark and a breakthrough speech."  Now comes the test of Obama's sincerity"

US Wants Urgent Mideast Peace Talks from Hurriyet Daily News [of Turkey in English]

A follow-up from yesterday's story, this one from a Muslim paper.  It certainly sounds like they are working off of a VERY ACCELERATED time table here.

""We all share an obligation to create the conditions for the prompt resumption and early conclusion of negotiations," Mitchell said ahead of talks with Israeli President Shimon Peres. "We're now engaged in serious discussions with our Israeli and Palestinian and regional partners to support these efforts," he was quoted by Agence France-Presse as saying."

Coalition Partners Should Feel Ashamed After Obama's Speech (Editorial) from the Standard [of Kenya in English]

"Obama implored leaders to put the interests of their people above those of their political parties. Given our recent political experience, one would be forgiven for thinking while his body was in Egypt Obama’s mind was fixed on the political wrangling in Kenya."

Obama the Transformer (Robert Shrum) from The Week

"This president is breaking the mold—revolutionizing policies and perspectives in Washington and around the world."

Obama Type Needed for Third Liberation (Editorial) from the Standard [of Kenya in English]

This editorial from the Standard of Kenya is quite moving and sad in terms of this person's assessment (accurate I suspect) of what Kenya has lost in the decades since its independence.

"Here was a man [Obama giving his speech in Cairo] who wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty and was willing to risk eggs or shoes thrown at his face.  Paradoxically, one cannot help but ponder how America’s gain is truly our loss. While we pride ourselves in his achievements, it is hard not to imagine how different our leadership and country may have been had he been elected president in Kenya."

Blue Dogs Backsliding on Anti-Health Care Reform Backsliding from the Huffington Post

Democratic backsliders on health care ... are backsliding ... back to where they started.  (Sigh).  These folks are going to be political shuttlecocks for the rest of the summer on health care, cap-and-trade and God knows what other key Obama initiatives that are coming down the pike.

O'Reilly and Fox News Will Have More Right-Wing Vigilantism to Explain (Eric Boehlert) from Media Matters

"The militia-style vigilante rhetoric has become a cornerstone of the conservative media movement in America, and it's now proudly championed by Fox News on a nearly hourly basis."

John Arovosis of AmericaBlog makes some additional salient points HERE.

Capital Day Out as Michelle Obama and Her Daughters Enjoy London from the Times [of London]

"Motorcycle outriders, armoured Chevrolets and bullet-headed men in raincoats criss-crossed London yesterday as Michelle Obama and her daughters spent a second day on an unofficial visit to the capital."

See related stories from the Times on Michelle's visit with the Sarkozys HERE and her visit to Westminster Abbey HERE.

Palin Beginning to Irritate Some Senate GOPers from The Hill

REALLY!? You don't say!  Who knew!?  Just "beginning," eh?  The latest installment in the Palin Pulldown Project from her own Party.

"Sarah Palin has begun to get on the nerves of Republican senators who say the former GOP vice presidential nominee is taking her own White House aspirations entirely too seriously. "

Poll: One-Third of Republicans View Party Unfavorably from USA Today

ONLY A THIRD!?  Conclusion: two-thirds of Republicans [those that think their party is doing good] are completely delusional.

"In thinking about the Republican Party's troubles, consider this: One-third of Republicans now say they have an unfavorable opinion of their party.  There's no such dyspepsia among Democrats. Just 4% have an unfavorable view of their party."

IT'S-A-LITTLE-LATE-ISN'T-IT? NUGGET

Bush's Dallas Home Becomes Site of War Protest from the McClatchy News Service

"During the more than half-hour protest, which included a nearly mile-long march to the neighborhood, protesters yelled, "Don't wait, investigate." Pro-Bush supporters chanted "USA" for the former president whom they say did a good job."

IRANIAN ELECTION LONG-FORM NUGGET!

Divided Iran on the Eve from the New York Review of Books

"The Iranian regime's embrace of messianic Shi'ism has long contended with a highly-educated and secularized society. Despite the revolutionary rhetoric, its leaders may be less concerned with obscure scriptural dictates than with a rational pursuit of power."

BOOK NUGGET!

Off Camera: Civil Rights in the North from the Nation

Thomas Sugrue is a MAJOR award-winning historian worth paying attention to.

"It might seem incongruous to lump together bootleggers, madams, gangsters and upwardly mobile black Americans, as if black wealth were a form of ill-gotten gain, but that bitter absurdity sits at the heart of Sweet Land of Liberty, Thomas J. Sugrue's panoramic account of the civil rights movement in the North."

HUMOR NUGGET!

Republican Senatorial Committee RSVP from Sarah Palin from the DCCC

News Nuggets 170

Boy!  You try to help a species out -- and what do you get?  THIS in your back yard.  See the NATURE NUGGET below.  From the New York Times

Muslim 'Suspicion' Over Obama's 'Operation Seduction' from Le Quotidien d'Oran [of Algeria in English]

I think this is a pretty fair assessment of Arab reaction -- and what Obama needs to do next.

"Although Obama's speech genuinely expressed his vision on the future of ties he wishes to establish with the Muslim world, Obama must quickly follow up with strong action. This is the only way to begin tearing down the wall of suspicion that decades of humiliation inflicted by the U.S. on Muslims has erected in the Islamic consciousness against all things American."

I suspect Obama sees things the same way.  See: Obama Wants "Immediate" Mideast Talks: Mitchell from Reuters News Service

"Mitchell, who is en route to the Middle East, said the aim of such talks was "a comprehensive peace and normalization of relations" between Israel and its neighbors, which would also serve "the security interests of the United States.""

Will Iran's 'Marriage Crisis' Bring Down Ahmedinejad? from Time Magazine

"Farhad and Mahnaz can't afford to get married because even a one-bedroom apartment is beyond their reach, despite their both having decent middle-class jobs. This reality has preyed on their relationship, compelling them to consider leaving Iran. And they blame the government for their situation."

Obama's Nine Hard Truths from Mother Jones Magazine

"In Cairo, Obama challenges all parties involved in the clash between the West and the Muslim world."

Obama with Foreign Leaders: All Business, All the Time from the McClatchy News Service

THIS ITEM says a lot about Obama's foreign policy style, all of it good in my view.  Europeans are upset, though.  See the PARANOID EUROPEANS NUGGET below.

"The contrast between his public oratory and his determination to project an appearance of professionalism with his counterparts was visible during the four-nation trip that ended Sunday. It puts Obama in a different class of statesmen from his immediate two predecessors, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton , who spoke often of their trust or affection for other world leaders."

It's Time to Change the Tone of our 'Politics' Coverage (Stuart Rothenberg) from RealClearPolitics

"Too often, caricature and vitriol have replaced reporting and analysis.... America's cable "news" networks have concluded - on the basis of considerable research and evidence, I'm sure - that most viewers don't want straight news and analysis as much as they want to hear what they already think or to watch predictable partisan attacks."

Jared's rant: I completely agree with what Rothenberg has said.  Indeed, over nine years ago I concluded that cable and network news political programs actually left most viewers more MISINFORMED than informed about what was really going on and what was important.  As some of you know, I long ago stopped looking to television for ANY political news whatsoever.   Instead, I have looked to both national and international newspapers (often online) and NPR.  

The funny part of it is -- I'm convinced that my stress level is much reduced as a result.  Everyone I know who relies on TV for most of their political news are more stressed out and anxious about the VERY NEWS MATERIAL about which they are being misinformed.  A whole new paradigm for presenting political news and analysis on TV needs to be developed.  What does it say when Jon Stuart is viewed as a better source of political news than anything provided by the cable shows?  Rothenberg avoids the real lesson from his experience: people committed to being informed need to TURN THE THING OFF -- PERIOD.  We return you now to our regularly scheduled nuggets.

The Importance of Being Obama (Eugene Robinson) from the Washington Post

"I used to fear that President Obama was overestimating the power of his personal history as an instrument of foreign policy. Now I wonder if he might have been underestimating."

Hillary's New Crusade from the Daily Beast

"A year ago this week, Hillary Clinton ended her presidential campaign—to the relief of many. But even her critics must admit that as secretary of State, she’s been a feminist hero to behold."

Nobel Winner Krugman Sees US Recession Ending Soon from the Bloomberg News Service

"“I would not be surprised if the official end of the U.S. recession ends up being, in retrospect, dated sometime this summer,” he said in a lecture today at the London School of Economics."

In Artur Davis, Will Alabama Elect a Black Governor? from The Root

I have long found Artur to be a very interesting pol -- very much coming out of the Obama mold.  I'm skeptical that Alabama's white voters will get with his program though.

"Rep. Artur Davis will run for governor in 2010. He’s leaving Alabama’s tortured racial history in the past. But will the state’s Republican voters be able to do the same?"

Sarkozy Entertains Michelle and the Girls After Obama Heads Home from the Times [of London]

"He failed to persuade Barack Obama to socialise with him, but Nicolas Sarkozy enjoyed a consolation prize yesterday: lunch with the President’s wife Michelle and their children."

What Single Women Can Learn From Michelle from The Root

"Would most Type A, professional women have dated Barack when he was a broke, big-eared organizer with a funny name?"

REALLY-PARANOID-ALLIES NUGGET!

Really, I Do Like You, Obama Tells French and Germans from Reuters News Service

"Barack Obama's trip to Europe this weekend revealed deep anxieties among the French and Germans that the U.S. president, hugely popular in both countries, doesn't really like them."

NATURE NUGGET!

Return of the Once-Rare Beaver? Not in My Back Yard from the New York Times

Those little devils!  Some of you may recall a month or two ago when I posted a similar article about the reintroduction of the beaver in Europe -- AND what I said at the time was that I wasn't sure it was a good idea.  This article confirms some of those doubts.  [I guess it's my day for being self-righteous].

"“We have a huge problem,” said David Pavlik, an engineer for the town of Lexington, where dams built by beavers have sent water flooding into the town’s sanitary sewers. “We trapped them,” he said. “We breached their dam. Nothing works. We are looking for long-term solutions.” ... You can breach a beaver dam, but “I guarantee you that within 24 hours if the beavers are still there it will be repaired. Beavers are the ultimate ecosystem engineers.”"

News Nuggets 169

Obama at the D-Day commemoration.

Thank You, Mr. Obama. We Hope Our Leaders Got the Message (Editorial) from Kitabat [of Iraq in English]

"The most important point that Obama addressed.  The really important issue, ladies and gentlemen, is that he gave pointed advice to the presidents, leaders, kings, and emirs of the Arab countries. His advice was that they pay attention to the concerns of their people who put them in the chairs they sit upon."

Obama's Israel Gamble (Dimitri Simes) from the National Interest

EXCELLENT analysis of the big picture concerning Obama, the US, and Israel.

"America can afford to treat Israel like any other friendly state, supporting Israel when it is in U.S. interests to do so and letting Israel accept responsibility for its actions and their consequences when Israeli conduct does not correspond with U.S. interests.  This is exactly how Israel treats the United States."

In Egypt, a Theologian in Chief (Editorial) from USA Today

"The extremists will rage, of course, like al-Qaeda, but this speech goes a long way toward opening up a new dialogue with Islam's sometimes silent majority. According to a recent Gallup survey of global Islam, the most important thing Westerners can do to improve relations is "to change their negative views toward Muslims and respect Islam."  Obama did just that in Cairo. It is time for us to go and do likewise."

Pro-West Parties Win in Lebanon with Help from Barack Obama from the Telegraph [of London]

"Lebanon's pro-Western government have held on to power in the country's elections in a victory experts said had been helped by President Barack Obama's attempts to build a new relationship with the Middle East."

Analysts Cite Obama Effect in Lebanese Election from the New York Times

"There were many domestic reasons why voters handed an American-backed coalition a victory in Lebanese parliamentary elections on Sunday — but political analysts also attribute it in part to President Obama's campaign of outreach to the Arab and Muslim world."

Don't Dismiss Obama's Role in Lebanese Elections from the Huffington Post

"This was the first real victory by pro-American groups in the ideological battle that has defined this region in the last 10 years. Every time the US tried to help somebody in the region, it hurt them and they lost."

In Iran, Harsh Talk as Election Nears from the New York Times

This is shaping up to be quite an interesting election in Iran!  It actually looks like a REAL election!

"The presidential campaign, now in its final week, has reached a level of passion and acrimony almost unheard-of in Iran."

Requiem for Democratization from the blogs of the National Interest

A conversation around Kevin Drum's statement: “George Bush talked a lot about democracy, but he was in favor of it only when it produced results he liked.” "

Gordon, the Unlucky (Paul Krugman) from the New York Times

"Where America’s conservative movement — better organized and far more ruthless than its British counterpart — managed to claw its way back to power at the beginning of this decade, in Britain, the Labor Party continued to rule right through the bubble years. Mr. Brown eventually became prime minister. And so the Bush bust in America is the Brown bust here."

Learning, Slowly, from History (Michael Tomasky) from the Guardian [of London]

"So I urge Ponnuru to just go the whole nine yards and finally come to terms with the un-debatable historical fact that the US economy has performed better under Democratic presidents than under Republican ones going back to Eisenhower."

Crazy Right-Wing Myths About Obama from Salon

"We present for your inspection, and then debunk, or paw at in desultory fashion, a dozen of the choicest conspiracy theories to gain traction since Jan. 20."

D-DAY NUGGET!

Ode to the Liberators of France: America's GIs (Editorial) from Le Figaro [of France in English]

"They were destined for France, a strange land. They would fight for her, without really knowing what she was like, what her past, her culture, her customs were like.… this immense and anonymous line of Americans without rank, incapable of pronouncing a phrase of French or the name of any village in Normandy."