News Nuggets 253

Obama at the Fort Hood ceremony yesterday where gave a very good speech - from the New York Times

Pyongyang's Temper Tantrum from the National Interest

"Whatever the cause of the North’s actions, it is unlikely to significantly change either the American or South Korean approach to the North. There is widespread agreement among all types of analysts in the United States that the current policies are appropriate, and that Washington should not be offering concessions to a North Korea that has obviously violated international norms."

Iran's Moves Reveal Leadership Rift (Gerald Seib) from the Wall Street Journal

"The bizarre back and forth from Iran in the aftermath of a nuclear negotiating session in Geneva on Oct. 1 has only confirmed the sense that the regime, always thought to be split by factionalism, is now only more so. "

Obama Has Busy Itinerary on Whirlwind Asian Tour from Reuters

"U.S. President Barack Obama leaves on Thursday on his first Asian trip since becoming president on Jan. 20. ... Issues getting the most attention on the trip will be North Korea, Iran, the economy, climate change, energy, human rights,"

A Crib Sheet for Obama's Upcoming Asian Summitry from Foreign Policy Magazine

"Despite the hype surrounding the rise of China, it is the United States that provides the public goods for order, security, and prosperity in EastAsia; China in many respects free-rides on these public goods to sustain its focus on internal development."

What He Said: President Obama's Small Masterpiece of a Speech at Fort Hood (John Dickerson) from Slate

"President Obama's speech at Fort Hood, Texas, was a small masterpiece—less than 15 minutes—in part because it was so modest. The president had great material and he knew not to get in its way."

Reid Says Health Bill Will Be Done by Christmas from the New York Times

"He expected to bring major health care legislation to the floor next week and to complete work on the bill before Christmas."

Win Some, Lose Some (John Dickerson) from Slate

Haven't seen a Slate article among the Nuggets for months -- today we have TWO, both by Dickerson.

"A guide to the shifting political factions in the health care debate"

Health Reform: The Cost of Doing Nothing (Karen Tumulty) from Time Magazine

"According to Shapiro, if things keep going the way they are headed, the typical middle class family could find itself paying one-third of its income for health care within five to six years."

Health Care Bill with Public Option to Hit Senate Floor Next Week from Open Left

"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will send a health care bill with an opt-out public option, and without Stupak amendment language, to the floor of the Senate next week. ... Reid announced two weeks ago that this bill will contain a public option. Yesterday morning, he declared that it would not contain the Stupak amendment."

2010 a Year of Primaries (Markos Moulitsas) from The Hill

"It wasn’t long ago that progressives were in the deep minority, but we won back Congress and the White House by expanding our tent. It’s doubtful the conservatives’ novel “addition by subtraction” strategy will be as successful."

Hi, I'm Marty, and I'm a Recovering Republican from Salon

"I was a feminazi-hating, liberal-bashing loudmouth who tried to befriend Bill O'Reilly. Man, I was such a douche."

American Legion and VFW Posts Struggle from USA Today

Good riddance - especially to the American Legion, an organization that was at the forefront of red-baiting, commie-hunting extremism going back to the 1920s.

"As national membership in the VFW dips — down from a peak of 2.5 million in 1992 to 1.5 million as of June — VFW posts have to change."

VETERANS DAY NUGGET!!

Dogs (and kids) Welcoming Home Soldiers from the Huffington Post

News Nuggets 252

The Tennessee River plateau, a seasonal image from National Geographic

UP-FRONT VIDEO NUGGET!!

President Obama's Heartbreaking Speech at Fort Hood from Daily Kos

A very moving speech..

The Fort Hood Shooting and the Role of Muslim Clerics (Editorial) from Hurriyet [of Turkey in English]

"The maturity shown the vast majority of American society will not be sufficient unless Muslim clerics and religious leaders assert their constructive role more often to step up and educate the masses with a modern view of Islam."

Russia-Iran Relations Flair from the Voice of America

"The head of the Iranian parliament's national security committee, Alaedin Borujurdi, is warning Russia that any further delay in fulfilling a contract to sell an anti-aircraft missile-defense system to Tehran would "seriously damage" relations between the countries."

A Short Guide to the Public Option Fight, and the 75-year History of the Battle Over Universal Health Care (Robert Reich) from Huffington Post

"With Congress returning from recess to consider health care legislation and the President set to deliver a major address on the subject to both chambers tomorrow, it's more important than ever to get word out on why a public option is so important and what can be done to push for it. ... In addition, it's useful to know how long America has been wrestling with universal health care, and how hard the battle has been, so a bit of history may be in order"

Clinton: 'We Are Winning' - Inside Clinton's Lunch with Senate Dems from Politico

"Former President Bill Clinton told a room full of Democratic senators Tuesday that passing health care reform — which he failed to do 15 years ago — is not only a moral issue but also “an economic imperative."

For Health Care Bill, Pelosi Had to Leave Left Coast Behind from the Los Angeles Times

"The Speaker is a lot more pragmatic than her opponents admit. "Pelosi's impulse to tilt at windmills disappeared and her pragmatic heritage came to the fore. That's what enabled Pelosi to build a majority, one compromise at a time, including the pivotal deal with antiabortion Democrats.""

Give Pelosi Her Due (Chuck Todd et al.) from MSNBC

It's the second entry here.

"Speaker Pelosi deserves her due on Saturday’s vote. She had said she'd get this out of the House as soon as she had the votes. By going when she did, with another Dem in her pocket (the new seat in NY-23) and keeping the House in session over the weekend, she got it done."

Public Hopes for More Improvement in Race Relations Under Obama from Politics Daily

"Gallup also found optimism for the future. Sixty-one percent of Americans believe race relations will get better in the years ahead as a result of Obama's presidency, a view held by 79 percent of blacks and 58 percent of whites."

Dems Can Do Well in 2010 from Politico

FINALLY -- someone says it!! This has been my view all along. One of the other pundits at Politico had this sage comment: "As the 2010 campaign cycle begins in earnest, the central question in the House of Representatives is how many seats will Republicans win?" I have seen this meme everywhere, and I'm not buying! It is far more probable that the GOP will end up throwing itself off a political cliff.

"Can Democrats hold their own in the 2010 elections? Absolutely. With the Republican gubernatorial victories in Virginia and New Jersey and the surprising Democratic win in N.Y. 23, one lesson we’ve learned is that politics can turn on a dime."

Ten Most Interesting Showdowns in 2010 Elections from Politico

"With a combined total of more than 500 House, Senate and gubernatorial races next year, it’s hard to cut through the spin to figure out which ones are worth watching. Here is POLITICO’s list of 10 contests to keep an eye on, whether it’s because they are uniquely revealing, particularly significant — or simply impending train wrecks."

Senate Stonewallers from the Daily Beast

"As Joe Lieberman threatens—again—to filibuster health care, Benjamin Sarlin and Samuel P. Jacobs report on Capitol Hill’s most ornery No Men. Plus, a gallery of the Senate’s all-time biggest troublemakers."

The GOP's Women Problem from Politico

Right on-the-money here! I'm wondering when this meme will achieve a higher profile among the MSM.

"The growing schism between the Republican Party’s ascendant right wing and its shrinking moderate core has clear gender undertones — and Scozzafava’s departure raises fresh questions about the GOP’s ability to recruit, elect and even tolerate the sort of moderate women who used to be part of the ruling mainstream."

ME: Tough Future for Snowe as a Republican from Public Policy Polling

I've long thought that Snowe would dump the Republicans eventually. Here's a bit more grease in that wheel.

"There are now more folks in her party who disapprove than approve of Snowe's job performance. 46% of GOP voters think she's doing a bad job to 40% who give her good marks."

FL: A Battle for Senate - And the GOP's Soul from CBS News

"Crist looks vulnerable. His poll numbers are down, though he still has a sizable, if shrinking, lead over Rubio. What he does not have is the enthusiasm of the state's Republican activists, who have repeatedly indicated their preference for Rubio in straw polls."

Paranoia Strikes Deep (Paul Krugman) from the New York Times

An excellent look at where the GOP is heading -- although I am more optimistic than Krugman is concerning where we'll end up.

"Back in 1964 the historian Richard Hofstadter published an essay titled, “The Paranoid Style in American Politics,” which reads as if it were based on today’s headlines: Americans on the far right, he wrote, feel that “America has been largely taken away from them and their kind, though they are determined to try to repossess it and to prevent the final destructive act of subversion.” Sound familiar? But while the paranoid style isn’t new, its role within the G.O.P. is."

'Scozzafava' Turns into Epithet from the Washington Post

"Over Halloween weekend, Dede Scozzafava morphed from a rosy-cheeked Republican mom to a political figure of speech. "My name's a verb now," she said."

A Tea Party party Registers in Florida (Ben Smith) from Politico

"A Florida conservative has registered an official "Tea Party" with the office of the Secretary of State, and is promising to run candidates against Republicans and Democrats in state and national races."

An interesting development -- particularly if it presages a national trend. I could see this working to Charlie Crist's benefit.

INTERVIEW NUGGET!!

The Gap Year for David Plouffe (Davi Remnick) from the New Yorker

"Nothing has trained Plouffe to anticipate the unexpected more than his experience with Barack Obama. “We all lived with absolute knowledge how strong [Hillary Clinton] was and how unlikely our victory was,” he said. “It wasn’t like, in the beginning, we said, ‘We know something no one else knows—this is going to be kryptonite that’s going to really bring her to her knees.’ ”"

MIDDLE EAST NUGGET!!

Getting Away from it All, in Iran from the Global Post

"A few hours' drive from the capital of one of the Islamic world's most conservative countries, one can find a respite from the heat and society's

strict rules — just ask the women in bikinis."

END-OF-COLD-WAR NUGGET!!

From Solidarity to Democracy from the Wall Street Journal

"A Polish dissident reflects on the liberation of Eastern Europe 20 years later."

News Nuggets 251

One of several 'funny cat' images I may be posting this coming week.

Survey: USA Becomes Top Country Brand Under Obama from Reuters via CNBC

"Barack Obama has done it again. The president's starpower has made the United States the place most people want to visit and do business with, according to an annual survey that ranks nations like retail brands."

Relax, Mr President. There’s no need to rush from the Financial Times [of London]

"The clamour for instant decisions and even faster results has been particularly insistent in the arena of foreign policy. George W. Bush was assailed for starting a needless war in Iraq. Mr Obama’s crime has been to win the Nobel Peace Prize for preferring to talk before he shoots."

Iran's 'Great Satan' Addiction (David Ignatius) from the Washington Post

"It's a measure of the political turmoil in Tehran that the chief proponent of engagement with the United States over the past month has been the hard-line president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He has been attacked for his supposed willingness to make concessions to the West, including by some of the "green movement" reformers who defied him in the June presidential election."

Obama's Asia Tour Kicks Off at Critical Time on Home Front from McClatchy News Service

"He planned his Nov. 11-19 trip around the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Singapore, but added stops in Japan, China and South Korea. The itinerary reflects the growing importance of East Asia — especially China — to everything from financing U.S. debt and powering the global economic recovery to climate change, disease control, and containing nuclear threats from North Korea and Iran."

The Memory Trap from Foreign Policy Magazine

"Why remembrance of past imperial glory holds back Russia today. Part of an FP series, 20 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall."

What Ails the Senate (Stephen Hayes) from the Nation

"If there's a consistency to be found here, it's that in both cases, Lieberman seemed to take a delight in undermining the legislative priorities of his ostensible allies in the Democratic caucus. But the problem isn't so much that Lieberman is wrong now (though, of course, he is). The problem is that he was right then."

House Democrats Pass Health-Care Bill from the Washington Post

Recounts events from last night. More can be found HERE and HERE.

Hours after President Obama exhorted Democratic lawmakers to "answer the call of history," the House hit an unprecedented milestone on the path to health-care reform, approving a trillion-dollar package late Saturday that seeks to overhaul private insurance practices and guarantee comprehensive and affordable coverage to almost every American.

Health Care PASSES: The Scene in the House When it Happened from the Huffinton Post

Very moving video at this link.

"The House floor erupted in one of the loudest cheers the chamber has heard in years when Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), an hour before midnight, cast the 218th and deciding vote on landmark health care reform."

Pelosi Wins the Day from Politico

"“That was easy,” the speaker said with a smile. It wasn’t. She had just delivered a promise decades of her predecessors failed to bring home, harnessing her uncommon focus, vote-counting acumen and consensus-building skills to bring tens of millions of Americans a giant leap closer to having health insurance coverage with a 220-215 roll call"

The State of Hillary: A Mixed Record on the Job (Joe Klein) from Time Magazine

"Only a few of Clinton's recent predecessors have distinguished themselves. ... Most of the others have been frustrated or forgettable. And yet this is Hillary Clinton we're talking about — the second most popular American in the world, an eternally compelling and supremely talented character, the subject of constant speculation, a walking headline. Her very presence in the job makes it crucial once more."

Dems to Use Election to Push Agenda in Congress from the New York Times

"Blaming election setbacks on a drop in voter enthusiasm, Congressional Democrats said Wednesday that losses in governors’ races in Virginia and New Jersey — and a striking House win in New York — should give new urgency to their legislative agenda, including a sweeping health care overhaul."

Climate Bill Passes Without GOP from Politico

This is the CLIMATE BILL (not health care) we're talking here.

"With Republican boycotting the proceedings, Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) relied on a little used interpretation of committee rules to move the legislation. Traditionally, two minority members are required to conduct committee business."

The Night They Drove the Tea Partiers Down (Frank Rich) from the New York Times

"If the tea party right can’t win there, imagine how it might fare in the nation where most Americans live. Some G.O.P. leaders have started to notice."

Attack of the Palinites (Eugene Robinson) from the Washington Post

"Democrats have some thinking to do after Tuesday's elections, but Republicans don't have time to think. They're too busy trying to survive the party's internal purge and avoid being shipped off to political Siberia."

Is the Tea Party Gang Turning GOP Into Party of Hate? (David Corn) from Politics Daily

"When John Boehner, the Republican leader of the House, appeared at the Tea Party rally at the Capitol on Thursday afternoon, it was a dramatic signal: The wingnuts have taken over the GOP."

Cantor Calls for Inclusive Party, Criticizes Limbaugh Rhetoric from Bloomberg News Service

I was wondering what it would take for any GOP leader to start standing up to the out-of-control racism and anti-semitism openly displayed at Tea Party rallies. The fact that it has taken Cantor (who is Jewish) this long speaks volumes. Fifty-fifty says he caves on his Limbaugh criticism.

"The second-ranking Republican in the U.S. House, Eric Cantor, criticized some comments by talk-show host Rush Limbaugh as inappropriate and said his party needs to be inclusive."

Conservatives Rework Rhetoric After NY-23 Loss from the Washington Independent

"Tea Partiers Say GOP Loss Enough for Conservative Victory"

Let's have some more victories for the GOP like this one!

DOG NUGGET!!

The Last Word: Inside a Dog's World from The Week

I actually don't agree with much of what people are espousing in this article -- but it's interesting nonetheless.

"GO LOOK AT a dog. Go on, look—maybe at one lying near you right now, curled around his folded legs on a dog bed, or sprawled on his side on the tile floor, paws flitting through the pasture of a dream. Take a good look—and now forget everything you know about dogs. Because forgetting what we think we know is the best way to begin understanding dogs."

CULTURE NUGGET!!

Mickey Mouse's 'Edgy' Makeover from The Week

"Disney has created a menacing new Mickey for the Wii generation—is it a bad idea to mess with the Mouse?"

See also THIS from the Times [of London]

This reeks of "New Coke."

News Nuggets 250

Commemorating Obama's election victory one year ago yesterday, here's this image of him campaigning in Iowa.

Hobson's Choice in Iran from Newsweek

"The antigovernment protesters in Iran, who had been careful to distance themselves from America, have just asked the West not to sell them out."

A Year On, Has Barack Obama Met the Hopes of the World? from the [Manchester] Guardian

"Last November, in Chicago's Grant Park, world politics was transformed by the arrival of America's first black president. But has he made good on his groundbreaking promises?"

Quiet Progress Made in US-North Korea Talks from Foreign Policy Magazine

"An administration official told The Cable that substantial progress was made in behind-the-scenes talks between Sung Kim, the State Department's special envoy to the six party talks, and Ri Gun, North Korea's lead negotiator."

Obama's Strategy of Buying Time (Op-ed) from RealClearWorld

Excellent statement on what Obama is confronting around the world.

He seems to be fighting to create new choices, not liking what is on the menu. He may succeed. But it is important to understand the overwhelming forces that shape his choices and to understand the degree to which whatever he chooses is embedded in U.S. grand strategy, a strategy imposed by geopolitical reality."

Obama's First Year: A Record You Can Believe In (Eugene Robinson) from the Washington Post

"It's been a year since a healthy majority of American voters elected Barack Obama to change the world. Which is precisely what he's doing."

A Glimpse of the Future? (Bob Herbert) from the New York Times

"Mr. Obama delivered an upbeat speech that offered a glimpse of a broader overall vision and a practical way forward on the crucial issues of energy and jobs."

How the Economic Crisis Has Changed Us from Parade Magazine

Yes -- this is the first appearance in the Nuggets of Parade Magazine

"The changes in the economy over the past 18 months have had profound effects on the lives of people across the country. Now, for the first time, a new PARADE survey shows just how dramatically Americans’ goals, hopes, spending habits, relationships, and even their attitudes toward trusted"

No Difference Between President Obama and Candidate Obama (David Plouffe) from the Huffinton Post

"I remain confident in the president's unique ability not just to lead us through the many challenges and crises of the moment, but also to accomplish the tough, smart, long-term projects of energy and health care reform -- problems that Washington has long ignored but that will secure a more equitable and prosperous future for all Americans."

The Writer-in-Chief: The Inside Story of Publishing Obama's Memoir from the Huffington Post

""What's his name?"

"Barack Obama."

"Sorry. What is his name?"

"Barack. Obama." He'd graduated at the top of his class at Harvard Law School, she explained, and was the first Black President of the Harvard Law Review. His educational credentials were impeccable and I was going to love his writing, she felt confident.

Dems Want to Seize Historic Moment from Politico

"Health care is big for House Democrats: big like Social Security in the ’30s and civil rights in the ’60s, big like the war stories retold now in party caucuses as lawmakers grapple with the floor vote that is just days away. "

Uncivil War: Conservatives to Challenge a Dozen GOP Candidates from Politico

"In what could be a nightmare scenario for Republican party officials, conservative activists are gearing up to challenge leading GOP candidates in more than a dozen key House and Senate races in 2010."

GOP Trails in Money Chase from Politico

"Whatever success they achieve today, the likelihood of Republicans seizing that momentum and scoring a congressional comeback remains dim. And the biggest reason they still face an uphill fight is the oldest one in the campaign playbook: money. "

The GOP Dumps the Gipper (Robert Shrum) from The Week

"Mired in anger and vituperation, seemingly hell-bent on becoming a small-tent faction rather than a big-tent governing party, Republicans have betrayed the leader they ritually canonize. The GOP is now the party of malaise."

It Doesn't Mean Squat (Joshua Green) from the Atlantic

I totally agree with Green here concerning the off-year elections.

"A lot of people believe they can divine hidden meaning from the results of off-year elections, like the ones in Virginia, New York and New Jersey on Tuesday. I'm skeptical. For one thing, nobody bothers to wait for the polls to close anymore--the "meaning" of the results has been hammered out in advance."

Why Democrats are Smiling (Eric Alterman) from the Daily Beast

"The elections may have been a mixed bag for the White House, but they certainly didn’t signal a Republican renaissance. Far from it—the party’s “grassroots patriots” are now headed for war against the moderate apostates."

Relax Democrats (Ruy Teixeira) from the New York Times

"TO hear Republicans tell it, Tuesday’s elections, in which their candidates captured the governorships of Virginia and New Jersey, were a repudiation of President Obama and indicated a voter shift toward their party. They should calm themselves down. The results don’t show this and, in fact, suggest some rather daunting challenges for the Republicans."

INTERVIEW NUGGET!!

Al Gore and "Our Choice" from the New Yorker

"Al Gore’s new book, “Our Choice” which comes out today, puts forward a series of proposals for taking on global warming. He spoke to Elizabeth Kolbert recently about what he learned in the course of his research, the rise of Chinese environmentalism, and the current debate over cap-and-trade in Congress. This interview covers, in part, why he’s optimistic about the climate crisis."

COLD WAR NUGGET!!

Newsweek has a series of interesting articles on the 20-year anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. See HERE and HERE and a video link HERE.

News Nuggets 249 [important ELECTION DAY notes]

Shooting stars in Death Valley.

PA VOTER NOTICE #1

For PA folks, vote today! As noted earlier, the judgeships are especially important -- I believe it is Jack Panella who is the one we need to get in to swing the balance to the Dems for redistricting purposes next year.

PA VOTER NOTICE #2 [courtesy of Connie Phillips of Aspinwall]

Something very important is going on right now:

Senator Specter is important right now because he is a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee which is the first ranking committee to review and potentially make changes (good or bad) to the Senate climate bill introduced by Senator Kerry and Senator

Boxer. It is called the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act of 2009 (CEJAP). SENATOR SPECTER PLACES HIGH VALUE ON

HANDWRITTEN NOTES AND THAT'S WHERE WE CAN HELP. He needs to hear from his constituents that they support a STRONG climate bill. If any of you could take a few minutes over a cup of coffee and write him a note, we can help America be a leader at the Copenhagen climate talks in December, create secure energy sources here at home, and create new green jobs right here in Pennsylvania. Currently there are only 8,000 some coal jobs and those are decreasing due to increased mechanization.

You can write to Senator Specter at:

Regional Enterprise Tower

425 Sixth Avenue, Suite 1450

Pittsburgh, PA 15219

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Writing to him in Washington D.C. takes two to four weeks because all the mail has to be screened.

Some additional points:

1. Be sure to include your name and address.

2. It helps to include why it's important to you that the United States acts now to fight global warming and invest in clean energy.

3. This bill puts America back in control and makes it more energy independent.

More technical points:

1. The EPA must retain authority to enforce the Clean Air Act rules that would regulate global warming pollution from existing coal plants. This is important because, if I remember right, the bill that passed the House (the American Clean Energy and Security Act or ACES) GUTS the power of the EPA to enforce the Clean Air Act.

2. There should be no giveaways to coal companies to build new coal fired power plants.

3. The global warming emissions reductions should remain at the science-based targets of 20% by 2020 and 83% by 2050.

4. A renewable electricity standard of 20% by 2020 should be included in the final bill.

The GOP Stalinists Invade Upstate New York (Frank Rich) from the New York Times

"BARACK OBAMA’S most devilish political move since the 2008 campaign was to appoint a Republican congressman from upstate New York as secretary of the Army. This week’s election to fill that vacant seat has set off nothing less than a riotous and bloody national G.O.P. civil war."

Teach Your Teachers Well (Editorial) from the New York Times

"If we really want good schools, we need to create a critical mass of great teachers. And if we want smart, passionate people to become these great educators, we have to attract them with excellent programs and train them properly in the substance and practice of teaching."

McCain Advisor Faces Personal Health Insurance Woes from the Washington Post

Sad, ironic -- and, boy, could I name some other Republicans who deserve it more!

"If history had taken a different course, Doug Holtz-Eakin would be inside the McCain White House driving the Republican president's domestic agenda, including health-care reform. But now, one year after Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) lost the presidential election, the man who was by McCain's side as the campaign's top health-care guru remains unemployed -- and his COBRA health coverage is running out."

The Things People Say: Rumors in the Age of Unreason from the New Yorker

"That such a wacky idea should be so persistent is, to put it mildly, disquieting. Here we are, quadrillions of bytes deep into the Information Age. And yet information, it seems, has never mattered less."

Conservatives Take Aim at Leaders, Christ, Other Races from Politico

"The conservative coup in upstate New York did much more than lay bare the power of conservative activists: It exposed how little control GOP officials hold over this surging and formidable political movement. "

Fiasco: NY Republicans Deliver Again from Politico

"over the past decade or so, the New York Republican Party has emerged as the political gang that couldn’t shoot straight, an operation so inept that it’s sometimes hard to believe it exists in the nation’s third most populous state. "

HBO NUGGET!!

This is on TONIGHT!

An add for the HBO documentary By the People: The Election of Barack Obama from the Daily Beast

"Nearly a year before Barack Obama announced his candidacy for the presidency on February 10, 2007, filmmakers Amy Rice and Alicia Sams began to roll cameras on the young senator. Over the next 19 months, they found themselves travelling all across the country, chronicling the daily ups and downs of the campaign trail as experienced by Obama, his family, his staff and volunteers."

News Nuggets 248

The photographer was six feet away from a humpback whale calf. Its mother came up behind him and tapped his shoulder, gently extending her 15-foot pectoral fin in order to show Austin that she was watching him. See the "Whales Nugget" below..

UP-FRONT "PITTSBURGH IN DANGER" NUGGET!!

US Attorney in Western PA Who Played Role in Firings Scandal to Step Down -- Congressional Bid Next? from Talking Points Memo

"Mary Beth Buchanan, a Republican, is said to be mulling a run for Congress against incumbent Democrat Rep. Jason Altmire."

Iran Splits on Nukes (Robert Dreyfuss) from the Nation

"One thing I heard over and over again during my visit to Tehran in June was that the two sides in Iran's political divide were intent on sabotaging any US-Iran deal concluded by the other side. If President Ahmadinejad moves toward an agreement with the West over Iran's nuclear program, anaylsts told me, the centrist-reformist opposition would denounce it and work to unravel it. On the other hand, if former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mousavi won the election, reformists told me, he would move toward exactly such a deal -- and the right-wing, including Ahmadinejad, would howl and oppose it. Well, Ahmadinejad won, Mousavi lost -- at least, that's how the story goes -- and voila! the prediction has come true."

Liberals Don't Bolt from Pelosi Bill from Politico

You know a certain group in a party has a reputation for, shall we say, wavering when it's a headline when they DON'T.

"The bill she unveiled Thursday includes big pieces of what the most liberal members of her party wanted — most likely setting up a serious battle when negotiators try to merge it with the far more moderate Senate legislation. "

The Defining Moment (Paul Krugman) from the New York Times

"The seemingly impossible dream of fundamental health reform is just a few steps away from becoming reality, and each player has to decide whether he or she is going to help it across the finish line or stand in its way."

If the Deficit Falls in the Forest ... (Paul Krugman) from his blog at the New York Times

A two-fer for Mr. Krugman!! And -- Boy! -- he makes a powerful point here, one that applies to many other issues.

"There are very good odds that even if Obama exhibited iron fiscal discipline, voters wouldn’t notice."

What's in the House Healthcare Bill? from Daily Kos

A MUST-READ if you are looking ahead to 2010 to see what average Americans might be getting if the House Bill is passed.

"Here's the full list of what will start happening in 2010 under the bill."

The President Passes the Dover Test (Mark Shields) from Creators' Syndicate

"John Glenn spoke in the Senate on Jan. 22, 1997, about what he called "the Dover test" are worth recalling: "It's easy to see the flags flying and the people go off to war, and the bands play and the flags fly. And it's not quite so easy when the flag is draped over a coffin coming back through Dover, Delaware.""

On the Quiet, the US is Legalising Marijuana from the Times [of London]

"You know things are shifting in America when Fortune magazine, the bible for business journalism, runs a cover story titled “Is pot already legal?”. You also know it when Barack Obama’s Department of Justice publishes a long-expected memo signalling that the federal government will no longer raid medical marijuana dispensaries if they are legal under state law. That happened formally this month."

Are the Teapartiers Good or Bad for the GOP? A Roundtable from Salon

An interesting conversation -- Byron York, as usual, missing what's really going on. The other two -- right on the money.

"In 2009, the energized right-wing base of the Republican Party transformed American politics. Nationwide protests against Barack Obama and his political agenda have forced establishment conservatives and the Republican Party power structure to make a strategic decision about whether listening to their core voters will help them or hurt them in coming elections."

The Last Days of the GOP (Editorial) from the Daily Beast

"On Saturday, Republican candidate Dede Scozzafava suspended her bid in the special election, citing a lack of funds. John Batchelor on the ugly food fight for a New York House seat and why the cynical celebrity endorsements of Sarah Palin, Tim Pawlenty, and the Club for Growth will hurt the GOP."

Base Sends GOP Warning Shot in NY-23 from Politico

"The message from national and New York conservatives is unambiguous, though: This was an angry, energized base telling the national party that an anything-for-a-majority approach by GOP leaders is unacceptable. They are serious and deeply concerned about what's going on in Washington."

NY-23: What Happens, Who Wins, Who Loses? from the Washington Independent

"What does the Scozzafava surprise mean for the Owens-Hoffman horse race?"

BOOK NUGGET!!

American Pastoral from the New York Review of Books

A review of a biography of the great depression-era photographer, Dorthea Lange!

ANOTHER BOOK NUGGET!!

Breaking a Conspiracy of Silence from the New York Review of Books

A GREAT review of columnist Nicholas Kristof's new book, Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, a real inspiring, harrowing, make-a-difference kind of book.

WHALES NUGGET!!

An amazing set of photos from a marine photographer from the Huffington Post

Truly awesome.

"Bryant Austin is a photographer whose life-size photographs of endangered whale species are touring the world and inspiring awareness about these amazing animals.

GENERAL MOTORS NUGGET!!

The Auto Bailout: How We Did It (Steven Rattner) from Fortune Magazine

"Without any experience in automaking or government, Steven Rattner left his Wall Street perch to wade into the largest restructuring in American history. The scale and speed of the rescue raised many questions, inspiring Rattner to write this account of a defining moment in capitalism."