News Nuggets 283

Captain America takes on the Tea Party crowd!! See the Comic Book Nugget below.

In Iran, Revolution is in the Air from the National Journal

""Khamenei could probably negotiate a deal with opposition leaders, but he believes the lesson of 1979 is that any concession to the opposition is the beginning of the end of the regime, and he may be right," said Ray Takeyh, an Iran expert at the Council on Foreign Relations."

The Realist Prism: Bribery as a Diplomatic Tool from World Politics Review

"After years of insisting that Iraqis should be grateful for their liberation from Saddam Hussein's tyranny, the U.S. military began to put unemployed Sunnis -- many of them ex-army personnel who had been deprived of their livelihoods when the Iraqi army was dissolved in 2003 -- back on the payroll in 2006, leading to a sharp decrease in insurgent attacks against U.S. forces. One has to wonder about other possible applications."

Obama in Nominee Showdown from Politico

This is good news!

"The Senate confirmed a huge group of administration nominees on Thursday, following a tense exchange between President Barack Obama and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)."

The GOP's Overconfidence Problem (Stuart Rothenberg) from Congressional Quarterly

"In fact, GOP political consultants and strategists aren’t popping champagne corks yet. Instead, they worry about the euphoria on the right and believe that the party has a long way to go before it can nail down a big win in the midterm elections. Some Republican operatives are openly concerned about the party’s tactical disadvantages, most notably its financial position. Others fear that circumstances could change, robbing the GOP of its strategic advantage."

One in Ten House Republicans Calling it Quits from Raw Story

But ... but what about our MSM "collapse of the Democrats" narrative? This just won't play!!

"With Thursday's announcement that Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL) will not seek re-election in his Miami-area district, the number of Republicans not running for re-election to the House now amounts to more than 10 percent of the House Republican caucus, compared to less than five percent for Democrats."

Tea Parties Defined by What They Oppose (Bill Shneider) from the National Journal

"Populism is anti-elitist, and the tea party movement is defiantly opposed to the educated elites who run Washington, Wall Street, and the media. ... The nation's educated elites are contemptuous of Palin, and she returns their contempt."

Seems to be a common theme today.

Secret is Out, Denial is In (Markos Moulitsas) from The Hill

"Rather than be embarrassed by these [poll] results, Fox News and the rest of the conservative movement should be ecstatic. Their message is getting through! People believe all the crazy things they’ve been told to believe! And really, the reason conservatives are so engaged and desperate for November to arrive is because they’ve been led to believe that Obama is an illegitimate racist communist who wants the terrorists to win."

Palin's Beer-Track Populism (Ronald Brownstein) from the National Journal

This is one of the most scary features of Palin and the Tea Party crowd.

"In her "tea party" speech in Nashville and appearance on Fox News Sunday (where else?), she not only derided Obama as an ineffectual, unmanly "professor of law" but also challenged the very idea of expertise as the basis for governing."

COMIC BOOK NUGGET!!

This is hilarious!!

Teabaggers Upset Marvel Comics Turned Them into ’Supervillains’ from Raw Story

"In a recent issue of Captain America, the long-time superhero and his African-American partner The Falcon travel to Idaho to investigate a white supremacist militia group, the Watchdogs, who are long-time villains in the Marvel Universe. On the way, they pass an anti-tax rally where the protesters are holding up signs bearing familiar Tea Party slogans, such as "Stop the Socialists!" and "Tea Bag the Libs Before They Tea Bag You.""

MOVIE NUGGET!!

Top 11 Romantic Comedies (Nora Ephron) from the Daily Beast

I've always appreciated Nora Ephron's screenwriting.

"For Valentine's Day, the director and screenwriter picks her favorite romantic comedies—WATCH VIDEO of her selections, from The Lady Vanishes to Sense & Sensibility."

ELEPHANT SEAL NUGGET!!

A really charming video look at a photographer and an elephant seal snuggling on the beach.

Woman Cuddles with Elephant Seal from the Huffington Post

News Nuggets 282

Haiti in better times - from the Los Angeles Times

Obama Outsmarts the Terrorists (Peter Beinart) from Daily Beast

"President Obama isn't nearly as scared of the terrorists as Bush was—and that’s precisely why al Qaeda is falling apart."

Postcards from Yemen (Thomas Friedman) from the New York Times

"Nor did I expect to find civil society organizations here staffed with young American volunteers — and, in the case of The Yemen Observer, an English-language newspaper, a whole newsroom full of them. All I could do was look around at these American college students and wonder: “Do your parents know you’re here?” They just laughed. Every shopkeeper I spoke to in Old Sana spat out the words “Al Qaeda,” which they blamed for killing tourism. Who knew Yemen had tourists? No, this is not Afghanistan."

Who Wants to Bomb Iran? from Foreign Policy Magazine

It's good to know who these gone-from-reality kooks are!

"They're back! The "Bomb Iran" crowd is making a big return to the political center stage after months of puzzlement over what to do about developments in the Islamic Republic. "

The Sanctions on Iran Are Already Working from Foreign Policy Magazine

"Ignore the false debate in Washington over which measures to pressure the Islamic Republic are the "smart" ones. Tehran is already feeling the heat."

Iran's Two-Edged Bomb (Op-Ed) from the New York Times

"We should admit that Washington’s approach to countering the Islamic Republic is leading nowhere. What’s needed, however, may be less of a change of plan than a change in how we view the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran. Believe it or not, there are some potential benefits to the United States should Iran build a bomb. (I’m speaking for myself here, and in no way for the Air Force.) Five possibilities come to mind."

When Will China Lead the World? Don’t Hold Your Breath (Joshua Kurlantzick) from the Boston Globe

"Predictions of America’s decline are vastly overstated. Asia is indeed increasing its economic footprint in the world, but it still lags far behind the United States in military might, political and diplomatic influence, and even most measures of economic stability."

Boy, it has been a long time since the Boston Globe did anything worth classifying as a nugget. Even this item contains many assumptions I don't buy -- but the overall point I think is on target.

Another version of this same interpretation is HERE from World Politics Review.

America on the Rise (Joel Kotkin) from Forbes Magazine

"George Will may be one of America's great columnists, but he--like his equally distinguished liberal counterpart Thomas Friedman--may be falling prey to a current fashion for sinophilia. It is a sign of the times that conservatives as well as liberals often underestimate the Middle Kingdom's problems--in addition to America's relative strengths."

Keeping Faith, Courting Conservatives from the Wall Street Journal

"Obama's Willingness to Continue Bush Approach to Religious Charities Aims to Woo Evangelicals but Vexes Liberals."

Is Obama Playing Poker with Health Care? (David Corn) from Politics Daily

"Obama and the White House obviously realize that this get-together will not unsour the process. So why do it? The obvious answer is this: The president is playing poker."

Charter Schools' Growth Promoting Segregation, Studies Say from the Los Angeles Times

I have LONG suspected that this was going on.

"The growth of charter schools has promoted segregation both in California and nationwide, increasing the odds that black, Latino and white students will attend class with fewer children who look different from themselves, according to two new studies."

Smoke the Bigots Out of the Closet (Frank Rich) from the New York Times

A funny thing happened after Adm. Mike Mullen called for gay men and lesbians to serve openly in the military: A curious silence befell much of the right. If this were a Sherlock Holmes story, it would be the case of the attack dogs that did not bark. ... Most Americans recognize that being gay is not a “lifestyle” but an immutable identity, and that outlawing discrimination against gay people who want to serve their country is, as the admiral said, “the right thing to do.”"

The Trouble with John McCain (Reihan Salam) from the Daily Beast

"The original GOP maverick ran to the right in his 2008 presidential bid. So why is he suddenly so vulnerable to a conservative challenger he needs Sarah Palin to help save him?"

Tea Party Favorite Sarah Palin has Delusions of Grandeur if She Thinks She Can Be President (Mike Lupica) from the New York Daily News

Here, I had sworn that I would not be giving Palin any more play -- than this item from Mike Lupica comes along. Parts of it are hilarious!

"Now there are many, many ways Sarah Palin could help this country. Running for President will never be one of them. You listen to her long enough and actually feel yourself getting dimmer by the minute, like a dying light bulb."

Black Helicopters Over Nashville (Jonathan Kay) from Newsweek

"Never mind Sarah Palin and the tricornered hats. The tea-party movement is dominated by conspiracist kooks."

CULTURE NUGGET!!

Iran's Secret Obsession: Getting "Lost" in Tehran from Time Magazine

"For the past two years, the U.S. TV series has dominated the underground DVD market in Tehran; almost nowhere in the world is the sixth and final season of Lost anticipated more than in Iran. Initially discovered in October 2008 by a few Iranians with access to high-speed Internet, the show has become Tehran's "gotta have it" DVD item."

BOOK NUGGET!!

Daniel Gross Reviews Henry Paulson's Book, On the Brink: Inside the Race to Stop the Collapse of the Global Financial System from the Washington Post

"Paulson was in an unenviable position. The Bush administration was on its last legs, the economy was in recession, and the global financial system melted down smack in the middle of a torrid campaign season. Working with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke -- "an incredible stand up guy" -- and the cool, calm and collected president of the New York Federal Reserve Bank, Tim Geithner, Paulson stitched together the guarantees, bailouts and backstops that helped cushion the fall."

HOUSING NUGGET!!

Slumburbia (Timothy Egan) from the New York Times

"Drive along foreclosure alley, through new planned communities that look like tile-roofed versions of a 21st century ghost town, and you see what happens when people gamble with houses instead of casino chips. ... Now median home prices have fallen from $500,000 to $150,000 — among the most precipitous drops in the nation — and still the houses sit empty, spooky and see-through, waiting on demography and psychology to catch up."

SNOW SCULPTURE NUGGET!!

Pretty clever what some people do!

Thirteen Awesome Things to Do with Snow from the Huffington Post

News Nuggets 281

Boobies on the Caribbean Island of Hispaniola - from the National Geographic

Opposition Hardens Line on Iran's Leaders from the New York Times

"The Iranian opposition leader, made some of his harshest remarks to date against Iran's rulers on Tuesday in an interview on his Web site, calling their behavior dictatorial and terrifying. The remarks by Mr. Moussavi, whom supporters regard as the real winner of Iran’s contested presidential election last June, appeared to be part of a broader opposition effort to counter an intensified crackdown by the government ahead of the Feb. 11 anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, when many expect new street protests to erupt."

They're Wearing Green in Dubai from Foreign Policy Magazine

"How the Iranian diaspora is gearing up for Feb. 11. ... Here in Dubai, there's no sign that the green movement is fading. "

Revenge on the Taliban, from 10,000 Feet (David Ignatius) from the Washington Post

"In their joint operations against Taliban militants hiding in the tribal areas, the United States and Pakistan seem to have embraced a classic bit of battlefield advice: Don't get mad, get even."

White House Prepares for Possibility of 2 Supreme Court Vacancies from ABC News

"Court watchers believe two of the more liberal members of the court, justices John Paul Stevens and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, could decide to step aside for reasons of age and health. That would give the president his second and third chance to shape his legacy on the Supreme Court."

Arguing About Gays in the Military: It's So Over (David Wood) from Politics Daily

""We never ask anybody to join. You wanna be part of this outfit, you gotta meet the standards,'' one Marine said. "If you're a woman or a gay or a Martian, you gotta meet the standards. Otherwise go do something else.''"

Obama's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Triumph (Michael Tomasky) of the Guardian [of the UK]

"The move towards repealing the US military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy has been a triumph of political choreography"

Obama Proposals Seek Broad Change to 'No Child Left Behind' from the New York Times

"Educators who have been briefed by administration officials said the proposals for changes in the main law governing the federal role in public schools would eliminate or rework many of the provisions that teachers’ unions, associations of principals, school boards and other groups have found most objectionable."

Obama's Spirituality is Largely Private, But it's Influential, Advisers Say from the Washington Post

"Close advisers to the president said the role of faith, while subtle, has been noticeable in and around the Obama White House. One senior official described the president as "a prayerful guy." Another said that Obama has consulted religious leaders less often for his own personal guidance than for help walking through major public decisions -- such as during the Afghanistan review process, when he sought advice on the ethical implications of war."

Poll: Most States Remain Blue from Politico

"Despite strong Republican performances in recent off-year elections, most states still favor Democratic candidates, according to a new survey by Gallup."

Grifter's Tale (Timothy Egan) from the New York Times

"Palin and Edwards are two of an American archetype, opportunists playing to outrage while taking care of themselves."

MOVIE NUGGET!!

Oscar Nominations 2010: Complete List for 82nd Academy Awards from the Associated Press via Huffington Post

"Complete list of 82nd Annual Academy Award nominations announced Tuesday: Best Picture: "Avatar," "The Blind Side," "District 9," "An Education," "The Hurt Locker," "Inglourious Basterds," "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire," "A Serious Man," "Up," "Up in the Air. ..."

FOREIGN ASSISTANCE NUGGET!

From 'Oprah' to Building a Sisterhood in Congo (Nichaolas Kristof) of the New York Times

"Five years ago, Lisa Shannon watched “Oprah” and learned about the savage, forgotten war here in eastern Congo, played out in massacres and mass rape. That show transformed Lisa’s life, costing her a good business, a beloved fiancé, and a comfortable home in Portland, Ore. — but giving her a chance to save lives in Congo."

AMAZING MEDICAL NUGGET!!

"Think Tennis for Yes, Home for No: How Doctors Helped Man in Vegetative State from the Guardian [of the UK]

"For seven years the man lay in a hospital bed, showing no signs of consciousness since sustaining a traumatic brain injury in a car accident. His doctors were ­convinced he was in a vegetative state. Until now."

News Nuggets 280

A jellyfish in the Mediterranean Sea - from US News and World Report

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Breakthrough (Michael Tomasky) from the [Manchester] Guardian

"The Pentagon is unveiling its plan to repeal don't ask, don't tell next week."

Likelihood of passage is not good.

Two Cheers for Obama on Foreign Affairs (Robert Dreyfuss) from the Nation

"It was a pleasure to listen to a State of the Union address, especially after eight years of his predecessor's alarmist warnings and warlike thundering, in which war, terrorism, and "rogue states" went almost unmentioned."

Who Will Be the Next Secretary of State? from Foreign Policy Magazine

"Now that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said she can't imagine herself serving another four years after 2012, the obvious question becomes: Who might replace her?"

The President Obama We Voted For (Joan Walsh) from Salon

Obama's Q&A with House Republicans on Friday may end up being the more important talk he gave this last week.

"Like a lot of people in both parties -- especially the House GOP aides who set it up and let the TV cameras roll -- I was honstly blown away by Obama's performance. Like a lot of Democrats, I was very happy to see him engage and question and answer -- and at times kick some ill-informed and obstreperous GOP ass."

Obama vs. the House: Best TV Ever (Mike Madden) from Salon

"[The pamphlet] had a catchy title: "Better Solutions." The pamphlet may not be an ideal blueprint for governing -- it only takes 30 pages to wrap up everything from economic stimulus to national security to financial reform -- but, as it turned out, it did make for a pretty good prop. Which Obama demonstrated about an hour into what was easily the most entertaining program C-SPAN (or any cable news network, really) has aired in a long time."

The Obama I Remember (Melissa Harris-Lacewell) from the Nation

Some interesting insight into the Obama during his days in Chicago.

"I remember the first time I saw him campaign. He was running against Bobby Rush for a congressional seat on the Southside of Chicago. He could barely fill a community center room with 25 people. Hardly the teeming crowds who now stand in lines for hours in inclement weather to hear him speak or who braved bitter cold to see him inaugurated."

A Change in Attitude After the '08 Election from the Washington Post

"Adults kept telling them: "There is finally a man in the White House who looks like you." ¶ Their parents emphasized repeatedly: The election of Barack Obama was "historic! Historic! HISTORIC!" The comments seemed too enormous to grasp for young people who hadn't lived through segregation, the civil rights movement, the black-is-beautiful movement and the start of affirmative action. ¶ But a year after the inauguration, there is evidence that the election has had an effect. "

Economy in US Grew at 5.7% Pace, Most in Six Years from the Bloomberg News Service

"The 5.7 percent increase in gross domestic product, which exceeded the median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News, marked the best performance since the third quarter of 2003."

A Very Productive Congress, Despite What the Approval Ratings Say (Norman Ornstein) from the Washington Post

"There seems to be little to endear citizens to their legislature or to the president trying to influence it. It's too bad, because ... this Democratic Congress is on a path to become one of the most productive since the Great Society 89th Congress in 1965-66, and Obama already has the most legislative success of any modern president -- and that includes Ronald Reagan and Lyndon Johnson. "

HERE, HERE!! I suspected that this was going on! It simply showcases how terrible the Dems' and Obama's political messaging has been.

Obama's Banking Proposals Are a Good First Step (Joseph Stiglitz) from the Washington Post

"In the last two weeks, President Obama finally proposed tough new restrictions on the big banks, and then he underlined them in his State of the Union speech. It's a start."

Obama Sticks Firmly to His Guns from the Editorial Board of the Financial Times [of London]

"In many ways this show of resilience was admirable, and should have been expected. Mr Obama has shown coolness under fire before. And politically it may turn out to be wise."

Poll: Obama's Speech Resonates with Swing Voters from Democracy Corps

"Obama’s strong words for the banks clearly resonated and generated some of the strongest scores on our dials of the night from Democrats, Republicans and independents."

Supreme Court Ruling Spurs Huge Wave of Good-Government Efforts from the Huffington Post

"On the Hill, there are currently at least seven separate pieces of legislation in the works to prevent an unprecedented flood of corporate money in the upcoming midterm elections. And in his State of the Union address on Wednesday night, President Barack Obama jumped on the bandwagon, making the unusual move to scold the Supreme Court to its face."

Obama Gets His Grove Back (Robert Shrum) from The Week

"In his State of the Union address, Obama offers no retreat on his agenda, and no place to hide for the Republicans."

Obama's Plan to Split the GOP (Richard Wolffe) from the Daily Beast

"Friday’s showdown with House Republicans marked a new White House drive to force the GOP off the sidelines—and drive a wedge between fiscal conservatives and the Tea Party crowd."

We'll see -- execution has been a serious problem over the last year.

Pew Poll: Americans Pretty Clueless About Politics and the World from Raw Story

"Half of Americans don't even know that Stephen Colbert is a comedian."

BOOK NUGGET!!

The Race Against Race (Richard Posner) from the New Republic

Reviews of the books, What Comes Naturally: Miscegenation Law and the Making of Race in America by Peggy Pascoe; Three Generations, No Imbeciles: Eugenics, the Supreme Court, and Buck v. Bell by Paul A. Lombardo; on the complex history of miscegenation law.

News Nuggets 279

A Muntjac deer in the UK. See the Special nugget at the bottom.

The Audacity of Nope (Joel Achenbach) from the Washington Post

Our UP-FRONT on-the-money pundit of the day!

"The state of the union is obstreperous. Dyspepsia is the new equilibrium. All the passion in American politics is oppositional. The American people know what they don't like, which is: everything. ... The orthodox view among pundits is that Americans have lost faith in government. That argument masks a deeper truth: Americans have also lost faith in pundits."

Americans 'Blind' to Extraordinary Progress Under Obama from the Estadao [of Brazil in English]

"The president hardly reacted to the vitriol of his detractors, which allowed them to gain advantage in the shaping of public opinion. Out of this emerge the negative assessments about his first year in power, leaving many Americans blind to the extraordinary progress that his government represents in comparison with his predecessor."

Sanction Tehran (Editorial) from the National Interest

This has been my view for some time.

"The Obama administration’s deadline for Iran to enter discussions on the nuclear issue has passed. As the White House and its allies weigh new policy options, Washington is still running with the old line that “all options are on the table.” Not really. Amid a global recession and double-digit unemployment, bombing Iran’s nuclear installations is out of the question."

McChrystal: Settle with the Taliban from the Financial Times [of London]

I have long thought it would (and should) go this way. For any kind of meaningful settlement, you can't ignore 10-15% of the population -- which is what (conservatively) the Taliban represents in Afghanistan.

"General Stanley McChrystal, the Nato commander in Afghanistan, has raised the prospect that his troop surge will lead to a negotiated peace with the Taliban."

In Iran, A Fight till the Bitter End from Forbes Magazine

"Speculation is mounting that Supreme Leader Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei may high-tail it from Iran if protests against his theocracy intensify. An Iranian government memorandum, purportedly leaked by dissidents within Iran's crumbling regime, allegedly states the Supreme Leader's aircraft is ready for a quick departure to Russia. Opposition sources claim the Supreme Leader and his cohorts have stashed ill-gotten financial gains there and other countries."

Interesting story line. I've suspected that something like this was going on -- but the evidence has pointed in all directions.

Murders at Gitmo? (Conor Friedersdorf) from the Daily Beast

"A new report alleges that the U.S. covered up the 2006 murders of three detainees at Guantanamo Bay. Conor Friedersdorf on why the GOP must reckon with the illegal, immoral acts of the Bush administration before mounting a return to power."

Personally I don't think the author fully grasps the magnitude of the criminality that has occurred at Gitmo -- and the unlikelihood of it ever coming to light before the GOP holds the reins again.

Obama's Evolution as Commander-in-Chief from Politico

"Obama will see anywhere from 20 to 30 patients on visits to Walter Reed or Bethesda. He'll ask where they're from, if they play basketball or have a favorite hometown team. “He’ll talk to them until they’re done talking,” said Matt Flavin, the director of the White House Office of Veterans and Wounded Warrior Policy, who accompanies Obama on these visits."

A surprisingly intimate look at Obama's interactions with soldiers.

Adults Only, Please (Thomas Friedman) from the New York Times

"Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve found the last few weeks in American politics particularly unnerving. Our economy is still very fragile, yet you would never know that by the way the political class is acting. We’re like a patient that just got out of intensive care and is sitting up in bed for the first time when, suddenly, all the doctors and nurses at bedside start bickering."

Speaking of adults, here's what might be the most portentous news of the day:

Oregon Voters Pass Tax Increasing Measures by Big Margin fromm the Oregonian

A TAX INCREASE!? What the @#$%! What are they thinking!? My grandchildren owe me money now! It's perfectly appropriate that they should pay the debts later. I shouldn't have to pay them now!!

"Oregon voters bucked decades of anti-tax and anti-Salem sentiment Tuesday, raising taxes on corporations and the wealthy to prevent further erosion of public schools and other state services. "

Making Sense of the New Political Anger (Sam Tenenhaus) from the New York Times

"In such an environment, it is no surprise that neither party commands much loyalty. Populists are losing patience with Democrats even as purists wrangle with Republicans. Mr. Brown seems acutely aware of this. In his victory speech he credited the will of “the independent majority.” Whether such a majority exists is another question."

Tea Party Disputes Take Toll on Convention from the New York Times

"A Tea Party convention billed as the coming together of the grass-roots groups that began sprouting up around the country a year ago is unraveling as sponsors and participants pull out to protest its expense and express concerns about “profiteering.”"

SAVED ANIMAL NUGGET!!

After Mother Killed by Car, a Muntjac Fawn is Saved from the [London] Daily Mail

"He is growing up without a mother's love. But this tiny muntjac fawn appears to have a lucky streak nonetheless. He was born three weeks early after his mother was hit by a car."

While such stories are not that unusual, this breed of fawn is unusual -- and, MAN, is he CUTE! See the images above. From 2008.

News Nuggets 278

Owachomo Bridge at the Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah from National Geographic in late 2009.

Regardless of Criticism, Obama is Doing Fine (Editorial) from Der Standard [of Austria in English]

"Amid the cadences of disappointment expressed in excruciating detail, these days the unfortunate man in the Oval Office no longer seems able to get anything right … And in spite of all that: Barack Obama is doing a good job."

While I largely agree, what I see as missing from both Obama and the Dems are political messages that work. Both he and the Democratic Party will continue to fail as long as their political framing and counterpunching to Republican messaging continue to fall as flat as it has up to now. The Republicans have completely dominated the political narrative, especially sense June, while the Dems seem to excel in simply being their opponent's official punching bag.

CIA Deaths Prompt Surge in US Drone Strikes from the New York Times

I've been following what I believe to be increased activity prompted by the bombing of CIA agents several weeks ago. I suspect their activity includes a lot more than just drones. This article is intersting on a number of fronts - especially the note no complaints from authorities about civilian casualties.

"Beginning the day after the attack on a C.I.A. base in Khost, Afghanistan, the agency has carried out 11 strikes that have killed about 90 people suspected of being militants, according to Pakistani news reports, which make almost no mention of civilian casualties."

Poll: Obama Still Most Trusted from Politico

"On the heels of being handed a brutal defeat in Massachusetts that could endanger his legislative agenda, a new poll released Thursday shows that President Obama is still viewed as the most trusted political figure to solve the nation’s problems. "

Obama and the Long View (Op-Ed) from the Nation

"While some changes have not occurred in a manner or at a speed that I would have liked, I profoundly disagree with the notion that "nothing has changed," that Obama is simply a more articulate version of George W. Bush."

Stay the Course: Reagan's Example for Obama (Lou Canon) from Politics Daily

"As Gallup divined in the depths of the recession, millions of Americans responded to Reagan's unflinching optimism and believed he would do the right thing. By that measure, if he can once again display the rousing audacity that marked his campaign for the presidency, Barack Obama can make a similar comeback. Yes, he could."

Industry Leaders Call on Congress to Halt Corporate 'Bribery' from Raw Story

"Forty-one business leaders have co-signed letters sent to Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress voicing their opposition to Thursday's Supreme Court ruling that frees corporations to spend unlimited amounts on influencing elections."

I DO note that the 'leaders" are mostly from companies that are already on the ropes economically. Interesting nonetheless.

A Memo of What Happened in Mass., and How Dems Should Proceed from a memo sent out to all Senate Chiefs of Staff via Americablog

This memo makes COMPLETE SENSE to me and I think it shows some viable strategies for the Dems to follow, particularly in the area of becoming more populist and focused on voters rather than Wall Street, etc.

"On the economy, by 2 to 1 they think Democrats have put special interests ahead of folks like them -- and by large margins think stronger regulation of Wall Street is more important than cutting spending."

Now, FIGHT! (Andrew Sullivan) from the Atlantic

I'm totally with Mr. Sullivan here.

"The truth is that these forces have also been so passionate, so extreme, and so energized that in a country reeling from a recession, the narrative - a false, paranoid, nutty narrative - has taken root in the minds of some independents. Obama, under-estimating the extremism of his opponents, has focused on actually addressing the problems we face. And the rest of us, crucially, have sat back and watched and complained and carped when we didn't get everything we want."

Well, ask and you shall receive!

A Sea Change in Obama's Demeanor (Dan Balz) from the Washington Post

"The president's rhetoric over the past week suggests he has decided to try to fight anger with anger. If Americans are fed up with bank bailouts and bonuses going to their top executives, Obama wants people to believe that he resents them just as much."

Plouffe Stepping Up Role as Adviser to White House (Chris Cillizza) from the Washington Post

Some of the best news I've heard all week!

"David Plouffe, the man who managed President Barack Obama 's campaign, will be taking on an expanded role as an outside adviser to the White House, according to sources familiar with the plan, a move that comes just days after a stunning defeat for Democrats in a Massachusetts Senate special election."

New Political Rumbling: An End to Old Ways of Fighting (Peggy Noonan) from the Wall Street Journal

While I think Peggy is off base in her characterization of the Dems, her larger point about "execution" is on the money.

"This feels like another era. Because America keeps moving, the plates keep shifting, and execution is everything. Everything."

Republicans Strain to Ride Tea Party Tiger from the New York Times

"As they look to make gains in statehouses and Congress this year, Republicans are trying to harness the Tea Party energy that helped make an unknown named Scott Brown the senator-elect from Massachusetts. But it may not be easy, as one Republican in Colorado learned the hard way."

Tea Party Talk Show Host WILL Run Against McCain in AZ from the Huffington Post

I'm sure McCain and the Republicans are JUST THRILLED about this!

"After months of speculation that popular talk show host and former Rep. JD Hayworth might challenge Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) for his senate seat, Hayworth took the first concrete step by resigning from his talk radio show Friday night. Later, he told reporters that he is not ready to make a formal announcement but is "moving forward to challenge John McCain."

How the Enquirer Exposed the John Edwards Affair (David Perel) from the Wall Street Journal

I've been looking for deeper analysis of this exposure since it first broke at the end of 2007. I still think there is more to the story than Perel reveals here.

"The man who risked the fate of the Democratic Party to satisfy his political narcissism released a statement Thursday finally admitting paternity of Rielle Hunter's daughter. In part, he said: "To all those I have disappointed and hurt, these words will never be enough, but I am truly sorry." His sincerity was as egocentrically superficial as his infamous $1,250 haircut during the 2004 presidential race. If this seems harsh, it's an analysis borne of two and a half years uncovering the former North Carolina senator's affair while I was editor in chief of the National Enquirer."

OBITUARY NUGGET!!

Jean Simmons, Actress, Dies at 80 from the New York Times

She was EXCELLENT in Great Expectations and Guys and Dolls!

"Jean Simmons, whose ethereal screen presence and starring roles with Hollywood's top actors made her a mid-century film icon, has died at age 80."

News Nuggets 277

This is an amazing-looking type of mollusk called a nudibranch found in the Sulu Sea in the Phillipines - from the National Geographic.

Haiti response shows the difference between the EU and a superpower from the [London] Telegraph

"The earthquake in Haiti provoked prompt and effective action from the US, and waffle from the EU, says Christopher Booker"

The commentary here is really interesting -- and is probably exaggerated for effect in my view !

US Troops Patrol Haiti, Filling a Void from the New York Times

One can only hope that military authorities "contain themselves" and keep their eyes on why they are there.

"“There have been some reports and news stories out there that the U.S. is invading Haiti,” Colonel Kane said. “We’re not invading Haiti. That’s ludicrous. This is humanitarian relief.” Most Haitians seemed to see it that way, despite deep historic concerns about American troops in particular."

Bush is Gone: Let Us Not be Governed by Fear (Editorial) from the Frankfurter Rundschau [of Germany in English]

"Basically, Obama responded in the only a way government can, after a terror attack that failed only by luck: He has the mistakes analyzed, the security gaps investigated, and controls tightened. ... One cannot criticize Obama for blind vengeance. Unlike Bush, this U.S. president doesn't use fear to make policy."

Mysterious Assassination in Iran: Who Killed Masoud Ali Mohammadi? from Der Spiegal [of Germany in English]

This case continues to fascinate me!

"The recent assassination of physicist Masoud Ali Mohammadi in Tehran was baffling even by Iranian standards. The regime claims he was murdered by foreign agents, while some observers think he may have been killed to warn other opposition supporters. There is even speculation that Hezbollah was involved."

On the Massachusetts Election from the Editorial Board of the New York Times

"There are many theories about the import of Scott Brown’s upset victory in the race for Edward Kennedy’s former Senate seat. To our minds, it is not remotely a verdict on Mr. Obama’s presidency, nor does it amount to a national referendum on health care reform — even though it has upended the effort to pass a reform bill, which Mr. Obama made the centerpiece of his first year."

How to Pass the Bill - Whatever Happens Tuesday (Jonathan Cohn) from the New Republic

"After a weekend of interviews with Democratic staff, officials, and operatives, I've come to the conclusion that health care reform is not dead even if Martha Coakley loses on Tuesday--unless, that is, the Democrats let it die."

Relieved (Josh Marshall & Capitol Hill staffer) from Talking Points Memo

Lots of sad truth in this letter from a capitol hill staffer!

"I believe President Clinton provided some crucial insight when he said, "people would rather be with someone who is strong and wrong than weak and right." It's not that people are uninterested in who's right or wrong, it's that people will only follow leaders who seem to actually believe in what they are doing. Democrats have missed this essential fact."

2010 as 1994? Relax, Democrats (Nancy Cohen) from the Los Angeles Times

I agree - although not entirely for the reasons she cites.

"This year's midterm elections won't be a repeat of the GOP's surge to power in 1994. Why? Because almost everything we think we know about that election is wrong."

Paul Volcker Prevails from the Wall Street Journal and Huffington Post

"President Barack Obama on Thursday is expected to propose new limits on the size and risk taken by the country's biggest banks, marking the administration's latest assault on Wall Street in what could mark a return -- at least in spirit -- to some of the curbs on finance put in place

during the Great Depression."

Non-Stop News (Ken Auletta) from the New Yorker

"The news cycle is getting shorter -- to the point that there is no pause, only the constancy of the Web and the endless argument of cable. This creates pressure to entertain or perish, which has fed the press's dominant bias: not pro-liberal or pro-conservative but pro-conflict."

Louche Change: Trash Talk from the 2008 Campaign (Hendrik Hertzberg) from the New Yorker

"[Barack Obama] is the only principal whose aides do not experience moments of suspicion -- or, in the cases of Edwards and Palin, weeks of certainty -- that their candidate is unfit for the office that he or she seeks. Only the future President is exactly what he seemed to be: calm, determined, a little aloof, immune to the snares of anger or vengefulness. ... Game Change leaves one reassured that the voters, given the choices before them, chose well."

Connecticut GOP Primary Turns Into Smackdown in Fight for Dodd Seat from The Hill

"The Republicans running for Dodd’s seat, which Democrats have controlled since 1963, feel newly inspired by the tight Senate race just north in Massachusetts. The contest has turned nasty as Simmons and McMahon have exchanged a series of proverbial body slams, pile-drivers and elbows to the face"

I knew this was going to happen. This foreshadows what will be happening in many GOP primaries this year. In CT, one can only hope that they inflict as much damage on each other before they take on Blumenthal. My question: why do they look to MA and get inspired? Blumenthal is no Coakley. For either of them, he's going to eat them for lunch.

First Lady Asks Her Friends if They Still Recognize Her from the Associated Press via Huffington Post

"She has spent the past year giving the job of first lady a test run, settling her family into a new life in a new town, trying to avoid creating controversy for her already burdened husband and figuring out where to make her mark. ... Looking back, then, here are a few moments that help to sketch the portrait of a first lady who calls herself a "110-percenter," always looking to do more."

'MORE WIERDNESS FROM MARS' NUGGET!!

Stereo Speakers Can Levitate Dust for Mars Colonists from Wired Magazine

"Blasting a high-pitched noise from a tweeter into a pipe that focuses the sound waves can create enough pressure to lift troublesome alien dust from equipment, suits or vehicles, according to a study published January in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America."

See also Acoustic Levitation: Scientists Use Sound Make Objects Levitate from the Huffington Post

"Another group of researchers have developed another unusual application for sound: a method of "acoustic levitation" that could help maintain colonies on Mars or the moon by using high-pitched sound waves to remove alien dust."

BOOK NUGGET!!

Election Confidential: A Review of 'Game Change' (Jacob Heilbrunn) from the New York Times

Since this book seems to be sold out everywhere, might as well hear from someone who has read the darn thing.

"No doubt Obama, as Heilemann and Halperin emphasize, could also be a ruthless practitioner of political hardball and often benefited from a bedazzled press corps. But none of that fully explains his remarkable ascent. An incredulous Hillary Clinton, observing the political advantage Obama reaped from the financial meltdown in September 2008, was left to surmise, “God wants him to win.”"

If so, where's God been since?