News Nuggets 301

Lower Lewis River Falls in Washington State’s Gifford Pinchot National Forest. From National Geographic

Ten Immediate Benefits of Health Care Reform!!

Here are ten benefits which come online within six months of the President's signature on the health care bill:

1. Adult children may remain as dependents on their parents’ policy until their 27th birthday
2. Children under age 19 may not be excluded for pre-existing conditions
3. No more lifetime or annual caps on coverage
4. Free preventative care for all
5. Adults with pre-existing conditions may buy into a national high-risk pool until the exchanges come online. While these will not be cheap, they’re still better than total exclusion and get some benefit from a wider pool of insureds.
6. Small businesses will be entitled to a tax credit for 2009 and 2010, which could be as much as 50% of what they pay for employees’ health insurance.
7. The “donut hole” closes for Medicare patients, making prescription medications more affordable for seniors.
8. Requirement that all insurers must post their balance sheets on the Internet and fully disclose administrative costs, executive compensation packages, and benefit payments.
9. Authorizes early funding of community health centers in all 50 states (Bernie Sanders’ amendment). Community health centers provide primary, dental and vision services to people in the community, based on a sliding scale for payment according to ability to pay.
10. AND no more rescissions. Effective immediately, you can't lose your insurance because you get sick.

- From Crooks and Liars

Yes, They Made History (E.J. Dionne) from the Washington Post

"Yes, we did. ... In approving the most sweeping piece of social legislation since the mid-1960s, Democrats proved that they can govern, even under challenging circumstances and in the face of significant internal divisions."

A Sweeping Victory for Obama, Pelosi (Ben Pershing) from the Washington Post

"After months of incremental progress and setbacks, wild momentum swings and then a final frenzy of vote-counting, the news on Monday (is it really Monday?) is about historic accomplishments -- the transformation of a health-care system, the success of a first-term president on his signature issue and the triumph of the first female Speaker's old-fashioned arm-twisting."

All In: How Obama Won (John Dickerson) from Slate

"President Obama has just completed the most arduous act of community organizing of his career. Two hundred and nineteen of his neighbors down the street joined together in the House of Representatives to pass historic health care legislation."

Obama Lobbying Pays Off from Roll Call

"He may not always get his way, but more often than not, President Barack Obama seems to have the Midas touch when it comes to persuading Members of Congress to get on board with his agenda."

Win on Health and Barack Obama Wins Around the World (Andrew Sullivan) from the Times [of London]

"Securing reform at home will help the president in Afghanistan and the Middle East."

Americans 'Blind' to 'Extraordinary Progress' Under Obama (Editorial) from 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."

Obama's Place in History (Jonathan Cohn) from the New Republic

"Barack Obama has sealed his reputation as a president of great historical import. We don't know what will follow in his presidency, and it's quite possible that some future event--a war, a scandal--will define his presidency. But we do know that he has put his imprint on the structure of American government in a way that no Democratic president since Lyndon Johnson has."

A Waterloo for Republicans (David Frum) from FrumForum

"Conservatives and Republicans today suffered their most crushing legislative defeat since the 1960s. It’s hard to exaggerate the magnitude of the disaster. Conservatives may cheer themselves that they’ll compensate for today’s expected vote with a big win in the November 2010 elections. But ..."

Fear Strikes Out (Paul Krugman) from the New York Times

"I want you to consider the contrast: on one side, the closing argument was an appeal to our better angels, urging politicians to do what is right, even if it hurts their careers; on the other side, callous cynicism. Think about what it means to condemn health reform by comparing it to the Civil Rights Act. Who in modern America would say that L.B.J. did the wrong thing by pushing for racial equality? (Actually, we know who: the people at the Tea Party protest who hurled racial epithets at Democratic members of Congress on the eve of the vote.) And that cynicism has been the hallmark of the whole campaign against reform."

Results Are All That Matter (Josh Marshall) from TalkingPointsMemo

"I think this conventional wisdom is quite mistaken. Hard fought victories don't deplete political capital; they build it. And political wins themselves often have a catalyzing effect that shapes political opinion far more than we realize."

The Road to Health Care Reform: Five Milestones (Benjamin Sarlin) from the Daily Beast

"From the Republicans' Senate surprise to Obama's fiery speeches, The Daily Beast's Benjamin Sarlin breaks down five key moments that helped health care to the finish line."

Health Reform's Winners and Losers (Howard Fineman) from Newsweek

"It doesn't take a rocket scientist—or even an alleged expert such as this reporter —to see that the big political winner in tonight's House vote is the president of the United States. After a year and a half of fitful but increasingly focused effort, Barack Obama is able to claim victory in an effort that he had made the emblem and focus of his entire presidency. "

Senate GOP Skeptical of Chances to Take Down Healthcare Reform from The Hill

"Senior Senate Republicans are skeptical of their chances to block major elements of a Democratic reconciliation package of healthcare reforms this week, avoiding the bold predictions of victory that have marked their statements for months."

Democrats Discover Their Base (John Judis) from the New Republic

"Democrats in Washington had come to understand that it was us versus them, with “them” being Republicans, Tea Partyists, and various business lobbies, but they can now recognize that there is a real “us” out there."

Mike Doyle Key to Stupak-W.H. Deal from Politico

Our own MIKE from Pittsburgh!!

"The fate of health care reform may have turned on a single relationship. When they needed to find a way to unlock the votes of a group of anti-abortion lawmakers led by Michigan Rep. Bart Stupak, Democratic leaders turned to Stupak’s roommate, Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Doyle, to facilitate the critical talks."

For Real This Time -- Stupak's an Aye (Amy Sullivan) from Time Magazine

"It's really hard to interpret this as anything other than Stupak caving in order to end up on the side of supporting health reform. There's nothing wrong with that--Stupak has long been a supporter of reforming the health care system--but it's difficult to see why he dragged this out for months if he was going to settle for the Senate language in the end."

The Stupak Mystery: Why Did He Hold Out for a Meaningless Executive Order? (Timothy Noah) from Slate

I've been wondering this myself for some time. What's he REALLY been up to?

"Stupak was holding out not for language that merely reaffirmed what the Senate bill already says, but for language that delinked the fate of health reform's abortion ban from the fate of the Hyde Amendment."

The 10 Most Courageous (and 10 Most Cowardly) House Democrats from Salon

"Voting for healthcare was much easier for some Democrats than others on Sunday night. Who showed the most courage?"

And the Conservatives Freak-Out Begins (Gabriel Winant) from Salon

"Probably the funniest thing about all the prophecies of doom coming from conservatives is how they center on two completely irreconcilable claims: first, the bill is a totalitarian assault on freedom and the American way of life; second, the electorate will not allow this to stand, and in November the Democrats should expect a drubbing."

Last Hurrah: Scenes from the Republican Implosion from the New Republic

"A members-only retreat, the balcony looked out over the gaggle of Tea Partiers and other anti-reform die-hards come to express their extreme distress over America’s impending plunge into communism (or “socialism” depending on which banners, shirts, and signs you favored). These were not people looking to debate the finer points of cost control or accessibility. These were folks itching to strap Pelosi to the back bumper of the nearest pickup. Angry and profane does not even begin to describe the scene."

House Approves Huge Changes to Student Loan Program from the Washington Post

This is HUGE!!

"Legislation hailed by supporters as the most significant change to college student lending in a generation passed the House on Sunday night. ... The House amendments will now go to the Senate. By ending the subsidies and effectively eliminating the middleman, the student loan bill would generate $61 billion in savings over 10 years, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office."

News Nuggets 300

A capybara, the largest species of hamster in the world. They live in Latin America. I had not seen one of these critters for ages! Some of you may remember the children's author Bill Peet who had a wonderfully illustrated story about one, "Cappyboppy," that was published in the 1960s.

A first for this blog: A poem. I'm not a big poetry fan. Never have been. But this one captured a certain boundless sense of possibility in just about everything. It is by Ursula Leguin. I found it on Andrew Sullivan's blog at the Atlantic. So -- in honor of our 300th installment of the News Nuggets, here it is.

Please bring strange things.

Please come bringing new things.

Let very old things come into your hands.

Let what you do not know come into your eyes.

Let desert sand harden your feet.

Let the arch of your feet be the mountains.

Let the paths of your fingertips be your maps

and the ways you go be the lines on your palms.

Let there be deep snow in your inbreathing

and your outbreath be the shining of ice.

May your mouth contain the shapes of strange words.

May you smell food cooking you have not eaten.

May the spring of a foreign river be your navel.

May your soul be at home where there are no houses.

Walk carefully, well loved one,

walk mindfully, well loved one,

walk fearlessly, well loved one.

Return with us, return to us,

be always coming home.

Back to our regularly scheduled nuggets:

Without a Teleprompter (Michael Sherer) from Time Magazine

"We knew president Obama would give a speech today to House Democrats. We didn't know it would be this good of a speech. ... You can view the whole thing here."

I completely agree with Sherer her -- the speech was GREAT! Check it out!

Closing Arguments:Making the Case for Health Care, One Last Time from the New Republic

"The most remarkable thing about the demonstration was how little it had to do with health care. The signs said “Stop socialism,” “A government of laws, not men,” “Respect our constitution--preserve our republic.” Nobody talked about death panels. Instead, one speaker--a Chicago radio host, I believe--attacked the First Lady’s obesity initiative. “Michelle, keep your hands off my kids’ lunchbox!” Yet another protest sign seemed to capture the mood perfectly: “This isn’t about health care. This is about control.”"

Health Care and History (Joe Klein) from Time Magazine

"Rove's eruption ended any lingering doubts I might have had about the political effect of this bill: if Rove, who only thinks in political terms, has gone off his meds about this legislation, it must mean that it will have benign effects for the Democratic Party."

What Are We About to Pass? from the Daily Beast

"The Democrats appear to have held off enough "no" votes to pass historic health-care legislation. ... Will pre-existing conditions be covered? What's the fine for not having insurance? Which states got sweetheart deals? A crib sheet to the health-care bill the House will vote on today."

Health Care Reform: The Return of Interposition (Andrew Cohen) from the Atlantic

"Fifty years after its last high-water mark in American life, the dubious doctrine of interposition is back in vogue. Once offered up in vain by desperate southern leaders as a legal justification for blocking federal civil rights initiatives, including Supreme Court rulings, it is now being used by opponents of health care reform as they marshal their forces with an eye toward post-passage litigation challenging the constitutionality of the new legislation."

Heroine of the Hour: Nancy Pelosi (Sean Wilentz) from the Daily Beast

"No House speaker in modern times performed as powerfully as Nancy Pelosi has in bringing health-care reform to the brink of passage. Sean Wilentz on Pelosi's historic performance."

The Drama of Health Care Reform: Viewed from Within and Abroad from the Atlantic

"Last week I was traveling in Spain, Italy and France, where my novel is being released in translation. Inevitably, I was asked about the health care drama in America. It's such a compelling story to me, and I was delighted to find it being closely followed in Europe. "

Vote on Health Bill Today Caps a Journey Back from the Brink from the New York Times

"In a series of impassioned conversations, over the telephone and in the Oval Office, Pelosi conveyed her frustration to the president, according to four people familiar with the talks. If she and Harry Reid, the Senate Democratic leader, were going to stick out their necks for Mr. Obama’s top legislative priority, Ms. Pelosi wanted assurances that the president would too. At the White House, aides to Mr. Obama say, he also wanted assurances; he needed to hear that the leaders could pass his far-reaching plan."

Thousands in Russia Protest Gov't in "Day of Wrath" from the Washington Post

"The coordinated demonstrations, which opposition leaders dubbed a "Day of Wrath," occurred in dozens of cities and towns across 11 time zones, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Irkutsk and Vladivostok. Though turnout appeared limited, the string of protests hinted at widespread frustration with Russia's most serious economic downturn in more than a decade."

Can't say that I knew folks there were really upset about anything. It seemed to me most people there really liked the dictatorship-lite that Putin was trying to establish. Who knew?.

Leftists Defeat Sarkozy's Conservatives from Raw Story

Sounds like his party got their asses kicked.

"President Nicolas Sarkozy's party took a severe drubbing from French voters Sunday in nationwide regional elections that were his last big national test before he seeks re-election in 2012."

News Nuggets 299

Peruvian surfer Domingo Pianezzi rides a wave with his alpaca Pisco at San Bartolo beach in Lima, March 16, 2010. I've seen many animals do these kind of acts -- and I always wonder if they hate it OR love it. It definitely is not obvious one way or the other. From Reuters.

A Viewer's Guide to This Weekend (Sarah Binder) from the New Republic

"As you can see, the legislative process stopped resembling Schoolhouse Rock a long time ago. For those who want to follow the proceedings--but have no idea how those proceedings will, er, proceed—here is a guide."

How is Hillary Clinton Doing? from Foreign Policy Magazine

"The recent glowing profile of Secretary Clinton in the New York Times coupled with an earlier puff piece in the Washington Post suggest that the time might be ripe for a provisional assessment of her performance. The articles are persuasive (to my eyes) on a couple of items that must be toted on the positive side of the ledger:"

Has President Obama Outwaited Russia on Nuclear Control? from the Editorial Board of the Washington Post

"In Moscow on Friday, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the two governments were finally "on the brink" of an accord. If that means Mr. Obama has managed to outwait Mr. Putin, the president will have reason to celebrate -- and more clout as he enters the summit on nuclear security that he has convened for Washington next month."

GOP Congressmen: Most Republicans Now Think Iraq War was a Mistake from the Cato Institute

Yes -- it's THAT Cato Institute! Where are the headlines!? What kind of no-accountability zone do GOP lawmakers live in that they can get away with this!?

"In a Thursday panel at Cato on conservatism and war, U.S. Reps. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) and John Duncan (R-Tenn.) revealed that the vast majority of GOP members of Congress now think it was wrong for the U.S. to invade Iraq in 2003."

Pope to Sex Abuse Victims: 'I am Truly Sorry' from National Catholic Reporter

The latest from the Vatican.

"In his most comprehensive statement yet on the sexual abuse crisis, Pope Benedict XVI has apologized to victims, called on abuser priests to tell the truth, and charged bishops to cooperate with civil authorities. The pope also announced plans for a Vatican-sponsored investigation of Irish dioceses, seminaries and religious orders, in response to the massive national scandal that has gripped that once ultra-Catholic nation since release of a government-sponsored inquiry into sex abuse in church-sponsored institutions in the Dublin archdiocese late last year."

Could Obama Be Invincible (Charles Blow) from the New York Times

"As we stand at the verge of the historic vote on the health care bill — a signature piece of President Obama’s agenda — it feels appropriate to take a look at how he has fared during the long slog that got us here. My quick assessment: remarkably well."

Top Dems Predict Sunday Passage from Politico

"Democratic leaders are now confidently predicting victory in a Sunday health reform vote, saying the party will have the 216 votes needed to pass President Obama's top legislative priority by then."

Rank-and-File Dems’ Support for Health Reform Grows Stronger as Vote Nears (Bruce Drake) from Politics Daily

"As the health care reform battle nears its climax, the gap between the number of those who "strongly" oppose the measure has narrowed as rank-and-file Democrats appear to be rallying around the proposal."

Health Care and the Specter of Alf Landon (Dana Milbank) from the Washington Post

VERY interesting historical perspective from Mr. Milbank.

""We must repeal," the GOP leader argued. "The Republican Party is pledged to do this." That was Republican presidential nominee Alf Landon in a September 1936 campaign speech. He based his bid for the White House on repealing Social Security. Bad call, Alf. Republicans lost that presidential election in a landslide. By the time they finally regained the White House -- 16 years later -- their nominee, Dwight Eisenhower, had abandoned the party's repeal platform."

Is Health Care Unconstitutional? (Op-Ed) from the Washington Post

Always a good question! Seems not likely in this piece.

"With the House set to vote on health-care legislation, the congressional debate on the issue seems to be nearing its conclusion. But if the bill does become law, the battle over federal control of health care will inevitably shift to the courts."

Getting Her Way: Pelosi's Powers of Persuasion from Time Magazine

"She smiles and nods and prods, but for the most part favors carrots over sticks. She has a near eidetic memory for peoples' names and faces; she can tell you the names of nearly every one of her members' children and grandchildren. ... She also has been tackling members' problems with the bill issue by issue."

SLEEPING NUGGET!!

VERY interesting item!!

Why We Need to Sleep from the New York Times

"There’s increasing evidence that our dreams are not neural babble, but are instead layered with significance and substance. The narratives that seem so incomprehensible — why was I running through the airport in my underwear? — are actually careful distillations of experience, a regurgitation of all the new ideas and insights we encounter during the day."

UNUSUAL SEX NUGGET!!

Inside the Secret World of a Dominatrix from Time Magazine

This could so easily be the next big hit series on HBO!

"Melissa Febos was not your average college student. While most of her fellow co-eds took jobs at local coffee shops or campus bookstores, it was a different kind of opportunity that caught her eye: a newspaper ad that read, "Attractive young woman wanted for nurse role-play and domination. No experience necessary. Good $$. No sex.""

News Nuggets 298

Aurora season in the northern hemisphere begins. From National Geographic Daily News.

Coping with the Copenhagen Syndrome from E-Sharp

A VERY interesting look at how marginalized Europeans and the EU have become of late with various reactions.

"Thomas Renard assesses the implications of the "interpolar" world that was on display at last December's global climate conference in the Danish capital"

Israelis View Obama Favorably, Mixed on Netanyahu from the Associated Press via the Huffington Post

"A poll released Friday shows that Israelis overwhelmingly have a favorable impression of President Barack Obama, despite a grave diplomatic feud with the U.S. over east Jerusalem construction."

BOY, you would never guess it from reading the Israeli editorial opinion pages!

US Doesn't Believe Us (Editorial) from Y-Net News [of Israel]

"The problem is that officials at the White House and State Department don’t believe us and don’t really wish to view Israel as the intimate preferred partner it has been for years. At once, the incident took us back to Obama’s first days on the job – everyone is equal before him, Jews and Arabs, Bibi and Abbas."

How Barack Beat Bibi (Peter Beinart) from the Daily Beast

"The spat between America and Israel is hurting Netanyahu more than Obama. Peter Beinart on the fallout in the Mideast."

After a Bitter Campaign, Forging an Alliance from the New York Times

A good long-form piece on the Obama-Clinton relationship these days.

"Sixteen months after Mr. Obama surprised nearly everyone by picking her as secretary of state, the two have again surprised nearly everyone by forging a credible partnership. Mrs. Clinton has proved to be an eager team player, a tireless defender of the administration, ever deferential to Mr. Obama and careful to ensure that her husband, the former president, does not upstage her boss."

Obama and the Supertanker (Ron Brownstein) from the National Journal

"The fight has opened a second window into Obama. The key here is his 2008 campaign assertion that "Ronald Reagan changed the trajectory of America" more than Richard Nixon or Bill Clinton did. The health care struggle suggests that Obama views changing that trajectory as the ultimate measure of a presidency's success."

Democrats' Momentum Building for Sunday Health Vote (Patricia Murphy) from Politics Daily

"The tide seemed to turn for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her fellow Democrats on Thursday morning, when the Congressional Budget Office released a very preliminary, but highly favorable, cost estimate for the newly combined House and Senate bills that the chambers will take up under reconciliation."

CBO Score on Health Care Bill Released; Boosts Democrats' Hopes of Passing Reform from Huffington Post

"Comprehensive health care reform will cost the federal government $940 billion over a ten-year period, but will increase revenue and cut other costs by a greater amount, leading to a reduction of $138 billion in the federal deficit over the same period, according to an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office, a Democratic source tells HuffPost. It will cut the deficit by $1.2 trillion over the second ten year period."

As Passage of Health Care Reform Nears, A Historic Chance to Help Fix Washington, Too (Steven Perlstein) from the Washington Post

"Indeed, although you'd never know it from the overheated rhetoric, the remarkable thing about the final proposal is how little it would change things, at least initially, for most Americans. That's no accident -- in fact, it's by political design. This plan is more like a time-release tablet meant to reform the system slowly from the inside out rather than surgically from the outside in."

Five Myths About the Health Care Reform Battle (Chris Cillizza) from the Washington Post

"After more than a year of proposals, protests and political rhetoric, President Obama's health-care plan is headed to a final showdown in the House this weekend. And although most Americans -- and probably a few members of Congress -- have little idea of what exactly is in the bill, the mythology about how we got here is already well on its way to being constructed. Here are a few misconceptions about the health care reform battle that should be busted before the history is written:"

Hoyer: Democrats Have Strategy to Fight Legal Challenges to Health Bill from The Hill

"Hoyer said that while he has "little doubt," Democrats are expecting — and are prepared for — a court challenge. "We believe that the administration, the Justice Department and our own counsel will indicate that we believe, certainly, that this bill is constitutional," he said. "I think in a bill of this magnitude, certainly there will be challenges.""

I'm glad. They're going to NEED IT!

Kucinich's Health-Care Vote Could be Obama's Lucky Charm (Dana Milbank) from the Washington Post

"According to legend, if you catch a leprechaun in the forest, the little creature must grant you three wishes. Our Kenyan Hawaiian commander in chief evidently has the luck of the Irish, because, just in time for St. Patrick's Day, President Obama bagged himself a leprechaun -- in Cleveland, of all places -- and on Wednesday his first wish was granted."

Democrats Discover the Benefits of Taking a Stand on Health Reform (Eugene Robinson) from the Washington Post

"If health-care reform finally staggers across the finish line, it will be because President Obama and congressional Democrats recognized -- at long last -- the truth that has been staring them in the face for more than a year: They'll be better off politically if they just try their best to do the right thing."

The 'Delusional Left' Wins (Eric Alterman) from the Daily Beast

"Which vulnerable Dems get to vote 'no' on health care? That's the question facing Pelosi, who says, "Every vote around here is a heavy lift." Eric Alterman on why progressives came around."

Insiders Betting on Health Care Passing from the National Journal

"While GOPers in the House and Senate appear to be holding ranks in their unanimous opposition to health care reform and allied interest groups are pouring millions of dollars into 11th-hour television ads to defeat the measure, GOP operatives and lobbyists nevertheless believe the legislation is likely to pass, according to the latest National Journal Political Insiders Poll."

Pope's Former Dioces Faces 'Tsunami' of Abuse, Allegations from the Associated Press, via the Huffington Post

I simply don't get that the higher ups in Rome are remotely prepared for the what's headed their way right now.

"MUNICH — Pope Benedict XVI's former diocese is facing new allegations of physical and sexual abuse on a daily basis, the head of its new sex-abuse task force said Friday. "It is like a tsunami," Elke Huemmeler, who leads the diocese's newly founded abuse prevention task force, told The Associated Press"

The Media Myth of Obama's 'Falling Poll Numbers' (Eric Boehlert) from the Huffington Post

"Feeding off right-wing talking points, political journalists love to push the idea that Obama's polling numbers are in the tank and that he's fading fast. It's all part of the preferred, CW narrative that his entire presidency is slipping away. Slight problem: It's not true."

WOW! We are this far down through our nuggets today before we get to our first Tea Party nugget! There day must be passing.

The Misinformed Tea Party from Forbes Magazine

No real surprise here - but it confirms my sense of them nonetheless.

"For an antitax group, they don't know much about taxes. ... No matter how one slices the data, the Tea Party crowd appears to believe that federal taxes are very considerably higher than they actually are, whether referring to total taxes as a share of GDP or in terms of the taxes paid by a typical family. Tea Partyers also seem to have a very distorted view of the direction of federal taxes."

Steve Benen at Washington Monthly has some reactions to this data HERE.

POIGNANT FAMILY NUGGET!!

Letting Go of My Father (Jonathan Rauch) from the Atlantic

This story is one my family and I have been living with for years-- as have the families of a majority of my friends from my generation as well as the boomer generation.

"His elderly father insisted that he could manage by himself. But he couldn’t. The author found himself utterly unprepared for one of life’s near certainties—the decline of a parent. Millions of middle-aged Americans, he discovered, are silently struggling to cope with a crisis that needs to be plucked from the realm of the personal and brought into full public view."

GALACTIC NUGGET!!

New Planet Found: May be Cosmic Rosetta Stone from National Geographic Daily News

"A newly discovered gas-giant planet with a nearly circular orbit around its parent star is the first Jupiter-like planet outside our solar system—or "exoplanet"—that can be studied in detail, a new study says."

MUSEUM NUGGET!!

Smithsonian's Natural History Museum Opens its Hall of Human Origins from the Washington Post

"Every fossil tells a story. That's a central premise of the National Museum of Natural History's newest permanent exhibition, a gallery devoted to telling the story of human evolution."

Gee -- do you think anyone will find this exhibition controversial? Naaa.

News Nuggets 297

New close-up picture of Mars' only moon Phobos. From NASA. See the Planet Nugget below.

NEWS FLASH from Organizing for America (OFA):

Rallying Rep. Jason Altmire on health care -- THIS FRIDAY!!

Organizing for America is having an office

visit to Rep. Jason Altmire's Aliquippa office this Friday, March 19, 2010 at 4 p.m. The address is 2110 McLean Street, Aliquippa, PA 15001.

LAST *ONCE-IN-A-GENERATION* CHANCE to have

your say in how health care is going to go!!

Al-Qaeda Crippled as Leaders Stay in Hiding from the Washington Post

"Relentless attacks against al-Qaeda in the Pakistan tribal region appear to have driven Osama bin Laden and other top leaders deeper into hiding, leaving the organization rudderless and less capable of planning sophisticated operations, CIA Director Leon Panetta said Wednesday."

Maybe. We'll see.

Top Al-Qaeda Operative Reportedly Killed in US Drone Attack from the Associated Press via the Huffington Post

"An al-Qaida leader believed to have played a key role in the bombing of a CIA post in Afghanistan last December was apparently killed by an American missile strike last week, a senior U.S. official said Wednesday."

As I've noted before, the CIA are doing some serious payback for those December killings.

China Seems to Have Made Wrong Call on Its Relations with the US (Joseph Nye) from The Scotsman [of Scotland]

"Overconfidence in foreign policy, combined with insecurity in domestic affairs, may combine to explain the change in Chinese behaviour in the latter part of 2009. If so, China is making a serious miscalculation. First, the US is not in decline."

Even Without UN Sanctions, Economic Heat on Iran Grows from Newsweek

"There are signs that officials in Beijing might be looking for less controversial places from which to buy much needed oil to fuel its own humming economy, especially as Iran has threatened to disrupt oil exports to countries that refuse to supply it with gasoline — and also to disrupt global oil markets if it comes under attack by any country. China's oil imports from Iran dropped from 500,000 bbl. a day to 250,000 bbl. a day between January 2009 and January 2010."

Reversal of Fortunes May be at Hand for Democrats from the Washington Post

"By Sunday, Democrats could not only have passed a health-care bill, but with it have pushed through the House of Representatives long-delayed legislation that would increase funding for Pell Grants, which help low-income students pay for college. They also could send to President Obama a $17 billion measure designed to create jobs."

Democrats Inch Toward Securing the Votes for Health Bill from the New York Times

"House Democrats Wednesday inched toward the majority they need to pass health care legislation, giving them added confidence as they worked out the last details of the bill and girded for a historic showdown as soon as this weekend."

Playing to History (Richard Cohen) from the National Journal

"This is a week for the history books, one way or another. The participants understand that, which helps to explain the intensity of the procedural maneuverings. But some are disinclined to focus on the broad impact, if only because they are too anxious to consider the ramifications if their side fails."

Hypocrisy: A Parliamentary Procedure (Norman Ornstein) from the American Enterprise Institute

Yes -- it's THAT American Enterprise Institute. Actually, Ornstein is one of the most straight-shooting congressional experts out there -- so this is a telling observation on his part.

"I can’t recall a level of feigned indignation nearly as great as what we are seeing now from congressional Republicans and their acolytes at the Wall Street Journal, and on blogs, talk radio, and cable news."

Why I Changed My Mind About School Reform (Diane Ravitch) from the Wall Street Journal

Ravitch was one of the key conservative architects of GOP education reform since the days of the first Bush. Several generations of kids have had to suffer through her [and her minions'] mistakes.

"As No Child Left Behind's (NCLB) accountability regime took over the nation's schools under President George W. Bush and more and more charter schools were launched, I supported these initiatives. But over time, I became disillusioned with the strategies that once seemed so promising. I no longer believe that either approach will produce the quantum improvement in American education that we all hope for."

The List: The Catholic Church's Latest Abuse Scandals: FP's guide to the Vatican's Spiraling Crisis from Foreign Policy Magazine

"The latest charges have been particularly damaging, implicating senior members of the Vatican hierarchy, including Pope Benedict XVI himself, and coming at a time when the church is already losing popularity on its home turf."

Nervous Tea Partiers See Possible Democratic Win on Health Care: Pessimism is New Attitude for Activists from the Washington Independent

"The Code Red rally was small, drawing around 300 people into a noisy circle. So was the FreedomWorks “People’s Surge,” which sent Tea Party activists onto Capitol Hall to seek out one-on-one meetings with members of Congress whose votes could decide the fate of health care reform. Both events were mocked for their size, by Democrats and liberal groups"

MEDICAL NUGGET!!

Blind Soldier 'Sees' With Tongue Device from the Independent [of the UK]

AMAZING!!

"Lance Corporal Craig Lundberg, 24, from Walton, Liverpool, can read words, identify shapes and walk unaided thanks to the BrainPort device, despite being totally blind."

PLANETS NUGGET!!

Phobos Pictures: Stunning Close-Up of Martian Moon from the Huffington Post

"The Mars Express orbits Mars, and its elliptical orbit brings it close to Phobos every five months. The spacecraft was taking images of a particular area that may be used as a landing site by the Russian Phobos-Grunt (meaning 'Phobos-Soil') mission planned for next year."