News Nuggets 357

Apparently goslings often mistake other geese for their mother. The mothers don't seem to mind. This is one astounding result. HERE's the story from the Daily Mail [of the UK]

Globalization Threatens the Hold on Power of the Iranian Regime (Editorial) from the Daily Star [of Lebanon in English]

"The fundamentalists are trapped in a losing battle. Their views were shaped by negative reactions to rapid Westernization under the last shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. A majority of Iran’s current population, which was born after the 1979 revolution, now chafes under the obscurantist yoke. The regime, which is eager to participate in and even influence the modern world, has failed to keep secular influences at bay. Globalization has reached Iran and is here to stay."

Obama Running Out of Patience as BP Misses Oil Slick Deadlines from the Independent [of the UK]

"The US Government is threatening to remove BP from the operation to halt the Gulf oil spill, and send it the bill at a later date, saying that the job of cleaning up after what will soon become the industry's worst ever environmental disaster has thrown the British firm into an "existential crisis"."

The Old Enemies (Paul Krugman) from the New York Times

"Corporate America, however, really, truly hates the current administration. Wall Street, for example, is in “a state of bitter, seething, hysterical fury” toward the president, writes John Heilemann of New York magazine. What’s going on?"

How They Did It (Part Three) (Jonathan Cohn) from the New Republic

"This is the third of a five-part series explaining, in remarkable detail, how Obama and the Democrats came to pass health care reform."

Discrimination High Against Latinos, Poll Finds from the Los Angeles Times

"The immigration debate has raised the profile of the problem, advocates say."

The Arizona Backlash: Immigration Debate Stirs Historic Passions (Lou Cannon) from Politics Daily

"Although that concern is focused on illegal immigration across the 1,950-mile border shared by Mexico and the United States, the Pew Hispanic Center estimates that roughly half of the 10.75 million illegal immigrants in the United States arrived legally and overstayed their visas. ... Historically, anxiety about immigrants had less to do with their legality than with the race, ethnicity or religion of the newcomers."

Which Side of History Do You Want to Be On? (Joseph Persico, noted biographer) from the [Albany, NY] Times Union

"Everywhere we turn, it seems, we hear the voices of doom. Our Constitution is being sabotaged. Our country is headed in a dire direction. The government is taking over our lives. To those who make these charges, I ask only this: Do we know of anyone who has been deprived of free speech? Do we know of anyone denied the right to vote the rascals in or out? Do we know of any laws enacted by anybody but our duly elected representatives? And what is this government that is supposed to be trying to take over our lives?"

Mark Souder, You Broke My Heart (E.J. Dionne) from the New Republic

"So I do hope that Souder finds a way to work out his redemption. But it is precisely because this story hit me personally that I want to shout as forcefully as I can to my conservative Christian friends: Enough! Enough with dividing the world between moral, family-loving Christians on the one side and supposedly permissive, corrupt, family-destroying secularists on the other. ... How many scandals will it take for right-wing Christians to rediscover humility?"

Suddenly Cracks Appear in the Tea Party Revolt (Andrew Sullivan) from the Times [of London]

"The latest victory for right-wing Republicanism has also exposed its big weakness."

Bonfire of the Inanities (Eliza Carney) from the National Journal

"To hear leading conservatives tell it, the specter of book banning looms large in the United States."

Rand Paul Will Have to Meet the Press Eventually (Gabriel Winant) from Salon

"Paul's opposition to fairly bedrock pieces of American law, however, raises a whole host of other questions that he really ought to answer before he expects people to vote for him. If he's anything like consistent, it's hard to imagine that he believes in social security or Medicare, the minimum wage -- just to name a few. But how can we be sure? What will he admit to? In other words, he's exactly the kind of candidate who should be going on Meet the Press."

SPRING NUGGET!!

A Look at Wave Hill in NYC from Daily Kos

"Wave Hill is a truly fascinating legacy and this is a good time to remember some American who once held a deep respect for nature."

CARTOON NUGGET!!

What's Up, Doc? New Looneys from the New York Times

"Ask a first grader to identify Bugs Bunny and the response more likely than not will be a blank stare. Dora, sure. Mickey, alive and kicking. But Porky who? Worried that the low profile of the Looney Tunes cast of characters among children is the start of th-th-th-that’s all folks for the historic cartoon franchise, Warner Brothers is embarking on a five-alarm rescue effort."

The Atlantic has some reactions to this article HERE.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE NUGGET!!

Globish for Beginners from the New Yorker

"If the whole world speaks English, will it still be English?"

The photos here are amazing!

News Nuggets 356

In India, an elderly elephant still gets his daily workout. See the Elephant Nugget below.

Sanctions Put Pressures on Iran From Without and Within (Barbara Slavin) from AOL News

"The Obama administration's multilateral approach to the world's tough problems is beginning to yield some results. "

It Takes a Crisis to Make a Continent (Gabor Steingart) from the New York Times

"While we should of course worry about Greek debt, we should also have hope that we are witnessing the end of the euro zone as an abstraction and the birth of the United States of Europe."

The Autonomy of Bishops, and Suing the Vatican from National Catholic Reporter

"At first blush, most people probably assume that the sexual abuse crisis will result in tighter control from Rome over local bishops. The logic is impeccable: The failure of some bishops to do the right thing is a core element of the crisis, and only the pope can really hold bishops accountable. Yet at the moment, the ecclesiological fallout from the crisis, especially in the United States, seems to cut in the opposite direction -- promoting the autonomy of individual bishops."

Oil Spill, Kagan Show Obama's Pragmatic Streak (Kenneth Walsh) from US News & World Report

"The pattern is clear. Despite claims by some of his conservative critics, and to the disappointment of his party's left, Obama is not turning out to be a liberal zealot. "He leans toward problem solving, doing what works, and what is politically sellable," says Princeton University historian Julian Zelizer. "He is not an ideologue.""

Reforms Put Wall Street in its Place (Thomas Noyes) from the Guardian [of the UK]

"Passage of Obama's financial reform bill restores Wall Street to its proper role as the economy's servant – and not its master."

Democrats Can Win in November (Eliot Spitzer) from Slate

"The portents of doom are, as usual, overblown. A closer look at the results should give substantial comfort to a White House whose mantras are still "Change," "Hope," and "Yes We Can.""

Arizona Senator Behind SB-1070 Plans Next Bill: ‘Target the Mother’ by Going After the ‘Anchor Baby Racket.’ from ThinkProgress

"Pearce said he intends to push for an “anchor baby” bill that would essentially overturn the 14th amendment by no longer granting citizenship to the children of undocumented immigrants born on U.S. soil."

Rage on the Right (Mark Potok) from the Southern Poverty Law Center

"The anger seething across the American political landscape — over racial changes in the population, soaring public debt and the terrible economy, the bailouts of bankers and other elites, and an array of initiatives by the relatively liberal Obama Administration that are seen as "socialist" or even "fascist" — goes beyond the radical right. The "tea parties" and similar groups that have sprung up in recent months cannot fairly be considered extremist groups, but they are shot through with rich veins of radical ideas, conspiracy theories and racism."

Republicans Ignore Anti-Immigrant Debacles (Albert Hunt) from Bloomberg News Service

"“There are a lot of similarities between what’s happening in Arizona and what happened in California in 1994,” says Sergio Bendixen, a political pollster and consultant specializing in the Hispanic vote. “That made California a deep blue state (as in Democratic) and Republicans are making the same mistake now trying to benefit on anti-immigration.”"

The Roots of Rand Paul's Civil Rights Resentment (Joe Conason) from Salon

"Lurking beneath the Paul family's libertarian politics is a strategy of pandering to "populists" --- like Pat Buchanan."

Rand Paul: Radical Ayn Rand Rookie (Clarence Page) from the Chicago Tribune

"For teen guys, what's not to like about that? Rand's books were a big hit in my high school, especially among us dweebs on the debate team, student newspaper and chess club. As my own college-age son has since demonstrated with his futile arguments for "freedom" against mom and dad's "fascist oppression," reading Ayn Rand can be as much fun as defying your parents without worrying about getting grounded. But running for public office, as Rand-fan Rand Paul is learning, is the right time to put aside childish things to reconcile one's ideology with other people's reality."

Rand Paul and the Perils of Textbook Libertarianism (Sam Tenenhaus) from the New York Times

"Mr. Paul’s position is complicated. He has emerged as the politician most closely identified with the Tea Party movement. Its adherents are drawn to him because he has come forward as a kind of libertarian originalist, unbending in his anti-government stance. The farther he retreats from ideological purity, the more he resembles other, less attractive politicians."

The Randslide and Its Discontents (Frank Rich) from the New York Times

"IF there is one certain outcome to recent American elections, it’s this: The results will invariably prove most of the Beltway’s settled political narratives wrong."

ELEPHANT NUGGET!!

Making a Splash, the 60-Year-Old Elephant Going for His Morning Swim from the Daily Mail [of the UK]

"Weighing 3.5 tons and standing at just under four metres, meet Rajan one of the last surviving elephants who helped with logging on the Andaman and Nicobar Island chain near the end of the Bay of Bengal. Photographed by Cesare Naldi, these amazing images show the unique bond between 60-year-old Rajan and 58-year-old mahout (elephant driver), Nasru."

BOOK NUGGET!!

After Keeping Us Waiting for a Century, Mark Twain Will Finally Reveal All from the Independent [of the UK]

"The great American writer left instructions not to publish his autobiography until 100 years after his death, which is now."

This sounds REALLY interesting!!

News Nuggets 355

A swan with some ice in Minsk in Belarus.

Obama's Stories and Legends (Thomas Sugrue) from the Nation

"To understand Obama's relationship to America's racial past—and to make sense of how he places himself in it, including what he left in and what he edited out—requires situating him in the context of the contested cultural, intellectual and political milieu of the period from the 1960s to the present. The history of civil rights in modern America is one of remembering and forgetting, of inclusion and exclusion."

Sugrue is an outstanding historian of race and urban history. This long-form essay is adapted from his soon-to-be-released Not Even Past: Barack Obama and the Burden of Race, out in June from Princeton University Press.

How Obama’s 16 Months Has Changed Washington (David Leonhardt) from the New York Times

"With the Senate’s passage of financial regulation, Congress and the White House have completed 16 months of activity that rival any other since the New Deal in scope or ambition. Like the Reagan Revolution or Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society, the new progressive period has the makings of a generational shift in how Washington operates."

A Diplomatic Game of Chicken with Iran (David Ignatius) from the Washington Post

"Tehran was surely hoping that by accepting the deal, it would head off a new sanctions resolution being drafted by the U.N. Security Council. The would-be mediators, Turkey and Brazil, were hoping to buff their credentials as leaders of a new "nonaligned movement."

But the last-minute dealmakers appear to have miscalculated."

Cracks in the Wall of the Curia (Jason Berry) from the National Catholic Reporter

"As words fire back and forth in the press, the wall of secrecy that traditionally surrounds the curia is showing cracks."

Rebel Nuns (Michelle Goldberg) from the Daily Beast

"A nun excommunicated for allowing an abortion to save a mother’s life, nuns breaking with Rome to support health-care reform—what’s gotten into the sisters? Michelle Goldberg on the Vatican’s latest scofflaws."

Immigration Law in Arizona Reveals GOP Divisions from the New York Times

"Republican lawmakers and candidates are increasingly divided over illegal immigration — torn between the need to attract Latino support, especially at the ballot box, and rallying party members who support tougher action."

The ones who are truly conflicted about it are no longer in the driver's seat unfortunately.

On a Note of Triumph (James Vega) from the Democratic Strategist

"What Democrats have faced for the last year has not been a normal political conflict, but rather an assault modeled on a military campaign -- an attack conducted in the language and spirit of warfare. ... The Republican conservatives, ..., saw themselves as modern-day holy warriors, steeled and girded for battle and ready to join in hand-to-hand combat with forces of evil."

Some may find Vegas' analysis overheated. I think he's right on the mark.

Firewall Around the Democrats' House (Eleanor Clift) from Newsweek

"The Democrats' ability to hold John Murtha's congressional seat shows they may be safer in the House of Representatives than in the Senate."

Blumenthal Allies Turn Tables on NYT from Politico

"What at first appeared to be a potentially career-ending New York Times exposé of Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has generated a messy fight between the newspaper, Blumenthal’s liberal supporters, and his leading Republican rival for the Senate over the story’s accuracy and origins."

Why Would Anyone Need to Lie About Having Been in Vietnam? (Henry Allen) from the Washington Post

"The case can be made that these men -- often upscale and educated, the sort of people who are supposed to lead this country -- acted legally and even honorably in using their social status and intelligence to stay out of Vietnam. But the stains and doubts linger."

I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that there are so many right-wing hawks out there ready to throw it in their faces now matter how honorable the reason was.

The GOP's Biggest Enemy: Itself from Politico

"Political history and the mood of the electorate would seem to indicate Democrats are on their way to significant losses this fall. But they may have some help mitigating the damage from an unwitting ally — the Republicans. The GOP is wrestling with a series of challenges, some familiar and some new, that could dampen the party’s prospects for recapturing Congress this November. All were on vivid display Tuesday."

Sensing Momentum, Senate Dems Don't Want to Ease Up from The Hill

"From senior members to newer freshmen and sophomores, Democratic senators say they don’t want the caucus to shy away from topics like climate change legislation, immigration reform or a repeal of the military’s “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy."

Primary Victory Over Conventional Wisdom (Chris Weigant) from the Huffington Post

"A lot of conventional wisdom about the 2010 elections died an ignoble death last night, as voters once again proved that even though the inside-the-Beltway crowd loves to attempt to pigeonhole them one way or another, when the election rolls around the voters have the final say. The breadth of such conventional wisdom's demise is rather staggering in its scope, too."

Feeling Randy: The Missing Piece from Primary Coverage (Leslie Savan) from the Nation

"What we really saw in last night’s election were Democrats who chose, against their Beltway leaders’ advice, a more liberal Dem over a Republican-lite pseudo-Dem every time."

Rand Old Party: Why Democrats Can't Wait to Use Rand Paul Against the GOP (John Dickerson) from Slate

"At worst, it makes him seem to take racism lightly, and at best, it's distracting. Before lunch, Paul had put out a statement that he would not support the repeal of the law. This is what it looks like when the anti-establishment bumps up against the establishment."

Who's Afraid of Rand Paul? (Robert Scheer) from the Nation

"Count me as one lefty liberal who is not the least bit unhappy with the victory by Rand Paul in Kentucky’s Republican primary for the US Senate. Not because it might make it easier for some Democratic Party hack to win in the general, but rather because he seems to be a principled libertarian in the mold of his father, Representative Ron Paul, R-Texas, and we need more of that impulse in the Congress."

Kentucky GOP Urges Rand Paul to Avoid National Spotlight from the Tri-City Herald [of Kentucky]

"In public, Senate candidate Rand Paul's Republican colleagues have tried to contextualize his controversial comments about anti-discrimination laws and the Obama administration's handling of the Gulf Coast oil spill, but privately they bemoan the political newcomer's gaffes and wish he'd focus less on the national media spotlight and more on Kentucky and the economy."

Increasingly, this is the GOP's MO -- avoid the media at all costs. I have trouble imagining Rand Paul doing this successfully for long. His opponent, Conway, should call him out immediately.

The Lesson of Rand: Libertarianism is Juvenile (Gabriel Winant) from Salon

"It's not just that he screwed up and said something stupid because he's so committed to a purist fancy. No, it's worse than that. Libertarianism itself is what's stupid here, not just Paul."

SCIENCE BREAKTHROUGH NUGGET!!

Synthetic Cell is a Giant Leap for Science, and Could be Bigger Still for Mankind from the Independent [of the UK]

"Scientists have succeeded in creating artificial life in a test tube, in a development which promises to revolutionise biotechnology."

LITERARY NUGGET!!

The 11 Greatest Literary Feuds from the Daily Beast

"From Mailer punching Vidal to Rushdie attacking Updike, The Daily Beast selects the best feuds that sent the ink flying—and asks: Just what makes a great literary smackdown?"

News Nuggets 354

Yes -- it's Pet Photo Friday. These, as usual, are from Americablog.

Now, here again, after yesterday's rant against the sex scandaled "family values" GOP hypocrites, who emerges from his tomb yesterday but none other then Vito Fossella from Staten Island, that model of Republican rectitude who loved families so much he just had to have two of them! Incredible!

Fossella Endorsed for Congressional Comeback from Congressional Quarterly

"If Fossella's name doesn't ring a bell, he's the ex-congressman whose career in Washington was derailed by a drunken driving arrest that exposed to the world -- and his wife -- that he secretly had another woman and they had a baby together."

On a more positive note, folks at Politico actually ANSWER the question I posed yesterday! Here's there response:

Scandalous: Who Stays, Who Goes? from Politico

"Tuesday’s events left congressional aides, journalists and assorted veterans of past scandals on Capitol Hill pondering the mysterious — and entirely unwritten — laws of scandal, in which similar offenses condemn some sinners to a political death sentence while others get away with an apology and a few hours of community service. What gives?"

Lessons From Iran's Nuclear Developments (Patrick Clawson) from the Washington Institute

"In the fluid situation surrounding Iran's nuclear program, perhaps the safest bet is to expect more surprises. ... All the same, important lessons can be drawn from this week's developments."

Dealing with Tehran (Joe Klein) from Time Magazine

"This certainly was a victory for the Obama Administration's patient, collegial diplomacy, but it was also attributable to sheer idiocy on the part of the Iranians. "The Iranians are the world's worst negotiators," says Kenneth Pollack of the Brookings Institution. "They've managed to infuriate everyone.""

Europe is Sleepwalking to Decline (Timothy Garton Ash) from the Guardian [of the UK]

"Our leaders are peddling delusions. The eurozone has not been saved, the EU has no foreign policy, and others are making history"

Five Primaries Where the World Matters from Foreign Policy Magazine

"From immigration to defense spending to Israel, foreign policy is making a surprising showing this election season."

BP, Coast Guard Officers Block Journalists from Filming Oil-Covered Beach from the Huffington Post

"Emerging reports are raising the question of just how much of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill journalists are able to document. When CBS tried to film a beach with heavy oil on the shore in South Pass, Louisiana, a boat of BP contractors, and two Coast Guard officers, told them to turn around, or be arrested."

WTF! A disturbing development.

How They Did It (Part One): The Inside Account of Health Care Reform’s Triumph. (Jonathan Cohn) from the New Republic

"This is the first of a five-part series explaining, in remarkable detail, how Obama and the Democrats came to pass health care reform. Be sure to come back tomorrow for the second part, which reveals how Ted Kennedy wooed Max Baucus and what Rahm Emanuel promised the drug industry."

Texas State Bd of Ed Swamped with Criticism Over New Textbook Guidelines from the Associated Press via Huffington Post

"Critics, including the president of the NAACP, a former U.S. education secretary and the committee that wrote the draft guidelines being edited by the board, complained that the proposal has become a vehicle for political ideology, has watered down the teaching of the civil rights movement and slavery and reveals a lack of historical knowledge from the board."

That last line ... OUCH!! But it's absolutely true. I wondered when this Bd of Ed would be held to account.

Winners and Losers from the May 18 Primaries (Chris Cillizza) from the Washington Post

"Our initial impressions -- based on conversations with smart strategists in both parties -- about who won and who lost in last night's balloting are below. As always, the goal of our winners and losers post is to pick some of the less obvious bests and worsts of the day that was."

Election Day Downer for Republicans (David Frum) from The Week

"Republican leaders insist that unqualified opposition to Obama is the gateway to GOP victory in November. But it's proving hard to win campaigns without ideas."

Bring It On: Pelosi Predicts 'For Sure' That Dems Will Win House from The Hill

"A buoyant Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Wednesday basked in the Democrats’ special-election triumph while bashing Republicans and expressing confidence that her party will retain control of the House."

June 8 Races Next Big Test of Tea Party Strength from Congressional Quarterly

"Within the next three weeks, a pair of highly touted Republican Senate candidates will try to avoid going the way of Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson by becoming the next victim of a suddenly energized tea party movement out to punish all insiders."

CT-Sen: NY Times Blows the Blumenthal Story from Daily Kos

"The AP went and looked at the video in question, something which the NY Times apparently did not."

Well ... one thing this shows about the Blumenthal campaign is that they are VERY LUCKY in their opponents. And luck is a good thing to have if you are running for the Senate. This story is moving its focus more towards the objectivity of the Times and the role of Blumenthal's opponent than it is about the Dem candidate himself.

KY-Sen: Rand Paul Says Businesses Should Have Right To Discriminate from the Rachel Maddow Show via the Huffington Post

This is why Rand Paul is not going to win in November.

"Paul argued that Maddow's questions weren't practical, but were instead abstract. She asked Paul to tell that to protesters who were beaten in their struggle for equal rights:"

The Proud Ignorance of Rand Paul (Ta-Nehisi Coates) from the Atlantic

"Did Bill Halter benefit from a hidden conservative vote in Tuesday's Arkansas Democratic primary against incumbent Sen. Blanche Lincoln, despite having run to Lincoln's left? And will those voters be back again for Halter in three weeks' time, when the runoff is held?"

KY-Sen: Kentucky Primary Hype: Tempest in a Tea Party (Joshua Green) of the Boston Globe

"The idea that Rand Paul’s victory heralds an imminent Tea Party wave soon to sweep the country makes a great deal of sense if you’ve watched the proceedings unfold on television. But it doesn’t make nearly as much sense if you’ve been in Kentucky these last few days."

CA-Sen & Gov: Stunning Drop in Whitman’s Support Transforms GOP Race for Governor; Fiorina, Campbell in Dead Heat While DeVore’s Support Doubles from the Public Policy Institute of California

""This election is very much in flux,” says Mark Baldassare, PPIC president and CEO. "Voters are alienated. Republicans are struggling to figure out what to do about it and what their party stands for. The Democrats—with their candidates unchallenged—aren’t going through this soul searching.”

More evidence that the GOP's hand-picked candidates are being slammed from the right and from ultra-conservative tea party activism. Whitman and Fiorina are especially in trouble one month out from the primaries.

AR-Sen: Dem Bill Halter's Base -- Rural Conservative Voters? from TalkingPointsMemo

"Did Bill Halter benefit from a hidden conservative vote in Tuesday's Arkansas Democratic primary against incumbent Sen. Blanche Lincoln, despite having run to Lincoln's left? And will those voters be back again for Halter in three weeks' time, when the runoff is held?"

Wow. Who'd a thought?

MEDICAL NUGGET [maybe]

New Drug Reverses Even 'Untreatable' Cancers from the Daily Telegraph [of the UK]

"Cancer patients may be offered new hope in the form of a harmless virus which can reverse even apparently untreatable forms of the disease when injected into tumours."

ROBOT NUGGET [of a sort]

Military Robots Keep Soldiers Out of Danger from Discovery News

"Although they aren't yet advanced enough to replace field combatants, robots can perform routine tasks that would otherwise put troops in harm's way."

This is good -- I guess. My problem with these kind of developments is that it could have the effect of sanitizing war for the side that has these machines to such an extent that we lose track of how catastrophic war is. As the bloody mess it is now, we learn with great clarity that war is something to be avoided.

In a similar vein (and more disturbing) is this item:

The Cyborg Insects Are Coming from Slate

"Telepathic helmets. Grid-computing swarms of cyborg insects, some for surveillance, some with lethal stingers. New cognitive-enhancement drugs. (What? Adderall and Provigil aren't good enough for you?) Lethal autonomous robots. Brain-chip-to-weapon platform control systems on a "future force warrior" platform. American military technology is getting very frisky."

News Nuggets 353

For those living near the volcano in Iceland, this is what the middle of the day looks like. From Reuters.

Let's begin today with an observation:

Thank God for Mark Souder (R-IN), the US Rep. who confessed yesterday to having an affair with a staffer!! Why, you should ask, should this man be acknowledged for having an affair with a staffer? Because, having been found out, he promptly admitted it and RESIGNED!! As one of these out-front "family values" Republicans, it was in my view, appropriate that he should do so. To add to his credit, when he confessed in front of the press corps, he did so BY HIMSELF -- he spared his wife and family the humiliation of being up there with him, a wholly inappropriate fashion that has been on display with most of the high-profile congressional sex scandals in recent years. So kudos to Mr. Souder.

However, what I really wanted to talk about was the larger trend that Souder is deviating from. How is it that so-called "family values" Republicans who get caught making a mockery of "family values" not only stick around in office, but have colleagues and party leaders who look the other way, and, most importantly, Republican voters who will allow them to stay put and, occasionally even get them re-elected?

What is that all about?! Why are GOP voters so consistently passive when confronted with such an egregious breach of faith involving an issue they say they care about? You really have to go back to the infamous Mark Foley of Florida to find someone who actually resigned in the face of a sex scandal. Since then, the pattern has been clear: a few weeks of agonizing spotlight, a flurry of heart-felt apologies -- and then -- sit tight -- or hop in the limo and on to the next fundraiser! We've had Larry Craig (Sen-ID) who stuck around to the end of his term; Mark Sanford (Gov-SC) who is sticking around, John Ensign (Sen-NV) who has stuck around (and may be forced to resign, not for his affair but for expected indictments for perjury); and now we have David Vitter (LA) who not only has stuck around but will probably win re-election in November by the sage "family values" voters in the Bayou State.

Again, what is that all about?! Is the "family values" agenda just kept around to hurl at political opponents? Is it just too risky to be true to this agenda when those dangerous "liberuls" are wreaking such havoc across the land? I really want to know. Where is the secret watering hole where this special electoral absolution occurs?

Dana Milbank discusses related issues HERE for the Washington Post:

Back to our regularly scheduled nuggets:

The Technicality Generation (Larry Presser) from the New York Times

"THE problems faced by Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut’s attorney general, over his depiction of his military service are indicative of a broader disease in our society. The issues of integrity in business and politics that plague us today — the way elites are no longer trusted — are rooted in the dishonesty that surrounded the Vietnam-era draft."

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

Iran, the Deal, and the Council from the Editorial Board of the New York Times

"It was no surprise on Monday when Iran announced it was ready to accept a deal to ship some of its nuclear fuel out of the country — similar to the deal it accepted and then rejected last year. So it is welcome news that the United States, Europe, Russia and China will press ahead with new United Nations Security Council sanctions."

Brazil's Triumph on Iran Short-lived from the Global Post

"Lula won uncommon praise at home for brokering a nuclear deal in Tehran. The UN had other ideas."

Taming Globalization in Iran? Kebabs, Mini-Skirts and Meth – Part I from YaleGlobal Online

"Young Iranians oppose mullahs by embracing the good and bad of Western ways"

China's Colonial Past Key to Understanding Its Future (Editorial) from World Politics Review

"In reality, 60 years of sloganeering ... have resulted in an often-ambiguous and inherently problematic relationship between past and present in today's China. The most fundamental of these tensions is reconciling the orthodoxy that Chinese civilization has, for 5,000 years, been the most advanced and glorious on the planet with the party line that, before the Communists came to power in 1949, all Chinese lived in a feudal hell from which only Chairman Mao could emancipate them."

Why It's Too Early to Declare the End of the US-Japan Alliance: China from Foreign Policy Magazine

"The short version: Irritation at the United States could prove less definitive than mounting fear of China."

How Long Will the Oil Spill Last? from Scientific American

"Based on Exxon Valdez, it's not just a matter of stopping the spill, it's also a matter of where the oil ends up."

Africa's Oil Spills Are Far From US Media Glare from Reuters

"Oil gushing from an undersea well in the Gulf of Mexico has damaged BP's reputation and share price but accidents involving other companies in less scrutinized parts of the world have avoided the media glare."

What Did Dems Just Learn About November? (Joan Walsh) from Salon

"The 2010 midterm elections are supposed to be hell on Democrats, but the party did just fine tonight."

A Big Night for the Left (Benjamin Sarlin) from the Daily Beast

"Tuesday’s primaries may have been billed as a bipartisan rejection of party leaders. But the real winners were progressives, who exceeded expectations all over the country."

Elections Show Emerging Trend Favoring Dems, Progressives (J.P. Green) from the Democratic Strategist

"Thoughtful Republicans won't find much to cheer in the results of Tuesday elections, while both moderate and progressive Democrats are hailing the results."

Hey, Senate Republicans, the Cold War is Over (Fred Kaplan) from Slate

"You wouldn't know it from some of the questions in today's Senate hearings."

Rand Paul, More Than Just Another Nutcase (Kevin Drum) from Mother Jones

Here he works off a posting from Josh Marshall at TPM. HERE's Marshall's original posting.

"I am getting the impression that Paul — aside from just being very unlikeable in personal terms — may be a much more divisive figure than one might expect from any Tea Party candidate who snatches away a nomination from an establishment party figure....A poll out yesterday showed that Grayson supporters in Kentucky simply hate Rand Paul in a way that goes way beyond the normal aftermath of a contested primary..."

ROBOT NUGGET!!

Remote-controlled Robot Surrogate Could Attend Your Next Meeting for You from Scientific American

"It may look like a floor lamp mounted on a vacuum cleaner, but Anybots, Inc.'s new QB is actually the latest in surrogate robotics. QB is designed to serve as your eyes, ears and voice when you can't be there in person"

For disabled people, this unit could make a HUGE difference!! It might actually allow them to "travel" remotely with family members, experience places that are not available to them, and all without feeling like they are being a burden. Remarkable.

POLLUTION NUGGET!!

America's 28 Most Polluted Places from the Daily Beast

"As Gulf oil sludge inches toward the Florida coastline, The Daily Beast crunches the numbers and ranks the most contaminated sites in the nation."

News Nuggets 352

A duck and family in the Nora River in La Fresnada in Spain.

I'm not going to post a huge number of post-election analyses today. They're everywhere, and the basic meme is "incumbents are doomed" which I think is premature. More in line with my own thinking is the following item:

The GOP's Special Failure from Politico

"All the evidence pointing to monster Republican House gains this fall—the Scott Brown upset win in Massachusetts, the scary polling numbers in once-safely Democratic districts, the ever-rising number of Democratic seats thought to be in jeopardy—was contradicted Tuesday."

Iran and the Bomb from the National Interest

"With the Islamic Republic now back in from the international cold, will the Obama administration change course and drop its requests for a new round of sanctions at the UN? Apparently not."

Guess not!! See this late-breaking item:

Major Powers Have a Deal on Sanctions for Iran, US Says from the New York Times

"The Obama administration announced Tuesday morning that it had struck a deal with other major powers, including Russia and China, to impose new sanctions on Iran, a sharp repudiation of the deal Tehran had offered just a day before to ship its nuclear fuel out of the country."

We'll see if this holds up. I'll have to say -- this was quite a SMACK DOWN of Turkey and Brazil by the major powers. I suspect that none of the majors were really interested in them horning in on the big-power action and have now put the two of them back "in their place." I suspect Turkey and Brazil's move was a slap aimed at the US but that ended up striking China and Russia as well. China and Russia both want to play in the "big power" game -- but, of course, don't want anyone else joining the club with them. The more exclusive the better I suspect is their view.

Ah -- and in support of this view comes this little item:

Clinton Attacks Turkey-Brazil Deal with Iran from the Financial Times [of London]

"Hillary Clinton on Tuesday all but accused Turkey and Brazil of being international ingénues, suckered into a spoiling operation by Iran. Mrs Clinton’s criticism of this week’s Turkish-Brazilian deal with Iran – hailed by the two countries’ governments as a genuine breakthrough – was a sign of the tension between established and rising powers on the world stage."

Amid Concern, White House Speeds Up Health Care Benefits from Politico

"President Barack Obama and his Democratic allies are using the levers of government to speed up and promote what they consider the most popular aspects of the new health care law before a highly skeptical public passes judgment in November. "

The Teachers' Unions' Last Stand from the Sunday New York Times Magazine

"How Obama’s Race to the Top could revolutionize public education."

Why is GM Profitable Again? Five Theories from The Week

"GM's gone from an embarrassing U.S. bailout to its first profit in years — and commentators have no shortage of explanations."

Activism v. Restraint (Jeffrey Toobin) from the New Yorker

'A few weeks ago, on Air Force One, Obama, a former law professor, gave a useful definition of the term, saying that “an activist judge was somebody who ignored the will of Congress, ignored democratic processes, and tried to impose judicial solutions on problems instead of letting the process work itself through politically.” This is, indeed, what the Roberts Court is doing."

Arizona: The Gift That Keeps on Giving (Stanley Fisher) from the New York Times

"Rather than removing politics from the classroom, House Bill 2281 mandates the politics of its authors, who, in the bill’s declaration of policy, set themselves up as educational philosophers and public moralists, and even, given the magisterial tone, as gods."

Want to See Obama’s Future? Take a Look at Cory Booker (Elise Cose) from Newsweek

"Newark Mayor Cory Booker is converting campaign inspiration into capable governance."

I'm not a big fan of prognosticating articles like this -- especially when it comes to Obama's future -- but I HAVE been impressed with Cory Booker. He seems to have done a remarkable job in Newark.

A Far Cry Indeed From 'Socialism' (Thomas Schaller) from the Baltimore Sun

"Among developed nations, America trails the pack in taxation and redistribution of wealth."

Midterm Fury Might Leave Pelosi Safe from Politico

"Even if Democrats drop by the dozens in the midterm elections, Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s hold on power will be as safe as ever if Democrats retain a thin majority in the House. ... In interviews with more than two dozen Democratic lawmakers, none suggested Pelosi should be replaced, and nobody predicted a serious challenge to Pelosi's authority, provided Democrats hold onto power. "

Even a Bad Election Cycle Has Some Upsides (Josh Kurtz) from Congressional Quarterly

"Though this is looking to be a very bad election cycle for Democrats, they may get a few cheers out of tonight’s primary results."

Richard Blumenthal Calls NYT Report 'Outrageous Distortion' from the Associated Press via Huffington Post

"Blumenthal says he's always tried to make it clear his Marine Reserve service never took him overseas. ... In a televised March debate, Blumenthal stated clearly he had not served in Vietnam."

Ok. He says he misspoke. By itself, that won't cut it since he apparently misspoke several times. He has also said in public that he never went to Vietnam. He's going to have some rough weeks ahead. We'll see how he fairs.

And another shoe drops --- perhaps on Blumenthal's opponent.

McMahon Misstep May Help Blumenthal Out of Vietnam-Related Hole (Sam Stein) from the Huffington Post

"It was one of the first times in recent political memory that a candidate so publicly revealed and endorsed its opposition research. It turns out, there's a reason why campaigns usually peddle dirt in private and without fingerprints. On Tuesday morning, the big story remained Blumenthal's bizarre rendering of his own history. But it was accompanied in key places by critical coverage of McMahon's antics."

Simmons, the OTHER Republican in this race, will be the big beneficiary. Simmons is behind in the polls right now, but McMahon just gave him a heck of a lot of ammo. What a conniving piece of work she is!

National Dems Standing by Blumenthal (greg Sargent) from Washington Post

"National Dems think he'll survive this, because he has also repeatedly been accurate in representing his record. They hope this will persuade people to see his previous quotes as screw ups, rather than deliberate attempts to mislead. Indeed, don't be surprised if more examples of him accurately discussing his record surface before long."

Ah, here's the final word on the subject -- at least for today:

Richard Blumenthal Will Survive (Greg Sargent) from the Washington Post

"Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal just wrapped up his damage control presser, and it seems obvious enough that he'll survive this mess. Quick reaction:"

ANCIENT EGYPT NUGGET!!

Temple of Tut's Grandfather May Hide Avenue of Statues from Discovery News

"An avenue of colossal granite statues representing an ancient deity could lie by the funerary temple of Tutankhamun's grandfather Amenhotep III, according to Egyptian archaeologists who have unearthed one of these statues at Kom el-Hettan on Luxor's west bank."

OBAMA FAMILY NUGGET [of a sort]!!

Obama's Aunt Given OK to Stay in the United States from the Boston Globe

"A Boston immigration judge has granted asylum to President Barack Obama's aunt, Zeituni Onyango, clearing the way for her to stay in the United States and possibly to become a US citizen, her lawyers said today."

BOOKS NUGGET!!

The Obama Book Glut: Nine More on the Way from The Week

"White House reporters are cashing in with Obama-related book deals. Here are 9 volumes in the works."