News Nuggets 382

Tornado conditions shaping up in a rural part of the midwest.  See the related video below.

Baghdad Nights Glitter, Behind Shatterproof Glass from the New York Times

"Antoine al-Hage, capitalism’s equivalent of a soldier of fortune, smiles at it all — the danger, the risk and, of course, the payoff of bringing nightlife to Iraq. “Where there’s war,” he said, “there’s lots of money.”"

The Obama "Narrative" is Overshadowing This Presidency's Real Stories (Jason Horowitz) from the Washington Post

""So much of the coverage and commentary has to do with the narrative, stagecraft, the political implications of what he is doing," said David Axelrod ... "When you are president of the United States, the most important thing is that you cope with the disaster." Not, that is, the story line of the disaster. Imperfect messenger though he is, Axelrod has a point."

Oil Spills, Rhetoric and Second Terms: A Close Encounter with Obama from the Independent [of the UK]

"Invited into the Oval Office, Roger Simon hears the US president's reflections on the biggest political crisis he has faced so far."

Criticism in an Age of Disproportion (Jon Meacham) from Newsweek

Our ON-THE-MONEY pundit of the day!!

"The rule was this: in the view of many, the president failed to give a great or even good speech, seemed unfocused and unspecific, and generally bombed. Still, I was struck by how disproportionate the hostile reaction seemed in relation to the address itself. ... I think that the reaction to the address tells us more about the observers than the observed, offering us a good example of the prevailing elevation of the stylistic over the substantive—and of the visceral over the reflective—in political conversation."

A Coup for the Cool One (Stanley Crouch) from The Root

"Battered by criticism of his calm nature, the president showed he can counterpunch when BP created a $20 billion escrow fund to deal with the impact of the Gulf oil spill."

Time to Tap T.R. (Jonathan Alter) from Newsweek

"Obama may yet use the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history to speed the transition to a green economy, just as George W. Bush used terrorism to refashion foreign policy."

Trend Lines Favor Working Women (Ronald Brownstein) from National Journal

"Since the 1970s, inflation-adjusted hourly wages have, incredibly, declined for men without college degrees as blue-collar occupations have withered. Wages have increased for men with four-year college degrees, but women with equivalent credentials have enjoyed bigger increases: Since the 1970s, the EPI analysis shows, only men with postgraduate degrees have gained ground faster than women at the same education level."

Is Silence Golden? Circumventing the Press May Pay (Howard Fineman) from Newsweek

"More and more, candidates construct their own faux-media entities, complete with video-streamed “reports” and Facebook outreach. ... Meanwhile, the economics of the business have forced reporters off the trail."

Poll: Half Say Gulf Will Never Recover from CNN

"More than three-quarters of Democrats and Independents support Obama's ideas on this topic. Republicans are split, 46 percent to 46 percent, on them," says Holland. "But most Republicans do say that Obama's proposals would increase jobs and help the next generation."

Interesting analysis of this poll HERE at Daily Kos.

FL-Sen: The Oil Spill Saved Crist (Samuel Jacobs) from the Daily Beast

"Once left for dead in his Senate campaign against Marco Rubio, Florida governor Charlie Crist has used the BP spill to show leadership and rise in the polls."

FOX Accuses Obama of Giving Land Back to Mexico from Daily Kos

"I was about to say that you can't make this stuff up. But if you're Fox News, you can make up absolutely anything that you like."

Normally I don't comment on or display anything having to do with the nonsense that spews forth from Fox -- but this latest installment is more disturbing than many I think because you have to wonder where these folks will stop.  More and more, cable news (and FOX most egregiously) is becoming a no-accountability, political free-fire zone.  

Flame-Throwing Political Books from the Right and the Left from the Washington Post

"Judging by the political books hitting the summer shelves, we are gearing up for the next civil war. Or maybe an uncivil war. The titles -- from both the left and the right -- are rude, self-righteous and inflammatory. Let the summer's literary flame throwing begin!"

FATHERS' DAY NUGGET!!

What My Son Taught Me from The Root

"Lessons learned from being a white man raising a black child in a color-struck world."

TORNADO NUGGET!!

Totally amazing video of a tornado forming right OVER the person taking the video!!

AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY NUGGET I

The Great Escape from Slavery of Ellen and William Craft from Smithsonian Magazine

"Passing as a white man traveling with his servant, two slaves fled their masters in a thrilling tale of deception and intrigue."

Both a race and gender bending real-life suspense story!  I suspect it would make a great movie!

AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY NUGGET II

A Year of Hope for Joplin and Johnson from Smithsonian Magazine

"In 1910, the boxer Jack Johnson and the musician Scott Joplin embodied a new sense of possibility for African-Americans."

News Nuggets 381

This image gives you a pretty gruesome idea of what the surf in Louisiana look like now and what it will look like in Florida soon enough. From the New York Times.

Quote of the Day: "[Nevada Tea Party Senate candidate Sharron] Angle is now so unavailable to the media, she might as well be in a witness-protection program." - Eleanor Clift, Newsweek (see below)

After the Security Council Vote from the Editorial Board of the New York Times

"There has been a lot of talk, for a long time, about reining in Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Far too many countries have found Iran’s oil wealth simply too hard to resist. There are encouraging signs that for at least some major players, patience with Tehran may be running out."

Barack Obama's Very Good Week (Joan Walsh) from Salon

"Getting BP to cough up a $20 billion escrow fund paid off politically in more ways than one. Plus: Apologize to BP!"

It really says something about how rough the last two months have been for Obama when this last week can be viewed as a winner!

Obama v. BP from the Economist [of the UK]

"America’s justifiable fury with BP is degenerating into a broader attack on business."

I would not necessarily call this 'degenerating.' Big business in the US has been due for a comeuppance for decades. Since the 1980s, the language of 'class warfare' has been attacked when Democrats and liberal organizations use it -- but all the while conservatives more and more embraced it (and continue to do so now in historic fashion when you listen to Tea Party rhetoric). A dummy slap is due the entire business and governing class. Jonathan Chait makes a related point below.

The Environmental Legacy of the Oil Spill from Newsweek

"In 1974, the Chilean government decided not to clean up an oil spill along its southern coast. The result: a natural laboratory for testing oil’s environmental impact, and valuable lessons for the fate of the gulf.... What’s in store for the gulf? Lessons from previous disasters."

Apparently Blood Isn't Thicker Than Oil (Dana Milbank) from the Washington Post

"The radioactivity came, rather, from the top row of the dais, where Joe Barton, the top Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, gave a most unusual opening statement. ... "I think it is a tragedy of the first proportion that a private corporation can be subjected to what I would characterize as a shakedown. Heads of the other committee members spun, cartoon-like, in the direction of Barton."

The Culture We Live In (Michael Tomasky) from the Guardian [of the UK]

"We live in a political culture in which most people respond chiefly to symbols and images and don't care to look deeper. ... Sometimes it does. Rudy Giuliani was pretty good at it as mayor. And sometimes it doesn't. George Bush was generally pretty lousy at it as president. Obama isn't that person."

A NICE commentary on how our culture of loud and symbolic anger makes it difficult to actually hear what people are REALLY saying ... among other things.

City in Nebraska Torn as Immigration Vote Nears from the New York Times

"In a special election Monday, residents will decide whether to ban businesses from hiring illegal immigrants and bar landlords from renting to them. Residents demanded the vote, fighting off challenges by some of their elected leaders all the way to the State Supreme Court. The election has opened a rare and raw divide."

Hillary Clinton Should be Obama's Vice President (Sally Quinn) from the Washington Post

"The Republicans would lose their "year of the woman" argument. And based on experience alone, Hillary is far more qualified to be president than any of the Republicans being considered today, including Mitt Romney, Bobby Jindal, Tim Pawlenty and Palin."

Lots of interesting speculations in this article. And -- Quinn is not the first to make this case for a switch.

What Would the Tea Party Do? (Eleanor Clift) from Newsweek

"They object to Obama. Fine—but it’s worth asking how they would handle something like the gulf oil spill. ... Cutting back the size of government is great in theory, but if the Tea Party crowd actually succeeded, mused panelist Barone, “will it prove just as unpopular as what these guys [members of the Obama administration] are doing?”"

Liberal Despair and the Cult of the Presidency (Jonathan Chait) from the New Republic

"To read through any number of thorough histories of the New Deal is to be struck not by the differences between Roosevelt (man of action) and Obama (pensive equivocator) but by the many consistencies in how politics actually unfolds in real time–the difficulties inherent in trying to effect change, the readiness to accept half a loaf, and the regular reassurances sent to the moneyed classes that the liberals hadn’t taken over the candy store."

Tea Party Confessional Runs in Playboy (Sam Stein) from the Huffington Post

"The new Playboy magazine has an anonymous confessional from a K Street consultant who lifts the curtain on many of the politically crafty, somewhat seedy underpinnings of the Tea Party movement. The article has not received much attention. But its contents, if true, are illustrative and fascinating. The consultant, who doesn't identify for whom he actually works, paints a picture of a movement that has strength in its legions of followers outside the Beltway but harnesses its power from the "black arts" of politicking."

The full Playboy article is HERE.

What Ever Happened to Ann Coulter? from American Prospect

Normally I couldn't care less about these bloviating troublemakers -- but, who knows, maybe she's setting a new trend in the right-wing gooniverse. Waldman's argument here seems contradictory -- but it still leaves the question. In this time of conservative punditry plenty is she being so obviously left out?

"Remember Ann Coulter? Seems like just yesterday she was Queen of the Right, the whole political world hanging on her every bile-laced tirade. Yet she's all but disappeared. Not that she isn't trying. ... But she seems to have completely lost her ability to move from the right-wing outlets into the mainstream discussion."

BIZARRE CULTURE NUGGET!!

Rent a White Guy from the Atlantic

"A Chinese company paid the author $1,000 to pose as an executive for a week. The only requirements? A fair complexion and a suit"

News Nuggets 380

Yes -- Pet Photo Friday has arrived!! Here are two more fun images from Americablog.

Obama More Popular Abroad Than at Home, Global Image of the US Continues to Benefit from the Pew Global Attitudes Project

"In most countries, especially in wealthier nations, President Barack Obama gets an enthusiastic thumbs up for the way he has handled the world economic crisis. The notable exception is the United States itself."

EU Approves New Sanctions on Iran from the Associated Press via Salon

"Latest restrictions go beyond U.N. measures, target nuclear technologies. ... The restrictions, which come on top of sanctions already imposed by the U.N. Security Council, were approved during a summit focused primarily on economic issues, spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said."

US Targets Iranian Banks from Politico

"The Obama administration announced Wednesday the addition of almost two dozen more Iranian entities and individuals to the U.S. sanctions list, taking advantage of a new U.N. resolution in a bid to persuade Congress to give the White House more flexibility in the final version of Iran sanctions legislation."

BP Will Pay for Its Costly Disaster (Thomas Noyes) from the Guardian [of the UK]

"Following Obama's meeting with BP bosses we should expect to see the firm leak billions long after the flow of oil is staunched."

In the same vein:

BP's US Future Teeters After CEO, Lawmakers Clash from the Bloomberg News Service

"BP Plc Chief Executive Officer Tony Hayward’s failure to set safety standards to prevent the Gulf of Mexico oil spill may cost the company control over U.S. oil fields, refineries and pipelines that account for more than one- third of its sales, lawmakers and analysts said."

If this analysis is for-real, this could be quite a big deal! My take: what happened yesterday was a lot of empty bluster and posing for the cameras. There is something to be said for Joe Barton's candor -- BP owns him and he's appropriately apologizing for the inconvenience they're putting BP through. I'm usually not such an anti-Wall Street reductionist -- but the degree of undisguised raw power BP has been demonstrating so far in this crisis leads me to dismiss any notion that they will pay the kind of price suggested in this article. But then, Bloomberg is supposed to have good sources on Wall Street. Hopefully I'm wrong.

Divert the Mississippi to Fight Oil Spill, Experts Say from National Geographic Daily News

"Artificially boosted, strong river currents would keep oil out of Louisiana marshes."

It's my understanding that this approach is very much being considered.

Gulf Oil Spill Puts Industry-Friendly Republicans in Tight Spot (Karen Tumulty) from the Washington Post

"Although Barton later retracted his suggestion that BP was the victim of a White House "shakedown" -- after House GOP leaders threatened to take away his position as ranking Republican on the Energy and Commerce Committee -- the episode showed the uncomfortable spot in which some Republicans find themselves. This is not the moment to be seen as coddling Big Oil."

Good to see Karen Tumulty back on the nuggets page again since leaving Time Magazine.

Why Are Pundits More Disappointed Than Environmentalists by Obama's Oil Speech? (Ben Adler) from Newsweek

"As a cap on carbon emissions dies a slow death in the Senate, environmentalists—not known for their optimism—are surprisingly sanguine."

GM to Keep US Plants Open During Summer, Cites Demand from CNBC

"Most General Motors' U.S. plants will forego traditional summer shutdowns to help meet buyer demand for popular models, the automaker said Thursday. GM says nine of its 11 assembly plants will continue to operate during the traditional shutdown period from June 28 to July 9. Most of GM's U.S. stamping and powertrain plants will also work to support assembly operations."

This is excellent news!!

The Power of Education is the Real Gold in Afghanistan (Kathleen Parker) from the Washington Post

"The [mineral] deposits are real enough, but the question remains: Can a country without mining infrastructure and populated by people who've never known prosperity ... put its resources to constructive use? Although the potential is "stunning," according to Gen. David Petraeus, the sidebars and footnotes to this heartening story are full of caveats and "yes, buts.""

On the Way to the U.S., Illegal Migrants Face Treacherous Journey Through Mexico from the Washington Post

"As the Mexican government condemns a new immigration law in Arizona as cruel and xenophobic, illegal migrants passing through Mexico are routinely robbed, raped and kidnapped by organized criminal gangs that often work alongside corrupt police, according to human rights advocates. Mexico's strict laws to protect the rights of illegal migrants are often ignored and undocumented migrants from Central America face a brutal passage through Mexico, say immigration experts and Catholic priests who shelter the travelers."

The Run of Democratic House Retirements That Wasn't -- and What It Means (Chris Cillizza) from the Washington Post

"While Democrats' open seat problems are not insignificant but compared with the "rats fleeing the sinking ship" sentiment that pervaded that Democratic House caucus just a few months ago, the party is on stronger footing than many people thought they would be this far along in the cycle. ... What does the open seat situation mean for the battle for the House majority this November?"

Tea Party Readies for Harsh Scrutiny from Politico

"Now the institutions in charge of history’s second draft — big-time publishing houses, documentary filmmakers and academia — are promising to make sense of it all in a series of books, conferences and documentaries in the months just before and after the critical 2010 midterm elections. "

Many sound quite intriguing -- and funny!

Pollster Scott Rasmussen's Numbers are Firing Up Republicans and Democrats (Jason Horowitz) from the Washington Post

"Here is a fun fact for those in the political polling orthodoxy who liken Scott Rasmussen to a conjurer of Republican-friendly numbers: He works above a paranormal bookstore crowded with Ouija boards and psychics on the Jersey Shore."

A subtle "fix" seems to be in with the polls Rasmussen produces. Polling already skews our politics enough -- we don't need jokers like these folks.

SC-Gov: S.C. GOP Breaks ranks on Haley from Politico

"While national Republicans are busy advancing state Rep. Nikki Haley’s bid for governor of South Carolina, much of the state GOP establishment is working furiously to torpedo her chances in the June 22 runoff. "

Do I hear the faint echo of more skeletons in Ms. Haley's closet? The state GOP folks should know by now. Two key questions: What else is out there? Haley seems to have emerged from the multiple affairs controversy surprisingly unscathed -- I suspect the state folks know something the rest of us don't. And second, what will these same state folks do if/when she wins that primary? Full steam ahead ... off a cliff? Boy, between this and Alvin Green in NC, you have to be wondering what they're doing in those old confederate states! Put your money down now: There are two really implausible made-for-TV movies coming out of these scandals!

CO-Sen: Is Colorado's Ken Buck the Next Sharron Angle? (Chris Cillizza) from the Washington Post

"Colorado Senate candidate Ken Buck's (R) recent wave of momentum has positioned him as the next grassroots outsider who could potentially win in a Republican primary -- following in the footsteps of Nevada Senate nominee Sharron Angle (R) and Kentucky Senate nominee Rand Paul (R)."

OBSCURE WWII HISTORY/MOVIE NUGGET!!

Revealed: Unseen Cartoons from POW Camp Immortalized in The Great Escape from the Daily Mail

"These previously unseen cartoons form an amazing day-to-day diary of life in the Prisoner of War camp immortalised in the Hollywood classic The Great Escape. They were drawn in 1944 by an American air force serviceman being held in Germany's 'escape proof' Stalag Luft III."

News Nuggets 379

A seasonal scene from a rose garden in the UK. From the Guardian.

Obama Adds to Iran Sanctions from the Los Angeles Times

"The Obama administration Wednesday added several dozen Iranian individuals and organizations to its sanctions blacklist, its first steps to intensify international pressure in the aftermath of international sanctions adopted last week by the United Nations Security Council."

While No One's Looking, the Palestinians Are Building a State (Op-Ed) from Foreign Policy Magazine

"Rather than seeking an impossible military victory or waiting for the sudden achievement of a major peace treaty, the state-building program seeks to create Palestine as a practical reality. Even as they continue to insist on their moral right of self-determination, Palestinians are seriously taking up their practical responsibilities of self-government."

Kurdish Promise:The Obama-inspired Political Party That's Transforming Iraqi Politics from the New Republic

"The organization has given birth to a political party known as the Change Movement ("Gorran")—a name borrowed from Barack Obama's political campaign—and in the Kurdish assembly’s regional elections, it claimed, to the surprise of many observers, 25 of the 111 seats. Gorran has become the third-strongest player in Kurdish politics, and it is undoubtedly the party to watch in the north. But who exactly are these people? And what do they want for Kurdistan—and Iraq?"

BP Agrees to Pay (Michael Tomasky) from the Guardian [of the UK]

"This counts as an Obama win. I'd love know what the conversation was as it went down in the Oval Office this morning."

The GOP's BP Problem (Richard Wolffe) from the Daily Beast

"Pundits panned Obama’s speech, but Richard Wolffe reports the White House is taking comfort in research that suggests swing voters liked it, want a bill passed—and see Republicans as the obstacle."

Obama Seeks to Shift Arc of Oil Crisis (Peter Baker) from the New York Times

"Obama has been 'fighting his own powerlessness.' Everyone is frustrated, everyone is upset. And right now everyone in the Conventional Wisdom world/chattering class, etc. is taking it out on this president, good speech or not.""

Obama’s Oil Spill Response Is The Worst One Possible….Except for All The Others (Chris Thomas) from True/Slant

"Obama has been lambasted for his failure to take control of the crisis, for his failure to involve international assistance, and for his failure to – quite simply – stop the leak. And there can be no contest; Barack Obama has failed to do all of those things. Yet, perhaps the question Americans should be asking is, did we really want or expect him to?"

Republicans vs. Making BP Pay, Ct. from Daily Kos

"These are just the latest examples of how extremely vulnerable Republicans are on this issue. As Josh Nelson points out, BP's oil disaster puts Republicans in a terrible spot and gives Democrats ample opportunity to go on offense."

I wouldn't bet on the Dems exploiting their advantage here. Way too many Dems have substantial ties with BP (including, sad to say, Obama). Philosophically, they lack the 'soak the corporations' mentality, -- and, also sad to say, I think the leadership lacks the nerve to really go where the blogger suggests. My bet: the Dems will take incoming on the spill from the GOP until November with little or no response.

Conservative Outraged at National Rifle Association Deal from National Journal

"Conservative movementarians, and some of the top GOPers on Capitol Hill, are furious with the National Rifle Association for cutting a deal with House Dem leaders that could speed passage of a measure aimed at increasing campaign finance disclosure requirements."

The 'M' Word: Democrats are on a Winning Streak—So Why are They Acting Like Losers? (E.J. Dionne) from the New Republic

"President Obama is not Jimmy Carter, not even close. And Obama's speech on Tuesday was nothing like Carter's 1979 "malaise speech" in which Carter never actually used that word. Obama gave a good and sensible speech that was not a home run. What's odd is that Obama was seen as needing a home run. This is where the Democratic malaise comes in. "

GOP Shields Angle and Paul to Avoid Making Them Face of '10 from TalkingPointsMemo

"Each time Paul or Angle stray from party talking points by promoting Social Security privatization, abolishing the Department of Education or backtracking on the Civil Rights Act, more moderate Republican candidates have to field questions about whether they agree on those issues"

Has the Tea Party Peaked? (Clarence Page) from the Chicago Tribune

"The panel agreed that the tea party's biggest rallying issue cooled when Obama's health care overhaul passed. History indicates that it is unlikely to be undone, regardless of how much some Republicans may call for its repeal, since American voters are not in the habit of taking a major benefit away from themselves."

AP-Gfk Poll Shows Gain for Health Care Overhaul from the Associated Press vie Google News

"A new Associated Press-Gfk poll finds public support for President Barack Obama's health care law has risen to its highest point to date."

KY-Sen: Rand Paul's Ideas Crash into Reality (Editorial) from the Editorial Board of the Lexington Herald-Ledger [of KY]

"It's only June, but collisions between reality and the ideals of Republican Senate candidate Rand Paul are lighting up the sky like bottle rockets on the third of July. There's the time that Paul, an eye doctor, wanted board certification but didn't like the new rules for earning it. So he created his own medical board. He's now certified by the National Board of Ophthalmology of which he's president, his wife is vice president and his father-in-law is secretary."

This nugget really showcases how untenable much of the Tea Party anti-government rhetoric is.

AK-Sen: Tea Party Express Follows Palin's Lead, Backs Miller from the Anchorage Daily News

"The Tea Party Express is pledging to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to boost little-known Joe Miller's bid to defeat U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski."

There's certainly no love lost between Palin and Murkowski in this fight. The primary in Alaska isn't until August. It'll be interesting to see if Palin still has any pull with GOP voters there.

MARS NUGGET!!

Ancient Mars Had Vast Ocean, New Evidence Shows from National Geographic Daily News

"An ancient ocean on Mars would mean the planet once had a thick atmosphere and a hydrological cycle similar to that of Earth. "If Mars had an ocean, it must have had clouds and rain, snow in the highlands, ice caps forming, a groundwater system, and all of these things that we have here on Earth," Hynek said. And where water flowed, life could have arisen."

News Nuggets 378

Yes -- this is a living creature called the Sphinx cat, a new breed, on display in the UK. From the Daily Mail. See the Pet Nugget below.

Cut Defense Spending (Lawrence Korb and Chris Preble) from the National Interest

"A few Americans, meanwhile, benefit handsomely from military spending, and wish for the bonanza to continue unimpeded. As so often happens, the voices of the interested few outweigh those of the disinterested many. That might be changing. As more Americans come to understand the high costs and dubious benefits of U.S. military dominance, a backlash is all but inevitable."

Poll: Strong Public Support for Mandatory Carbon Reductions from National Journal

"There is strong public sentiment for limiting carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions in energy legislation, according to the latest Society for Human Resource Management/National Journal Congressional Connection Poll, conducted by the Pew Research Center."

A Glimmer of Leadership in Obama's Oval Office Speech (David Ignatius) from the Washington Post

"Given all the idiotic advice President Obama has gotten about what to do about the BP oil spill, I thought his Oval Office address Tuesday night had it about right. Call to arms. Three-point plan. End our energy addiction. God bless America."

A Jobs Mismatch in Higher Ed from Inside Higher Education

A VERY import set of conclusions are sounded here.

"The United States economy is in serious danger from a growing mismatch between the skills that will be needed for jobs being created and the educational backgrounds (or lack thereof) of would-be workers. That is the conclusion of a mammoth analysis of jobs data being released today by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. The new report says that the United States is "on a collision course with the future" since far too few Americans complete college. ... the lead author of the report said in an interview that the report should also shake up colleges -- and challenge most of them to be much more career-oriented than they have been and to overhaul the way they educate students, to much more closely align the curriculum with specific jobs."

I sooo agree with many of the report's conclusions! Given the fights our partisan gov't is having about higher ed, jobs, etc., it is almost guaranteed that nothing will occur here. I hope I'm wrong.

Report: Japan Pays Small Nations for Support on Whaling from Agence France Presse via Yahoo News

"The Sunday Times said it found officials from St Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Guinea and Ivory Coast were willing to discuss selling their votes at the International Whaling Commission (IWC). ... the IWC commissioner for Tanzania said "good girls" were made available for ministers and senior fisheries officials during all-expenses paid trips to Japan."

And what do UN officials and US and European IWC people say? They'd better find a way past these shills!

Have Republicans Already Blown Their Chances to Recapture the Senate? from TalkingPointsMemo

"Until just a few weeks ago, Republicans considered winning a Senate majority a long shot but by no means out of reach. But the euphoria over Scott Brown's victory in Massachusetts in January seems a distant memory now, especially after the latest round of primary results last week."

Poll: Americans Want Democrats, Not Republicans, to Control Next Congress from the Associated Press

"There's encouraging news for Democrats battling to retain control of Congress in this fall's elections, with the party holding a slender edge in public trust for shepherding the economy and small gains in those saying their finances are healthy, according to a new poll."

FL-Sen: Dems Flirt with Backing Crist from Politico

"The emergence of a politically unknown billionaire self-funder in the Florida Senate race is prompting top Democrats in the state to say publicly what some have been whispering for weeks: If Jeff Greene, who got rich betting on the collapse of the housing market, becomes their nominee, many in the party will have the cover they need to get behind Republican-turned-independent Gov. Charlie Crist."

I thought this would occur eventually -- but I'm surprised this issue is coming up this soon!

IL-Sen: Kirk's Problems Get a Little Worse (Steve Benen) from Washington Monthly

"Republican Senate candidate Mark Kirk ran into trouble recently when a variety of claims about his military service -- in speeches, in correspondence, and in written materials -- were proven to be untrue. Making matters worse for the Illinois Republican, the story isn't quite done yet. As of about a week ago, I think the list was up to eight separate incidents:"

SC-Sen: Lindsey Graham Would Back S.C. Election Probe from Politico

"Graham told POLITICO's Manu Raju just now that he has "basic questions," such as how Alvin Greene got the money for his $10,400 filing fee."

Now THIS is interesting. Why would he do this? Because he's such a PRINCIPLED guy!? Not a chance. This sounds like some intra-GOP payback between Graham and DeMint. I'm curious if Graham knows something the rest of us don't.

SC-Sen: Democrat Alvin Greene Sees SC Republicans Come to His Aide from The Hill

"It’s unusual, especially in an election year, to hear Republicans coming to the defense of a Democrat who is aiming to take out one of their colleagues. But that’s what happened on Tuesday when several South Carolina Republicans came to the aid of embattled 32-year-old Democratic Senate candidate Alvin Greene. "

The Greene candidacy looks more and more rancid by the day. I'm still missing the picture however.

ENVIRONMENT NUGGET!!

Europe's New Wind Power Rivals Gas from the New York Times

"The amount of power generated by new wind turbines in the European Union this year will be about the same as the amount from new gas plants, according to the European Wind Energy Association, an industry group."

PET NUGGET!! [of a sort]

Sphynx Cats Fetch Up to £3,000 Each in Latest Must-Have Pet Craze from the Daily Mail [of the UK]

"They may look like a cross between ET and a Gremlin, but these bald Sphynx cats are fetching up to £3,000 a time as the latest must-have pet. The odd-looking wrinkly felines are a rare breed which have only recently found their way to England in the last few years."

News Nuggets 377

A chinchilla rabbit at the Moosburg Zoo in Germany. From the Guardian.

The New Rules: Obama's Strategic Patience (Thomas Banett) from World Politics Review

"Bush-Cheney's "It's better to be feared than respected" tear nearly tore up our entire military, forcing our forces to fight two nasty wars under the worst strategic conditions possible: increasingly denuded of allies and beset by spoilers on all sides. ... It is hard to think of an approach more guaranteed to diminish American power over the long run. Worse still was the Bush administration's myopic insistence that Washington retain all manner of global leadership, instead of embracing our success in shaping an international liberal trade order -- globalization -- that has unleashed so many rising economic pillars across the planet."

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

Iran's Revolution Enters Year Two (Op-Ed) from the New York Times

"Karl Popper and the army of pro-democracy lay and clerical Iranian intellectuals who’ve been transforming their country’s culture and ethics. They are our guides to what the United States ought to be doing vis-à-vis Iran; they are also a reproach to how President Obama has so far conducted Iran policy."

Tehran Diary: My Life in Iran, One Year After Uprising from Der Spiegal [of Germany in English]

"Saturday marks the first anniversary of the disputed Iranian presidential election, which sparked street protests leading to dozens of deaths and countless arrests. How is the atmosphere in the country today? Five Iranians describe their lives over the space of one week in May."

Obama Will Take to Oval Office Speech with a Familiar Theme from the New York Times

"Aides say Mr. Obama will describe the eight-week-old oil spill as a slow-motion crisis, resistant to the best efforts and billions of dollars from government and industry. Ultimately, he will say, the nation will recover, just not soon."

The Oil Spill is Not Obama's Katrina (Anne Applebaum) from the Washington Post

"Given that he cannot stop the oil from flowing, why has President Obama decided to act as if he can? ... I suspect that there are many reasons for this recent change of rhetorical tone and that some of them are ideological. ... A large part of the explanation, however, is cultural: Obama has been forced to take a commanding role in a crisis he cannot control because we expect him to -- both "we" the media and "we" the bipartisan public. "

Applebaum summarizes well Obama's limitations in the crisis.

Nigeria's Agony Dwarf's the Gulf Oil Spill. The US and Europe Ignore It from the Guardian [of the UK]

"The Deepwater Horizon disaster caused headlines around the world, yet the people who live in the Niger delta have had to live with environmental catastrophes for decades."

Can the Tea Party Survive 2010? from The Week

"With infighting reportedly on the rise, many Tea Party candidates are going down in flames. Growing pains or the beginning of the end for the protest movement?"

The Risks of "Hell, No!" from the Economist [of London]

"The tea-party movement is pushing the Republicans to the right. That may make it harder to recapture the White House from Barack Obama."

IL-Sen: Conservative May Enter Senate Race from the Chicago Business Daily

"A new candidate plans to enter the wild race for the U.S. Senate in Illinois, and he might make a difference if he spends the $1 million of his own money that he's promising. Mike Niecestro, a west suburban mortgage broker with little political past, describes himself as "a disgusted Republican" who's unhappy with the two major-party nominees in the contest: Democratic State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias and, in particular, North Shore congressman Mark Kirk, the GOP nominee."

FL-Rep: Tea Party's Peg Dunmire May Complicate Hopes to Win Florida House Seat from Politics Daily

"There are seven Republicans vying for the chance to oppose Grayson in November, but they have been joined by Peg Dunmire, a business consultant running as the candidate of the newly-born Florida Tea Party."

What we've seen in the Senate seems to now be spreading to the House.

WHALE NUGGET!!

Whistleblower Aims to Expose Dark Side of Japanese Whaling from the Guardian [of the UK]

"'Mr Whale' alleges widespread criminality among former colleagues on mother ship of Japanese whaling fleet."