News Nuggets 861

DAYLEE PICTURE: A view of the almost completely new city of Astana in Kazakhstan.  From National Geographic. 
UP-FRONT GOP POLITICS NUGGET!!
Blame the GOP Establishment for the Rise of Gingrich (Conor Friedersdorf) from the Atlantic
"It's Beltway "thought leaders" on the right who are responsible for this flawed candidate."

CONSERVATIVE OPINION NUGGET!!
Romney’s Moment (Jonah Goldberg) from the National Review
In the main, I find Goldberg a completely predictable mouthpiece for right-wing talking points -- but not here.  I have observed the same point he makes here -- and I think it represents a key weakness Romney has when facing off against Gingrich.
" Romney has an authentic inauthenticity problem. In other words, he seems like he’s faking things even when he’s not. He may take positions he doesn’t hold in his heart, but all politicians do that. The problem is that the vast majority of the time he’s no more passionate or convincing about the positions he almost surely does hold in his heart. ... More to the point, fair doesn’t have anything to do with it. Politics is about persuasion and he’s simply not persuasive. "

Predictions About the Death of American Hegemony May Have Been Greatly Exaggerated (Daniel Drezner) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"One could point to the last few months of modestly encouraging economic data, but that's ephemeral.  Rather, there are three macrotrends that are worth observing now before (I suspect) they come up in the State of the Union: ..."

Drezner cites extensively from the following article:
China's Century? Why America's Edge Will Endure (Michael Beckley) from the journal, International Security
"The United States derives competitive advantages from its hegemonic position, and globalization allows it to exploit these advantages, attracting economic activity and manipulating the international system to its benefit. The United States should therefore continue to prop up the global economy and maintain a robust diplomatic and military presence abroad."

Why it’s China’s Turn to Worry about Manufacturing (Vivek Wadhwa) from the Washington Post
"New technologies will likely cause the same hollowing out of China’s manufacturing industry over the next two decades that the U.S experienced over the past twenty years. That’s right. America is destined to once again gain its supremacy in manufacturing, and it will soon be China’s turn to worry."

Washington State to Legalize Same Sex Marriage from Raw Story
"After obtaining the 25 votes required for passage, the state of
Washington appears ready to legalize same sex marriage. State Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen (D) said she would be the final vote..."

Survey Paints Portrait of Black Women in America from the Washington Post 
"In survey results, a complex portrait emerges of black women who feel confident but vulnerable, who have high self-esteem and who find career success more vital to them than marriage."

How the Stimulus Shaped the White House (Derek Thompson) from the Atlantic 
"President Obama's first big economic fight framed the way the White House views the economy and the GOP."

Tennessee Tea Parties Demand Textbooks Contain No Mean Things About Founding Fathers from Salon
"If they get their way, history books won't say anything about "intruding on the Indians or having slaves""

Romney vs. Gingrich Highlights GOP Unease (Dan Balz) from the Washington Post
"Will Gingrich or Romney be able to bridge gap between Establishment and Insurgents?"

Newt Gingrich vs.the Establishment: South Carolina Sets Up Intra-GOP Conflict (Michael Crowley) from Time Magazine
"In reality, Gingrich’s platform does almost nothing to threaten the Establishment’s core interests. It’s his candidacy that has the GOP powers that be gnashing their teeth. But as he tries to keep Mitt Romney from mounting a comeback after his South Carolina humiliation, Gingrich’s anti-Establishment pose might be the best thing going for him."

Poll Watcher: Newt Gingrich Surges in National Polls (Scott Clement) from the Washington Post
"One week ago, Mitt Romney amassed a record 23-point lead in Gallup tracking polls. But in the latest poll, the former Massachusetts governor holds a tenuous five-point edge over Newt Gingrich among Republican leaning registered voters -- 30 to 25 percent -- as the former House speaker has surged yet again after falling hard in late December."

Romney to Bombard Gingrich with Scorched Earth Attacks (Greg Sargent) from the Washington Post
"The big news this morning is that the Romney campaign — stung by Newt Gingrich’s big South Carolina win — is prepared to unleash a white-hot series of assaults on the (again) surging challenger."

Mitt Romney Could Get Burned in Florida (Jonathan Capehart) from the Washington Post
"With his blow-out victory in the South Carolina primary, it turns out that Newt Gingrich had the keys to the car to roll out of the Camp Crystal Lake of electoral politics. And with that win a prediction I made back in December — that Florida could be Mitt Romney’s Waterloo — comes into clearer focus."

From Gingrich To Palin To Gingrich (Andrew Sullivan) from the Daily Beast 
"This now is the party of Palin and Gingrich, animated primarily by hatred of elites, angry at the new shape and color of America, befuddled by a suddenly more complicated world, and dedicated primarily to emotion rather than reason. That party is simply not one that can rally behind a Mitt Romney."

Conservatives Demand New Candidate to Throw Race into Further Disarray (Alex Pareene) from Salon
"Maybe Daniels or Jindal should enter the race next month and we can take this thing all the way to the convention!"

No GOP Cavalry Coming — It’s Too Late For Last Minute Presidential Candidates To Get On The Ballots from Talking Points Memo
"...some Republican pundits have re-lit the flame for a new candidate to jump in and save them from a Mitt vs. Newt contest. But there is a serious problem with these fantasies: It is now impossible to get on the ballot in many states."

TX-GOV: The Return of the Native: Rick Perry as Damaged Goods in Texas from Time Magazine
"The governor comes back to rule his state after a humiliating and humbling campaign. Already, the locals see him as hobbled in a local political scene where he was once the master."

IL-SEN: Doctors 'Hopeful' After Sen. Kirk Undergoes Surgery for Stroke from the Chicago Tribune
"U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk is expected to recover cognitive functions but could have some physical impairment following a weekend stroke, the neurosurgeon who operated on the senator said today following three-hour surgery at Northwestern Memorial Hospital."

News Nuggets 860

DAYLEE PICTURE: A tulip farm in Tasmania.  From National Geographic.

UP-FRONT GINGRICH VICTORY NUGGET!!
The Tribe of Newt (David Weigel) from Slate
"A lone Democratic consultant wandered the halls of the downtown Hilton, gawking at Republicans who had come to fete Newt Gingrich. The consultant had spent his day giving Swedish conservatives a course in local politics. What to tell them about Gingrich? As an expert, he had no idea. As a Democrat, he was blissed out. ... Who were these crazy people? They were Gingrich voters, Frankensteins stitched together from the parts of other, extinct conservatives. ... Gingrich was saying that all criticism of Republicans from the media should be suspect. ... Romney, who recites America the Beautiful in his campaign speeches, didn’t convince them that he hated “the elites.” Gingrich did. He’d outdebate Obama because he didn’t accept the notion that Obama was a competent, eloquent president. They didn’t accept it, either. "
Read Weigel's whole column.  If he's right, this could end up being one of the ugliest primaries in US history.

ANOTHER UP-FRONT GINGRICH NUGGET!!
Poll: Gingrich Leads Romney in Florida from Real Clear Politics
"Newt Gingrich leads Mitt Romney by eight points in Florida, according to a poll conducted the day after the former House speaker won the South Carolina primary. According to the Insider Advantage poll, Gingrich has 34 percent support, Romney has 26 percent, Texas Rep. Ron Paul has 13 percent, and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum garners 11 percent."
WOW.  I have read countless articles in the last 48 hours laying out how "well-positioned" Romney is to win in Florida -- and one of the keys to this was his standing in pre-S.C. primary polls where Romney led by 20+ points.  POOF! And the candidates are heading into another debate tonight. Romney supporters seem to think that Mitt needs to be attacking Newt a lot more.  I am quite skeptical that direct attacks will ultimately work for Romney.  Why?  Because, as John King of CNN can attest, Newt will make Romney eat his words and regret that he ever went there.  I'm not at all clear how Romney can stall Newt's momentum through the type of "standard playbook" attacks Romney's team seem to be considering.  But who knows?  The GOP electorate has shown itself to be incredibly fickle in this primary season.

Is Our Economy Healing? (Paul Krugman) from the New York Times
"Why am I letting a bit of optimism break through the clouds? Recent economic data have been a bit better, but we’ve already had several false dawns on that front. More important, there’s evidence that the two great problems at the root of our slump — the housing bust and excessive private debt — are finally easing."

Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney & GOP Forget Iraq Mistake in Push for Iran War (Peter Beinart) from the Daily Beast
"Gingrich, Romney and Santorum pushed for the Iraq War. Now the media should make them explain what they’ve learned from being wrong and why we should trust their eagerness to bomb Iran."

Despite Lawmaker Criticisms, Many Ideas from Obama’s Last Budget Made the Cut from The Hill
"A close look at last year’s budget document shows that some of Obama’s suggestions were implemented in the end. Congress jealously guards its power of the purse and because of this instinct, presidential budget proposals have a tendency to get ignored even in the best of times."

From across the political spectrum, we have a broad selection of commentary on the South Carolina primary results:
South Carolina Primary: Newt Gingrich Blows Race Wide Open from Politico  
"...after being thoroughly routed Saturday by Newt Gingrich in a primary Romney seemed likely to win just days earlier, the GOP frontrunner appears weaker than ever and the race seems likely to last at least until the spring."

South Carolina Primary Winners And Losers from the Huffington Post 
"The primary season now stands to remain competitive for longer than previously expected, which will give the nation, and its president, more time to view the increasingly hostile spectacle. Take a look below at the winners and losers of the South Carolina primary, and vote for who you think came out on top:"

Three Takeaways From South Carolina (Sean Trende) from Real Clear Politics 
"Given the rather decisive nature of the South Carolina Republican primary -- Newt Gingrich won by about 12 points -- we can be rather brief with the takeaways here.  1) There is no good news buried in here for Mitt Romney. ... "

South Carolina Primary Results: 9 Takeaways (Maggie Haberman) from Politico
"Below are POLITICO’s nine takeaways from the results: 1) Romney may not realize he’s having a near-death experience ... with his defeat, which came after some of Romney’s most problematic general election baggage was exposed, Romney’s standing in national GOP polls and in the next primary state – Florida, which votes on Jan. 31 – figures to plummet."

The GOP’s South Carolina Nightmare (Steve Kornacki) from Salon
"Newt Gingrich wanted to make Mitt Romney’s life miserable, and now he’s succeeded. ... Newt Gingrich just made life miserable for Mitt Romney – and for his party."

An Open Letter to Republican Leaders (Jennifer Rubin) from the Washington Post
"...here’s the thing: The voters in their infinite wisdom have just given a huge boost to perhaps the only GOP candidate who could shift the spotlight from President Obama to himself, alienate virtually all
independent voters, lose more than 40 states and put the House majority in jeopardy."
You KNOW you're hearing from the GOP establishment when you read the contempt that oozes from the words "the voters in their infinite wisdom..."  

Mitt Faces a Perfect Mess from Politico
"Perfect resume, perfect looks, perfect family, and a perfect roster of skilled campaign operatives and blue-chip endorsements: Mitt Romney has them all.  —  Yet he comes out of his drubbing in South Carolina with a perfect problem."

The Chart Democrats Don’t Want GOP Voters To See from Talking Points Memo 
"Exit polls showed that Republicans voting for the “best candidate to beat Obama” actually went for Gingrich. But if the chart above says anything at all, it’s that the chart below is a problem for Republicans in 2012. And that has to have Democrats smiling."

South Carolina’s Divisive Message from the Editorial Board of the New York Times
"Mr. Romney’s foam-rubber ideology was not built for an electorate this rigid."

OUR PUNDIT-OF-THE-DAY!!
Response to the South Carolina Results (Andrew Sullivan) from the Daily Beast
A very interesting big-picture assessment here from Sullivan.
"This is the Republican crack-up people have been predicting for years. Gingrich is on a roll. I think he can win this - and then lose this in a way that could change America history. That is a brief impression in one moment of time. But I cannot see Romney winning this at this point. ... This is what the GOP now is, and it deserves its spokesman. But do not under-estimate the appeal to some of the idea of humiliating and removing the first black president. That's what Gingrich is really about. He is giving them what they want. And it's meat that has barely seen a skillet."

Impetuous Record Aids Newt Gingrich With Angry GOP Voters (Michael Medved) from the Daily Beast
"The ex-speaker's hot-blooded defense of his messy personal life has clicked with angry GOP voters. Why the 'dangerous' candidate is surging—and why it's bad news for Mitt Romney."

Mitt Romney Results Show Weakness With Working Class Voters from the Huffington Post
"As Newt Gingrich surged to a surprise victory in the South Carolina GOP primary, one particularly crucial voter category showed itself once again to be a major problem for erstwhile frontrunner Mitt Romney: the working class."
AMAZING!  This is one of Obama's weakest demographics as well.  If Romney's the nominee (still likely in my view) are these folks going to ... do what? Stay home?

S.C. Primary Results: Mitt Romney Faces Enthusiasm Problem from the Huffington Post
"If Mitt Romney does manage to limp to the nomination sometime this spring or summer, the former Massachusetts governor may face an enthusiasm problem, if South Carolina exit polls are any indication."

Next stop: A Brawl at the 2012 Florida Primary from Politico
"The unstoppable force that is Newt Gingrich and the immovable object that is Mitt Romney are headed for a collision in Florida. A primary that looked 10 days ago like a potential 2012 afterthought on Romney’s cruise to the nomination now stands as perhaps the pivotal moment of the
campaign."

Republican Convention Has '50-50' Chance Of Being Open: Former GOP Chair (Howard Fineman) from the Huffington Post
"Michael Steele, the former Republican national chairman who oversaw the writing of the party's nominating rules in 2010, told The Huffington Post Saturday night that the chances of an open -- that is, undecided -- GOP convention in Florida next August are now "50-50" after Newt Gingrich's victory in South Carolina."

Newt Gingrich, Comic Diva: His New Reign of Terror (John Batchelor) from the Daily Beast
"The professionals can see that at least for the next few months the GOP is burdened with a handful of shopworn candidates who cannot be collectively cobbled into a winner.:

News Nuggets 859

DAYLEE PICTURE: Well, it's not every day one sees a rat napping -- with his teddy bear.  From Buzzfeed.

THE TEN BEST NUGGETS OF THE WEEK!!

1.  Not Fade Away: Against the Myth of American Decline (Robert Kagan) from the New Republic
"Powerful as this sense of decline may be, however, it deserves a more rigorous examination. Measuring changes in a nation’s relative power is a tricky business, but there are some basic indicators: the size and the influence of its economy relative to that of other powers..."

2.  Why China Is Weak on Soft Power (Joseph Nye) from the New York Times 
"China's internal restrictions undermine its efforts to build up its image and cultural influence." from the New York Times

3.  My Mesopotamian Getaway (Emma Sky) from Foreign Policy Magazine 
"A Syrian man pointed at me and shouted at the man at the desk: "She is pregnant and sick -- she urgently needs a hotel room." Another Syrian, standing behind me, piped up: "Yes! And I am the father of the baby!" The Iranian and the Turk beside me burst out laughing, bonding over the outrageous ruse of the Syrians."
Her 'vacation' photos are HERE.

4.  Bargaining for a Child’s Love (Hendrik Hartog) from the New York Times
 "Such accounts often draw on a deeply sentimental view of the past. Once upon a time, the story line goes, family members cared for one another naturally within households, in an organic and unplanned process. But this portrait is too rosy. If we confront what old-age support once looked like — what actually happened when care was almost fully privatized, when the old depended on their families, without the bureaucratic structures and the (under)paid caregivers we take for granted — a different picture emerges."

5.  How Obama's Long Game Will Outsmart His Critics (Andrew Sullivan) from Newsweek
"The right calls him a socialist, the left says he sucks up to Wall Street, and independents think he's a wimp. Andrew Sullivan on how the president may just end up outsmarting them all."

6.  History vs. the Tea Party (Sam Tenenhaus) from the New York Times 
"Already there was a growing schism on the right, its fault lines precisely those Ms. Palin identified, between the elite — including Mr. Kristol and other journalists who had been among her first champions — and the base. This is a strikingly new development on the right. It is hard to imagine a similar conflict happening during previous conservative insurgent cycles ..."

7.  Why Conservatives Don’t Buy Romney’s Red-Meat Speeches (Andrew Romano) from the Daily Beast
"Rather than tout his experience, Romney built his stump speech on a fantasy-world version of the Obama presidency. But Andrew Romano says the performance is falling flat, even with angry voters most eager to believe it."

8.  Over-misunderestimating Rick Perry from the New York Times
"Texas liberals thought Perry was a lock. We were wrong."

9.  The Good Wife: Can Callista Gingrich Save Her Husband? (Ariel Levy) from the New Yorker
"Callista Gingrich has a firm formality that can be very effective in curtailing conversations she does not wish to engage in."

10.  Denigrating Michelle Obama with the ‘Angry Black Woman’ Slur (Kathleen Parker) from the Washington Post
"Despite the pain these critiques cause Mrs. Obama and other African American women who identify with her, I do believe that these feelings are not particularly widespread. Most see the first lady as she is: a beautiful, gracious, intelligent, elegant, devoted wife and mother of whom we can be proud. Those who insult her insult us all, and, yes, we should be angry."

Now for today's interesting regular nuggets:

UP-FRONT GINGRICH VICTORY NUGGET!!
Newt Gingrich Wins. What It Means (Erik Erikson) from Redstate.com 
"Newt Gingrich’s rise has a lot to do with Newt Gingrich’s debate performance. But it has just as much to do with a party base in revolt against its thought and party leaders in Washington, DC. The base is revolting because they swept the GOP back into relevance in Washington just under two years ago and they have been thanked with contempt ever since. ... Sure, he’d probably be an erratic President, but right now Republican voters don’t care about his Presidency. They care about the fight with the left both Mitt Romney, and the Washington Republican leaders like John Boehner and Mitch McConnell don’t seem inclined to engage in."
I think Erikson has captured VERY CLEARLY and CORRECTLY the mood and temperament of the GOP base.  It also explains quite well why Gingrich won in SC -- and why looking forward these base voters seem poised to lead the GOP off an electoral cliff!  They are in such a DIFFERENT conversation than most of the rest of the country.  Never mind the economy, the war in Afghanistan, stopping terrorism, our failing education system, problems with immigration, ... and all the other BIG problems our country needs to deal with now.  The GOP primary election is about how much the candidate hates (1) Obama, (2) the 'lamestream media" and "(3) Washington elites."  The sense of deep victimization expressed here is quite remarkable!  That it is directed in this column largely at another faction within the Republican Party does NOT bode well for the GOP looking forward.  

Iran Gets the Message from Washington (David Ignatius) from the Washington Post
"The softening of Iran’s position followed a warning by a U.S. emissary this month that any effort to close the strait would trigger a potentially devastating U.S. response. Clearly, Tehran got the message — with a top Iranian official publicly disavowing on Thursday the earlier
saber-rattling."

Iran: Between U.S. and a Hard Place (Meir Javedanfar) from The Diplomat 
"Iran’s supreme leader has built much of his legitimacy around demonizing the United States. So what could he really offer in talks with the U.S.?"

Let’s Not Rush to Win in Russia (Boris Akunin) from the New York Times 
"To many people, including Russians themselves, the sudden awakening of society seems like a miracle. But it is not a miracle. It is a consequence of a natural social process. More precisely — two diametrically opposed processes."

A New Generation of Political Islamists Steps Forward (Olivier Roy) from the Washington Post
"Under these circumstances, the ghost of a totalitarian Islamic state is raised, with the specter of imposing sharia and closing the short democratic parenthesis. But such an outcome is unlikely. The Islamists have, in fact, changed: They are more middle-class “bourgeois,” and they benefited from the liberalization of local economies during the last decades of the 20th century, especially in countries with no oil rent."

Challenging Everything You Think You Know: Five Myths about Barack Obama (Jonathan Alter) from the Washington Post
"Barack Obama’s rise in politics was so rapid, and his background so unusual, that he was immediately subjected to malicious myths — from the bogus story that he was raised Muslim to the lie that he wasn’t born in the United States. Of course, some of the raps on Obama are valid interpretations of his performance. ... But as Obama prepares to defend his record Tuesday in the State of the Union address, let’s dispense with some genuine misconceptions about his presidency."
I could not disagree more with Alter's myth #3.

Obama to Draw an Economic Line in State of the Union from the New York Times
"In his election-year State of the Union speech, President Obama will promise a populist “blueprint for an American economy that’s built to last,” hoping to draw a stark contrast between the parties."

Small Business Leaders: Citizens United 'Stacked the Deck Against Small Business' (Joan McCarter) from Daily Kos
"A new independent national survey of 500 small business leaders released Wednesday by the American Sustainable Business Council, Main Street Alliance and Small Business Majority shows how that decision [pdf] has found that the vast majority of small business owners believe that Citizens United hasn't just increased the influence of large corporations, but hurt them."

Iowa Caucus Results May Threaten First-in-Nation Status (Jason Noble) from the Des Moines Register
"The winner of the 2012 caucuses, we now know, was Rick Santorum. The loser, it’s becoming clear, was Iowa. ... Such a muddled result and response threatens the already-contested legitimacy of Iowa’s
first-in-the-nation status and underscores the need for reforms to professionalize the voting process, political observers and party officials said."
Iowa's performance this year has been an unmitigated farce!  Ditch their first-in-the-nation chokehold.  I'm convinced.

Daily Beast Writers on Newt Gingrich's South Carolina Upset from the Daily Beast
"Coming back from not one but two campaign implosions, Newt surged to beat Mitt Romney in South Carolina by a large margin. Daily Beast contributors on the surprise victory."

Doubts Creep in as an Awkward Romney Tries Not to Lose GOP Nod (Niall Stanage) from The Hill
"Romney seems to have gone into a defensive crouch, leaving many Republicans feeling like football fans who watch their team move to a ‘prevent defense’ to protect a fourth-quarter lead and dread losing all of it. Their nerves are being jangled even as they acknowledge that outright disaster has so far been averted."

Newt Gingrich is Angry (Roger Simon) from Politico
"Simon says that even in victory, Gingrich is the candidate of gloom.  ... The Gingrich campaign is based on the notion of perpetual struggle against perpetual peril.""

Why Obama's Chances Just Rose (Michael Hirsh) from the National Journal 
"By prolonging the GOP primary season with a strong come-from-behind win in South Carolina -- one that exposed new and serious doubts about Mitt Romney -- Newt Gingrich has almost certainly increased the general-election chances of the man he calls "the most dangerous president of our lifetime," Barack Obama. "

Can Santorum Survive? (Reid Wilson) from the National Journal
"Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum's campaign moved quickly Saturday night to squash any speculation that his campaign is over. But there's a reason to speculate: Santorum's disappointing finish shows he has all but lost the race to become the anti-Mitt Romney alternative to Newt
Gingrich."

S.C. Primary: Why Rick Santorum Is Stalling Out (Howard Fineman) from the Huffington Post
"In both style and substance, there simply may be too much Western PA in the former senator to get beyond the "Final Four" of the GOP playoffs, as he put it during the CNN debate on Thursday."

Oops: The Final 24 Hours of Rick Perry’s Misbegotten Presidential Campaign (Dave Weigel) from Slate
"The next morning, the embeds and everybody else filed into a North Charleston Hyatt to watch Perry admit defeat. “I am not done fighting for the cause of conservatism,” he said, after endorsing Newt Gingrich and thanking his family and chagrined endorsers. “In fact, I have only begun to fight.”"

The Stephen Colbert Rally — and the Future of the GOP (Marisa Bellack) from the Washington Post
"I’d been expecting much more conservatism from these students, most of them from Charleston College and the nearby Citadel. But, apparently, this is not where the future of the Republican Party lives. Only 42 percent of South Carolina voters between 18 and 24 years old supported John McCain in 2008. Even if there’s much less enthusiasm for Barack Obama this time around, I wonder if support for the Republican candidate will be even lower among young voters in South Carolina."

MOVIE REVIEW NUGGET!!
Soaring Above Racism: A Review of "Red Tails" from the New York Times
 "“Red Tails” is a whiz-bang action film about the Tuskegee Airmen."

U.S. DIPLOMATIC NUGGET!!
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Appointed U.S. Cultural Ambassador from Raw Story 
"Legendary basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was appointed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday as a U.S. global cultural ambassador. Clinton expressed the hope that Abdul-Jabbar will engage with young people in particular “as a means to create opportunities for greater understanding.”"
Hillary looks positively giddy with the announcement!!

OUTER SPACE NUGGET!!
Rise of the Super-Earths from Salon
"Astronomers have discovered a giant new kind of planet that could hold life -- and they could change everything."

WORLD WAR I NUGGET!!
Why World War I Resonates (William Boyd) from the New York Times
"World War I still exerts a tenacious hold on the imagination."

TINTIN BOOK NUGGET!!
Georges Remi: Learning His Lines: A Review of ‘Hergé, Son of Tintin’ by Benoit Peeters from the New York Times
In this biography, Georges Remi, creator of the Tintin comics, emerges in three dimensions from behind his famous comic books."

RECENT MOVIE HISTORY NUGGET!!
Reservoir Dogs Turns 20: A Look Back at the Films of Quentin Tarantino from Time Magazine
"Twenty years after his first feature premiered at Sundance, we survey the director's unforgettable films."

OLD HOLLYWOOD NUGGET!!
The First Top Dog in Hollywood: He had 40 Million Fans and Drank Milk from a Champagne Glass from the Daily Mail [of the UK] 
"Adored by Jean Harlow, the most famous actress of her day, and cited as the co-respondent in a divorce case, he could be temperamental and demanding: he drank milk out of a champagne glass.  His name was Rin Tin Tin and he was once the most famous dog in the world, decades before Lassie came to the screen."

Rin Tin Tin at the Warner Brothers commissary -- when he was the  biggest star on the lot in the 1920s.  The dog's face is priceless here!

News Nuggets 858

DAYLEE NEWS NUGGETS: The Iguaza Falls on the border between Brazil and Argentina.  From National Geographic.
The Debtors' Merry-Go-Round from the Economist [of London]
The interactive graphic is VERY instructive!
"Our interactive guide shows levels of debt as a % of GDP for a selection of rich countries and emerging markets."

God Knows What has Become of the Religious Right (Dana Milbank) from the Washington Post
"The movement of Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson has been in decline for some time, but recent events suggest that they are wandering in the political wilderness."

House Republicans Head to Retreat Amid Frustration, Low Ratings from the Bloomberg News Service
"The speaker is facing frustration from House freshmen, many backed by the Tea Party movement, who say their party fell short of its goals of slashing federal spending and the government’s debt."

New D-Corps Memo: Presidential Primary Contest and Pre-Christmas Showdown Put Republicans At Risk from the Democratic Strategist
"This first Democracy Corps national survey of the New Year shows Republicans at risk at every level. On the ballot, Republicans are in serious danger. For the first time since the 2010 election, Democrats have taken the lead in the congressional vote and this poll shows that third-party defections on the Presidential ballot could prove devastating for the Republicans."
LOADS of bad news for the GOP in the data here.

Mitt Romney's Core Presidential Competency: 'Shameless Lying' (Patrick Etschmayer) from the News [of Switzerland]
"Even his moralizing opponent Newt Gingrich calls Mitt Romney a liar. And rightly so. ... Lying - and we know this in Switzerland - is one of those core competencies of any politician. In that respect, there's hardly anyone out there more suited to the presidency than Romney.""

Tightening Race Comes as Abrupt Blow to Romney Team from the New York Times
"After arriving in South Carolina fresh off of what seemed to be two victories in a row, Mitt Romney could leave as the winner of only one of the first three nominating contests."

Gallup: Romney Support ‘Collapsing’ Nationally from Talking Points Memo  
"Gallup’s tracking poll of the national Republican race released today shows that Romney has dropped seven points in six days, with Gingrich having risen seven over the same time, clipping Romney’s lead to ten, 30 - 20. ... Mitt Romney is a considerably weaker front-runner among Republican registered voters nationally than he was at the beginning of the week."

Suddenly Romney's on the Ropes in GOP Race; Recent Developments Have Led to Gingrich Once Again Being a Strong Contender from the Charlotte Observer [of North Carolina]
"Mitt Romney's hopes of quickly clinching the Republican presidential nomination may be fading. He now finds himself facing a very tough fight with Newt Gingrich, a man he thought he'd buried back in Iowa but who is surging in the latest polls."

Mitt Romney Campaign Begins Preparing For Possible South Carolina Loss from the Huffington Post
"Sununu's comments are the clearest indication that the Romney campaign is preparing for a possible loss here Saturday, as Gingrich, the former House Speaker from Georgia, rides a wave of momentum based on his debate performances this week."

Why Newt Gingrich is Surging in South Carolina from Politico
"The final debate before the South Carolina primary brought into sharp relief why Newt Gingrich is re-emerging as a contender and Mitt Romney is stumbling toward the finish line."

Polls, Debates and the Instability of Public Opinion in the GOP Presidential Contest (Ed Kilgore) from the Democratic Strategist
"Just when Mitt Romney seemed to be on the verge of virtually locking down the GOP presidential nomination with a victory in South Carolina (and even as his national poll standings cleanly broke what had earlier looked like a "barrier" of about 25%), he's by all accounts lost his lead in SC and is rapidly losing his lead nationally. And his "new" challenger is not the guy long expected to be the "viable conservative alternative to Romney," ... but none other than Newt Gingrich. This is remarkable for a number of reasons. "

Newt and His Wives (Ariel Levy) from the New Yorker
"I am frankly astounded that Gingrich hasn’t been asked more about his various affairs and divorces—they are legitimate subjects for inquiry ..."

The Power of Conservative Victimhood (Steve Kornacki) from Salon
"It took Newt about five minutes to dominate the final pre-South Carolina debate by playing the conservative victim."

Over-misunderestimating Rick Perry from the New York Times
"Texas liberals thought Perry was a lock. We were wrong."

News Nuggets 857

DAYLEE PICTURE: An elephant herd in Queen Elizabeth Park in Uganda.  From National Geographic.

UP-FRONT LOCAL EVENT NUGGET!!
FIFTH ANNUAL QUILTERS WEEKEND at the Heinz History Center
IF you haven't seen this show, it is SO worth your time.  See the details HERE

It's America's Moment, Don't Blow It (Joel Kotkin) from Forbes Magazine
"These views echo those of the punditry, right and left, who see the U.S. on the road to inevitable decline.  Yet the reality is quite different. A confluence of largely unnoticed economic, demographic and political trends has put the U.S. in a far more favorable position than its rivals. Rather than the end of preeminence, America may well be entering  a renaissance. Just survey the globe. "
For some reason the link to the full text is having problems this morning.  Hopefully, Forbes will clear it up.  Concerning the subject of the article, regular readers will know that I have been arguing for years that the "America in decline" meme has evolved in very distorted and dangerous ways over the last four years -- not because I pine for a renewal of some American global imperium -- but because I view much of this conversation as a dangerous and overblown philosophical set-up aimed at voters whose purpose is to justify never-ending, needless defense spending.  It is also part of a broader partisan political campaign aimed at manipulation, fear-mongering, and old-time demagoguery.  This latter element has, in my view, been quite effective in leaving voters at an even higher level of anxiety and fear.  These are not what are needed at this time.

Senior al Qaeda Figure Killed in Drone Strike from Reuters
"A militant who acted as a senior operations organizer for al Qaeda was targeted and killed in one of two U.S. drone strikes launched against targets inside Pakistan last week, a U.S. official said."

How Iran Views Confronting the United States (Patrick Clawson) from Real Clear World
"Victory in war means accomplishing one's political objectives, and some Iranian leaders seem to believe they could advance four of their main goals through armed conflict with the United States: namely, resisting "global arrogance," creating disorder in the oil markets, justifying nuclear breakout, and rallying the nation."

Weekly Jobless Claims Fall To Almost A Four-Year Low; Biggest Drop Since 2005 from Reuters via the Huffington Post
"New U.S. applications for unemployment benefits dropped to a near four-year low last week, a government report on Thursday showed, pointing to continued improvement in the labor market."

Bain Gives More Campaign Money to Democrats Than it Does to Republicans from The Hill
"Democrats have accepted more political donations than Republicans from executives at Bain Capital, complicating the left’s plan to attack Mitt Romney for his record at the private-equity firm."
No complication: political donations are not the issue.

Why Romney is Obama’s Dream Opponent: He Represents the Most Reckless Forces of an Unfair Economic System (Gary Weiss) from Salon
"So when you see the Newt Gingrich super-PAC’s half-hour video describing what happened when “Mitt Romney came to town,” that is just an appetizer. The banquet follows in the fall, if and when Mitt gets the nomination God willing, and the Democrats start running against him."

Is Romney Damaged? (David Gergen) from CNN
"The cloak of inevitability that Mitt Romney has been wearing -- on again, off again -- is suddenly and dramatically off again. Just as he seemed poised to wrap up the GOP nomination in South Carolina, Romney has been hit with a triple dose of bad news:"

Mitt Romney’s Very Bad Night In Charleston from Talking Points Memo 
"The Mitt Romney who vanquished Rick Perry and swatted away other frontrunners like flies did not show up on the debate stage here Thursday night. Instead, viewers of the final candidate forum before the Jan. 21 South Carolina primary watched Romney stumble through question after question about his tax returns and wealth."
It has been fascinating to watch the five years+ Romney has been campaigning for the GOP nomination.  If you were to ask what were his "big-ticket" accomplishments that made him qualified to run for President of the United States, a logical non-partisan person might sight (1) his management of the Olympics in Utah; (2) his years as governor of MA; (3) his tenure at Bain Capital which (in theory) would give him some insight on economic matters;  and (4) his broader success as a millionaire capitalist/businessman.  These are the FUNDAMENTAL linchpins that justify Romney being in the race at all.  Now let me just say, while I disagree with Romney on all kinds of philosophical grounds, these justifications and/or executive experiences I personally view as perfectly valid.  What has been most interesting to watch has been how (minus #1, already probably the weakest justification to begin with) all of the other justifications have been undermined -- and how increasingly incoherent he has sounded trying to hang onto these justifications.  Think about it: he virtually never talks about his tenure as Governor of Massachusetts.  In a GOP primary, the mere mention of MA is a non-starter -- so there goes all his experience there (here again perfectly valid experience in my view).  This has left him touting his tenure at Bain Capital -- which has been under sustained barrage for weeks now.  And now with this tax return issue, it leaves him on the defensive on the broader issue of being a big-time millionaire (as compared to small-time millionaires such as Gingrich and Obama).  Over the course of the many years Romney has been planning for and working towards the presidency (at least a decade now I'm sure), the political landscape has transformed so dramatically that it has left Romney bereft of almost ALL of the things that he took on (let's not forget the Romneycare reforms in MA) to prepare for THIS CAMPAIGN and THIS moment in time which he doubtless views as HIS MOMENT!  While hardly Shakespearean, it certainly has its elements of tragedy.

GOP Contest Has a Day Full of Upheaval (Dan Balz and Chris Cillizza) from the Washington Post
"The Republican presidential contest took a series of unexpected twists Thursday as Texas Gov. Rick Perry quit the race and endorsed Newt Gingrich, while officials in Iowa declared that former senator Rick Santorum had in fact won more votes than front-runner Mitt Romney in the caucuses there two weeks earlier. The developments struck a blow to Romney, who just days ago appeared poised to lock up the Republican nomination by the end of the month. But on the morning of a potentially decisive debate in Charleston, the race was suddenly in flux. Gingrich seemed to be enjoying a sudden burst of momentum — drawing huge crowds, getting new endorsements and ticking upward in multiple polls — while Santorum laid claim to the Iowa caucuses as a victory."

Why Conservatives Don’t Buy Romney’s Red-Meat Speeches (Andrew Romano) from the Daily Beast
"Rather than tout his experience, Romney built his stump speech on a fantasy-world version of the Obama presidency. But Andrew Romano says the performance is falling flat, even with angry voters most eager to believe it."
It may sound contradictory -- but, no matter if you are from the left or the right, Mitt Romney comes off as transparently inauthentic.  What does the Mittster really believe?  Only God knows.

Gingrich Leads Romney on 1st Night of Tracking from Public Policy Polling 
"Newt Gingrich led Mitt Romney 34-28 in PPP's South Carolina polling last night, the first of what will be three nights of tracking.  Ron Paul at 15%, Rick Santorum at 14%, Rick Perry at 5%, and Buddy Roemer at 3% round out the field. "

Perry Ends Bid for Presidency from the New York Times
" Gov. Rick Perry of Texas dropped out of the Republican presidential race here on Thursday and announced his endorsement for the candidacy of Newt Gingrich, a man he called a “conservative visionary.”"
Well, there goes my theory about Perry staying in the race to help Romney! Perry's primary campaign was an unmitigated disaster from beginning to end -- he not only killed his chances of EVER being taken seriously for the presidency but probably fatally damaged any future effort he may make to get re-elected in Texas -- where his numbers have TANKED.  This guy (no exaggeration) has made Dan Quail look brilliant in comparison, and I think it is  apparent to just about everyone no matter where one falls on the political spectrum.

Why the Rick Perry Ship Went Down (Patricia Murphy) from the Daily Beast 
"Rick Perry burst onto the 2012 scene, but lost his footing almost immediately. Now that he’s leaving the race, voters and aides tell Patricia Murphy when they knew the campaign couldn’t be saved."

Rick Perry: Requiem for a Lightweight (Michael Hirsh) from the National Journal
"Even Mitt Romney had four years to get it right after his error-strewn bid in 2008 (and he's still not quite there yet). Perry, by contrast, was thrust immediately onto the national stage in the first GOP debate, as the first Great Red Hope alternative to Romney. And not surprisingly, he began failing immediately. But the larger problem was that Perry never did grow into the role, 16 debates and two primary states later."

Rick and Newt’s Unholy Alliance (Steve Kornacki) from Salon
"Perry drops out and backs a scandalized foe whose campaign is only alive because of his own epic failure."

Exclusive: Gingrich Lacks Moral Character to Be President, Ex-Wife Says from ABC News
"Newt Gingrich lacks the moral character to serve as President, his second ex-wife Marianne told ABC News, saying his campaign positions on the sanctity of marriage and the importance of family values do not square with what she saw during their 18 years of marriage."

Marianne Gingrich Interview Casts Doubts on Newt’s New Image (Margaret Carlson) from the Daily Beast
Marianne Gingrich has blown up the carefully recrafted image of her ex-husband. But it’s the allegations about Callista’s role that are the real shocker."

News Nuggets 856

DAYLEE PICTURE: An interesting graph projecting ahead what the country will be like demographically in the near future.  From the Boston Review.  See the story below.

From Paris with Love (Eric Pape) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"Dear Mitt: What's this European socialist nightmare you're so afraid of? Trust me, la belle vie ain't that bad."

US on Path to Energy Self-Sufficiency from the Financial Times [of London]
"North America will become almost totally self-sufficient in energy in two decades, thanks to a big growth in the production of biofuels, shale gas and unconventional oil, according to projections by BP."

The Rise and Fall of Bill Daley: An Inside Account (Paul Starobin) from the New Republic
"So what exactly went wrong for Daley? How did the consummate political professional—Bill Clinton’s Commerce Secretary, Al Gore’s 2000 presidential campaign manager, and informal advisor to his older brother Richard M. Daley, longtime mayor of Chicago—become the Obama administration’s most expendable man?"

Homeless Rate Ready To Rise As Stimulus Cash Runs Out: Study from the Huffington Post
"All in all, the conditions are right for national homeless rates to start rising soon, according to a new report that examines many of the large-scale economic factors that force people out of their homes."

The Brown Majority (Stephen Ansolabehere) from the Boston Review
"Some of these measures even aim to deny birthright citizenship to U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants. These initiatives, overwhelmingly supported by Republicans, drive Hispanics to vote
increasingly for the Democratic Party. ... The policies that the parties pursue now on immigration, education, and other matters that particularly affect Hispanics will define electoral politics for generations to come."

Romney Parks Millions in Offshore Tax Haven from ABC News
"Although it is not apparent on his financial disclosure form, Mitt Romney has millions of dollars of his personal wealth in investment funds set up in the Cayman Islands, a notorious Caribbean tax haven."

Romney Caricatures Himself (Jonathan Chait) from New York Magazine   
"Romney has been positively associated with 'electability' because he is more electable than most of his rivals. But he is the one-eyed man in the land of the politically blind. Romney, by normal standards, is a terrible candidate. He is nowhere near as formidable as John McCain was four years before."

Mitt Romney's South Carolina Nightmare: What Keeps Him Up Late (Howard Fineman) from the Huffington Post
" Iowa officials on Thursday will certify their official caucus results. In theory, Romney could lose his eight-vote victory there. It remains possible that Gingrich will catch him or at least come very close here in South Carolina. If both those things happen, we could be in for a very long campaign."

Bain Capital Spells Big Trouble for GOP (Robert Creamer) from the Democratic Strategist
"Mitt Romney's career on Wall Street -- which he apparently hoped would allow him to tout his credentials as a "job creator" -- will instead weigh down his election hopes like a massive millstone. There are six reasons why:..."

Gingrich's College Records Show a Professor Hatching Big Plans from the Wall Street Journal
"So what was Professor Gingrich actually like? A clutch of little-known records from what is now the University of West Georgia in Carrollton suggests the ambition and intellectual grandeur of Newt 2012 aren't a long way from the 1970s vintage."

Newt Braces for Ex-Wife Interview (Howard Kurtz) from the Daily Beast 
"A knowledgeable insider says that Newt Gingrich’s second wife does not say anything in the taped interview with ABC News that she hasn’t said in previous print interviews. But to repeat her account of how their marriage failed—because the then-House speaker was having an affair—in a form that can be endlessly replayed on television could prove a serious distraction for the presidential candidate two days before the South Carolina primary."

Huntsman Wins South Carolina Debate by Dropping Out (Paul Begala) from the Daily Beast
"From Romney’s stammering about his tax returns to the audience booing the Golden Rule, Monday night marked a new low in a seemingly endless series of demoralizing debates."
Normally I don't reference Paul Begala's predictably partisan list of talking points -- but here I think he notes something worth considering: the tone and content of the GOP debates have been many things -- but (even if you were a conservative) inspiring would not be one of them!  These debates have been universally low, mean-spirited, attack-oriented,

INTERRACIAL HISTORY NUGGET!!
The Love Story that Changed History: Fascinating Photographs of Interracial Marriage at a Time when it was Banned in 16 States from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"Just 45 years ago, 16 states deemed marriages between two people of different races illegal. But in 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court considered the case of Richard Perry Loving, who was white, and his wife, Mildred Loving, of African American and Native American descent. The case changed history - and was captured on film by LIFE photographer Grey Villet, whose black-and-white photographs are now set to go on display at the International Center of Photography."

WOMEN'S TENNIS NUGGET!!
Tennis Great Chris Evert Finds New Life on the Court from the Washington Post
"Decades after last professional match, tennis great now coaches teens who hope to do what she once did."

WORLD WAR II NUGGET!!
Hitler's 'Wolf Lair' Hidden Deep in Polish Forest to be Turned into Major Tourist Attraction from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"Forestry workers are looking for an investor to help make the Nazi leader's ruined fortress more accessible to holidaymakers."
I actually support this move.  One little-known policy of the German government has been to systematically destroy almost every site in Germany with strong historical ties to the Nazi Party.  SO MANY key sites have been completely leveled.  I think it is worth salvaging what still exists.

News Nuggets 855

DAYLEE PICTURE: Lake Assal in the Afar region of Ethiopia.  From National Geographic.

Not Fade Away: Against the Myth of American Decline (Robert Kagan) from the New Republic
"Powerful as this sense of decline may be, however, it deserves a more rigorous examination. Measuring changes in a nation’s relative power is a tricky business, but there are some basic indicators: the size and the influence of its economy relative to that of other powers..."

What the World Makes of Mitt (Uri Friedman) from Foreign Policy Magazine 
OH NO!! It's another The-neighbors-can-hear-us moment with these GOP candidates.  This time it's Romney.  
"Romney's rise may be producing yawns at home, but the Republican frontrunner has touched a nerve (make that several nerves) overseas."

The End of the Christian Right (Michael Kazin) from the New Republic 
"Is the Christian Right still a power in American politics? The lavish coverage which its partisans and their favorite issues have received during the current Republican campaign certainly leave that impression. Yet all this attention is akin to the dazzling glow of a setting sun. In fact, the Christian Right is a fading force in American life, one which has little chance of achieving its cherished goals."

Andrew Sullivan Infuriates the Right (and the Left) by Calling Obama Critics ‘Dumb’ from the Reid Report
We showcased Sullivan's original story yesterday.
"Conservative bloggers are fuming (or resorting to racist, schoolyard taunts.) But none have undermined the substance of Andrew Sullivan’s Newsweek cover article, which asks the question: why are President Obama’s critics so dumb?"

With Recall In Motion, Democrats Consider Candidates To Challenge Walker from Talking Points Memo

"Now that Wisconsin Democrats made their big move to trigger a recall election against Republican Gov. Scott Walker — turning in over a million signatures against him on Tuesday — the next step is now approaching, with potential Democratic challengers starting to make their way out into the open."

BOY -- the anti-Romney handwringing and screaming going on among the conservative punditry is getting quite hysterical!
Mitt Romney: The Last Republican President? (Steve McCann) from the American Thinker
"The chances are that Romney would be the last Republican president, as the Party may fly apart under his rule.  The country would then have to face another round of the Left-dominated Democratic Party in charge and the inevitable collapse that would bring about.  The forces arrayed against the conservative challengers from the Romney money machine, the Party establishment, and the so-called conservative and mainstream media appear too formidable to overcome; particularly as the conservative movement cannot coalesce behind one candidate."

Five Ways Conservatives Will Have to Sell Their Souls if Romney Wins (John Hawkins) from Townhall
"If you were trying to come up with the most atrocious candidate imaginable to go toe-to-toe with Barack Obama in 2012, you couldn't do much better than Mitt Romney. ... Romney's candidacy also runs counter to almost every political trend in the book right now. He's the antithesis of everything the Tea Party stands for -- a moderate establishment-endorsed, principle-free Rockefeller Republican."

The South Carolina Primary has gotten noticeably more ugly in the last 24 hours:
Rick Perry's Stupidity Causes Diplomatic Incident (Hunter) from Daily Kos 
"I can just imagine the State Department conversations. First they have to explain to the Turkish ambassador that Rick Perry is really, really stupid, and was probably mistaking their country for some other place. That leads to a whole conversation in which the ambassador wonders aloud at how someone so stupid can even be considered to be a potential leader of a country the size and strength of the United States ..."

Mitt Romney's Bain Capital Invested In Stericycle, A Company Now Targeted By Anti-Abortion Activists (Sam Stein) from the Huffington Post
"One of the highest performing companies in which the private equity firm founded by Mitt Romney invested is now a top target of the most vehement anti-abortion groups in the nation."

Mitt Romney is Rich. So What? (Chris Cillizza) from the Washington Post 
"How Romney’s wealth is ultimately perceived by voters in the center of the American electorate will play a critical role in determining whether or not he can beat President Obama. Of late, Romney hasn’t helped himself much in framing the wealth debate in his favor."

Newt Gingrich and the Art of Racial Politics (Charles Blow) from the New York Times
Blow nails the racism that underlies conservative attitudes towards poverty programs generally.
"Gingrich seems to understand the historical weight of the view among some southern whites, many of whom have migrated to the Republican party, that blacks are lazy and addicted to handouts. He is able to give voice to those feelings without using those words."

What the Polls Can’t Tell Us from the New York Times' Room for Debate 
"Between now and November, can we expect big swings in public opinion? And if so, what does that mean for the G.O.P. front-runners?"

You knew this was coming:
Callista Gingrich Called A 'Mistress For Eight Years' By James Dobson from the Huffington Post
"In making his case for Rick Santorum as the conservative consensus' alternative to Mitt Romney at a conference in Texas over the weekend, evangelical leader James Dobson reportedly brought up the marital past of Newt Gingrich, calling his wife, Callista, a "mistress of eight years.""

Don't think for a minute that this political s@#$ storm isn't impacting Romney's overall numbers.  Check this:
Poll: Obama up 5 on Romney Nationally from Public Policy Polling
"It's not as if Obama's suddenly become popular.  He remains under water with 47% of voters approving of him to 50% who disapprove. But Romney's even less popular, with only 35% rating him favorably while 53% have a negative opinion of him. Over the last month Romney's seen his negatives with independents rise from 46% to 54%, suggesting that the things he has to say and do to win the Republican nomination aren't necessarily helping him for the general. Obama's turned what was a 45-36 deficit with independents a month ago into a 51-41 advantage."

The Good Wife: Can Callista Gingrich Save her Husband? (Ariel Levy) from the New Yorker
A long-form profile of the current Mrs. Gingrich.
"Callista Gingrich has a firm formality that can be very effective in curtailing conversations she does not wish to engage in."

Speaking of good wives (like for real):
Over-scrutinizing Michelle Obama (Kathleen Parker) from the Washington Post
"Few thoughts are more horrifying than that of having a writer observing and interpreting your personal life. For better or worse, presidents and their spouses will have to suffer these intrusions and potential
indignities. It is the world in which we live. This is a shame for the nation, ultimately. When Fred Hiatt, editorial page editor of The Washington Post, asked this week in a column why the Republican field is so weak, my immediate thought was, It’s not so weak, followed by: Why would anyone submit to such torture? In the end, this query may provide the moral of our story. The fittest nation may not survive because our strongest leaders won’t bother to run."

ZOO NUGGET!!
At German Zoos, Christmas Comes in January from Der Spiegel [of Germany in English]
"For many German zoos, a high point of the animal year is the arrival of discarded Christmas trees. Thousands are fed to elephants, camels, polar bears and a variety of other animals. The trees are rich in Vitamin C and other healthy properties. However, the tradition is threatened at some zoos because of the use of chemicals to make trees last longer."
Who knew?  Check out the photos of all the different animals chowing on unused x-mas trees!

News Nuggets 854

DAYLEE PICTURE: A farmer walking among the rice terraces in China.  From National Geographic.

UP-FRONT PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS NUGGET!!
This week's Newsweek cover story:
Andrew Sullivan: How Obama's Long Game Will Outsmart His Critics (Andrew Sullivan) from Newsweek
"The right calls him a socialist, the left says he sucks up to Wall Street, and independents think he's a wimp. Andrew Sullivan on how the president may just end up outsmarting them all."

Syria: Beyond the Wall of Fear, a State in Slow-Motion Collapse (Ian Black) from the Guardian [of the UK]
"Despite the superficial calm in Damascus, everyone knows change is coming. The only question is, how much will it cost?"

In Russia, Mr Putin Must Face the New Reality from the Editorial Board of the Independent [of the UK]
"It is a paradox that, while Mr Putin can claim credit for many of these developments – and did so in some detail when he made his announcement yesterday – they have come back to bite him in the form of a less compliant, more sophisticated and more demanding electorate."

Why China Is Weak on Soft Power (Joseph Nye) from the New York Times 
"China's internal restrictions undermine its efforts to build up its image and cultural influence." from the New York Times."

Where Are the Serious Republican Candidates? (Fred Hiatt) from the Washington Post
"Why is the Republican presidential field so weak? Six months ago, that might have seemed an unfair question, or at least premature. The roster of candidates often starts out looking like the “seven dwarfs,” only to have some rise in stature while others fall away. That hasn’t happened this time. Mitt Romney looks no less presidential today than he did at the start. But none of the others has come close to making himself plausible."

Polls: Republican Voter Enthusiasm Drops, Dems Not Far Behind from Talking Points Memo
"CNN numbers released Monday seem to show that Republicans’ inability to get excited about particular candidates this time around may be eating away at their desire to get to the polls."
There is A LOT Obama can do to spark Dem enthusiasm -- and he has shown the capacity to do that.  I don't get that Romney and the GOP really have that capacity.

Climate and the Culture War (Michael Gerson) from the Washington Post 
"What explains the recent, bench-clearing climate brawl? A scientific debate has been sucked into a broader national argument about the role of government. Many political liberals have seized on climate disruption as an excuse for policies they supported long before climate science became compelling — greater federal regulation and mandated lifestyle changes. Conservatives have also tended to equate climate science with liberal policies and therefore reject both. The result is a contest of questioned motives."
I had been sensing that the global warming conversation was drifting into this area -- but it is far more the GOP's campaign of disinformation that has landed it here.

South Carolina’s School of Conservatism (Scott Stenholm) from the Daily Beast
"My family’s long history with Bob Jones University helped me earn my liberalism—had my grandparents been Berkley professors, it might have been less genuine and organic."

Mitt Romney: A Very Big Gamble for the GOP (Greg Sargent) from the Washington Post
"Now, none of this means that Romney isn’t the strongest general election candidate, and indeed, polls show he’s locked in a dead heat with Obama nationally and in key swing states. The question, though, is whether Romney’s strength as a general election candidate is real, or whether it’s a matter of perception."

At South Carolina Convention, Tea Party Struggles With Electability (Michelle Cottle) from the Daily Beast
"With no consensus standard-bearer, the rebel Republicans’ South Carolina convention reflected the chaos of political passions confronted with the reality of electability."

South Carolina Diarist (David Brooks) from the New York Times
"On a visit to South Carolina just days before the primary, getting a feel for what people on the scene are thinking about the candidates."

Even Texas Republicans Don't Want Perry from Public Policy Polling 
"Rick Perry's Presidential campaign is doing about as bad in Texas now as it is everywhere else in the country. When PPP last polled the state in September he was at 49%, leading Mitt Romney by 39 points.  Now Perry's support has declined by 31 points, leaving him in 3rd place at 18%"

Why Jon Huntsman Failed (E.J. Dionne Jr.) from the Washington Post 
"He won plaudits for his economic views from the Wall Street Journal editorial page and was an early backer of Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget. But he could never square the two strategies and couldn’t figure out which mattered most to him: to be a forward-looking temperamental moderate with conservative views, or to be an outright conservative."

The Obamas: Entry 5: The first lady is Barack Obama’s Department of “Let’s Get Real.” (Jacob Weisberg) from Slate
"I love that she keeps him from getting too high on his own supply. Two dangers for all presidents are the isolation from normal existence and the massive ego trip that even a well-grounded person tends to go on after years of flattery and adulation."
Check the other entries in this series.

AMERICAN CULTURE NUGGET!!
ACI: A New Way of Measuring Pretentiousness (Calvin Trillen) from Slate 
"“Among people who think of themselves as wine connoisseurs there’s a 61 percent ACI.” I was puzzled. “What’s an ACI?” I asked. He lowered his voice a bit, as if he was about to use somewhat offensive language and wanted to make certain no women (he would have said “ladies”) were in ear-shot. “Asshole Correlation Index,” he said."