“He gave me a lesson in democracy and said: ‘We see the democracy the United States spearheaded in Iran and with Hamas, in Gaza, and that’s the fate of the Middle East,’” Ben-Eliezer said. “‘They may be talking about democracy but they don’t know what they’re talking about and the result will be extremism and [...]
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Egypt Envoy Embarrasses Obama, Channels Dick Cheney
“The President must stay in office in order to steer those changes through. I therefore believe President Mubarak’s continued leadership is critical. It’s his opportunity to write his own legacy. He has given 60 years of his life to the service of his country and this is an ideal moment for him to show the [...]
EGYPT: Al Jazeera and White House Mixed Messaging in the Age of Wikileak Cables, Twitter and Facebook
**UPDATES BELOW** This has been an extraordinary week. What follows is a remarkable story I’ve done my best to unpack and requires a lot of investment on your part. I don’t claim this is perfectly packaged, but I’ve done the very best I can on a story I think is historic, including news late last [...]
Arab Eruptions
…I’m skeptical too. But I found it unsatisfying to settle for such skepticism as I watched the massive demonstrations unfold in Egypt on my Twitter feed while moderating a panel discussion on Tunisia yesterday (I plead guilty). As I’ve been arguing for the last month, something does seem to be happening at a regional level, [...]
Meanwhile, Today in Egypt
**UPDATED** The big news around the sphere is Pres. Obama’s State of the Union speech tonight. But not around here, as something serious is brewing in Egypt… and so far no one is covering it, but that won’t last long. Just a few moments ago (6:45 pm EST)… ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Protests have brought Cairo to a [...]
Wikileaks Diplo Docu Dump
Italy’s Foreign Minister Frattini called the Wikileaks release the “Sept. 11 of world diplomacy.” Republicans are jumping on the leak, as expected, because transparency scares the bejeezus out of the Right. Rep. Pete Hoekstra using hyperbole to say what allies might ask, “‘Can the United States be trusted? Can the United States keep a secret?’” [...]
What Israeli Actions have Wrought
It is time Israel realized that it has obligations to the United States, as well as the United States to Israel, and that it become far more careful about the extent to which it test the limits of U.S. patience and exploits the support of American Jews. This does not mean taking a single action [...]
Foreign Policy Notes
UPDATE (2:00 a.m.): Taliban claim in phone call to AP that Kabul car bomb contained 500kg of explosives, via Voice of America (VOA) South Asia Bureau Chief Steven L. Herman. At least 70 wounded after blast outside NATO HQ. Afghanistan has quietly passed a law permitting Shia men to deny their wives food and sustenance [...]
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Israelis Unglued Over Obama Policies
–updated below– Coming after Netanyahu calling Emanuel and Axelrod both “self-hating Jews,” the latest salvo from another prominent Israeli is not as insulting, but certainly as obtuse. Ignoring that Pres. Obama has already met with PM Netanyahu, Mr. Benn’s argument today sounds alarmingly like a spoiled brat having a tantrum. So far, Israelis have embraced [...]
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As Iran Election Nears, A Victory in Lebanon
Iranian elections are heating up, with Ahmadinejad coming at Mousavi using his wife just last week. I’ll be going to a forum today where pre-election polling out of Iran will be released. I’ll liveblog it if opportunity permits. Meanwhile in Lebanon, huge voter turnout over the weekend handed a victory to Saad Hariri, the son [...]
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World News Blast, and Podcast
New podcast is up. Features include: Hot Topics (Susan Boyle, McAuliffe); Hunting Sotmayor; Petreaus on Gitmo – Torture; Israel, Obama, Saudis, Egypt. In other news today, Newt keeps pushing, now calling Judge Sotomayor “un-American” in an email blast. Michael Scherer at Time has the whole email. Not even reading it is believing. You read that [...]
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Vice President Biden in Lebanon
Hezbollah isn’t happy. Joe Biden’s surprise visit is causing them indigestion. It’s the most senior U.S. official sent to Lebanon in 26 years, which comes too close to the June 7th election for Hezbollah’s comfort. Biden said he had come to show U.S. support for Lebanon’s sovereignty, which “cannot and will not be traded away.” [...]
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A Moment for Obama to Spend his Capital
If ever Pres. Obama was waiting for his moment, he gets one this week. It’s a chance to negate the clamor over torture photos, as well as military commissions. To catapult over questions of his Supreme pick. A moment where he can walk around the every day conflicts and stand apart from the pettiness that’s [...]
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The Trouble with Saudis
Earth to Saudis, get a grip. Oh, but not on your woman. Arab News, a Saudi English-language daily newspaper based in Riyadh, reported that Judge Hamad Al-Razine said that “if a person gives SR 1,200 [$320] to his wife and she spends 900 riyals [$240] to purchase an abaya [the black cover that women in [...]
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TM Must Reads
THE 21st century world offers ways to tweak your appearance, or alter it altogether, with women finally able to combat directly the comparison that’s always been around. Men look distinguished as they age, while women look old, unattractive, or to use Rush Limbaugh’s favorite comment, who wants to look at a woman with wrinkles? The 2012 plastic surgery statistics are out and the American Society of Plastic Surgery tells the story.
The real question about Hillary is this: When people take a new look at her in the coming years, will they see the past or the future — Mrs. Clinton or Madam President? – Maureen Dowd IT’S A classic front page from Huffington Post, coupled with a post by Jason Linkins, which details what’s been going on.
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy “Here’s what nobody is telling you: Find a husband on campus before you graduate. Yes, I went there.
“Norma Rae is a survivor and for the first time in her life she’s got a chance to become something more… a winner.” – Promo for “Norma Rae” CRITICS like Anne-Marie Slaughter, but especially Maureen I-Love-My-Pearls Dowd, and others [most of whom didn't read the book or do their homework] who are blaming Sheryl Sandberg for being a billionaire Ivy League graduate, while accusing her of letting corporations and government off the hook, are missing a major point.
Great sex doesn’t always just happen. Sometimes, it takes a little planning, especially if — like many Americans — you’ve been in a bit of a sex rut. Do some prep work by turning your bedroom into a love nest: Make the bed (with new, or at least clean, sheets), tidy up, light a candle or two, and queue up a sexy playlist on your iPod.
“You Don’t Own Me” PSA -Official from You Don't Own Me on Vimeo. WHO DOESN’T know the song “You Don’t Own Me,” sung by Leslie Gore? The movie First Wives Club helped to reignite the relevancy of the song.
“Last night I interviewed Jill Stein the presidential candidate for the Green Party on this show. And I confess right now, I should have asked her to just get out of the race.” – Jennifer Granholm, “The War Room” [Current TV] THE ARGUMENT Jennifer Granholm makes above is a tactic that no longer fits the times.
“With that drum magazine, he could have gotten off 50, 60 rounds, even if it was semiautomatic, within one minute,” Chief Oates said. [New York Times] IN THE GAPING MAW of our leadership vacuum stands Aurora Police Chief Daniel Oates, whose resolve, vulnerability and humility inside the vortex of a man made hell revealed what nobody in Congress or either political party has shown in decades. Leadership without regard to anything but his own duty to the people, which included the cops in the eye of volcanic carnage.
“Rick Doblin has done a lot for the field, but he is more of a populist,” Grob says. “We need careful and controlled scientific studies showing the efficacy of these drugs so funding can continue.” Broader awareness of these sorts of end-of-life psychedelic studies could be good for everyone, the researchers say.
*updated below* So much for keep calm and carry on, what Joe Scarborough proclaims to be his motto. It was the weirdest one-on-one back and forth with a high profile talking head imaginable. It makes high school look mature.
**UPDATED** Would we be any worse off with Stephen Colbert as president? I doubt it. Politifact has watched the video “(repeatedly!
Despite rising public concern about the federal budget deficit, Americans favor keeping Social Security and Medicare benefits as they are rather than taking steps to reduce the budget deficit (by 60% vs. 32%). – Public Wants Changes in Entitlements, Not Changes in Benefits This is starting early, so it’s time to revisit the facts.
“If we can prove that a biological attack originated in a country that attacked us, then all bets are off.” – Sect. Hillary Clinton Women can do it, too.
The interview with Obama by George Stephanopoulos wasn’t nearly as contentious as the interview with the Edwardses. No Republican talking points from Stephanopoulos yesterday, like when he accused Edwards of abandoning the troops with this beauty: “Do you think the Democrats should be saddled with the idea of completely cutting off funding for the troops?” Or this one: “You know, a lot of Democrats still in the Senate think that your position here is cynical political theater.
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