| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"maff" |
| Date: |
15 Aug 2007 09:08:13 PM |
| Object: |
OT: Rove's Blind Spot |
Rove's Blind Spot
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/14/AR200708140=
1330.html
By Harold Meyerson
Wednesday, August 15, 2007; Page A11
Decades from now, historians will have trouble fathoming why Karl
Rove's contemporaries hailed him as a genius. An expert practitioner
of wedge politics, in the tradition of Lee Atwater? Sure. But
architect of an enduring Republican majority? The great realigner?
What were the pundits of 2002 and 2004 smoking?
In fact, Rove exhibited astonishing blindness toward some of America's
most basic political realities -- in particular, a pervasive economic
insecurity that undercut the prospects of the Bush administration's
program.
Hope on Climate Change? Here's Why
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/14/AR200708140=
1327.html
By Michael Gerson
Wednesday, August 15, 2007; Page A11
In the field of environmentalism -- where brows tend to be frozen in
furrow and despair is a professional credential -- Gregg Easterbrook
of the Brookings Institution is notable for his optimism. And one
cause of his sunniness is smog in Los Angeles.
In 1975, Los Angeles exceeded the ozone standard 192 days out of the
year -- meaning the choking smog was so bad that children, the elderly
and the infirm were better off avoiding the risky practice of outdoor
breathing. In 2005, the ozone standard was exceeded on just 27 days.
Los Angeles has had 30 years of consistent improvement in reducing
smog.
Global Warming Simplicities
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/14/AR200708140=
1331.html
By Robert J. Samuelson
Wednesday, August 15, 2007; Page A11
We in the news business often enlist in moral crusades. Global warming
is among the latest. Unfortunately, self-righteous indignation can
undermine good journalism. A recent Newsweek cover story on global
warming is a sobering reminder. It's an object lesson on how viewing
the world as "good guys vs. bad guys" can lead to a vast
oversimplification of a messy story. Global warming has clearly
occurred; the hard question is what to do about it.
If you missed Newsweek's story, here's the gist. A "well-coordinated,
well-funded campaign by contrarian scientists, free-market think tanks
and industry has created a paralyzing fog of doubt around climate
change." This "denial machine" has obstructed action against global
warming and is still "running at full throttle." The story's thrust:
Discredit the "denial machine," and the country can start the serious
business of fighting global warming. The story was a wonderful read,
marred only by its being fundamentally misleading.
Gaddafi's Libya: An Ally for America?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/14/AR200708140=
1328.html
By Benjamin R. Barber
Wednesday, August 15, 2007; Page A11
The Benghazi Six -- five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor
condemned to death for allegedly spreading HIV among children in a
Libyan hospital -- were finally released last month. The media,
looking for an explanation that grabs credit for the West, have fixed
on C=E9cilia Sarkozy, wife of the new French president and a late
presence in the negotiations. After holding the nurses for eight
years, Moammar Gaddafi was supposedly unable to resist Sarkozy's come-
hither eyes and allowed her to walk away with his prisoners.
But the real drama is not in Sarkozy's agile grandstanding (the French
did get a lucrative arms deal) or in the protracted negotiations
involving Bulgaria, the European Commission and Gaddafi's gifted son,
Saif al-Islam. Rather, the release points to deep changes in the
Libyan regime that began in 2003, when Libya gave up its nuclear
program voluntarily, and that continue today with gradual shifts in
Libyan governance, its economy and civil society that have been
largely ignored by the West.
Back to School for The GOP
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/14/AR200708140=
1329.html
By Peter Beinart
Wednesday, August 15, 2007; Page A11
In the past few years, Democrats have gotten pretty good at mimicking
Republicans. They've been training college activists, establishing
think tanks and, more generally, trying to turn their party into a
movement -- just what conservatives did during their years in the pre-
Reagan wilderness. As John Podesta, head of the left-leaning Center
for American Progress, told the New York Times Magazine a while back,
"I describe myself as having a master's degree in the right-wing
conspiracy."
Imitation may be flattering, but in this case, it comes with a large
scoop of irony. Because while Democrats are enrolling in GOP 101, the
GOP itself is in free fall. According to a recent NBC-Wall Street
Journal poll, only 28 percent of Americans view the party positively.
Asked which party they'd like to take the White House in 2008,
respondents favored the Democrats by almost 20 points. To recover,
Republicans will have to do something they haven't done in decades:
learn from the other guys.
A Wayward Missile
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/14/AR200708140=
1586.html
The U.N. should get the whole story on what happened in Georgia.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007; Page A10
THE U.N. Security Council will get a briefing tomorrow on what appears
to have been a provocative move against the Republic of Georgia, a
small, young democracy on the Black Sea. As we noted last week, the
likely culprit is Russia, Georgia's far larger former master to the
north and a permanent member of the Security Council. That might make
Russia less than eager for a full vetting. Even so, the other nations
on the international panel must push for a credible investigation and,
eventually, attempt to hold accountable whomever the evidence
implicates.
Sense on Secrecy
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/14/AR200708140=
1588.html
A court weighs government's needs and Americans' rights.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007; Page A10
THE U.S. COURT of Appeals for the 9th Circuit is scheduled to hear
arguments today on the Bush administration's attempt to halt two
challenges to its warrantless surveillance program. Here's what legal
scholars expect: The San Francisco-based court -- a favorite liberal
punching bag for the Supreme Court -- will hand down an "anti-
administration" decision that allows the cases to move forward. If
that happens, government lawyers won't be able to run fast enough to
urge the Supreme Court to overturn the ruling.
Is There a (Tell-All) Book in Him?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/14/AR200708140=
1693.html
Publishers Ask How Rove Would Balance Loyalty, Candor
By Sridhar Pappu
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 15, 2007; Page C01
He's the man that Democrats blame for everything from Hurricane
Katrina to the breakup of Britney and K-Fed. He's the supposed puppet
master of the 43rd president's administration; Bush's brain, he's been
called. And now, with his departure from the White House, Karl Rove
has set imaginations ablaze with his recent comments that he plans to
teach and write a book.
Would Rove, the nation's man of mystery who is legendary for his
loyalty, actually write a book that revealed life behind the White
House's wrought-iron fence? That's the question publishers are asking
themselves and eager to take a chance on.
Obama Says He Can Unite U.S. 'More Effectively' Than Clinton
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/14/AR200708140=
1939.html
By Dan Balz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 15, 2007; Page A01
MANCHESTER, N.H., Aug. 14 -- Drawing a sharp contrast with Sen.
Hillary Rodham Clinton, his main rival for the Democratic presidential
nomination, Sen. Barack Obama said in an interview that he has the
capacity she may lack to unify the country and move it out of what he
called "ideological gridlock."
"I think it is fair to say that I believe I can bring the country
together more effectively than she can," Obama said. "I will add, by
the way, that is not entirely a problem of her making. Some of those
battles in the '90s that she went through were the result of some
pretty unfair attacks on the Clintons. But that history exists, and
so, yes, I believe I can bring the country together in a way she
cannot do. If I didn't believe that, I wouldn't be running."
Barack Obama, Centrist
http://time-blog.com/swampland/2007/08/barack_obama_centrist.html?xid=3Drss=
-swampland
Interesting interview with Obama in the WaPo today. I thought he was
pretty sane and judicious about the differences between him and
Hillary Clinton--and was surprised by the toxic reaction from the
Clinton campaign:
Asked for a reaction to Obama's comments, Clinton campaign spokesman
Howard Wolfson said by e-mail: "It's unfortunate that Senator Obama is
turning away from the politics of hope and employing attack politics
instead. That's certainly not going to bring our party -- or our
country -- together. It's Senator Clinton who has the strength and the
experience to make the change this nation needs."
Obama Is Actually Right
http://www.registan.net/index.php/2007/08/15/obama-is-actually-right/
Much as it pains me to admit a Presidential candidate might have said
something accurate about the world, I have to say: Barrack Obama is
right, and a over reliance on airpower is killing far too many
civilians and undermining the effort to stabilize the country. This is
no surprise to regular readers here, or at P=E9ter Marton's blog, or
Afghanistanica, or Bonnie Boyd's Central Asia blog, or anyone who
covers Afghanistan with an ounce of seriousness.
Obama wins a round
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0807/Obama_wins_a_round.html
The Obama campaign has been working overtime to defend a comment he
made in New Hampshire last night, in which he said U.S. troops should
be redeployed from Iraq to Afghanistan to help with reconstruction. He
continued:
And that requires us to have enough troops that we're not just air
raiding villages and killing civilians, which is causing enormous
problems there.
Hillary poses as the militarist to win votes
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/c/a/2007/08/15/EDASRIF5P.=
DTL
Robert Scheer, Creators Syndicate Inc.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
WHAT IN the world was Sen. Hillary Clinton thinking when she attacked
Sen. Barack Obama for ruling out the use of nuclear weapons in going
after Osama bin Laden? And why aren't her supporters more concerned
about yet another egregious example of Clinton's consistent backing
for the mindless militarism that is dragging this nation to ruin? So
what that she is pro-choice and a woman if the price of proving her
capacity to be commander in chief is that we end up with an American
version of Margaret Thatcher?
In response to the 9/11 hijackers, armed with weapons no more
sophisticated than $3 box-cutters, American military spending, with
Armed Services Committee member Clinton's enthusiastic support, has
catapulted beyond Cold War levels. Clinton has treated the military
budget as primarily a pork-barrel target of opportunity for jobs and
profit in New York state, supports increased money for missile defense
and every other racket the military-industrial complex comes up with,
but still feels no obligation to repudiate her vote for the disastrous
Iraq war.
Iranian Unit to Be Labeled 'Terrorist'
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/14/AR200708140=
1662_pf.html
U=2ES. Moving Against Revolutionary Guard
By Robin Wright
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 15, 2007; A01
The United States has decided to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Corps, the country's 125,000-strong elite military branch, as a
"specially designated global terrorist," according to U.S. officials,
a move that allows Washington to target the group's business
operations and finances.
The Bush administration has chosen to move against the Revolutionary
Guard Corps because of what U.S. officials have described as its
growing involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as its support for
extremists throughout the Middle East, the sources said. The decision
follows congressional pressure on the administration to toughen its
stance against Tehran, as well as U.S. frustration with the
ineffectiveness of U.N. resolutions against Iran's nuclear program,
officials said.
Mattel Recalls More Chinese-Made Toys
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/14/AR200708140=
0341_pf.html
Lead-Based Paint, Design Flaws Prompt Second Action in Two Weeks
By Renae Merle
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 15, 2007; A01
Government regulators recalled more than 9 million Chinese-made Mattel
toys yesterday, hitting some of the company's most popular lines,
including Barbie and Batman action figures.
The toy company blamed most of the recall on design flaws that could
allow small magnets in some of its products to come loose. Mattel also
said that one of its Chinese subcontractors subverted its safety
standards and used lead-based paint on promotional toys for the movie
"Cars."
Prosecutors Insist on Al-Qaeda Link as Padilla Case Goes to Jury
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/14/AR200708140=
1681.html
By Peter Whoriskey
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 15, 2007; Page A02
MIAMI, Aug. 14 -- No one disputes that, in early September 1998, Jose
Padilla picked up and moved to Egypt.
The question at the heart of his trial is why.
Gonzales to Get Power In Death Penalty Cases
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/14/AR200708140=
1707.html
Rules Would Expand Fast-Track Authority
By Dan Eggen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 15, 2007; Page A02
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, under political siege for his
handling of the U.S. attorney firings and other issues, is to get
expanded powers to hasten death penalty cases under regulations being
developed by the Justice Department.
The rules would give Gonzales the authority to approve "fast-track"
procedures by states in death penalty cases, enabling them to carry
out sentences more speedily and with fewer opportunities for appeal if
those states provide adequate representation for capital defendants.
3 Jailed Immigrants Die in a Month
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/14/AR200708140=
1690.html
Medical Mistreatment Alleged; Federal Agency Denies Claims
By Darryl Fears
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 15, 2007; Page A02
Three detainees died within weeks of one another while in federal
immigration custody, adding to a toll of more than 60 who perished in
recent years and fueling complaints of medical maltreatment from civil
rights advocates.
The dead were a pregnant Mexican woman who lost consciousness at a
facility in El Paso, a Mexican AIDS patient whose condition steadily
deteriorated in a San Pedro, Calif., prison and a Brazilian whose
family implored authorities to give him medicine for his epileptic
seizures in Rhode Island, according to the American Civil Liberties
Union and published reports.
The Rove Legacy
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/14/AR200708140=
1722.html
By Peter Baker
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 15, 2007; Page A03
As he packs his desk just 15 steps from the Oval Office, Karl Rove
says he will not join any 2008 presidential campaign. That's just as
well because none of the Republican candidates presumably could afford
the association even if they wanted his strategic smarts. Besides,
none of them is running the campaign quite the way he would. The
candidate who seems to be adopting his style and methods the most so
far? Hillary Rodham Clinton.
At least that's what Nicolle Wallace thinks. The former Bush White
House communications director, who worked closely with Rove, said that
Clinton "has almost operationalized the whole idea of turning your
weakness into strength, message discipline that is almost pathological
-- she does not get off message for any reason -- and never skipping
an opportunity to exploit her opponent's weaknesses."
Who Will Be the Karl Rove Of the 2008 Campaign?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/14/AR200708140=
1726.html
Wednesday, August 15, 2007; Page A03
The most obvious heir to a position of Karl Rove-like influence is
Mark Penn, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's top political adviser. Penn,
the rare pollster who is also the chief strategist of a campaign,
reinforces some of what liberals do not like about Clinton: He is a
centrist who has pushed the New York Democrat to the middle and
advised her not to apologize for her vote to authorize the war in
Iraq.
David Axelrod, the Chicago-based admaker who piloted Barack Obama's
2004 Senate victory, is also involved in political strategy and policy
and speaks to the Illinois Democrat every day. His influence could be
even stronger than Rove's or Penn's in one way -- Axelrod came to
advise Obama when he was a little-known state senator and has worked
with him closely longer than Penn has with Clinton.
Candidate: Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. Proposal: 'One-
Strike' Laws for Online Sex Predators
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/14/AR200708140=
1679.html
Wednesday, August 15, 2007; Page A03
Mitt Romney worries that the nation's children are swimming in filthy
water, a "cesspool of violence, sex and drugs and indolence and
perversions." To clean things up, the Republican presidential
candidate and former Massachusetts governor has proposed increased
punishment for those who prey on children online -- stringent
mandatory prison sentences, followed by lifetime tracking by Global
Positioning System for first-time offenders who "use the Internet to
sexually assault children." He calls it "One Strike, You're Ours."
"It's time to clean up the Internet, make sure that those people who
are using the Internet to become predators against children, that
those people are gone forever," Romney said late last month while
campaigning in Iowa. "I want to put them in jail for a long time and
make sure we have GPS on them for the rest of their lives. One strike
and they're ours. I want to know where they are forever."
Hastert Rules Out Another Run
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/14/AR200708140=
1479.html
Announcement Is to Be Made Friday, House GOP Aides Say
By Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 15, 2007; Page A05
Rep. J. Dennis Hastert (Ill.), who last year became the longest-
serving Republican speaker of the House, will announce Friday that he
will not seek reelection, Republican House aides said yesterday.
GOP aides say that Hastert is likely to serve out the rest of his
term, but that he has been considering resigning from the House this
year. If he did, Hastert would trigger a special election that could
give an indication of whether Democrats are continuing their political
surge or whether Republicans have stanched the bleeding in GOP-leaning
districts.
A Humanizing Portrait of the Man Indians Call 'Father'
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/14/AR200708140=
1834_pf.html
Film Explores Gandhi's Painful Relations With His Son
By Emily Wax and Rama Lakshmi
Washington Post Foreign Service
Wednesday, August 15, 2007; A07
NEW DELHI -- A man with long, shaggy hair and a thick beard, wearing a
tattered overcoat, collapses in a rain-soaked alley. Soon after, he is
lying on a gurney in a Mumbai hospital, shivering and moaning
incoherently as a team of doctors try to find out who he is, asking
him repeatedly: "What is your father's name?"
"Bapu," he whispers again and again. Bapu, or father, is the
nationally recognized term of endearment for Mohandas Gandhi, the
father of India. The medical staff at first take the man for a
drunken, blathering vagabond.
Symbolic Torch Relay Aims to Shine Light on China, Darfur and Death
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/14/AR200708140=
1489.html
By Nora Boustany
Washington Post Foreign Service
Wednesday, August 15, 2007; Page A07
Lighting a torch at historic sites of genocide, a group of activists,
actors and athletes is hoping to press China, as host of the 2008
Olympic Games, to use its influence with the government in Khartoum to
stop the killing and displacement of civilians in the Darfur region of
western Sudan.
"We actually think it is inconsistent for an Olympic host to be
complicit in an ongoing genocide," said Jill Savitt, a human rights
activist who conceived of the "Olympic Dream for Darfur" campaign.
'Surge' Has Led to More Detainees
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/14/AR200708140=
1680.html
As Number in Iraq Soars, Debate on System's Fairness Continues
By Walter Pincus
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 15, 2007; Page A08
U=2ES. military operations associated with the troop increase in Baghdad
have boosted the number of detainees held in American facilities in
Iraq to about 23,000, up 5,000 from four months ago, according to Army
Col. Mark Martins, the top military lawyer in Iraq. That number
represents an all-time high since the U.S. occupation began in 2003.
Iraqi security forces have picked up 4,052 detainees during the
increase, bringing the overall number of security detainees now held
in Iraqi prisons to 60,000, said Judge Abdul Satar Bayrkdar, spokesman
for the Iraqi Higher Judicial Council. About 1,100 of those picked up
since the increase began were later released for lack of evidence,
while the rest were transferred to the criminal court system, he said.
Intelligence Agencies Urged to Hire Minorities
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/14/AR200708140=
1694.html
Diversity Strengthens Efforts, CIA Officials Say
By Spencer S. Hsu and Joby Warrick
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, August 15, 2007; Page A09
EL PASO, Aug. 14 -- U.S. spy agencies need to recruit more racial and
ethnic minorities, especially first-generation Americans whose
language skills and cultural backgrounds could help fill critical gaps
in knowledge and analysis, two top intelligence officials said.
Despite efforts in the past six years to diversify the workforce, only
14 percent of those in the CIA's officer corps are minorities, said
Jose Rodriguez, director of the CIA's National Clandestine Service,
the agency's foreign espionage unit.
Rove's True Regret: It's a Rap
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/14/AR200708140=
1713_pf.html
By Al Kamen
Wednesday, August 15, 2007; A09
Karl Rove, the outgoing White House deputy chief of staff and
President Bush's closest adviser, has had his ups and downs over the
years. The "ups" would perhaps be the passage of the Medicare drug-
benefit expansion, tax-cut legislation and No Child Left Behind, and
of course a couple of stunning presidential runs.
The somewhat less rewarding moments might have been talking to Robert
Novak and Matt Cooper about Valerie Plame, the failed Social Security
initiative, the '06 elections, the flameout on immigration reform,
maybe that Iraq adventure.
What Republicans See in Obama
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/08/15/post_14.html
In an interview with the Washington Post this week, Barack Obama laid
out as explicitly as he has to date what many believe is his strongest
argument for his candidacy against that of Hillary Clinton: that he is
a less polarizing figure on the national scene. "I believe I can bring
the country together in a way she cannot do," Obama said. "If I didn't
believe that, I wouldn't be running."
In making this case, Obama can find both affirmation and reason for
concern in an intriguing and overlooked nugget in the Post-ABC poll on
the Democratic presidential race released late last month. Simply put:
independents and Republicans seem to recognize that Obama has the
potential to appeal to voters outside the Democratic base -- but
Democratic voters themselves don't yet seem to be taking that fully
into account in their thinking about whom to nominate.
Law graduate Obama got his start in civil rights practice
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/02/20/america/NA-POL-US-Obama-Attorney-=
at-Law.php
The Associated Press
Published: February 19, 2007
CHICAGO: Attorney Judson Miner called Harvard to offer a job to a
graduating student named Barack Obama and did not expect to be
showered with gratitude. Still, he was not expecting the reception he
got.
"You can leave your name and take a number," the woman who answered
the phone at the Harvard Law Review said breezily. "You're No. 647."
China, Unregulated
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/opinion/15wed1.html?_r=3D1&oref=3Dslogin
American businesses and the Bush administration must send a clear
message to Beijing that it has to clean up its act or its export-led
boom will falter.
A Bonus for Congestion Pricing
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/opinion/15wed2.html
Federal money could help make New York the next big city to improve
its traffic flow. Now it's up to city and state politicians to work
with the public to make it happen.
Mr. Bush's Chance to Help Congress
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/opinion/15wed3.html
The pending lobbying reform bill will gauge whether the White House
rates the clout of the lobbying industry above Congress's legitimate
attempt to clean its own house.
Reading Lincoln's Face
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/opinion/15wed4.html
Every face is asymmetrical to a certain degree, and humans - all
primates - are extremely good at recognizing faces.
After 60 Years, Will Pakistan Be Reborn?
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/opinion/15hamid.html?pagewanted=3Dall
By MOHSIN HAMID
My wish for our national anniversary is this: that we finally take the
knife we have turned too often upon ourselves and place it firmly in
its sheath.
India's Internal Partition
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/opinion/15guha.html
By RAMACHANDRA GUHA
Despite their shared culture, cuisine and love for the game of
cricket, India and Pakistan seem prepared to fight more wars.
Politics Is the New Star of India's Classrooms
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/world/asia/15india.html?ref=3Dworld
By SOMINI SENGUPTA
A broad revision of India's school curriculum is reshaping how Indian
children grasp the workings of their nation and its place in the
world.
Ch=E1vez to Propose Removing His Term Limits
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/world/americas/15venez.html?ref=3Dworld
By SIMON ROMERO
President Hugo Ch=E1vez of Venezuela will unveil a project to change the
Constitution on Wednesday that is expected to allow him to be re-
elected indefinitely.
New Thai Literary Puzzler Raises Questions, and Ire
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/world/asia/15thai.html?ref=3Dasia
By SETH MYDANS
A strange little book about Thailand's former prime minister has
infuriated the generals who ousted him in a coup last September.
Mattel Recalls 19 Million Toys Sent From China
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/business/worldbusiness/15imports.html?ref=
=3Dasia&pagewanted=3Dall
By LOUISE STORY and DAVID BARBOZA
Amid a wave of increasing safety concerns about products made in
China, Tuesday's recall threatened to set the toy industry on its
heels.
Some Baby Bibs Said to Contain Levels of Lead
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/business/15lead.html?ref=3Dasia
By ERIC LIPTON
Certain vinyl baby bibs sold at Toys "R" Us stores appear to be
contaminated with lead, laboratory tests have shown.
Trouble in China Is Good News for American Toy Manufacturers
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/business/15toys.html?ref=3Dasia
By ANDREW MARTIN
Several manufacturers of American-made toys said that in recent weeks,
they have been inundated with calls inquiring about their products.
Bomb Derailed Passenger Train in Russia, Officials Say
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/world/europe/15train.html?ref=3Deurope
By C. J. CHIVERS
A bomb set along railroad tracks exploded and derailed a passenger
train between Moscow and St. Petersburg, injuring scores of
passengers.
Beheading and Shooting by Russian Neo-Nazis on Video
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/world/europe/15russia.html?ref=3Deurope
By C. J. CHIVERS
The video appeared on several Russian ultranationalist Web sites with
a note from a previously unknown organization calling itself the
National-Socialist Party of Russia.
In Italy, Creating Worlds Takes Precision, Yes, and Politics
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/world/europe/15italy.html?ref=3Deurope
By ELISABETTA POVOLEDO
For Italy's only remaining globe maker, disputes over geography are
commonplace and a lesson in diplomatic relations.
Europe's Bank Says Financial Turmoil Largely Over
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/business/worldbusiness/15euro.html?ref=3D=
europe
By CARTER DOUGHERTY
The statement by the European Central Bank is a sign that it will
likely proceed with a plan to lift borrowing costs in early September
to curb inflation.
U=2ES. Weighing Terrorist Label for Iran Guards
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/world/middleeast/15diplo.html?pagewanted=
=3Dall
By HELENE COOPER
The Bush administration is preparing to declare that Iran's
Revolutionary Guard Corps, a large branch of the military, is a
foreign terrorist organization.
4 Truck Bombs Kill 190 in Kurdish Area of Iraq
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/world/middleeast/15iraq.html?ref=3Dmiddle=
east
By DAMIEN CAVE
The blasts destroyed houses and sent hundreds of the wounded to at
least six hospitals as far as 150 miles away, the Iraqi authorities
said.
Tired of Energy Ills, Syrians Doubt the West Is to Blame
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/world/middleeast/15syria.html?ref=3Dmiddl=
eeast
By HUGH NAYLOR
Many Syrians say their electricity woes are more a function of
government incompetence than of international pressure.
Lessons on Homosexuality Move Into the Classroom
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/education/15education.html?ref=3Dus
By DIANA JEAN SCHEMO
A controversy in Montgomery County, Md., illustrates how fraught the
road can be for educators who teach students about sensitive social
issues.
There's Money in Oil, Oystermen Find
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/us/15oysters.html?ref=3Dus
By ADAM NOSSITER
A Louisiana oysterman can make as much, if not more, collecting damage
settlements from oil companies as from harvesting the bivalves,
according to a study.
Padilla Jury to Start Deliberations
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/us/15padilla.html?ref=3Dus
By ABBY GOODNOUGH
Jose Padilla's chief public defender said that the government had
failed to prove that Mr. Padilla was a would-be terrorist.
Seven Unions Ask Labor Board to Order Employers to Bargain
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/us/15labor.html?ref=3Dus
By STEVEN GREENHOUSE
Seven labor unions asked the National Labor Relations Board to order
employers to bargain with unions, even when the unions represent only
a minority of employees.
Self-Described Pedophile Is Arrested Twice
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/us/15pedophile.html?ref=3Dus
By MICHAEL PARRISH
A self-described pedophile who had bragged publicly that he had never
been arrested was taken into custody twice this week, the authorities
said.
Passport Rule Helps Collect Child Support
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/us/15passport.html?ref=3Dus
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
New passport requirements have uncovered untold numbers of child
support scofflaws and forced them to pay millions.
Rove vs. Clinton
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/rove-vs-clinton/
The top Bush adviser continues his attacks on the Democratic
presidential candidate.
Never Let 'Em See You Sweat
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/never-let-em-see-you-sweat/
In the scorching Iowa heat, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton looked
comfortable and perfectly pressed - the result of a low-tech but
sophisticated cooling system.
Giuliani Swings Through Iowa, Too
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/giuliani-swings-through-iowa-=
too/
After skipping the weekend straw poll, he takes in the state fair.
Dodd Woos Labor Crowd in Iowa
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/dodd-woos-labor-crowd-in-iowa/
The Democratic field appears before the state's A.F.L.-C.I.O.
chapter.
Antiwar Challenge to Kucinich
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/antiwar-challenge-to-kucinich/
The race is already heating up, as Representative Dennis Kucinich's
challenger in a U.S. House primary accepts the endorsement of Paul
Hackett, the Iraq-vet-turned-candidate-turned-bitter.
Making Money Off Bush
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/making-money-off-of-bush/
You can almost count the hours between the time that a White House
official says something, a Democratic candidate responds, and then ... a
fund-raising appeal drops into everyone's inbox. In the 2008 campaign
season, it's already a familiar routine.
2008: F. Thompson's 'Phantom Campaign'
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/2008-f-thompsons-phantom-camp=
aign/
All summer, the rumors have flown about when former Senator Fred D.
Thompson would officially announce his candidacy for president. Would
he jump in on July 4 or perhaps later in the month? Now we're hearing
that it's likely he'll get into the race around Labor Day.
2008: Making Room for the Democrats in Iowa
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/14/2008-making-room-for-the-demo=
crats-in-iowa/
After a week of keeping Iowa mostly to themselves, the Republican
presidential candidates will have to share the state with Democrats
who are coming en masse this week to aggressively court voters. Polls
there show a close race between the leading Democratic hopefuls, and
despite all of the leap-frogging going on with early state primaries,
a strong finish in the Iowa caucuses remains a coveted prize.
Question of Sons' Choices Dogs Romney Campaign
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/us/politics/15romney.html?ref=3Dpolitics
By MICHAEL LUO
Mitt Romney's statement that "one of the ways my sons are showing
support for our nation is helping to get me elected" has threatened
the image of his family.
In Magazine Article, Giuliani Details His Policy on Iran
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/us/politics/15giuliani.html?ref=3Dpolitics
By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE
Presidential candidate Rudolph W. Giuliani said he would be open to
negotiations with Iran but would not rule out destroying its nuclear
facilities as a last resort.
Senator Jabs at Rivals, and Bush
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/us/politics/15brownback.html?ref=3Dpoliti=
cs
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Senator Sam Brownback's criticism that governors often lack the
foreign policy experience necessary to be president was aimed at two
former governors who are his rivals.
With Rove's Departure, a New Era
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/washington/15bush.html?ref=3Dpolitics
By JIM RUTENBERG and STEVEN LEE MYERS
The departure of Karl Rove from President Bush's brain trust will
bring an end to Mr. Bush's outsider approach.
Hastert Will Not Seek New Congressional Term
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/washington/15hastert.html?ref=3Dwashington
By CARL HULSE and JEFF ZELENY
Representative J. Dennis Hastert, the Illinois Republican who became
House speaker at a moment of crisis for his party, has decided not to
seek re-election in 2008.
..
Imported From Britain: Ideas to Improve Schools
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/education/15face.html?ref=3Deducation&pag=
ewanted=3Dall
By SAM DILLON
To find some help in taking on the challenges that face American
public education, some educators are looking to England's experience.
How New Arabic School Aroused Old Rivalries
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/education/15school.html?ref=3Deducation&p=
agewanted=3Dall
By JULIE BOSMAN and JENNIFER MEDINA
The good intentions behind opening an Arabic school in New York ran
straight into the treacherous ethnic and ideological political
currents of the city.
Remembering a Classic Investing Theory
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/business/15leonhardt.html?ref=3Dbusiness
By DAVID LEONHARDT
David Leonhardt explores how an investing system of the past could aid
analysis of today's stock market.
'Sacco and Vanzetti'
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/books/15grim.html?ref=3Darts
By BRUCE WATSON
Reviewed by WILLIAM GRIMES
Precisely 80 years on, the Sacco-Vanzetti case still resonates like a
mournful chord.
Scrambling the Map: Obama's Plan for a Progressive Majority
by psericks, Wed Aug 15, 2007 at 03:40:19 PM EST
Part of the "candidate blogger" series -- I'll be blogging Wednesdays
for Obama
http://www.mydd.com/story/2007/8/15/154019/388
I'm not connected to the campaign. The views expressed are my own.
When I was working with a homelessness advocacy non-profit in Chicago,
my co-workers would drive down to Springfield for lobbying trips and
would come back beaming about the young state senator who managed to
charm everyone at Health and Human Services committee hearings and was
one of our biggest allies. My friends and I eagerly watched his climb
in the Senate race, and so his emergence on the national scene was
somewhat less surprising to me.
I've posted several diaries on why I believe Obama is the most
compelling advocate for progressive policies, about his uncanny
ability to reach out to young people, and his calls for a new politics
based on progressive values. I want to briefly summarize those points
here, focusing on the big picture, and then lead into a remarkable
answer Obama gave last week about what he intends to accomplish as a
candidate for president.
Hillary and Obama Are Running Two Different Campaigns
http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2007/08/hillary_and_obama_are_=
running.php
Marc Ambinder
15 Aug 2007 09:30 am
Barack Obama's interview with the Washington Post this morning
recapitulates the message he's been propounding from day one:
"I think it is fair to say that I believe I can bring the country
together more effectively than she can," Obama said. "I will add, by
the way, that is not entirely a problem of her making. Some of those
battles in the '90s that she went through were the result of some
pretty unfair attacks on the Clintons. But that history exists, and
so, yes, I believe I can bring the country together in a way she
cannot do. If I didn't believe that, I wouldn't be running.
Obama and Clinton are, in effect, running two different campaigns each
based on two different readings of the temperature and directional
pull of the electorate right now.
Rove's disciple
http://www.samefacts.com/archives/campaign_2008_/2007/08/roves_disciple.php
Posted by Mark Kleiman
The Clinton campaign, both the candidate and the surrogates, have been
going after Barack Obama hard and personally. He's "naive" and
"irresponsible," too inexperienced to trust as Commander in Chief. Now
Obama says that, largely through no fault of her own, Clinton is not
the best person to bring the country back together.
The Clinton campaign's reaction: accusing Obama of "attack politics."
The lie, and the projection, are transparent. But that's not to say
that those tactics won't work. After all, they elected George W. Bush,
didn't they?
Will Obama sweep the black vote?
http://www.samefacts.com/archives/campaign_2008_/2007/08/will_obama_sweep_t=
he_black_vote.php
Posted by Mark Kleiman
I suspect Trey Ellis knows what he's talking about. If so, those
national polls showing HRC comfortably ahead need to be adjusted.
Update Apparently there's some historical support for Ellis's
analysis:
Even though polls show that blacks still have doubts about Obama, he
weathered similar skepticism in the 2004 Illinois Senate primary
before winning nearly all of their votes. "He soared with elites
initially," says Mark Blumenthal, who polled for Obama's chief rival.
"But it took until the last week of the campaign for blacks to
decide." If they break his way again, says Blumenthal, Obama could
ride a new black-upscale majority to the nomination.
Barack Obama Rides the Straight Talk Express
http://allspinzone.com/wp/2007/08/15/barack-obama-rides-the-straight-talk-e=
xpress/
Sure there's a problem with Hillary. She's a political lightning rod,
from the Democratic side, just like Bush is from the right. And Barack
Obama is justified is saying so. Does this mean she'd make a bad
President? No. But it might mean that our country would be better
served with someone who is not a lightning rod.
Commentary By: Steven Reynolds
Barack Obama finally tells us what we need to hear. That doesn't mean
that this is the entire argument for voting Obama versus Clinton, but
it is a compelling argument to me. His claim, as seen here in a
Washington Post article, is that Hillary is too much a lightning rod
for partisan divisiveness in this country. No, it isn't her fault, but
nevertheless it is baggage she is carrying. And I think we need to pay
attention to Barack Obama on this one.
Obama Finds A Theme
http://farnwide.blogspot.com/2007/08/obama-finds-theme.html
I'm a uniter, not a divider, unlike my competitor:
Drawing a sharp contrast with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, his main
rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Sen. Barack Obama
said in an interview that he has the capacity she may lack to unify
the country and move it out of what he called "ideological gridlock."
Barack Obama and Party Politics
http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/morte/2007/aug/15/barack_obama_and_party_politi=
cs
By morte | bio
Back in December I voiced concern that Barack Obama's campaign
rhetoric occasionally makes him sound like the ideal Unity08
candidate. I've made clear on this blog that I support and like Obama
but I don't want him to fall for the bipartisanship ruse which leads
to Washington centrist consensus, something Obama himself has
criticized. Today Max Sawicky at TPM Cafe voices similar concerns
about Obama's unity message:
A Conversation With Obama
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/08/15/post_16.html
Part way through our conversation at a recreation center in Keene,
N=2EH., on Monday afternoon, I asked Barack Obama to reflect on what
three weeks as the target of attack from his opponents had done to
him. I suggested that, while he may not have anticipated the
criticism, he had taken to the conflict with considerable enthusiasm.
"I've enjoyed it," he said, flashing a big smile. The debate, he
added, has helped to sharpen the contrast
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