 |
 |
   Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Gnter Grass still thinks reunification was a bad idea.
 Forty years of writing from Taylor Branch, James Fallows, Katherine Boo, Marjorie Williams, Joshua Micah Marshall, and more.
 With help from Washington, the for-profit college industry is loading up millions of low-income students with debt they'll never pay off.
 The best recent memoir from republican Washington is a hoax. That should tell you something.
|
   |
|
|
July 3, 2009
FRIDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits: * Yesterday, U.S. troops faced minimal resistance in Afghanistan. Today was far more difficult: "Taliban insurgents stepped up attacks Friday against U.S. Marines in southern Afghanistan's Helmand River valley, forcing troops in some areas to spend the day fighting instead of carrying out plans to meet with residents and local leaders." * Don't count on fair trials: "A top Iranian cleric said Friday that some of the detained Iranian staffers of the British Embassy in Tehran will be put on trial, and he accused Britain of a role in instigating widespread protests that erupted over the country's disputed presidential election." * New round of U.S. attacks along the Afghan border: "U.S. missiles struck a training facility allegedly operated by Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud and a militant hide-out Friday, killing 15 people and wounding 27 others, intelligence officials said." * Russia has approved a plan to allow American troops to fly over Russian territory as part of military operations in Afghanistan. The agreement is scheduled to be formally announced early next week, when President Obama visits Moscow. * U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is in Burma today, meeting with the ruling generals about the release of political prisoners. No word on whether there is, or will be, progress on this front. * World Health Organization head Margaret Chan believes the international spread of the H1N1 virus is now unstoppable, but nevertheless mild. * Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) has been released from a Los Angeles hospital. * Is the Obama administration nearing a deal with the hospital industry? Maybe. * Dick Cheney had a hand, behind the scenes, in responding to the Plame scandal? You don't say. * Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) offered some odd advice to a constituent who wants the same kind of health care options he has: "Just go work for the federal government." * If a credible news network publicizes the results of an incomplete CBO analysis, it should also let the public know about the more reliable and accurate CBO analysis. * Paul Krugman ponders exactly what's wrong with the Wall Street Journal. * And just in time for tomorrow, the case against fireworks displays. Anything to add? Consider this an open thread. —Steve Benen 5:25 PM Permalink | Trackbacks | Comments (17)Comments
Burma was renamed Myanmar by its ruling junta. Whether you consider them legit or not, you might want to reference both names so that those not so politically aware might know where you're talking about. And, c'mon, a diatribe against fireworks? Yes, they are a waste, and yes, some people who set them off are idiots. But they are fun to watch, and here in Seattle a couple of the fireworks shows choreograph them to music. And you've gotta love the expression on the kids' faces. The comments in Krugman's piece rather well answer his question, mostly. Posted by: N e i l B. on July 3, 2009 at 5:52 PM | PERMALINKRussia allowing US military overflights to Afghanistan? Are they laughing their asses off as revenge is best served, cold. Posted by: IntelVet on July 3, 2009 at 6:00 PM | PERMALINKFrom a thread, at http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/7/3/749684/-Palin-spokeswoman:-This-is-a-fighting-move, an interesting comment: She's going to get out there... (1+ / 0-) Recommended by: ...head to the mountains with some guns, and start an guerrilla insurgency, with the ultimate goal of retaking the White House by coup de etat, as suggested by Limbaugh today? [then link to a good unrelated site, simplest dot com] Did Limbaugh say something like that today? Anyone have links etc? Of course, no appreciation of the irony of advocating sedition, the unpatriotic treason etc. - to dittoheads, "patriotic" really just means support of Republicans, conservatives, Christianism, the wealthy etc. - not the dirty idea of "America" the whole nation. Posted by: Neil B ◙ on July 3, 2009 at 6:02 PM | PERMALINKRussia allowing US military overflights to Afghanistan? Are they laughing their tutus off as revenge is best served, cold. Posted by: IntelVet on July 3, 2009 at 6:03 PM | PERMALINKHey, did anyone notice when Palin talked about the "real" climate change in her speech today? That was weird. Posted by: Margaret on July 3, 2009 at 6:04 PM | PERMALINKIs the Obama administration nearing a deal with the hospital industry? This is critically important but won't get the attention it deserves. Most people don't realize that the only major healthcare item whose percentage of the total bill went up significantly in the last 20 years is hospital costs. This is why hospitals have gone from being perpetually being broke to profitable centers with high-priced CEOs. Posted by: MichMan on July 3, 2009 at 6:15 PM | PERMALINKThe question is, what is that higher truth? What do these people really believe in? A lot of things. But, really, they care about nothing whatsoever, consequently hurting and injuring others is high on their list, but, in caring about nothing whatsoever, they want to feel justified so they pretend to some higher idea. But it's only about hurting and injuring others. Posted by: alan on July 3, 2009 at 6:54 PM | PERMALINKMost of the expat Burmese I know are delighted when anyone refuses to use the military redesignation for their country. And fireworks - we need more exquisite frivolity in our lives. Wonder is a great antidote to politics. Posted by: mlm on July 3, 2009 at 7:08 PM | PERMALINKConservatives want to be the aristocrats. The rest of us are here to defer to them. And be poor. Posted by: JPS on July 3, 2009 at 8:16 PM | PERMALINKAt Balloon Juice there is a veritable carpet of astute comments on why the WSJ crowd bullshits us, per Krugman's question: http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=23563 That blog attracts really sharp people - not as clever as we are ; -), but very bright wonks. Posted by: Neil B ♪ on July 3, 2009 at 9:04 PM | PERMALINK* And just in time for tomorrow, the case against fireworks displays. -- Steve Benen The home-made stuff, maybe; they're dangerous in hands of idiots. But the professionally done stuff is great and it's really too bad it's so expensive that many towns will have to forgo or shorten theirs. I've always liked watching fireworks and always will. I was in Ottawa in '06 when they had an international fireworks competition and was sorry my travel arrangements allowed me only one night of them; could have watched, every night, for the whole week... Posted by: exlibra on July 3, 2009 at 9:27 PM | PERMALINKKrugman laments what he thinks is wrong with the WSJ when he should be lamenting what's happening to his and other liberal MSM papers. The NYT is losing money hand over fist and the WaPo is pimping out access to the Obama Administration. If anything, Krugman should be studying the WSJ to learn how to be a better paper. The WSJ makes money. The NYT loses money. Even a economist like Krugman can see that. Posted by: Al Jr. on July 3, 2009 at 10:48 PM | PERMALINKGreat site. Keep doing. Posted by: buy discreet medical viagra on July 25, 2009 at 5:01 AM | PERMALINKGood evening. After I'm dead I'd rather have people ask why I have no monument than why I have one. Help me! Help to find sites on the: How to interview for a job. I found only this - victim support worker jobs. Choice to find the best commercial finance mortgage loan for you. Skip banks has many entertaining, funny and unique novety acts for your next event. Thanks for the help ;-), Hye from Honduras. Posted by: Hye on July 28, 2009 at 5:15 PM | PERMALINKIf you have to do it, you might as well do it right. Posted by: saturday night live viagra on July 31, 2009 at 6:27 PM | PERMALINKGreat. Now i can say thank you! Posted by: adipex buy 35565 on August 1, 2009 at 3:07 AM | PERMALINKPost a comment
November 2009
October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 December 2002 |
|
|
    |
|
||||||
|
|
|||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
