The Commentariat -- May 29
I've posted an Open Thread on Off Times Square.
Maureen Dowd has a pretty good column on Christine Lagarde, the French Finance Minister, whom the IMF is likely to tap as its new chief.
If you're thinking of becoming something as mundane and quintessentially American as an anti-war activist, you might want to read this story by Colin Moynihan & Scott Shane of the New York Times, which details the extraordinary F.B.I. investigation of self-described Austin, Texas anarchist Scott Crow, who has never been convicted of anything more serious than trespassing during demonstrations. As the authors write, "Other targets of bureau surveillance, which has been criticized by civil liberties groups and mildly faulted by the Justice Department’s inspector general, have included antiwar activists in Pittsburgh, animal rights advocates in Virginia and liberal Roman Catholics in Nebraska." ...
... Speaking of FBI investigations, David Willman of the Los Angeles Times profiles Bruce Ivins, whom the FBI suspected of being the anthrax killer. Ivins died several days after taking an overdose of Tylenol, and before he could be charged. Especially if you are a woman, I think you'll find this just about the creepiest profile of anyone you've ever read. The FBI's investigation by many accounts was sub-par. Sen. Pat Leahy (D-Vt.), who was a target of the anthrax attacks, thinks there's more to the story, & Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ), a physicist who represents the district from which the anthrax letters were mailed has called for a 9/11-style commission to conduct an independent investigation.
The most important rule [for Congressional witnesses] is the 80/20 rule: If they’re talking 80 percent of the time and you’re talking 20 percent, you’re winning. If it’s 60/40, it means you’re arguing, and if it’s 50/50, it means you’ve lost and you’d better throw in the towel. -- Tom Korologos, a Washington éminence grise, on how to get through a Congressional hearing ...
... Congressman, you are causing problems. -- Elizabeth Warren, to House Oversight Committee Chair Patrick McHenry (R-NC) ...
... Sheryl Gay Stolberg of the New York Times on the insult/breach of protocol heard 'round the Beltway.
I posted a link to Bob Reich's essay on the Senate spending cap bill (Corker-McCaskill) some while back, but if you didn't feel like reading it, maybe you'd like to watch the video where he says the same thing:
Nicholas Kristof's column on the economic ascendance of India is popular among Times readers.
Dog Pee Can't Stop Santorum:
We're not political. This is not a political event ... Maybe she's coming because she knows we have a half a million people in town and thinking she can start her [campaign]? -- Ted Shpak of Rolling Thunder, on Sarah Palin's surprise announcement that she would participate in a Washington, D.C. Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally intended to highlight veterans' & MIA issues
You might not get a promotion if you ... are a British immigration official who puts his wife on the terror watch list while she's in Pakistan so she can't get back into the U.K. & leave her there for three years while you live it up.
Right Wing World *
Another Republican says he thinks he could have beat President Obama in the general election had he bothered to run -- former Bush budget director & anti-union, anti-family-planning Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels.
For an excellent commentary on Texas Gov. Rick Perry's coyote-shooting incident, see Gingia's comment (# 82 -- highlighted) here. Short version: didn't happen, or if it did was illegal & irresponsible.
This article by David Fahrenthold of the Washington Post slants right; that is, it contrasts the Tea Party with Democrats in the typical he-said/he-said fashion. But I'm linking it because of this assertion by Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.): "They are lying. We've got facts." I'm going to give this guy the benefit of the doubt and take it he really drinks the Kool-Aid, which shows you how scary the Tea Party is. I'm thinking I'll take a liar -- McConnell, Boehner, most of 'em -- over a faith-based zealot -- Huizenga, maybe Paul Ryan. You can't reason with either group, of course, but you may be able to horse-trade with the liars.
* Where facts never intrude.
Local News
More on America's Worst Governor from the St. Pete Times "The Buzz": "... the Republican Party of Florida is robo-calling voters to drum up support for Gov. Rick Scott, who might be America's most-disliked governor.... The automatic, pre-recorded calls feature Scott's voice derided the hometown projects he vetoed from the budgets as 'special interest waste.' Not the kind of message that fellow Republicans, who crafted the budget, wanted to hear. Especially when those special interests included hungry and needy seniors, homeless veterans, paralysis victims, etc." Before his speech announcing the budget vetoes of "special interest waste," Scott "was preceded by representatives of some heavy-hitting special interests:" real estate development and business lobbyists. "Not every interest was represented at the event. Scott's office and RPOF staffers used sheriff's deputies to block Democrats from the event...."
News Ledes
The President speaks at a memorial service in Joplin, a week after the tornado:
President Obama visits Joplin:
AP: "Face to face with the legions of homeless and the bereaved, President Barack Obama on Sunday toured the apocalyptic landscape left by Missouri's killer tornado, consoled the community and committed the government to helping rebuild shattered lives." New York Times story here.