;)
The Commentariat -- Nov. 25, 2013
Mark Landler of the New York Times: "The preliminary deal with Iran is a seminal moment for President Obama, presenting the chance to chart a new American course in the Middle East for the first time in more than three decades." ...
... David Sanger of the New York Times: "The interim accord struck with Iran on Sunday interrupts the country's nuclear progress for the first time in nearly a decade, but requires Iran to make only a modest down payment on the central problem. The deal does not roll back the vast majority of the advances Iran has made in the past five years, which have drastically shortened what nuclear experts call its 'dash time' to a bomb -- the minimum time it would take to build a weapon if Iran's supreme leader or military decided to pursue that path." ...
... Anne Gearan of the Washington Post: "The deal [Secretary of State John] Kerry was instrumental in cutting is a diplomatic coup, even if its effectiveness and durability remain in doubt. It sets new boundaries for Iran's disputed nuclear program that represent significant compromises and concessions for Iran as well as the international coalition that suspects it of seeking nuclear weapons. Perhaps more important, the agreement opens a crack in the hostility and suspicion hardened over more than 30 years of American diplomatic estrangement from Iran." ...
... Julian Borger & Saaed Dehghan of the Guardian: "A historic agreement on Iran's nuclear programme was made possible by months of unprecedented secret meetings between US and Iranian officials, in further signs of the accelerating detente between two of the world's most adversarial powers, it emerged on Sunday." ...
... Fred Kaplan of Slate: "The Iranian nuclear deal struck Saturday night is a triumph. It contains nothing that any American, Israeli, or Arab skeptic could reasonably protest. Had George W. Bush negotiated this deal, Republicans would be hailing his diplomatic prowess, and rightly so." ...
... So naturally, John Mr. Mustache Bolton, our former recess-appointed embarrassing Ambassador to the U.N. & high-ranking war monger, calls the deal an "abject surrender by the United States." ...
... AND Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is "disappointed" with the deal. More here. ...
... PLUS. Bernie Becker of the Hill: "Top lawmakers on both side of the aisle on Sunday voiced skepticism about the newly struck agreement with Iran, and vowed to keep up the pressure with sanctions."
Amy Davidson of the New Yorker: "Not for the first time, Obama has been slow to realize the effect, at every stage, of his knockdown fight with the Republican Party over policy.... Health-care reform is the President's signature legislative achievement, and a historic one. To preserve it, he needs to fight for it politically, state by state. This time, the Obama brand alone isn't enough." ...
... Paul Krugman: "In California we can see what health reform will look like, beyond the glitches. And it's going to work." ...
... Bad News for the Turtle. Stephanie McCrummen of the Washington Post: "On the campaign trail, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was still blasting the new health-care law as unsalvageable. At the White House, President Obama was still apologizing for the botched federal Web site. But in [Kentucky,] a state where the rollout has gone smoothly, and in a county [Breathitt,] that is one of the poorest and unhealthiest in the country, [ACA "navigator"] Courtney Lively has been busy signing people up.... Although she once had to dispel a rumor that enrolling involved planting a microchip in your arm, and though she avoids calling the new law 'Obamacare' in a red state, most people need little persuading. ...
... Corporations Are People, My Friend. Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby. Adam Liptak of the New York Times: The Supreme Court will decide on Tuesday whether or not to hear appeals in cases in which corporations have successfully claimed that have a First Amendment right to deny on religious grounds paying for employee contraceptive coverage. Experts say the Court will likely hear at least one of the cases. ...
... ObamaCare, All the Time. Elias Isquith of Salon: Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) tweeted immediately after the announcement of the Iran accord that the White House cut the deal to "distract attention" from ObamaCare. ...
... Andy Borowitz: "The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, told reporters today his nation agreed to a deal on its nuclear program in the hopes that it would distract attention from the trouble-plagued rollout of Obamacare." CW: Note that thanks to Sen. Cornyn, satire cannot top reality. Borowitz's "report" is no less accurate than Cornyn's tweet.
It will poison the atmosphere of the Senate. -- Sen. Ted Cruz, on filibuster reform
Help me. I can't stop laughing. -- Constant Weader ...
... Mike Lillis & Bernie Becker of the Hill: "The gradual diminishment of the filibuster is inevitable now that Democrats have set off the 'nuclear option,' experts say, and that could have much broader ramifications down the line." ...
... ** Alex Pareene of Salon does a crackerjack job of debunking the nuclear vapors of the Village People. ...
... Michael Lind, in Salon, on the good old days of bipartisanship: "The difference between 2013 and 1963 is that in the earlier period liberals and conservatives were found in both of the two parties, which still reflected the geographic realignment that had produced the Civil War. The Democrats, still based in the South, had their conservative Southern and Midwestern members, while the Republicans, still the northern party of Lincoln, had many liberal members." Liberals & conservatives were polarized then as now, but liberals & moderate Republicans often voted together as did conservative Republicans & Democrats. ...
... Elise Viebeck of the Hill: "Kathleen Sebelius may become the biggest loser in the Senate's approval of filibuster reform. The Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary has kept her job despite the botched rollout of ObamaCare's insurance exchanges, but it will now be easier for Obama to replace her."
Siobhan Gorman of the Wall Street Journal: "Shortly after former government contractor Edward Snowden revealed himself in June as the source of leaked National Security Agency documents, the agency's director, Gen. Keith Alexander, offered to resign, according to a senior U.S. official. The offer ... was declined by the Obama administration. But it shows the degree to which Mr. Snowden's revelations have shaken the NSA's foundations -- unlike any event in its six-decade history, including the blowback against domestic spying in the 1970s." CW Note: Firewalled; if you can't access the story via the link, cut & paste a line from the text into Google search.
Oliver Knox of Yahoo! News: "More than 230,000 complaints have poured into the fledgling Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in the past two years, with mortgages and debt collection topping the list of grievances. But CFPB director Richard Cordray told Yahoo News in an exclusive interview that he wants Americans to complain more.... [The complaints] are pouring in at a good clip -- 10,000-12,000 per month through http://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/ and by phone at (855) 411-CFPB (2372)."
Jim Kuhnhenn of the AP: "President Barack Obama ... offered a rare self-assessment while criticizing congressional Republicans as an 'impediment' to governing during the start of a West Coast fundraising tour for the Democratic Party.... Obama arrived Sunday evening in Seattle. He also planned stops in San Francisco and Los Angeles, raising money for House and Senate Democrats as well as the national party."
Tom Heneghan of Reuters: "Germany's Roman Catholic bishops plan to push ahead with proposed reforms to reinstate divorced and remarried parishioners despite a warning from the Vatican's top doctrinal official, according to a senior cleric."
Presidential Race 2016
How to Pick a President -- Look in the Mirror
I think it's got to be an outsider. I think both the presidential and the vice presidential nominee should either be a former or current governor, people who have done successful things in their states, who have taken on big reforms, who are ready to move America forward. -- Gov. Scott Walker (RTP-Wis.), last week when asked to describe the "ideal Republican presidential candidate"
What I think the next president should be is someone who is leading the fight for free-market principles and the Constitution, someone who's listening to the American people, not listening to the established politicians. -- Sen. Ted Cruz [RTP-Texas]
I think they want someone outside of, you know, what's been going on. For example, someone like myself who has been promoting term limits. -- Sen. Rand Paul [RTP-Ky.], last week, on the type of presidential candidate who would appeal to voters
News Ledes
Washington Post: "Efforts by the United State and Afghanistan to finalize a long-term security arrangement appeared on the brink of collapse Monday as Afghan President Hamid Karzai made a new set of demands, and the Obama administration said it would be forced to begin planning for a complete withdrawal of all U.S. forces at the end of 2014. In a two-hour meeting here, Susan E. Rice, President Obama's top national security adviser, told Karzai that if he failed to sign the bilateral security agreement by the end of this year, the United States would have 'no choice' but withdrawal, according to a statement by the National Security Council...."
New York Times: The Connecticut state's attorney has issued an investigative report on Adam Lanza, the shooter in the Sandy Hook Elementary mass murder. The report found no motive but reveals detailed into the bizarre behavior of Adam & the strange relationship between his mother Nancy Lanza & him. The report, via the NYT, is here.
New York Times: Michael McVey, "a school superintendent in Steubenville, Ohio, was indicted Monday for [felony] obstruction in the rape of a 16-year-old girl by two high school football stars, who were convicted in April in a case that drew national attention and outrage over the crime and the way photos and videos of the episode made their way onto social media.... Three other adults, including an elementary school principal, were indicted on lesser charges."
AFP: " Japan warned Sunday of the danger of 'unpredictable events' and South Korea voiced regret following China's unilateral declaration of an air defence zone over areas claimed by Tokyo and Seoul."
San Antonio Express-News: "A San Antonio police officer was arrested Saturday and accused of raping a 19-year-old woman on the South Side [of San Antonio, Texas,] early the day before. At a news conference Saturday, police said the officer has been accused of sexual assault before. Jackie Len Neal, 40, was arrested on a charge of felony sexual assault.... Neal was released on $20,000 bond."
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Reader Comments (16)
Re: Iran: Dana Milbank had a clever line today on Karen Finney's "Disrupt." "This is the first time a President has been accused of using peace to distract attention. Usually, it's starting a war."
In response to AIPAC Senator Chuck Schumer, DodoBird Ex-Ambassador John Bolton and the other crazy Neo-Cons who are whining excessively about Kerry's nuclear agreement with Iran. Please do yourselves a favor and read Juan Cole's "Informed Consent." He knows so much more than all of you ass wipes put together about the real deal!
http://www.juancole.com/2013/11/agreement-negotiate-enrichment.html
Thanks Kate for the Cole link. My favorite line:
"Binyamin Netanyahu was a cheerleader for the Iraq War. He is now deeply wounded that the US is making peace with Iran. He seems to see the US as his personal doberman pinscher, which he is used to siccing on his rivals in the region whenever they complain about his aggressive land thefts."
Who knew we were made of not only piss and vinegar, but a tad of pinscher thrown in for good measure. Poor Bibi, his Doberman done dumped one right on his Persian rug and he's the one who has to clean it up.
CW: Please remove/disregard my last comment. Woke up in a bad mood this morning. I had a point, but the comment was unnecessarily provocative. Apologies to anyone who read it.
@Noodge: I removed the comment as you requested, but I didn't think it was too out there. I took it as a satirical remark falling well within the parameters of acceptable commentary. If your comment had been about a religion or about an ethnic group, I would have removed it. But it was about political machinations, which generally are fair game.
Marie
A young buck, only 31 years old, is tearing apart the Heritage Foundation. This is a fascinating read:
http://www.newrepublic.com/article/115688/heritage-foundations-michael-needham-tears-apart-right-wing
"...the egregious "minority report" of the congressional Iran-Contra investigation -- the report that pretty much argued that Reagan could've sold the missiles to Khomeini personally -- was written by a rising youn(g) authoritarian lycanthrope named Richard Cheney.)"
http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/iran-nuclear-programs-deal-112513
Lycanthrope. Hadda look it up. "A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope, is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into.... " A fit descriptive for the Dick.
@PDPepe, I believe Charlie Pierce quite agrees with you, "Suffice it to say I never really cared what Bibi Netanyahu's opinion was on anything."
@ CW: Many thanks.
Although, I believe Rouhani deserves mega credit for getting Iran to the negotiation table, Obama has another "signature" achievement in just talking with Iran about nuclear power. Its a measure of the sources of political money (see Schummer, who is another Clinton snake oil salesman type), cold war style thinking and Obama hate that there's more "skepticism" and vitriol than congratulations. The tentative steps with Iran are a f-in big deal as Joe would say.
Obama is pushing, cajoling, prodding the US toward a more healthy, respectful relationship with the world instead of the overbearing brutish foreign policy that no longer plays to packed houses.
Speaking of dickheads (I'm looking at you Bibi), Hamid Karzai makes me throw up a little in my mouth every time I hear his name. I want to knock that stupid squirrel toque off his head. I know he is a Bush creation and probably, if I understood the machinations of Afghanistan better, he has become a necessary evil. However, I suspect he's trying to get enough suitcases full of money that he and his entourage can live safely in exile. I'm pretty sure Hamid could give a shit about the Afghan people and I suspect many of his countrymen would like to be the source of his demise.
Re; It's got to be me; I think the American people want, no, need someone that is outside often. A presidential candidate so removed from politics he could be considered a socialist or worse, a progressive socialist. Someone who thinks the Constitution is a good starting point. Someone who believes that the free market system should serve all the people. Someone who would make health care and education as important as national defense.
Humm? Who could that be? That fat guy from Jersey? No. How about the racist from Texas? Nooo. Well, the second generation moron from Kentucky, Rand something? Noooo. OK, the guy from Wisconsin, the former governor, what's his name, single- handedly destroyed his state's reputation? Nooooo. So who could it be? I'm going to go look in the mirror for a while, I'm sure somebody's face will come to me. Sweet mother of pearl... OK, if it's the people's demand.
Re: War with Iran: Just how stupid are these people? Let's see, according to Wikipedia, Iran is slightly larger than Alaska, while Iraq compares to California. Also Iran's population is over 77 million, while Iraq's is 31 million. Look at Iran's terrain. It's mostly rugged mountains, with few plains such as the ones in Iraq.
Ok, geniuses, is your war gonna be an air war like Kosovo? If you do that, do you think the Chinese and Russians won't provide Iran with anti-aircraft defenses? John McCain, of all people, should remember what good air defense can do. Iraq certaiinly won't allow use of their airspace to get to Iran, either. (If not actively siding witb Iran.) You're also talking about having to refuel in the air. The only feasible options are aircraft carriers, which will be attractive targets. But better targets are oil tankers plying the Persian Gulf. It would only take sinking one to send oil prices soaring.
Boots on the ground? Whose boots? Yours, John Bolton? You and your cronies used up our ground forces in Iraq and Afghanstan. The equipment's worn out and the troops exhausted. Who's gonna pay for it? The Kochs?
David Brooks said "When we went into Iraq..." To paraphrase the old Lone Ranger/Tonto joke: "What do you mean 'we?'" Does this we include you? I don't think so.
I get so angry at these armchair generals and keyboard commandos that I could spit enough nails to build a good-sized house. As Akhelius can tell you, remember Crassus and the Parthians. Although Carrhae was in modern Turkey it was part of Iran at the time.
Diplomacy yes! War no!
@JJG––I say go fer it, dude––We'll vote for you, and I'm sure Tucker will approve–-better digs for that sweet pussy cat. If I had been wise enough to take my mother's Mother of Pearl chair when she offered it, I could send it to you special delivery where you could sit in it and ponder the possibilities. Mirror, mirror on the wall...
PD,
Bibi has a Persian rug?
Who knew?
He must have had it checked for any bugs that might have been woven into the fabric by weavers centuries ago. He better call Fuller Brush Boy Bolton and have him sniff around on his hands and knees to make sure.
PD,
Good article from the New Republic on the Heritage Flound-ation. Haven't had time to read it all but I notice that in the first sentence far right thug and hit man Jim DeMint is described as "dashing". Really? When someone says "dashing" I might think of Errol Flynn, Cary Grant, George Clooney, Robert Redford, Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan. But Jim DeMint?
Now if they had said "lunatic axe-murderer and baby-crusher" I'd probably call up DeMint.
Minor quibble. Article looks good. Finish it later.
@Ak: Yes, Bibi indeed has Persian rugs or so the family of fine handwoven Oriental rugs since 1908 that sold me my rugs years ago mentioned in passing. I purchased three Mahals whose origin is India and while we were quibbling on price John Jr., son of John Sr. who started the business told me that he knew someone who knew someone who furnished the Bibi home with rugs from Iran. Really? I said, Iran? Why wouldn't he get rugs from India like mine, I asked. Well, John said, Bibi once had a thing with an Iran weaver's daughter who blackmailed him into purchasing his rugs and in exchange he'd keep quiet about the affair. Now, I take this story with a big grain of salt since John Jr. is known for tall tales and his four dogs that occupy his place sleeping comfortably on the spread out carpets of Oriental splendor. But one wishes it was true.
Glad you read the Heritage piece––very informative. And yes, I, too, caught that "dashing" description of DeMint, but if you just saw a picture of him, not knowing that when he opened his mouth it was pure corn mush, he does resemble one of those 1920's film stars–-the wavy hair, the chiseled features, the blank expression. But never in a million years would I have described him that way. Sleazy comes to mind.
JJG, my check is in the mail. Can I be the Sec. of Faith? I'm closing it.