The Commentariat -- July 31, 2013

Philip Elliott of the AP: "A deal that gives college students and their parents lower interest rates for loans is heading toward its final vote. The House was expected Wednesday to take up a bipartisan compromise that links student loan interest rates to the financial markets. Immediately, borrowers would see lower rates for classes this year than last, although the costs are expected to climb in coming years if the economy improves as expected."

Patricia Zengerle of Reuters: "President Barack Obama has asked two senior Republican senators to travel to Egypt to meet with its military leaders and the opposition, as Cairo's allies struggle with how to address the turmoil convulsing the country. Senator John McCain and Lindsey Graham, both members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, hope to travel to Egypt next week, Graham said...." CW: Excellent idea. They can make friends with Egypt's military coupsters the way they did with Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi a few years back.

Alan Fram of the AP: "The Senate voted Tuesday to fill all five seats on the National Labor Relations Board and prepared to consider President Barack Obama's picks for top diplomatic and law enforcement posts as the chamber whittled down a pile of stalled nominations. Tuesday's votes included the last of the seven nominees that were part of a bipartisan deal earlier this month in which some Republicans agreed to end stalling tactics. Democratic leaders hope to also push other nominations through the Senate before Congress begins its summer recess this weekend, but some face uncertain fates."

New York Times Editors: "Lurking just behind a military court's conviction of Pfc. Bradley Manning, on charges that included multiple violations of the Espionage Act, is a national-security apparatus that has metastasized into a vast and largely unchecked exercise of government secrecy and the overzealous prosecution of those who breach it.... The government should satisfy itself with a ... moderate sentence and then do something about its addiction to secrecy." ...

... Sari Horwitz & Ellen Nakashima of the Washington Post: "The Obama administration on Wednesday made public a previously classified order that directed Verizon Communications to turn over a vast number of Americans' phone records, senior U.S. officials said. The formerly secret order was unveiled along with other documents by Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr. as top Obama administration officials were preparing to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee in a hearing on oversight of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)." The order, at least the part that's not redacted, is here. ...

... Tal Kopan of Politico: "Sen. Ron Wyden said Tuesday that U.S. intelligence agencies' violations of court orders on surveillance of Americans is worse than the government is letting on.... On Tuesday, he told Andrea Mitchell..., 'We had a big development last Friday when Gen. [James] Clapper, the head of the intelligence agencies, admitted that the community had violated these court orders on phone record collection, and I'll tell your viewers that those violations are significantly more troubling than the government has stated.'" ...

... John Naughton, in the Guardian, details what we've learned as a result of Ed Snowden's leaks. He adds, "Given what we now know about how the US and its satraps have been abusing their privileged position in the global infrastructure, the idea that the western powers can be allowed to continue to control it has become untenable.... No US-based internet company can be trusted to protect our privacy or data." ...

... Jim Fallows of the Atlantic: "As long as they operate in U.S. territory and under U.S. laws, companies like Google or Facebook had no choice but to comply. But people around the world who have a choice about where to store their data, may understandably choose to avoid leaving it with companies subject to the way America now defines its security interests.... The real threat from terrorism ... comes from the over-reaction, the collective insanity or the simple loss of perspective, that an attack evokes. Our government's ambition to do everything possible to keep us 'safe' has put us at jeopardy in other ways." ...

... Devlin Barrett of the Wall Street Journal: "The Justice Department acknowledged for the first time in a terrorism prosecution that it needs to tell defendants when sweeping government surveillance is used to build a criminal case against them. The about-face, contained in a Tuesday court filing, marks another way in which the Obama administration is adjusting to revelations by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden about phone and Internet surveillance by the NSA.... The filing suggests a new potential avenue for legal challenges to the surveillance programs." CW: the link may not work for you because of the WSJ firewall; if not, copy & paste part of the first sentence into Google search. ...

... Jerry Markon of the Washington Post: "The FBI tried to enlist the father of National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden to fly to Moscow to try to persuade his son to return to the United States, but the effort collapsed when agents could not establish a way for the two to speak once he arrived, Snowden's father said Tuesday....In a wide-ranging interview, the elder Snowden offered a vehement defense of the young man some have labeled a traitor. He said that Edward, who is holed up at an airport in Moscow, grew up in a patriotic family in suburban Maryland, filled with federal agents and police officers, and that he 'loves this nation.'" There's video of the interview here.

Ginger Gibson & Burgess Everett of Politico: "President Barack Obama arrived at the Capitol on Wednesday morning as part of an effort to rally the troops behind his return to talking about the economy, striking a 'grand bargain' and staying strong in support of the health care law." ...

     ... UPDATE. Jonathan Weisman & Mark Landler of the New York Times: "President Obama on Wednesday offered a strong defense of his potential choice of Lawrence H. Summers to head the Federal Reserve, though he said no final choice had been made.... The president also reassured Congressional Democrats on Wednesday that he would not 'sell out' his party's principles as his White House tries to negotiate a budget deal with Senate Republicans this fall....Lawmakers said mounting Democratic concern over sweeping government surveillance through the National Security Agency was not mentioned."

... Mark Landler & Jackie Calmes of the New York Times: "President Obama, seeking to break a stalemate with Republicans, announced [in Chattanooga, Tennessee,] Tuesday that he would cut corporate tax rates in return for a pledge from Republicans to invest in more programs to generate middle-class jobs":

Dana Milbank: "House Republicans, in their final days at work before taking a five-week vacation, have come out with a new agenda: 'Stop Government Abuse.' A more candid slogan might be: 'Stop Government.' ... The real 'government abuse' is what the House itself is doing: Only four of the 12 appropriations bills have cleared the chamber so far. And because the House plans to be in session just nine days in September, that guarantees that government finances won't be in order in time for the new fiscal year.... In a sense, the inaction on spending is just another sign of the dysfunction in the chamber that has prevented negotiations on an overall budget framework, put bipartisan immigration legislation on ice and created a standoff on the farm bill that will, if not overcome, cause milk prices to jump to as much as $8 per gallon next year." ...

... The Bickersons of the GOP

If he cared about protecting this country, maybe he wouldn't be in this 'gimme gimme gimme gimme all the money you have in Washington' -- or don't have -- and he'd be a little more fiscally responsive and know that the way we defend our country, the way we have enough money for national defense is by being frugal, and not by saying 'gimme gimme gimme' all the time. -- Sen. Rand Paul (RTP-Ky.), on New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie

I find it interesting that Sen. Paul is accusing us of having a 'Gimme, gimme, gimme' attitude toward federal spending when in fact New Jersey is a donor state and we get 61 cents back on every dollar we send to Washington. Interestingly, Kentucky gets $1.51 on every dollar they send to Washington. So if Sen. Paul wants to start looking at where he's going to cut spending to afford defense, maybe he should start looking at the pork barrel spending he brings home to Kentucky. -- Gov. Chris Christie

Sabotage, Ctd. Sophie Novack of the National Journal: "In a talk at the Heritage Foundation on Tuesday, Ted Cruz argued in favor of his plan -- along with fellow Sens. Mike Lee and Marco Rubio and other tea-party members -- to use the continuing resolution debate at the end of September to defund Obama's health care law, emphasizing the importance of grassroots efforts to win the fight.... Cruz emphasized the need for 'unprecedented levels' of grassroots efforts. He called upon individuals to join the fight and pressure their representatives to join in refusing to fund the law.... 'If we're not willing to fight on Obamacare, what are we willing to fight on?'" Cruz asked. ...

... Rachel Weiner of the Washington Post: "The implementation of the Affordable Care Act would continue during a government shutdown, according to a Congressional Research Service report commissioned by the office of Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.).... Coburn's goal in commissioning this report is to convince his fellow Republicans that threatening to stop the government over Obamacare is a bad idea." ...

... Jon Favreau of the Daily Beast on no-government v. small-government conservatives. The "fundamental philosophy [of no-government conservatives] is ... that since government can't do everything, it should do nothing. So as long as the public continues to see Washington as a dysfunctional circus of petty children, the conservative philosophy of government is vindicated. That is also precisely why no-government conservatives view the successful implementation of Obamacare as an existential threat -- because it would prove that limited government intervention in the market can still be an effective force for good. It is why some Republicans are threatening a shutdown unless Obama agrees to defund the Affordable Care Act...."

Paul Krugman: Larry Summers screwed up, and here's why: "... he is a whip-smart academic, the terror of the seminar room, who likes to play political operator -- and as a political operator, he's a great academic. But there is, I'd argue, a larger issue: Summers did not recognize the extent to which the political world has changed. He's been carefully cultivating an image as a Very Serious Person, in a world where VSPness has gone from a source of cachet to being a liability on both right and left."

"Guns Are for White People." Francis Wilkinson of Bloomberg News counted the depictions of gun owners in three popular gun magazines. Of the 223 pictures, there were only three pictures of blacks, one of a Hispanic & three of Asians. "(Does it still count if they're Japanese soldiers from WW II in an ad for military surplus?)" In one magazine "... both the (light-skinned) black guy and the Hispanic guy are wearing uniforms -- don't worry, folks, they're on our side! The Asian is dressed in a suit and tie and is clearly presented as a law enforcement or high-end security professional." In another magazine both black people are portrayed as "law enforcement officers, one of whom is accompanied by 4 whites."...

... Prof. Harold Pollack in the Washington Post: "I've been more horrified by [George] Zimmerman's race-conservative defenders than I've been by the defendant himself. Their post-trial reaction suggests amazing social distance from African American communities. Many Americans don't understand what's happening in minority communities, or why many residents of these communities are so angered by this verdict." Pollack reports on a Chicago rally for "Justice for Trayvon."

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Bishop of New York, "clarifies" Pope Francis's remark on gay priests. Via Think Progress:

Local News

Laura Vozzella & Rosalind Helderman of the Washington Post: "Gov. Robert F. McDonnell said Tuesday that he will return all the gifts from businessman Jonnie R. Williams Sr. and indicated for the first time that he was not aware of everything the Star Scientific executive had given to his family. McDonnell (R) made the comment in a radio interview one week after announcing that he had repaid $120,000 in loans that Williams had made -- $70,000 to a real estate company owned by the governor and his sister and $50,000 to first lady Maureen McDonnell."

Maggie Haberman of Politico: "Huma Abedin, Hillary Clinton's transition office chief and the wife of embattled New York City mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner, is expected to take extended vacation time from her job with the former first lady in the coming days, sources told POLITICO. The move is not a leave of absence, two sources familiar with the move insisted, and it's not precisely clear when she will depart for her vacation time from her day job." ...

... On Tuesday, the New York Daily News published this article by Olivia Nuzzi, who worked for four weeks as an intern on Anthony Weiner's mayoral campaign as well as this column, in which she describes his experience on the campaign (it wasn't good). In the "news" article, Nuzzi claims, "Anthony Weiner's campaign manager, Danny Kedem, resigned because Weiner lied to him about the timing of his sexting scandal, a source familiar with Kedem's thinking tells me." She also makes various allegations suggesting the campaign is in disarray & six disgruntled campaigners have quit. ...

Here's the glam shot of Nuzzi to which Morgan objected.... Hunter Walker of TPM: "TPM called Weiner's communications director Barbara Morgan to discuss an unrelated story Tuesday and she went off on a curse-filled rant about Nuzzi, describing her as a fame hungry 'bitch' who 'sucked' at her job. Morgan also called Nuzzi a 'slutbag,' 'twat,' and 'cunt' while threatening to sue her.... 'Fucking slutbag. Nice fucking glamour shot on the cover of the Daily News. Man, see if you ever get a job in this town again,' said Morgan. When asked whether the claims in Nuzzi's stories were true, Morgan suggested many of them were 'bullshit. ... And then like she had the fucking balls to like trash me in the paper. And be like, "His communications director was last the press secretary of the Department of Education in New Jersey,"' Morgan said. 'You know what? Fuck you, you little cunt. I'm not joking, I am going to sue her.'" Morgan later claimed she thought the TPM interview was off the record. CW: Nah, nothing incompetent about you, Barb. ...

... Seth Masket of Pacific Standard: Bill "Clinton's scandal was probably worse [than Anthony Weiner's], as it involved a) actual physical contact with another person and b) lying under oath to keep it a secret.... [So] why are liberals tossing Weiner aside? Why not? Unlike Clinton in 1998, Weiner is far from indispensable. There are other competent people running for mayor. He has no political power today, and no particularly impressive record from his days as a member of Congress to draw upon. His main activity then was to antagonize Republicans -- certainly a valid goal for some, but hardly the sort of thing you go to the wall to defend." Via Jonathan Bernstein. ...

... Maureen Dowd on Anthony Weiner & "friends." ...

... Feminist Susan Jacoby, in a New York Times op-ed, on the sex lives of women who sext. CW: I think I'll write something about this tomorrow.

Karen Kucher of the San Diego Union-Tribune: "An eighth woman alleging that [San Diego] Mayor Bob Filner made unwelcomed sexual advances toward her came forward Tuesday evening, telling KPBS that Filner in 2011 grabbed her hand and gave a 'saliva-filled kiss' after a business meeting. Lisa Curtin, director of government and military education at San Diego City College, said that she met with Filner, who was then a congressman, to discuss use of property near the Naval Training Center.... The eight accusers, all respected professionals in the San Diego community, all have said that Filner isolated them in some manner, complimented or proposition[ed] them and then attempted to kiss or touch them without consent." ...

... Craig Gustafson of the Union-Tribune: "The [San Diego] City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a cross-complaint against Filner seeking indemnity for all damages the city may have to pay as a result of a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against the mayor earlier this month."

Gubernatorial Race

Reuters: "Former White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley, the son and brother of former mayors of Chicago, formally announced on Tuesday he is running for governor of Illinois in 2014.... The announcement sets the stage for a fight for the Democratic nomination for governor between Daley and Governor Pat Quinn. Daley has been criticizing Quinn for months, saying that the governor has failed to lead a state facing a financial crisis over mounting costs of public sector pensions."

News Ledes

Still Armed. Still Dangerous. Los Angeles Times: "An armed George Zimmerman, acquitted of all charges in the shooting of Trayvon Martin, was pulled over by police in Forney, Texas, three days ago and given a warning for speeding and released, according to media reports. TMZ ... and CBS11 in Dallas-Fort Worth both reported Wednesday that Zimmerman was pulled over just before 1 p.m. on July 28 while traveling westbound on Highway 80." ...

     ... Update. TMZ has the dashcam video of the traffic stop, which you could watch to waste four-&-a-half minutes of your time on this earth.

Reuters: "O.J. Simpson was granted parole on Wednesday on several charges related to his role in the robbery of two sports memorabilia dealers at a Las Vegas hotel, but the former football star will remain in prison at least until 2017 on other charges."

Washington Post: "The economy grew faster than expected over the spring, according to new data released Wednesday morning, easing fears that government spending cuts would undercut the recovery's momentum. The nation's gross domestic product increased at a 1.7 percent annual rate during the second quarter of 2013, almost twice as fast as many economists had predicted."

Reuters: "The trial of Bradley Manning ... is scheduled to move into the sentencing phase on Wednesday ... [when] prosecutors and defense attorneys will call witnesses to address Manning's motives and the effects of his actions."

AP: "A 25-year old college student has reached a $4.1 million settlement with the federal government after he was abandoned in a windowless Drug Enforcement Administration cell for more than four days without food or water, his attorneys said Tuesday. The DEA introduced national detention standards as a result of the ordeal involving Daniel Chong, including daily inspections and a requirement for cameras in cells, said Julia Yoo, one of his lawyers."

Serious Lowlifes. ABC News: "A United Airlines customer service representative and his girlfriend have been charged with grand theft and commercial burglary for allegedly stealing luggage from San Francisco International Airport in the aftermath of the Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crash."

New York Times: "The number of civilians killed or injured in Afghanistan rose by 23 percent in the first six months of 2013, according to a United Nations report on civilian casualties, reversing a decline last year and signaling the challenge Afghan forces face as they take over all combat duties from American soldiers."

The Commentariat -- July 30, 2013

Steve Holland of Reuters: "President Barack Obama will propose a 'grand bargain for middle-class jobs' on Tuesday that would cut the U.S. corporate tax rate and use billions in revenues generated by a business tax overhaul to fund projects aimed at creating jobs. His goal, to be outlined in a speech at an Amazon.com Inc facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is to break through congressional gridlock by trying to find a formula that satisfies both Republicans and Democrats." ...

... Obama Welcomes Chinese-Style Labor Conditions in the U.S. Alec MacGillis of the New Republic wants to know why Obama is making his speech at an Amazon warehouse. MacGillis points to a story about working conditions in an Amazon warehouse "west of the Mississippi." Conditions, according to the report & another account of conditions at the Chattanooga facility where Obama will speak, were brutal. ...

... CW: I don't think the answer MacGillis got from the White House is satisfactory. Moreover, the reports MacGillis cited aren't the worst I've read about how Amazon treats it workers. Here are links to the Lehigh, Pennsylvania Valley Morning Call's investigation of a warehouse there. If you never read the original story, I urge you to read it now. Evidently, this is what the White House means when it applauds Amazon for "bringing back jobs from overseas." Deputy press secretary Amy Brundage said yesterday, "The Amazon facility in Chattanooga is a perfect example of the company that is investing in American workers and creating good, high-wage jobs." We might as well have voted for Romney; at least we KNEW this is what Romney had in mind for us woebegone little people. ...

... PLUS. Stephanie Condon & Jill Jackson of CBS News: "The CEO and board of directors of the [American Booksellers Association], which represents independent booksellers, called Mr. Obama's trip 'greatly misguided' and accused Amazon of driving bookstores out of business and killing jobs. 'While Amazon may make news by touting the creation of some 7,000 new warehouse jobs (many of which are seasonal), what is woefully underreported is the number of jobs its practices have cost the economy,' ABA CEO Oren Teicher and the group's board of directors wrote in a letter to the president Monday." ... CW: Oh, seasonal. See. The lazy bastards want to sit around most of the year collecting unemployment insurance & buying filet mignon & caviar with their food stamps. ...

... "A 'Fun, Fast-Paced Environment.'" Dave Jamieson of the Huffington Post has more on those new jobs in Chattanooga. Yup, Amazon is advertising for temps. CW: The whole post is worth a read. I wonder if the workers who appear as part of the scenery for Obama's speech will get paid for the time they spend lolling about in chairs.

As the GOP attempts to weave the Weiner-Filner-Spitzer stories into a Democratic-war-on-women meme, Katrina vanden Heuvel, in a Washington Post column, explains what war on women actually means: "Consider what the [Republican] party stands for: Allowing bosses and insurance companies to discriminate against women; forcing raped women to carry their rapist's fetus; requiring insurance coverage for Viagra but not for the pill; defunding Planned Parenthood, Head Start, childcare, and services for domestic abuse victims; conscripting doctors to violate women with medically unnecessary (and thus punitive) procedures; and redefining rape so more rapists walk free."

Gene Robinson: "Edward Snowden's renegade decision to reveal the jaw-dropping scope of the National Security Agency's electronic surveillance is being vindicated -- even as Snowden himself is being vilified."

Jonathan Chait of New York: "The current jostling between Larry Summers and Janet Yellen to become the next head of the Federal Reserve has introduced a new ... primal fear into the minds of the hard-money cranks: the trepidation that their monetary essence will be drained by a woman." ...

... Matthew O'Brien of the Atlantic: "Larry Summers Should Absolutely Not Be the Next Fed Chair." O'Brien prefers Christina Romer, but is sure Janet Yellen is second-best. Larry, not so much.

President Obama & former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had lunch yesterday.... Carrie Dann of NBC News: "For President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, friendship is what's on [Monday's] menu. The two Democrats and former rivals met for lunch Monday at the White House, spawning a frenzy of predictable media speculation about whether they might be putting their heads together about Clinton's much-rumored 2016 run.... Clinton is now also scheduled to have breakfast Tuesday with Vice President Joe Biden, considered a top potential rival for the Democratic nomination."

Rachel Weiner & David Nakamura of the Washington Post: "The Senate has confirmed James Comey as the new director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation by a 93 to 1 margin. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) had placed a hold on Comey's nomination over questions about the bureau's use of drones on U.S. soil.... After receiving a response to his concerns from the FBI detailing the 'limited' use of surveillance drones, Paul released his hold.... He was the only senator to vote against Comey's confirmation; two senators voted 'present.'"

Tal Kopan of Politico: "Sen. Ted Cruz believes Republicans can defund 'Obamacare' if they stand together, but he said 'scared' Republicans are standing in the way. 'What I can tell you is there are a lot of Republicans in Washington who are scared. They're scared of being beaten up politically,' Cruz (R-Texas) told Glenn Beck ... radio show Monday." ...

... Jonathan Bernstein in the Washington Post: "Why, yes, Ted Cruz is a demagogue." It's all he's got. ...

... Steve Benen ran his list last week, but might as well remind ourselves, via Zoe Carpenter of the Nation, just how many ways and how far Republicans are willing to go to sabotage the Affordable Care Act, a federal law upheld by the Supreme Court.

Local News

If you like gossip, here's a story about the Clintons & Huma Abedin by Maggie Haberman of Politico that is less purple than some of the other stories about the Clintons & Huma Abedin, yet sums up the gossip stuff. ...

... AND if you want to know what Anthony Weiner thinks about stuff, Denis Hamill of the New York Daily News has the interview. Here he is on the women with whom he was sexting: "These are people who I thought were friends, people I trusted when I communicated with them. But who knows what they might do now. But none of it is new. It's all old stuff." CW: yes, Anthony, there are means girls out that who will betray and victimize you. So unfair. ...

... Brenda Edwards of Politico: "New York mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner has plummeted to fourth place in the running, with opponent Christine Quinn firmly vaulting into the lead, according a new poll. In a Quinnipiac University survey released Monday, 53 percent of likely Democratic Primary voters polled said the former congressman should drop out, and only 40 percent saying he should remain in the race." ...

... Here's one guy who says he won't vote for Weiner:

... MEANWHILE -- David Chen of the New York Times: "Alarmed by Eliot Spitzer's momentum in his unexpected bid to win citywide office, an unlikely coalition of business leaders, women's groups and labor unions is vowing to finance an ambitious effort to thwart the former governor's ambition.... Now, they are pledging to raise and spend at least $1.5 million on advertising, direct mail and field work in an effort to persuade voters that Mr. Spitzer would be a poor choice for comptroller...."

Analyzing Mitt. Mitt Never Said What You Lazy Freeloaders Heard Him Say. David Corn of Mother Jones: Mitt Romney is in "deep denial" about his 47-percent remark. "... the fellow who wanted to lead the United States cannot look at reality squarely and own what he said. Months after being rejected by American voters -- winning the support of, uh, only 47 percent -- Romney still cannot take responsibility himself." In case you've forgotten the detail, Corn has them.

News Ledes

AP: "U.S. home prices jumped 12.2 percent in May compared with a year ago, the biggest annual gain since March 2006. The increase shows the housing recovery is strengthening."

BBC News: "The train driver in last week's crash in Spain was talking on the phone when it derailed, investigators say. The train was travelling at 153km/h (95mph) at the time, investigators at the Court of Justice of Galicia said. Francisco Jose Garzon Amo was speaking to members of staff at the state-owned railway company, Renfe, they added.... The speed limit on the sharp bend where the train derailed was set at 80km/h (49mph)."

USA Today: "Three former Penn State University officials, including ousted former president Graham Spanier, were ordered to stand trial Tuesday on criminal charges related to an alleged cover-up that temporarily shielded convicted child predator and former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky from law enforcement scrutiny. Following two days of testimony, a Pennsylvania judge ordered Spanier, former athletic director Tim Curley and former university vice president Gary Schultz to face charges on perjury, conspiracy, failure to report suspected child abuse and other related charges in a decision that opens another grim chapter in a scandal that rocked the state's largest university."

New York Times: "Eileen Brennan, a smoky-voiced actress who had worked in show business for more than 20 years before gaining her widest attention as a gleefully tough Army captain in both the film and television versions of 'Private Benjamin,' died on Sunday at her home in Burbank, Calif. She was 80.

New York Times: "An appeals court on Tuesday unanimously upheld a decision striking down New York City's restrictions on the sale of large, sugary drinks, dealing a serious blow to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's hopes of reviving the rule before his term runs out."

NBC News: Judge found Bradley Manning not guilty for aiding the enemy, guilty of releasing classified documents knowing they would be accessible to the enemy. Could amount to total sentence of 154 years. Judge may take several weeks to sentence Manning. No link. ...

... NBC News Update: "Pfc. Bradley Manning, the former Army intelligence officer who was branded as both a whistle-blower and a traitor after he sent 700,000 secret government documents to WikiLeaks, was acquitted Tuesday of aiding the enemy but convicted of most other charges. Manning was convicted of 20 of the remaining 21 counts, including leaking intelligence knowing it would be accessible to the enemy, releasing classified information and disobeying orders. Aiding the enemy was the most serious charge and carried a potential life sentence. The judge in Manning's court-martial, Col. Denise Lind, found that Manning had no intent to provide the enemy with classified information but was negligent in releasing the documents. The charges of which Manning was convicted carry a total of 154 years in prison. Manning will be sentenced later."

Orlando Sentinel: "Roads near a gas plant in Lake County, [Florida,] were littered with twisted pieces of propane canisters early Tuesday, hours after explosions that injured at least eight people and forced the evacuation of residents up to a mile away. Just before 7 a.m. Tavares Fire Chief Richard Keith told reporters on the scene that, 'we don't think there was any act of sabotage or anything like that.' Instead, 'It was probably a human or equipment error,' he said.

Reuters: "Egypt's rulers allowed an EU envoy to meet deposed President Mohamed Mursi, the first time an outsider was given access to him since the army overthrew him and jailed him a month ago, and she said she found him in good health."

War and Remembrance

I've been thinking about the discussion of the Vietnam war that took place among contributors here last week. As far as I recall, that war and the Korean War, from a U.S. policy perspective, had little or nothing to do with the welfare of the people of Southeast Asia. Our goal in Korea, Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia was never to help the locals; it was always to contain China. Sure, there was a lot of rhetoric about “communism,” and diversionary red scares peppered the hoohah, but it was not the form of government that concerned us. (The most belligerent war hawks never murmured about declaring war on “socialist” countries like Sweden & Denmark or on the dozens of dictatorships we often aided and abetted.) What policymakers cared about was China's taking over the portions of Asia it did not already control.

In the 1950s and '60s, pretty much everybody in the U.S. believed in the “domino theory” – and with good reason. It was proved in Eastern Europe and ultimately in Southeast Asia as well. Whether or not the people of Vietnam are happy with their government today seems relatively unimportant to the issue. The question was then whether or not the Vietnam war was worth the effort to contain China. Maybe it did slow that country's march over its neighbors and influence its politicians' decision not to go further – at least militarily.

Facile remarks about agent orange, by the way, say nothing whatever about whether or not the war itself was justifiable. Certain military tactics may be unjustified – for humanitarian or other reasons – in a conflict that is otherwise a “just war.” Ask the people of Dresden about that.

Another concept most Americans believed in at the time their leaders were amping up the Viet Nam military effort was that our guys were the “good guys” and our aims were righteous. Millions of Americans, including most of our leaders during the Vietnam era, had participated in what was seen almost universally as a “just cause” – World War II. Young men signed up for Vietnam because their fathers had gone to Italy or Guam. To find fault with them – years or decades later – for believing in the rectitude of our leaders then seems rather callous. Maybe ya hadda be there to get it. Opposition to the Vietnam war was never universal, though it grew with time and events. There was often a certain selfishness in much of the opposition, and the same was true for many who favored the war. Dick Cheney and Bill Clinton were hardly the only guys who thought they should not have to risk getting shot up because they had better things to do stateside.

In hindsight, was Vietnam a good idea? Well, we lost, so maybe not. We lost in Korea too – mostly – but democracy did gain a little toehold in a region that is largely devoid of popularly-controlled government models. I don't know if Japan's and South Korea's examples have influenced the demands of those Chinese citizens who are pressing for a more open, capitalistic society, but that seems plausible.

A veteran of the Korean conflict, a contributor here, reminded me of another benefit to the Korean war: “I got a 4-year, totally free, college education and a guaranteed low-interest, zero-down home loan out of the deal,” James Singer wrote.

I have often written about the social compact that dominated this country's economy during much of the second half of the last century – the unwritten understanding among the government, business and labor that each had a stake in the U.S. and that each needed the others for the country to prosper. But I don't think it ever occurred to me how important the wars were to that compact: the G.I. bills that funded Singer's education & home loan also paid for millions of others' educations and provided for low- or no-down-payments on their little slices of the pie. The social compact may have developed out of the disaster of the Great Depression, but for decades the G.I. bills were a significant factor in sustaining it. Little changed for women and minorities in the two decades following World War II – even though minority men did their share in the wars* – but the white man-of-the-house made out pretty well. So did the country, for all he contributed in return.

*AND, I should have said, so did women of all hues.