The Commentariat -- Jan. 30, 2013

Sequestration Express Expected to Arrive on Schedule. Lori Montgomery of the Washington Post: Congress is too stubborn to stop the trainwreck they engineered for the purpose of stopping the trainwreck. CW: I cannot understand why the public has a low opinion of Congress.

Michael Gordon of the New York Times: "The Senate confirmed Senator John Kerry as secretary of state on Tuesday, filling a key position on President Obama's retooled national security team. The nomination was approved by a vote of 94 to 3. Only three senators, all Republicans, opposed the nomination: Ted Cruz and John Cornyn of Texas, and James M. Inhofe of Oklahoma. Mr. Kerry voted present.... Hillary Rodham Clinton, whose last day as secretary of state is Friday, said at a global forum at the Newseum on Tuesday that she expected Mr. Kerry to undertake a new effort to narrow differences between Israel and the Palestinians.... No date has been set for Mr. Kerry's resignation from the Senate. The governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick, a Democrat, will make an interim appointment to succeed Mr. Kerry...."

Damon Wilson, a "centrist foreign policy wonk" who has worked closely with Chuck Hagel, writes in a Washington Post op-ed that Hagel "has demonstrated acceptance and support for all employees, including LGBT employees." Wilson, who is gay, supports Hagel's nomination as Secretary of Defense.

Mark Landler of the New York Times: "Seizing on a groundswell of support for rewriting the nation's immigration laws, President Obama challenged Congress on Tuesday to act swiftly to put 11 million illegal immigrants living in the United States on a clear path to citizenship. He also praised a bipartisan group of senators, who proposed their own sweeping immigration overhaul a day earlier, saying their plan was very much in line with his own proposals, and suggested there was a 'genuine desire to get this done soon'":

... The White House lays out the main principles of the President's proposal. ...

... Adam Serwer of Mother Jones was kind enough to read both sets of proposals & has a handy guide to four differences between Obama's plan & the one by the Senate Machismo (No-Girls-Allowed) Immigration Amigos Association. ...

... New York Times Editors: "Mr. Obama released his own list of immigration-reform principles separately on Tuesday, and it is far better than the plan put forward by the senators. Besides the forceful language on citizenship, it offers ways to end backlogs in family-sponsored immigration, urges more staffing and improvements in immigration courts and added protections for immigrants who assert their labor rights. It also declares that members of same-sex couples should have the same opportunities to sponsor their partners for visas that others do."

"President Obama announces an additional $155 million in humanitarian aid for those affected by the violence of the Assad regime. This aid from the American people is providing food, clean water, medicine, medical treatment, immunizations for children, clothing, and winter supplies for millions of people in need inside Syria and in neighboring countries":

Jillian Rayfield of Salon: "Wayne LaPierre, the NRA’s Executive Vice President, plans to rail against universal background checks during his testimony Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee. "When it comes to the issue of background checks, let's be honest -- background checks will never be 'universal' -- because criminals will never submit to them," he plans to say. LaPierre is one of several speakers set to testify before the Senate in a gun violence hearing on Wednesday, which will also include Mark Kelly, former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' husband, Baltimore's Chief of Police, and other expert witnesses." ...

... Andy Borowitz: "In testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee today, National Rifle Association C.E.O. Wayne LaPierre warned that the N.R.A. would vigorously oppose any legislation that 'limits the sale, purchase, or ownership of politicians.'"

... Monica Davey of the New York Times on how Chicago, with its strict gun laws & high gun violence rate, exemplifies the problems created by weak national gun safety laws & weak prosecution of violators of the laws which do exist. CW: don't let gun advocates tell you that Chicago is "proof" that strict gun laws don't work: "Chicago is not an island,' said David Spielfogel, senior adviser to [Chicago Mayor Rahm] Emanuel. 'We're only as strong as the weakest gun law in surrounding states.'" ...

... Alexander Bolton of The Hill: "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Tuesday declined to voice support for Democratic legislation that would ban assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips." ...

... Jackie Kucinich of USA Today: "A bipartisan coalition of senators is working on a proposal to strengthen and expand background checks for potential gun purchasers in an attempt to break the partisan gridlock holding up regulations on gun ownership. Members of the group, which includes Republicans Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Mark Kirk of Illinois and Democrats Charles Schumer of New York and Joe Manchin of West Virginia, have declined to discuss specifics of the talks or of a potential bill." ...

... CW: is this yet another No-Girls-Allowed Club? If so, it's the 3rd in recent years: the 2011 Gang of Six, the Machismo Amigos Club (see above), & now the Pistol Packers. I'm getting fairly annoyed here.

Paul Krugman on the towering stupidity of Members in Good Standing of the Deficit Closed Feedback Loop: "... at this point, of course, all the Very Serious People have committed their reputations so thoroughly to the official doctrine that they almost literally can't hear any contrary evidence." CW: I don't think I've ever seen a "public intellectual" embarrass himself more than Richard Haass of the Council on Foreign Relations did in his ignorant effort to refute Krugman. ...

... A good summary of the standoff from David Wagner of The Atlantic. ...

... Update: don't miss Krugman's follow-up post. It's 140 characters or fewer.

CW: a novel -- to me -- idea from Matt Yglesias of Salon: while interest rates remain at rock bottom, the federal government should issue perpetual bonds (i.e., they have no redemption date). "The government could borrow money without adding to the national debt. Instead of obsessing over the debt-to-GDP ratio, we could tackle the present-day problem of unemployment and the medium-term barriers to growth." Another advantage Yglesias doesn't mention: they might shut up the deficit scolds -- or at least force them to find a new excuse for cutting the social safety net. ...

... ALSO from Yglesias: "... the payroll tax holiday seems to have done more to goose consumption than workers themselves expected." CW: here's what we learned in school today: lowering taxes on the poor helps the economy. (Lowering taxes on the rich? i.e., trickle-down economics. Not so much.

Anne Gearan of the Washington Post: "Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday that she is 'not inclined' to run for president in 2016 but left the door open for what is widely considered her likely return to politics after she steps down as secretary of state."

Hillary Clinton got away with murder. -- Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), on the assassinations in Benghazi

A perfect bookend, Lindsey. As Clinton began her career on the national stage, Republicans accused her of murdering her friend Vince Foster, who committed suicide. Now as she exits, you accuse her of murdering another friend, Chris Stevens. -- Constant Weader

Right Wing World

My, my, it appears young Rubio did indeed stand his ground against the Rolling Pile of Suppository Jelly who prefers to be called Rushbo. Rosalind Helderman of the Washington Post: "Rubio got some coveted praise from the influential host, who declined to label him a RINO squish for negotiating with Democrats over a new blueprint for a sweeping overhaul of immigration laws that would provide a new path to citizenship for illegal immigrants." CW: could it be that when a handsome young man with presidential plans phones in, the Jelly Roll loses the thrust it has when attacking a female student? And -- in regard to Sandra Fluke -- isn't Rush guilty of verbal rape? Once again, Radio Jelly Man proves bullies are cowards. ...

     ... Update: if you think you might find the Rubio-Rushbo conversation fascinating, here's the transcript according to Rush.

Andy Rosenthal of the New York Times: "... in Kentucky, a group styling itself the United Kentucky Tea Party announced that it would to try to unseat Senator Mitch McConnell — the Republican minority leader and architect of the just-say-no approach to President Obama -- in the primary in 2014." ...

... AND, no Sen. McConnell, President Obama is not going to confiscate your guns. Which is a shame.

Rob Boston of AlterNet, in Salon: creative creationists in state legislatures, school distrists & classrooms keep sneaking literal Bible teachings into "science" classes on evolution.

News Ledes

New York Times: "A Roman Catholic priest and a former Catholic school teacher were convicted on Wednesday on nine charges relating to the sexual abuse of a 10-year-old boy at different times more than a decade ago. A jury in Common Pleas Court here found the teacher, Bernard Shero, guilty of five charges, including rape and involuntary deviant sexual intercourse.... The jury also convicted the Rev. Charles Engelhardt on four counts, including indecent assault and endangering the welfare of a child."

New York Times: "Patty Andrews, the last of the Andrews Sisters, the jaunty vocal trio whose immensely popular music became part of the patriotic fabric of World War II America, died on Wednesday at her home in Los Angeles. She was 94."

Washington Post: "Israeli aircraft struck inside Syria on Wednesday for the first time since 2007, U.S. and Syrian officials said, raising concerns that the Syrian civil war could escalate into a regional conflict. There were conflicting reports about the early-morning attack, and Israeli officials refused to comment on it." ...

... Al Jazeera: "The Syrian army has said that Israeli jets crossed into Syria below the radar level at dawn and hit a military research centre in Jamraya, near Damascus. 'Israeli fighter jets violated our airspace at dawn today and carried out a direct strike on a scientific research centre in charge of raising our level of resistance and self-defence,' the army's general command said in a statement carried by state news agency SANA on Wednesday evening.... The strike came 'after terrorist groups made several failed attempts in the past months to take control of the site,' the statement added...."

New York Times: "Speaking slowly but with discernible passion, former Representative Gabrielle Giffords, who was critically injured in a mass shooting in Arizona in 2011, addressed the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday in its first hearing since the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., last month." ...

... The New York Times is liveblogging the hearings here. Includes NBC News livefeed.

Business Insider: "The economy contracted 0.1 percent in [the 4th quarter 2012] versus economists' consensus expectations of a 1.1 percent expansion. Personal consumption growth came in at 2.2 percent -- slightly higher than consensus estimates of 2.1 percent -- but was driven largely by a 13.9 percent advance in the consumption of durable goods.Government spending was the largest driver of the economic contraction in the fourth quarter, subtracting 1.33 percentage points from Q4 GDP growth and falling 6.6 percent. Federal spending fell 15.0 percent, led by a 22.2 percent drop in defense spending. Federal spending on nondefense items was actually up 1.4 percent. State and local spending fell 0.7 percent." CW: I'm looking forward to seeing what deficit scolds make of this.

AP: "Egypt's liberal opposition leader on Wednesday called for a broad national dialogue with the Islamist government, all political factions and the powerful military, aimed at stopping the country's eruption of political violence that has left 60 dead the past week. Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohamed ElBaradei's appeal appeared to be aimed at responding to a sharp warning by the head of the armed forces a day earlier that Egypt could collapse unless the country's feuding political factions reconcile."

New York Times: "French troops took control overnight of the airport at the last major northern Mali town still in rebel hands, officials said on Wednesday, after Islamist militants abandoned two other principal settlements in the vast, desert region where residents' relief and elation has given way to some measure of reprisal and frustration."

New York Times: South Korea on Wednesday succeeded in thrusting a satellite into orbit for the first time, achieving its ambition of joining an elite club of space technology leaders, seven weeks after the successful launching of a satellite by rival North Korea."

New York Times: "Even before two battery failures led to the grounding of all Boeing 787 jets this month, the lithium-ion batteries used on the aircraft had experienced multiple problems that raised questions about their reliability."

The Commentariat -- Jan. 29, 2013

Obama 2.0. Seung Min Kim of Politico: "Sen. John Kerry received unanimous approval Tuesday from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to become the next secretary of state, quickly clearing a key hurdle on his way to become the nation's next chief diplomat. The full Senate is expected to take up Kerry's confirmation later Tuesday." Kerry told the committee he was "beyond words," but of course that wasn't true:

... Kathryn Wolfe & Burgess Everett of Politico: "Ray LaHood announced Tuesday that he will leave his post as secretary of transportation, the latest in a line of Cabinet members to step down following President Barack Obama's reelection. President Obama said 'every American who travels by air, rail or highway can thank Ray for his commitment to making our entire transportation system safer and stronger.'"

David Nakamura & Rosalind Helderman of the Washington Post: "The Obama administration has developed its own proposals for immigration reform that are more liberal than a separate bipartisan effort in the Senate, including a quicker path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, people with knowledge of the proposals said. President Obama is expected to provide some details of the White House plans during a Tuesday appearance in Las Vegas, where he will call for broad changes to the nation's immigration laws. The speech will kick off a public push by the administration in support of the broadest overhaul of immigration law in nearly three decades." ...

... Ashley Parker of the New York Times: "A bipartisan group of senators unveiled on Monday a set of principles for comprehensive immigration legislation that includes a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million immigrants already in the country illegally, contingent on first securing the nation's borders. The group hopes to have legislation drafted by March, and a vote before the August recess. Speaker John A. Boehner, whose support will be crucial for shepherding any bill through the Republican-controlled House, did not comment on the principles, but his office offered a brief [meaningless] statement." ...

... Adam Serwer of Mother Jones: "... the plan ... also contains several tripwires that, if triggered, could destroy the entire effort.... The Gang of Eight's framework isn't all terrible -- it's just unworkable. It places conditions it's unlikely to meet, and then further compounds the problem by putting a veto in the hands of people who are likely to oppose the plan even if those conditions were met." ...

... Kevin Cirilli of Politico: "Rush Limbaugh said Monday that it's up to him and Fox News to stop amnesty for undocumented immigrants.... Limbaugh said on his program that [Sen. Marco] Rubio is scheduled to appear on his radio program Tuesday." Rubio is a member of the bipartisan group of senators who drew up the immigration "principles." CW: let's see if Rubio can stand up to Rushbo.

** Jonathan Chait: "On November 8..., Charles Krauthammer laid out the way forward for" Republicans. They "needed to adopt immigration reform, including amnesty. Otherwise, the party' anti-government bromides offered a perfectly suitable ideological platform.... As the party's response has taken form..., it is following Krauthammer's prescription, almost to the letter. The key figures leading the way are Paul Ryan, the Republicans' de facto leader, and Marco Rubio, perhaps its leading presidential candidate. The two have moved generally in tandem, with Rubio leading the way on immigration, but the whole party apparatus has jolted into action." ...

... CW: so maybe Krauthammer, not Rush, is the actual new leader. We'll see. One thing about the GOP, their actual leaders are more apt to be media stars than politicians because for Republicans, the message is the medium. Their actual programs suck for average Americans, so they are almost wholly dependent upon hucksters to do their bidding. ...

Rachel Maddow interviews Paul Krugman on Republican governance. Thanks to contributor Diane for the heads-up:

The Two Faces of Paul

Look, if we had a Clinton presidency, if we had Erskine Bowles, I think we would have fixed this fiscal mess by now. That's not the kind of presidency we're dealing with right now. -- Paul Ryan on "Press the Meat," Sunday ...

... Steve Benen: " Perhaps now would be a good time to remind Paul Ryan that Clinton was able to eliminate the deficit, start paying off the national debt, and deliver the largest surpluses in American history after -- wait for it -- raising taxes a whole lot. He raised taxes on the wealthy, the middle class, and the private sector, despite howls from congressional Republicans who said Clinton's economic plan would obviously do lasting damage to the economy and force a deep recession. ... On raising taxes, Clinton was further to the left" than Obama.

I think the sequester is going to happen. We think these sequesters will happen because the Democrats have opposed our efforts to replace those cuts with others -- and they've offered no alternatives. -- Paul Ryan, "Press the Meat" ...

... Jed Lewison of Daily Kos: "... this is a perfect example of how Paul Ryan likes to straddle the fence. On the one hand, he's trying to sound like Republicans think these spending cuts are a good idea.... On the other hand, he's trying to blame Democrats for the spending cuts. If only Democrats would cut other (nameless, always nameless) things..., then we wouldn't have to embrace these automatic spending cuts." ...

... Lewison again: "... four months ago ... Ryan was making the case during the 2012 vice presidential debate that the sequester's potential spending cuts emboldened the terrorists who attacked the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.... now that Ryan once again supports moving forward with those spending cuts, isn't it fair to conclude that Ryan -- by his own logic -- is standing with the terrorists?"

Keynesian economics -- it's pretty clear that doesn't work. -- Paul Ryan, "Press the Meat" ...

... Paul Krugman: "... you know what has actually failed? Ryan's Paulite/Randite monetary economics.... Outside that bubble, a fair number of people have noticed that Keynesian economics has performed spectacularly in the crisis -- it successfully predicted that deficits wouldn't drive up interest rates, that monetary expansion wouldn't be inflationary, that austerity policies in Britain and elsewhere would hit economic growth.... Two years ago Ryan led the charge of Republicans demanding that Ben Bernanke stop his expansionary policies, issuing dire warnings about rising interest rates and soaring inflation.... How have Ryan and those of like mind reacted to the spectacular failure of their doctrine in practice? As far as I can tell, they haven't even acknowledged that they have a problem."

We're not preaching austerity; we're preaching growth & opportunity. -- Paul Ryan, "Press the Meat" ...

... Constant Weader: this is true. Ryan is not preaching austerity; he's writing & passing austerity programs. He is preaching growth & opportunity, but he won't vote for jobs & infrastructure bills. I had to watch a lot of the Ryan interview to get that citation about the failure of Keynesian economics. What was striking was how Ryan was able to distance himself from his own remarks the moment David Gregory played the clips. Ryan's responses: "That was said" (passive voice, as if somebody else had said it & was wrong); "That was taken out of context," etc. The man has zero trouble contradicting himself. He is either absolutely insane or a shameless flim-flam man. He isn't both. Take your pick.

New York Times Editors: "Harry Reid should ... secure Senate passage of the latest version of the Leahy-Crapo bill [which reauthorizes the Violence against Women Act]. That move would help put pressure on Speaker John Boehner and other Republican leaders in the House to stop playing ideological games and reach agreement with the Senate on extending this lifesaving law."

Ylan Mui of the Washington Post: "The nation's housing market is surging again after years of historic declines, and the unique forces powering its return could last well into 2013. The number of homes for sale is at its lowest level since before the recession, sparking competition among buyers that has led to 10 straight months of price increases. The volume of activity is the highest since 2007. Builders broke ground in December on the most new housing developments in four years. And interest rates on mortgages are expected to remain near all-time lows through much of the year, galvanizing once-skeptical buyers."..."

... CW: the itty-bitty upswing in the economy is another reason Obama's win over Romney was so important. It isn't just that Romney-Paul would be taking credit for the "confidence" their win inspired in homebuyers; it is that millions would believe them. All sluggishness would be Obama's fault; all green shoots would be Romney's doing.

Jodi Rudoren of the New York Times: Yair "Lapid's stunning success in last week's [Israeli] election, in which his new Yesh Atid became Israel's second largest party, is being viewed by many voters, activists and analysts here as a victory for the secular mainstream in the intensifying identity battle gripping the country."

News Ledes

AP "Parents of children killed in the Newtown school shooting called for better enforcement of gun laws and tougher penalties for violators Monday at a hearing [called by a Connecticut state legislative committee] that revealed the divide in the gun-control debate, with advocates for gun rights shouting at the father of one 6-year-old victim."

New York Times: "Reacting to the growing chaos in several Egyptian cities, including Cairo, [Egypt's] the Army chief of staff warned on Tuesday of the 'collapse of the state' if political forces in the country did not reconcile, reflecting growing impatience with the crisis from Egypt's most powerful institution."

AP: "There was no alarm, no extinguishers, no sprinklers and almost no escape from the nightclub that became a death trap for more than 200 Brazilian college students." CW: so, a brilliant place to stage a pyrotechnics display.

The Commentariat -- Jan. 28, 2013

Steve Kroft of "60 Minutes" interviews President Obama & Secretary Clinton:

Jessica Pressler of New York magazine interviews Tim Geithner in a downtown Manhattan restaurant. It turns out he did everything right, which simple-minded people just can't understand: "This is a deeply complicated world, in a fog of gray and ambiguity. It's easier for people to absorb the simple narrative of the black and white. And for them the black and white is, 'Those are the people that got us in the mess; you saved them and they paid themselves billions in bonuses, and they should have gone to jail, and they are still walking around.'" Suggested musical accompaniment:

Rick Hertzberg: "... the harmonizing, conciliatory side of the President's political and personal character has been eclipsed, for the moment at least, by the side of him that is at once more insistent and more visionary.... The modern crisis of liberalism began in the nineteen-sixties with the disintegration of New Frontier/Great Society euphoria in the quagmire of Vietnam, continued through the riotous turmoils of the late sixties and seventies, and crested with the Reagan ascendancy of the eighties. Liberal politicians, especially those with Presidential ambitions, assumed a long-lasting defensive crouch."

Bob Woodward in the Washington Post: President Obama & former Sen. Chuck Hagel "share similar views and philosophies as the Obama administration attempts to define the role of the United States in the transition to a post-superpower world.... [Hagel] privately voiced reservations about Obama's decision in late 2009 to add 51,000 troops to Afghanistan. "The president has not had commander-in-chief control of the Pentagon since Bush senior was president," Hagel said privately in 2011.

Paul Krugman: "... even as Republicans look for a way to sound more sympathetic and less extreme, their actual policies are taking another sharp right turn.... It's important to understand the extent to which leading Republicans live in an intellectual bubble. They get their news from Fox and other captive media, they get their policy analysis from billionaire-financed right-wing think tanks, and they're often blissfully unaware both of contrary evidence and of how their positions sound to outsiders." ...

... E. J. Dionne: "The moment's highest priority should be speeding economic growth and ending the waste, human and economic, left by the Great Recession. But you would never know this because the conversation in our nation's capital is being held hostage by a ludicrous cycle of phony fiscal deadlines driven by a misplaced belief that the only thing we have to fear is the budget deficit." ...

... CW: This post that Dionne linked, by conservative Bruce Bartlett, writing in the Fiscal Times, is pretty informative. For instance, if Krugman, et al., have ever told us about "pure transfer," I skipped that class. Bartlett's overall point: "it is silly to obsess about near-term nominal budget deficits. What matters is the deficit as a share of GDP minus interest spending, which economists call the primary deficit. On that basis, we are much closer to fiscal sustainability than even most economists realize. Relatively small adjustments to the growth path of federal revenues and Medicare would be sufficient to eliminate the primary deficit."

Krugman explains Econ 101 to the Very Stupid People who populate (& host) "Morning Joe":

     ... CW: what Krugman doesn't directly explain to the VSPs -- who are too fucking stupid to get it anyway -- is that the real problem is medical costs, NOT Medicare & Medicaid. If the government cuts healthcare benefits 5 percent or 100 percent, we are all still going to have to pay for medical care. Cutting government health benefits merely transfers (and actually raises) the cost of health care to individuals. The whole panel was talking in circles around one actual problem that we all -- not just the government -- share: (probably) rising healthcare costs. Europeans do a much better job at delivering effective health care than we do; we should STFU about the percentage of those costs the government pays & -- as Krugman did say -- start figuring out better ways to provide health services.

Jared Bernstein has a good post on the right's new "welfare queens" -- all those Americans faking disability to claim SSI disability benefits. T'ain't so. Plus: "... more than 90% of entitlement dollars go to people who are either elderly, disabled, or working. In other words, the makers/takers frame is factually wrong not to mention mean-spirited and divisive." ...

... Oh, and here's a P.S. to which Bernstein links. Kathy Ruffing in Off the Charts: "About 6 percent of the nation's working-age population receive disability payments from Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), but some southern and Appalachian states have much higher rates -- over 10 percent." CW: The biggest "fakers" would appear to be your people, Republicans. However, as Ruffing points out, it makes sense that the GOP region has a higher rate of disability: the populace is less educated, so more likely to (a) have jobs that require physical labor and/or (b) are too mentally impaired to adapt to new jobs. ...

... CW: In general, studies have showed conservatives are not as good as liberals at adapting to changed circumstances. Ergo, many conservatives are unable to learn new skills or adapt to new work environments. Ergo, conservatism is a drain on the economy AND on the government. Ergo, conservatives should eschew conservatism. See, liberalism is the economically sensible political theory.

... Krugman concurs with Bernstein: "... right-wing intellectuals and politicians live in a bubble in which denunciations of those bums on disability and those greedy children getting free health care are greeted with shouts of approval -- but now have to deal with a country where the same remarks come across as greedy and heartless (because they are). And I don't think this is a problem that can be solved with a slight change in the rhetoric."

Dexter Filkins of the New Yorker on women in combat: "Notions of equality aside, the real factor that rendered the 'non-combat' distinction meaningless was the changing nature of the wars.... Who's in greater danger? A male Marine on a foot patrol in Helmand Province, or a female Marine driving a fuel truck on a highway to Kandahar? Technically speaking, the former is a combat job, and the latter is not. But the distinction, in both of our recent wars and in any we are likely to fight in the foreseeable future, is meaningless.... Who's in greater danger? A male Marine on a foot patrol in Helmand Province, or a female Marine driving a fuel truck on a highway to Kandahar? Technically speaking, the former is a combat job, and the latter is not. But the distinction, in both of our recent wars and in any we are likely to fight in the foreseeable future, is meaningless." ...

... BUT, but Dexter, what about "personal hygiene"? --

What I've raised is the issue of mixing the genders in those combat units, where there is no privacy.... Now, as a man who has been there and as a man who has some experience in those kinds of units, I certainly don't want to be in that environment with a female because it's degrading and humiliating enough to do your personal hygiene and the other normal functions among your teammates. -- Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin, Ret.

War is hell. Peeing is intolerable. -- Constant Weader

So Gen. Boykin is so fastidious he feels "degraded & humiliated" when using a public urinal in a men's room. Whatever the reason for the general's phobia, it is a personal phobia & should have no bearing on normal people's accommodations to natural bodily functions. ...

... Joanna Walters of the Guardian on women who have been wounded in combat. Thanks to contributor Barbarossa for the link.

New York Times Editors: President Obama "should have his solicitor general file a brief in the Proposition 8 case being argued before the Supreme Court in March.... For the administration to be missing in action in this showdown risks conveying a message to the justices that it lacks confidence in the constitutional claims for ending gay people's exclusion from marriage or that it believes Americans are not ready for a high court ruling making marriage equality the law of the land -- impressions strikingly contradicted by legal precedent, the lessons of history and by the president's own very powerful words [in his inaugural address]."

Julia Preston of the New York Times: "A bipartisan group of senators has agreed on a set of principles for a sweeping overhaul of the immigration system, including a pathway to American citizenship for 11 million illegal immigrants that would hinge on progress in securing the borders and ensuring that foreigners leave the country when their visas expire.... Their blueprint, set to be unveiled on Monday, will allow them to stake out their position one day before President Obama outlines his immigration proposals in a speech on Tuesday in Las Vegas...." The Washington Post story, by Rosalind Helderman & Sean Sullivan, is here. ...

... Update: the framework, by Senators Schumer, McCain, Durbin, Graham, Menendez, Rubio, Bennet & Flake is here.

... Jonathan Easley of The Hill: "Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin (D) on Sunday revealed key details about a bipartisan immigration-reform plan, saying the legislation would be comprehensive and would include a pathway to citizenship. Durbin said the group of six senators was working on a comprehensive approach to the issue, as opposed to moving individual elements piecemeal and was optimistic they were close to their goal." ...

... Senator John Build-the-Danged-Fence McCain agrees. Wonders never cease. ...

Right Wing World

... Speaking of Arizona, State Rep. Bob Thorpe (RTP) has introduced an unconstitutional bill requiring all students "to recite an oath supporting the U.S. Constitution" to receive a diploma. Via Igor Volsky of Think Progress. How perfect is that?

News Ledes

Drones R Us. New York Times: "The United States military command in Africa is preparing plans to establish a drone base in northwest Africa to increase unarmed surveillance missions on the local affiliate of Al Qaeda and other Islamist extremist groups that American and other Western officials say pose a growing menace to the region."

The Hill: "In a 62-36 vote, the Senate on Monday approved legislation providing $50.7 billion to help New York, New Jersey and other states hit by Hurricane Sandy. All 36 no votes came from Republicans. GOP Sens. Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), Susan Collins (Maine), Thad Cochran (Miss.), Dean Heller (Nev.), John Hoeven (N.D.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Richard Shelby (Ala.), David Vitter (La.) and Roger Wicker (Miss.) voted yes. The House had already approved the measure, so the Senate action sends the bill to President Obama, who has said he will sign it." ...

... Politico: "President Obama said Monday that while he had hoped it would happen sooner, he commends Congress on passing funding for Hurricane Sandy relief."

Al Jazeera: "Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Egyptian cities of Port Said, Ismailiyah and Suez in defiance of President Mohamed Morsi's declaration of a curfew and a state of emergency after days of deadly unrest. The crowds shouted 'Down down with Mohamed Morsi, down down with the state of emergency,' in Ismailiyah and similar slogans were heard in the other cities along the Suez Canal. Five days of unrest has led to 50 deaths, and police once again clashed with protesters in Suez and downtown Cairo on Monday. At least two people were killed in Monday's clashes in Port Said...."

Guardian: "Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands ... announced her abdication on Monday evening in a sudden move three days before her 75th birthday. After 33 years on the throne following her mother's abdication in 1980, Beatrix said she would relinquish the crown at the end of April, leaving the monarchy to Crown-Prince Willem-Alexander, the oldest of her three sons. The queen went on national television and radio on Monday evening to announce the departure, having recorded the broadcast earlier in the day. The prime minister, Mark Rutte, delivered a statement on television shortly afterwards, with both stressing that the crown prince had been intensively prepared for the role of monarch."

Washington Post: "The Pentagon has approved a major expansion of its cybersecurity force over the next several years, increasing its size more than fivefold to bolster the nation's ability to defend critical computer systems and conduct offensive computer operations against foreign adversaries, according to U.S. officials."

New York Times: "President Mohamed Morsi declared a state of emergency and a curfew in three major cities on Sunday, as escalating violence in the streets threatened his government and Egypt's democracy."

New York Times: "French military officials said on Monday that Malian and French troops took control of access roads and the airport at Timbuktu, the fabled desert oasis and crossroads of ancient caravan routes, after French paratroopers backed by helicopters reinforced soldiers on the ground. The French action, which started Sunday night, was designed to permit Malian forces to advance into the city...." ...

     ... Al Jazeera Update: "French and Malian troops have taken control of the historic Malian city of Timbuktu, after rebel occupiers fled the ancient Sahara trading town and torched several buildings, including a priceless manuscript library. The French-led coalition troops were welcomed by residents of the town, AFP news agency reported with some residents saying that the rebel fighters had left the city several days ago."

... AP: "Islamist extremists torched a library containing historic manuscripts in Timbuktu, the mayor said Monday, as French and Malian forces closed in on Mali's fabled desert city."