Two extremely depressing pieces I've seen recently about the situation in Israel. This post by Jeff Goldberg. And this oped by Majallie Whbee in the Jerusalem Post. In the latter case, the critical context is the the fact that Whbee is an Israeli Druze (an ethno-religious group with a strong historic alliance with Zionism) who until a few years ago was a member of the Likud. Now he's an MK with Kadima.
All this for the heroin of the settlements.
Late Update: TPM Reader JE sends in these recent comments from David Remnick.
--Josh Marshall
As many of you know, CPAC (Conservative Political Action Committee Conference) is the premier conservative event of the year held in DC. You can see scenes from the 2010 event here (1, 2 & 3) and 2009 here.
But this year there's a brewing controversy over the organizers' decision to allow the gay Republican group GOProud to attend, with a couple high profile groups already refusing to attend.
--Josh Marshall
I noticed an article yesterday in World Net Daily about how President Obama was considering giving Manhattan back to the Indians. And our Jill Rayfield finds that it seems to be the beginning of a new meme on the right.
--Josh Marshall
Apropos of our earlier post on whether there are gays in the SEALs and special forces generally, TPM Reader MT sends in the following ...
My wife had a friend in college who was ex-Navy, but was generally pretty vague about what he did in the service. He was also pretty vague about the circumstances of his leaving the service (was he just done, or was he kicked out?), but he was gay and out. Well, as out as a fairly private person in 1990s Mississippi would be. Anyway, their town had just one gay bar, and there was a rash of gay bashings happening. The gang was making plans one Friday night, and he demurred, saying "I think I'm going to go downtown tonight."
--Josh Marshall
Republicans considering hitting the ground running with vote on phony "death panels" in 2011.
--Josh Marshall
More and more anti-DADT Repeal are focusing on the "shower issue" as the next fight in their battle. Repeal advocates don't think they're going to get very far.
--Josh Marshall
House Republicans are loosening the rules that allow using 'budget reconciliation' to increase the federal deficit. The key is that deficits created by tax cuts are permissible but those created by spending hikes are not.
--Josh Marshall
Folks who got their audio book version of President Bush's new memoir Decisions Points on Christmas were surprised to see chapter headings like "Bushit" and "Innocent Children Die" when they popped the CD into their computers on Christmas morning.
--Josh Marshall
The Washington Times' Rowan Scarborough has a piece today on how the repeal of DADT will affect cohesion and training in the Special Forces command, the upshot of which is that there will be no end of problems with openly gay Special Operators insisting on the need to where earrings and listen to Judy Garland CDs. What jumped out at me though was the person Scarborough chose to interview as his Special Ops inside expert: a retired Navy Seal named George R. Worthington who retired in 1992 after commanding the Navy Special Warfar Command and now writes occasional pieces for Human Events.
"If an open gay does his job, I think he'll be accepted," Worthington told the Times. "I don't think there is going to be that many of them that want to sign up for SEALs anyway because of the closeness and the tightness of the training. My opinion is that they're probably more clerical oriented. Medical profession. Corpsmen. Stuff like that."
Worthington's bio says he served in Vietnam in 1963, which suggests he's at least 65 years old, probably at least a few years older. It sounds like Worthington goes into the discussion with somewhat settled views on the topic. But it does not surprise me that an admiral who retired from the Navy twenty years ago and writes for Human Events might come in with a pretty sour take on gays serving openly in the Armed Forces.
--Josh Marshall
In the absence of the routine politics politics, snow politics has rushed into the void. If you're in New Jersey you've probably heard that Gov. Christie and his Lt. Gov Kim Guadagno both managed to be on vacation out of the state during the snow storm that has shut down much of the state. They actually just created the Lt. Governor position because there have been so many recent cases where the governor was gone or resigned or in some other state of disgrace and the Senate President run things.
In New York City, there seems to be some level of scandal brewing over the city being wholly unprepared for the storm.
--Josh Marshall
Key anti-'gays in the military' group prepping to open new fight on 'gays in military showers' policy.
--Josh Marshall
Incoming House Republicans are turning to a series of K Street veterans to help unravel the Health Care Reform law.
--Josh Marshall
President Obama thanks Eagles owner for giving ex-con Michael Vick a second chance.
--Josh Marshall
In the wake of Haley Barbour's Jim Crow face plant last week various commentators are weighing in to take stock of whether it's a bump in the road or the end of his hopes of running for president in 2012.
Back on Planet Earth, though, a different story can be told.
Let's state it flat out. You have to be deeply, securely, and no doubt permanently encased in the DC cocoon ever to have thought that Haley Barbour was a serious presidential candidate. Really, people. Any number of things would have to change to make Barbour a remotely credible presidential candidate -- starting with erasing the image of Boss Hogg from the cultural memory of every American over the age of 30. And that would probably be one of the easier tasks on the list.
--Josh Marshall
From my experience living on the East Coast for going on 25 years and in New York for half a dozen, if there's a prediction of a colossal snow storm your best bet is to assume it's not going to happen. I feel like this has become even more the case over the last few years. There's some sort of weird snow fall prediction grade inflation. But this one actually panned out. At least in New York City, and I'm told in most of the rest of the East Coast too.
There must be a good foot of snow on the ground in lower Manhattan. But what jumped out to me is that usually the major roads in the middle of Manhattan get cleared at an almost comical speed. Part of that is that there is great snow plowing. But it's also because the streets are just warm. The city itself is warm and the cars warm up the roads. So even the most determined snow just doesn't stand a chance against the implacable city. Like Broadway for aspiring actors, the avenues of New York crush the dreams of even the most talented snow. But this morning ... actually not even morning, but now late morning 6th Avenue, while definitely drivable, is still under a packed couple inches or so of snow.
You got pictures? Send us your pictures of the snow in your neck of the woods.
--Josh Marshall
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) warns of "apocalyptic pain" if the federal government doesn't cut spending.
--David Kurtz
From Michael Memoli, writing in the LA Times ...
Reporting from Honolulu -- [Former U.S. Rep.] Neil Abercrombie knew Barack Obama's parents when the future president was born here in 1961, and he has been aggravated by the so-called birther movement, which alleges Obama was not born in the United States and thus should be expelled from office.Now Abercrombie has an office of his own -- he became governor of Hawaii on Dec. 6. -- and he intends to do something about it.
What, exactly, is unclear. But in an interview this week at the state Capitol, he left little doubt that torpedoing the conspiracy theorists was a priority.
"What bothers me is that some people who should know better are trying to use this for political reasons," said Abercrombie, 72. "Maybe I'm the only one in the country that could look you right in the eye right now and tell you, 'I was here when that baby was born.' "
Read the rest here.
--Josh Marshall
Folks, for all of you who celebrate, we wish you a Merry Christmas.
--Josh Marshall
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