From the Annals of Colossal Republican Nerve & Media Failure

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From the NY Times article: “The president [Addington] said violated constitutional law. ‘I’m kind of surprised he did it, because more so than most presidents, this guy has a personal ability to assess the constitutional implications,’ Mr. Addington said, referring to Mr. Obama’s experience as a teacher of constitutional law. ‘It’s flabbergasting and, to be honest, a little chilling.’”

Nowhere in the following paragraphs does reporter Weisman point to the appalling and rich irony that this statement was made by a veteran of an administration that never failed to arrogate more power to itself. Surely, Weisman could have pointed at this without injecting the dreaded appearance of undue opinion-making into his piece. His editor should have insisted on more perspective in the story. It is journalism like this that makes news consumers like me disgusted with the New York Times and other media that consistently refuse to point out self-serving and tendentious statements made by partisan sources. // more. . .

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#Fridayreads/Jan. 6

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Finishing Philip Kerr’s spellbinding Field Gray; began Jon Ronson’s Them: Adventures w/Extremists. I dig Ronson’s  brand of participatory journalism, having earlier enjoyed his Men Who Stare at Goats and The Psychopath Test: Inside the Madness Industry.

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A Political Freudian Slip

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“With the leadership and backing of the American people, President Obama will turn this country around.”–John McCain, on the campaign trail in South Carolina with Mitt Romney. H/t TPM for the hilarious video.

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Friday Night Fun

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Enjoy this really sweet cover of The Band’s The Weight” performed backstage after a recent Wilco-Nick Lowe concert in Chicago. Magnificent Mavis Staples takes the lead vocal, and superbly plays the role of bandleader. What sweet sounds! Video provided courtesy of Yep Roc Records, Nick Lowe’s label.

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Is the FBI probing Bain Capital?

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A letter the Federal Bureau of Investigation sent in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request suggests that an investigation of Bain Capital–the company that Mitt Romney worked at for many years, and from which the New York Times has reported continues to receive significant compensation–is ongoing or possibly commencing within the Bureau. The letter, viewable on Scribd.com, has had the name of the person requesting information redacted, as well as the date it was written. The top of the letter reads “Subject: Bain Capital” The relevant paragraph in the letter, signed by the FBI’s David Hardy, Records/Information Dissemination Section Chief reads,

“I have determined that the records responsive to your request are law enforcement records; that there is a pending or prospective law enforcement proceeding relevant to these responsive records; and that the release of the information contained in these responsive records could reasonably be expected to interfere with the enforcement proceedings.” // see letter in post . . .

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“Asymmetric Polarization” in American Politics

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“Whoever is the standard-bearer, a Republican victory in 2012 would do nothing to reverse or restrain the radically rightward march of the party. The Tea Party movement has accelerated a process that has been under way for many years within the GOP, which is now firm in its identity as the insurgent party, set upon blowing up policies and public responsibilities that enjoyed bipartisan support for many decades. The Democrats are the status quo party— protective and pragmatic. The asymmetric polarization of the two camps is the most significant feature of contemporary American politics.”–from Washington Monthly’s issue devoted to the question, “What If Obama Loses?” // more. . .

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“Riot of Life” at 8000 Feet Below Sea Level

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Watch Under the Sea Near Antarctica, ‘a Riot of Life’ Discovered in Super-Heated Water on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.

Startling discoveries have been made of heretofore unknown species in explorations of deep ocean waters near Antarctica. Learning about all these newly discovered species, my mind turns quickly to thoughts of extraterrestrial life. After all, we know that conditions in space would be extreme, even more extreme than 800 degrees and all the pressure that must be exerted on life at 8000 feet below sea level. Still, if life forms can flourish in those conditions, maybe there are some kinds of organisms, beyond our current imaginings, that would also thrive in deep space. // more . . .

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400 Years Later, More Room for Books at Oxford University

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Memories came flooding back this morning when I found online an article originating in the Oxford Times, headlined “Bodleian Library Gets an Upgrade.” Andrew Ffrench reports,
“Just over a year ago, library staff began transporting books to the South Marston site from Oxford, from its store in Nuneham Courtenay, and from a Cheshire salt mine, which was also being used to store part of its vast collection. The book move, the biggest since the library opened in 1602, was completed on schedule. One milestone was December 23, when the seventh million volume was shelved. The library, one of the oldest in Europe, and known to scholars as the ‘Bodley’ or ‘the Bod’, has 11 million volumes and is only second in size to the British Library. It is one of a handful of legal deposit libraries, which are required to keep a copy of every new book published. The completion of the move is part of the Bodleian’s plan to free up space and make its treasures more accessible for the public by providing larger display areas. Earlier this year, a collection of Franz Kafka’s letters to his sister went on display. The Treasures of the Bodleian exhibition included part of Jane Austen’s first draft of her unpublished novel The Watsons, which went on show for the first time since it was bought at auction earlier this year. Marco Polo’s travel manuscript from the 14th century, the Codex Mendoza, and a handwritten draft of war poet Wilfred Owen’s ‘Anthem For Doomed Youth’ also went on display. ” // more . . .

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