Midday open thread
- Funny that a lot of right-wing Republicans wonder the same thing:
The Taliban cast suspicion Tuesday on the announcement of Osama bin Laden's death, saying they would not believe the al Qaeda leader was dead until they see proof or receive confirmation from sources close to him.
- And in related news:
White House officials said Tuesday morning that they were still weighing whether showing the public a photo of Osama Bin Laden's dead body would do more good than harm.
Just do it already. - A great read from Dan Froomkin: Obama Succeeded Where Bush Failed: Osama Bin Laden Rhetoric and Reality
- More of this:
The death of Osama bin Laden in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad has sparked a wave of reactions on the short- and long-term goals of the American mission in Afghanistan ...
Florida Rep. Cliff Stearns (R), however, took the opposite position Monday, saying Bin Laden?s death should signal the end of the Afghanistan campaign. The Florida Times-Union reports:
?Most people I talk to say that we need to address our nation?s budget deficit, and we are spending a lot of money in Afghanistan,? he said. ?Now that bin Laden has been executed we must go home.?
- DOMA-related news:
Progressive groups are stepping up efforts to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, the legislation that says no state can be required to recognize same-sex marriage. The groups are asking New Mexico Sens. Tom Udall and Jeff Bingaman, both Democrats, to support a repeal of the controversial law. [...]
The action came after a post on the Democracy for New Mexico blog, a Democratic clearinghouse of sorts, noted that neither New Mexico senator was a cosponsor of a bill authored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., that would repeal DOMA. The bill is called the Respect for Marriage Act.
- What do you want to bet that they got off cheap?
BP PLC has agreed to pay a $25 million fine and beef up its Alaska pipeline network as part of a settlement with the U.S. government, according to court documents filed Tuesday.
The settlement is likely to end a 2009 civil lawsuit the Justice Department filed against BP's Alaska oil-exploration unit over two major oil spills in 2006 on Alaska's North Slope. The settlement requires final court approval.
- Mike Huckabee will join the ship of fools in South Carolina:
In the latest indication that he's looking seriously at running for president next year, Mike Huckabee has signed on to speak at the Republican Leadership Conference in Louisiana in June, the group announced Tuesday.
Huckabee joins a list of speakers who are likely to enter the 2012 fray, among them Rep. Michele Bachmann and Newt Gingrich.
- A good question about David Gergen.
- Congratulations:
President Barack Obama is honoring Michelle Shearer of Maryland as the 2011 National Teacher of the Year.
Shearer teaches chemistry at Urbana High School in Frederick, Md. In a Rose Garden ceremony, Obama says Shearer represents all teachers who are committed to improving their own skills in order to better educate their students.
Source: http://feeds.dailykos.com/~r/dailykos/index/~3/xPCBuOVboNk/-Midday-open-thread
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