Read a little. Learn a lot. • Tightly-written news, views and stuff • Follow us on TwitterBe a Facebook FanTumble us!

26 Aug 2011 14:57

tags

Politics: What do Rick Perry and Rudy Giuliani have in common?

  • 26% Rick Perry’s average support in GOP primary polls since announcing his candidacy; he’s now in the lead
  • 29% Rudy Giuliani’s average support in GOP primary polls at this point in 2007; he was then in the lead source
  • » Just a reminder of how difficult it is to predict the outcomes of presidential primaries  six months before Iowa. It’s also instructive to recall another Southern Republican who, four years ago, was seen as a savior by the GOP establishment. He announced his candidacy late in the game, and immediately vaulted to the top of the polls. That candidate was Fred Thompson.

26 Aug 2011 13:23

tags

World: As expected, Naoto Kan quits as Japanese Prime Minister

  • The earthquake sealed his political fate. A mere 14 months after he began, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan has just ensured that Japan will see its sixth prime minister in five years — and he outlasted most of them. However, his weak leadership during the earthquake — which should’ve proved an opportunity for him prove how his work as a self-made man ensured he was the right man for the job, after years of weak choices. Instead, he turned out to be a weak leader, too. “Mr. Kan is the outsider-turned-prime minister, who should have provided leadership,” noted close friend and adviser Takayoshi Igarashi. “The move to escape from nuclear power should have been his great chance to shine.” Not so much. source

26 Aug 2011 12:38

tags

U.S.: Obama: Take precautions now, don’t wait for Hurricane Irene to show up

  • I cannot stress this highly enough. If you are in the projected path of this hurricane, you have to take precautions now. Don’t wait. Don’t delay.
  • President Barack Obama • Warning people about the danger of Hurricane Irene, which is likely to be the strongest hurricane the Northeast has seen in a few years. For what it’s worth, the storm — currently a Category 2 — will likely be a Category 1 when it hits the Northeast, so it won’t be a super-strong hurricane. Just a really big, slow-moving one that will remain strong hundreds of miles from the center. Amongst major metropolitan areas, it looks like the Virginia Beach/Norfolk area is about to face a strong hit from the storm. source