Buried lead in the Occupy Oakland chaos story

Oakland.

The Occupy Oakland portion of Occupy Wall Street turned violent yesterday.  Rightly, that was headline 1A:

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - A day of demonstrations in Oakland that began as a significant step toward expanding the political and economic influence of the Occupy Wall Street movement, ended with police in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters who had marched through downtown to break into a vacant building, shattering windows, spraying graffiti and setting fires along the way.

Israel to hit Iran?

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is due to report on the state of Iran’s nuclear capabilities on November 8, and that assessment is likely to influence Israel’s decision.

Iran might be developing a nuclear weapons program?  Who knew???  Oh, yeah.  The NIE said it wasn't in the cards.  Seriously, everyone knew this was the Iranian goal, even in 2007 when that ridiculous NIE report came out and downplayed the threat. 

Israel is going to have to act if the threat is a clear and present danger.  While the U.N. won't like it, it is completely understandable.  What isn't understandable, is why the Obama administration has done nothing about the continued development for years, even during the Green Revolution.  Instead they waited to fight the real powerhouse of the region: Libya.

If that not enough to make your head hurt, consider this:  there may be a chance that this gang gets re-elected in 2012.

Republicans' Least Objectionable Option

That title can apply to a lot of things but what I have in mind is the GOP candidates for president.  With a very short window until the caucuses and primaries start, it's about time conservatives start getting serious about who to suggest as the eventual nominee in the race to face Obama.  Let's face it, there is no Ronald Reagan in the race this year.  But that's not to say each candidate doesn't have something that they bring to the table.  But since there is no Reagan, a lot of conservatives are thinking they have to hold their nose and select their best available choice.

Who might that be?  The candidate has to be the most conservative, but electable according to William F. Buckley.  I'd expand on that latter category by saying that the candidate has to be charismatic, a great communicator and debate-ready.  The candidate has to go head-to-head with Obama in debates and come out on top.  That's really important.  Obama has to go - at all costs.

Let Greece Fail!

Pretty landscape, dumb socialists.

Imagine you are a German citizen (easier to do if you actually are one).  Your government has bent to the will of the European Union and agreed to give money to Greece to bail out their failed socialist economy. After much hand-wringing the E.U. has come up with a plan that gives a lot of cash for some not too extreme austerity measures on the part of Greece.  You don't like it but what is most surprising, is that the Greeks don't like it even more.

The Greek government has decided to hold a referendum on the measure.  A referendum to accept the money you've offered to bail them out.  Polling indicates 60% of Greeks are against the austerity measures, and therefore the rescue package.  That's as ungrateful as it is ridiculous.

The solution if you're that German citizen is simple.  Take back the offer, and let Greece fail.  Like I said about California.  Kick Greece out of the E.U. and let them fend for themselves, they obviously want to and feel they can.

Rick Perry may be over. Or not. But probably.

There's buzz on the Internet over the Rick Perry "was he drunk video".  There's an 8 minute version circulating that edited together makes him see really off.   This is the full length version, and I'd encourage you to view it before making up your own mind.  Nevertheless, the damage may be done.  As Jon Stewart said "Best case he drunk, worst case - he's sober."

Is he possibly falling on his sword to rescue the conservatives' last best hope - Herman Cain? Nah. But he' sure helped create a diversion from Cain's 12 year old non-harassment harassment issue.

As for Perry, if he and Cain were to switch spots in the polling and Perry was still the front runner, this would hurt him perhaps in the general election and not the primary.  But after Perry's precipitous decline this may just be the final nail in his candidacy.  It might not be, but the timing for his campaign is absolutely terrible.

As goes Greece, so goes the recovery.

Last week I recall telling a friend that the EU would not allow Greece to fail.  Sure, there would be strict austerity measures imposed.  Sure there would be massive protests in heavily subsidized, socialist Greece.  But in the end the countries in the European Union would be compelled to take a bit out of the crap sandwich that is the Greek bailout.  Sure enough it looked for a while that the deal was done.  For a while.  Today it looks like "not so fast".