Democrats need a latte claque. Joe Queenan, Guardian. Some good observations about the tea party activists, though I disagree that this is "basically Nixon's silent majority in a less reticent mode". The silent majority is still silent. It has more important things to be doing than politics.

America is not yet lost. Paul Krugman, NYT. Krugman is absolutely right about political nihilism and Republican abuse of Senate rules. But his apparent nostalgia for "traditions of comity, courtesy, reciprocity, and accommodation" surprises me. That stuff was always bogus, surely. The first rule of politics is you stick it to the enemy every way you can. He'll be calling for bipartisanship next.

Why China is waging war of words with US. Bill Emmott, Times. It's a diversionary tactic.

How to do the second stimulus. Roger Altman, FT. Unemployment benefits, tax cuts, tax credits for new jobs; easy on help for the states, and no more infrastructure: the pipeline is already clogged.