President Obama is angry about the oil spill, its magnitude, and BP's stalling -- and tomorrow, he is going to let his frustrations spill out at a late-morning press availability after he meets with senior officials.
Tonight, Obama raised $1.3 million for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. He was in a fighting mood, calling Nancy Pelosi the type of person who is "elegant even as she's ripping your heart out. If you mess with her."
Striking detail from the New York Times re. yesterday's shooting of the dissident Thai general, Khattiya:
The general, Khattiya Sawatdiphol, 58, was struck in the head by a bullet during an interview with this reporter about 7 p.m. on the street in central Bangkok, near a park occupied by his hard-line followers. This reporter, who was facing the general and about two feet away, heard a loud bang not unlike a firecracker. The general fell to the ground, with his eyes wide open, and protesters took his apparently lifeless body to the hospital, screaming out his nickname. ...
General Khattiya's last words before being shot were, "The military cannot get in here."
Remember the case of the Tennessee mother who tried to return her adopted child to Russia? The U.S. and Russia have been talking about a formal adoption treaty, and today, the two countries released pro-forma statements indicating some progress.
'Generally, we very positively assess the atmosphere of the talks. In the course of a substantial dialogue we've managed to move forward on a wide range of complicated issues,' says Alina Levitskaya, Director, Department of State Policy on Upbringing, Supplementary Education and Social Protection of Children, Russian Ministry of Education and Science.
'Both teams are committed to reach an agreement to increase safeguards for intercountry adoption between Russian and the U.S.' adds Mary Ellen Hickey, the head of American delegation, Managing Director, Office of Children's Issues, U.S. State Department.
No more New Years Eve in Iowa for the political universe, maybe. Iowa's Republican Party chair endorsed the party's suggested rules changes. These would move Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses up ... er, down ... by at least several weeks, maybe even into February. (For Republicans, the caucuses are basically a statewide straw poll.)
