The Weekly Standard: Obama Won't Pull A Clinton

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Former President Bill Clinton and President Barack Obama attending a press conference in Washington, D.C. in December. With President Obama at a pivotal moment in his presidency, many are wondering if he will be able to make a comeback similar to Clinton's.

Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

Former President Bill Clinton and President Barack Obama attending a press conference in Washington, D.C. in December. With President Obama at a pivotal moment in his presidency, many are wondering if he will be able to make a comeback similar to Clinton's.

William Kristol is editor of The Weekly Standard.

So the much-anticipated pivot to the center in the State of the Union speech has happened. As pivots go, President Obama's wasn't the most elegant — there were no triple lutzes or extended camel spins — but he didn't fall on his face either. It seems clear that, for the next two years at least, President Obama is going to give us a break from claims of transforming America, a la FDR, and will work on triangulating to stay in office, a la Bill Clinton. The question is, can Obama pull a Clinton?

We're skeptical.

First, Clinton's pivot in 1995 was all well and good, but the reason he was reelected in 1996 was that the economy was growing at more than 4 percent, and unemployment on Election Day was 5.4 percent. The budget deficit was lower than it had been when Clinton took office. His landmark piece of economic legislation, the 1993 budget — passed despite Republican opposition — seemed more or less vindicated by events.

Will the real world be as friendly to the incumbent president in November 2012? It's doubtful. Moreover, to the degree the economy is coming back, will Obama's stimulus — passed despite Republican

Kostelic continues remarkable run

Ivica Kostelic erased a massive deficit in the slalom leg to win a World Cup super-combined race on Sunday to clinch the discipline title.

Kostelic has been nearly unbeatable in slalom races in January and he secured his seventh victory this month by finishing in two minutes 57.12 seconds.

Fellow Croat Natko Zrncic-Dim was 0.51 seconds back in second place for his career-best result.

Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway took third, 0.53 behind.

Benjamin Thomsen of Invermere, B.C., was the only Canadian in the race and finished 29th.

Kostelic has won the three combined races held so far this season and has an unassailable lead in the

World Markets Sink As Protests Escalate In Egypt

Enlarge Richard Drew/AP

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Friday.

Richard Drew/AP

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Friday.

Escalating protests in Egypt jarred world financial markets on Friday. Stocks fell while the dollar, Treasurys and gold rose as investors sought to reduce their exposure to risk.

The Egyptian government's response to widespread street protests unnerved investors. The military was deployed in an effort to quell the protests and the headquarters of the ruling party was on fire. Thousands of people defied a curfew, and Internet and cell phone service has been cut off.

Earlier, riot police fired tear gas, rubber bullets and used water cannons to disperse crowds that had gathered in the largest challenge to Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak's thirty-year rule. The fall of the Tunisian government two weeks ago has raised concerns that other authoritarian governments in the Middle East could also be toppled.

"The safety trade is back," said Jeffrey Frankel, president of broker Stuart Frankel & Co. "Gold is up. Oil is up. Anything related to overseas is getting hit."

Prices of Treasury bonds, considered one of the safest assets, rose sharply. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note fell to 3.33 percent from 3.38 percent late Thursday. Bond yields fall when their prices rise.

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The dollar rose 0.5 percent against an index of six other currencies as investors sought safety. Gold rose 1.7 percent to settle at $1,340.70 and crude oil rose

Inzko calls for accelerated talks to form BiH government

SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) -- High Representative Valentin Inzko said on Thursday (January 27th) that politicians should speed up talks to form a new government in the wake of the October 2010 general elections, describing the current pace as unacceptably slow. "Politicians have received mandates … to govern. They waste time playing power games, when they should start resolving the issues that become more pressing with each passing day -- the fight against crime and corruption, economic recovery and a return to the reform agenda for EU and NATO integration," Inzko said during a meeting with acting BiH House

Upset in Argentine as US President Not to Visit During Forthcoming Trip to Latin America

A White House spokesperson said Obama will visit “key leaders of the continent.” Zoom Image

The US president announced his intention to travel to the Latin American countries in his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, where he urged stepped-up investments in infrastructure and clean energy to help keep America competitive.

In Argentina the fact that Obama will not visit, is seen as a blow to the country and current administration. A White House spokesperson said Obama will visit “key leaders of the continent.”

Both Argentina and the US have said that their relationship is satisfactory but recently disclosed Wikileaks documents have shown that President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has shown her upset, on several occasions, because she feels Argentina

'Tangled' director recalls Tarantino meeting

© WENN

Tangled co-director Nathan Greno has recalled meeting Quentin Tarantino at the Critics' Choice Awards.

The Inglourious Basterds director named Disney's 50th animated feature as his fifth favourite movie of 2010, prompting Greno to approach the filmmaker to offer his thanks.

"It was such a thrill for us because we love Quentin Tarantino, we love his movies," Greno told Digital Spy. "That guy is like a genius and so to be anywhere on his list was exciting. To be number five was amazing.

"We were just at the Critics' Choice Awards and he was there - they

Protests rage as Hezbollah's candidate asked to form Lebanese government

Lebanon’s President Michel Suleiman has formally appointed a Hezbollah-backed candidate as prime minister-designate and asked him to form a new government.

Billionaire businessman and former premier Najib Mikati won a majority of parliament support in two days of voting that ended Tuesday.

Speaking after the appointment, Mikati said he would start talks to form the government on Thursday and urged all Lebanese factions to overcome their differences, telling reporters that he wants to form a unity government.

Even though Hezbollah backed him, he is seen as a relatively neutral figure who enjoys good relations with both Syrian President Bashar Assad and Hariri.

The choice of Mr. Mikati set off a “day of rage” by Sunnis who burned tires and a van belonging to Al-Jazeera to protest the Shiite militant group's

23 killed in bomb blast at Moscow's busiest airport

Russia's top investigative agency says there has been an explosion at Domodedovo Airport, the busiest of Moscow's three commercial airports.

Russia's state news agency says 23 killed and 130 injured. Some reports put the toll above 30.

Interfax news agency reported it was a possible suicide blast, which happened at about 9:32 a.m. (ET), though there was no immediate confirmation on the cause of the explosion in the international baggage-claim area.

Smoke wafted out of the baggage claim area and people were seen running out of the emergency exits at the airport, local media reported.

Russia's Investigative Committee said there

Tunisians ‘Caravan of Freedom’ reaches capital

Tunis — More than 200 protesters from around Tunisia descended on the capital Sunday to join demands to rid the interim government of holdovers from the ousted former president's regime.

The demonstrators rallied near the prime minister's office in Tunis, waving banners and photos of a young man who set himself on fire, triggering the popular uprising that overthrew President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

“Bouazizi gave his life for his country,” read one banner honoring 26-year-old Mohamed Bouazizi, who committed suicide in the central city of Sidi Bouzid last month to protest official harassment under Ben Ali's regime.

The

Cyberthieves Target European Carbon Credit Market

Enlarge Sean Gallup/Getty Images

A coal-fired power plant near Weisswasser, Germany.

Sean Gallup/Getty Images

A coal-fired power plant near Weisswasser, Germany.

In a case that is every bit a 21st century crime both in terms of what was stolen and how, thieves in Europe have made off with about $40 million worth of carbon emission permits.

The permits are issued in Europe to try to fight global warming. Authorities allocate a quantity of permits to each country, and those levels can't be exceeded. Each country's government then issues those permits to companies that produce carbon — power plants or paper mills, for example.

"It is essentially an allowance," says Henry Derwent, president of the International Emissions Trading Association. "This piece of paper allows my company to emit a ton of carbon dioxide through a combustion process."

So that piece of paper has value. Companies that produce less carbon than they're permitted can sell what's left of their allowance to companies that produce more than they should. There's actually a market where these allowances are traded electronically.

Over the past few months, but especially in the last week, criminals have

Budgeting booze, splurging on scotch

Scarves, boots, mittens, cheap wine and pricey Scotch – it’s that time of year. Your holiday credit statement has landed with a thud and merlot money is tight. But Robbie Burns Day is nigh, supplying handy rationalization –  if the weather weren’t enough – to splurge on primo Scotch. It’s a tale of two booze budgets. And retailers know it.

B.C. Liquor Stores has been promoting 1.5-litre bottles to “stretch your dollar further” and “Great Value Winter Fare Wines Priced at $14.99 to $15.99.” In Nova Scotia, the Save & Savour event offers up to 30 per cent off many products. The Liquor Control Board of Ontario this month features a “Shop & Save” event with new specials each week, a blissful contrast to the days when alcohol discounts were considered a bigger threat to public safety than assault rifles.

Value is relative, of course.  There’s a terrific Côtes du Rhône out today in Ontario Vintages stores – Château de Saint Cosme – that isn’t cheap at $19.95, but I consider it a bargain because it drinks

Samsung Buys Electrowetting Specialist Liquavista

Liquavista's electrowetting know-how could give Samsung a major boost in the tablet market.

Samsung has announced its purchase of Liquavista, a specialist in electrowetting technology, suggesting that the electronics giant is looking to create devices with sunlight-readable displays.

Liquavista formed in 2006 as a spin-off from the Philips Research Lab, and has been a driving force in the growing electrowetting industry. The display technology enables ultra-low power screens to be read in direct sunlight, while still offering full colour images and rapid response times.

While standard LCDs can offer great response times and dramatic colour,

Wolverines Hires Baltimore’s Defensive Coordinator Greg Mattison

Wolverines Hires Baltimore's Defensive Coordinator Greg Mattison Share

Reports said Wednesday that Michigan Wolverines hired Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Greg Mattison for the same position.

John Harbaugh, head coach of the Ravens, said in a statement that Mattison is excited to be back in Michigan. He said that they were disappointed to lose a guy like Greg. However, he said that they cannot put Mattison away from his true love, referring to the Wolverines.

Wolverines' head coach Brady Hoke is likewise excited to work with his close friend Greg, saying that the latter was one of the top defensive coordinators

U.N. Urges Chile to Halt Evictions of Indigenous Protesters

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The international body’s primary recommendation was to “avoid new evictions and police presence on the island that exceeds what is necessary and proportional.”

The U.N. Special Rapporteur James Anaya said he was dismayed by the lack of dialogue between government parties and the Rapa Nui indigenous community, questioning the level of force used against the indigenous groups who have been occupying government buildings and hotels in the Island’s main town of Hanga Roa since August 2010.

Government of Guyana Recognize the State of Palestine

Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Minister of Foreign Affairs Zoom Image

Guyana's decision, the statement said, “is in keeping with Guyana's long-standing and unwavering solidarity with, and commitment to, the just and legitimate aspirations of the people of Palestine for the exercise of their right to self-determination and to achieve a homeland of their own, independent, free, prosperous and at peace.”

Guyana joins Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay and Ecuador in recognising Palestine as an independent state within the borders that existed

Serbian parties fail to agree on constitutional amendments

BELGRADE, Serbia -- Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) leader Vojislav Kostunica said that the DSS and Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) have failed to agree on proposed constitutional amendments. "It is obvious that the DSS and SNS have different attitudes and different policies regarding this basic and most fundamental problem," Kostunica said after meeting with SNS leader Tomislav Nikolic on Saturday (January 15th).

The SNS submitted a petition to parliament Thursday to amend the constitution. The petition suggests reducing the number of lawmakers by half to 125, and envisions cutting the number of ministries from the current 24 to no more

Matt Cardle 'to write own songs for album'

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X Factor winner Matt Cardle is reportedly planning to write his own songs for his debut album.

According to The Mirror, Simon Cowell has approved the singer's request to pen his own tracks for the upcoming LP.

A source said: "Simon and Matt spoke over Christmas and texted ideas about what Matt wants to do. Cowell has said that he wants him to write and co-write some songs.

"They know they want great material, if the songs are penned by Matt then even better. He's chuffed."

The insider added that Cardle also wants to sing with

Oil Futures Vary on Thin Trade

Oil Futures Vary on Thin Trade Share

Reports said Friday that oil futures varied in Asia as trade gets weaker before the weekend.

According to the reports, light, sweet crude for February delivery fell $0.27 to settle at $91.13 a barrel in the Globex electronic session, while Brent crude for February settlement gained $0.32 to $98.38 a barrel on London-based ICE Futures Exchange.

Analysts said that there will be more commodity buying as the dollar continues to weaken against the euro after the euro-zone economy retreated due to favorable outcomes brought by bond auctions in Portugal. The euro traded above $1.33

A Political Wish List

GRAIN SILOS Image: Lester Lefkowitz Getty Images

Throughout U.S. history there have been leaders, both Republicans and Democrats, who have supported the advancement of science and the protection of health and the environment and who have taken care to inform their policy decisions with the best scientific advice. After the midterm elections in November, it looked as though this tradition might take a backseat in the new Congress. For example, Representative-elect Jon Runyan, Republican of New Jersey, said in the aftermath of the election that to balance the federal budget one could cut “all the money we spend on frivolous research projects ... studying mating tendencies of fruit flies, stuff like that—is that really necessary?”

It is. The study of disease (for which fruit flies are essential tools), and scientific research

Cammalleri out again for Habs

Ailing forward Michael Cammalleri took part in the Montreal Canadiens' optional skate but will not play Wednesday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

It will be a second straight game Cammalleri has missed with flu-like symptoms.

Head coach Jacques Martin said he expects Cammalleri to play this weekend.

Source: The Globe and Mail

LSU coach Les Miles remaining with the Tigers

LSU athletic director Joe Alleva says Les Miles is remaining as the Tigers' coach.

Miles met with officials from Michigan on Monday evening about the Wolverines head coaching job and Alleva says Miles notified him on Tuesday morning that he's staying in Baton Rouge.

Miles has a 62-17 record, five bowl victories and one national title with the Tigers in the previous six seasons.

Rich Rodriguez last week was fired as Michigan coach with a 15-22 mark in three seasons.

Source: The Globe and Mail

Gabrielle Giffords' Shooting: The Impact on Obama's Presidency

Pete Souza / The White House-AP

President Obama and his staff participate in a conference call in the White House situation room after the Jan. 8 shooting at a Tuscon political event.

President Obama is off to a good start in his handling of what the networks are now calling "The Tragedy in Tucson." The moment of silence he asked for on Monday at 11 a.m.—resonant for older Americans of the exact hour on November 11 each year that the World War I Armistice was once observed—is an appropriate expression of what we need right now: Less Noise.

But silence will not be enough.  This horrific event offers the president a chance to show leadership qualities that he's inexplicably hidden away in some blind trust. The shootings and the resulting debate over the climate of incivility play to his strengths as a calm and rational leader. Just as Bill Clinton's response to the 1995 Oklahoma City bombings helped him recover from his defeat in the 1994 midterms, so this episode may help Obama change—at least in the short term--the trajectory of American politics.

Clinton did more than just speak movingly after Oklahoma City and pull the country together as griever-in-chief. He was able to use the event to discredit the militia movement and tamp down hate speech on talk radio enough that it wasn't much of a factor in his 1996 reelection. The Oklahoma City bombings were later seen by historians and Clinton-era officials as the turning point in his political comeback. Of

French hostage killed in Niger was to marry in a week: Mayor

The mayor of the hometown of two Frenchmen taken hostage this weekend in Niger then killed during rescue attempt says one was about to marry a local woman and the other was his best man.

Jacques Remory, mayor of Linselles near the Belgian border, said Sunday that Antoine de Leocour was to marry next Saturday and his longtime friend, Vincent Delory, was to be his best man. Both were 25.

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon has ordered his defence minister to go to the west African country for talks. The captives bodies were discovered after a rescue attempt that included

Jobs Report Is Good News, But Not Good Enough?

The Labor Department on Friday said the U.S. economy gained 103,000 jobs in December. And the unemployment rate fell from 9.8 to 9.4 percent. While that might sound like good news, many economists were hoping to see much stronger job growth.

Source: NPR : National Public Radio

Study claims male circumcision helps prevent HPV infection

Study claims male circumcision helps prevent HPV infection Share

A recent study claimed that male circumcision among sexual partners that were HIV-negative helps avoid the transmission of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.

Still, the researchers said that circumcision provides only limited defense and both partners must still do the safe sexual intercourse. HPV is a sexually transmitted infection that puts women at risk of developing cervical cancer.

According to earlier study, it revealed that male circumcision lessened the danger of HPV infection in men. However, in this recent study, researchers studied information from two clinical tests in Uganda that tracked men who

Starbucks Logo Unveils Wordless Siren Icon

Starbucks Logo Unveils Wordless Siren Icon Share

Starbucks updated its new logo and unveiled its new wordless Starbucks logo on Wednesday.

The largest Seattle-based coffee company drops the Starbucks coffee words that is encircling on its siren-centered logo, as the only thing remains in the new logo to represent the company and its products.

Starbucks joined on several companies that seek image update this 2011 for a fresh new look. The company changed their logo for the fourth time.

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz stated that all throughout the last four decades of the company, the Siren has been part of their

Bollywood in 2011: The Year of the Sequel

A DISMAL 2009 saw an economic downturn and a long drawn Bollywood strike over film rental charges affecting box office takings.

Even 2010 showed no signs of recovery for the film industry with a lacklustre year of releases.

Big budget films like Raavan (*£231,497) starring Abhishek and Aishwarya Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan’s cross-cultural Kites (£571,913), and Salman Khan’s period epic Veer (£292,979) opened in UK cinemas on below expectations.

Karan Johar’s My Name Is Khan was the only film reaching up to the 3 million mark breaking box office records and becoming the highest grossing Bollywood film in the UK.

As predicted, Akshay Kumar’s laugh-riot, Housefull did good business grossing £676,596.

With an abysmal summer of releases, Imran Khan’s medium budget romantic comedy, I Hate Luv Storys turned out to be the surprise package this year grossing an amazing £520,642 

But the latter part of 2010 saw successful films like Kajol - Kareena tear jerking drama, We Are Family grossing £709,165, Eid blockbuster action thriller Dabanng (£785,178) and the Diwali comic multi- starrer Golmaal 3 (£621,155). But Bhansali’s latest masterpiece, Guzaarish did not have many takers with the film grossing a miserly £348,789

Producers in Mumbai are still cautious due to the ongoing global recession. So for a

Ubisoft disables always-on PC DRM

Ubisoft appears to have silently disabled last years controversial DRM solution, according to reports.

Ubisoft appears to have silently disabled the controversial, always-on DRM that appeared in recent PC games such as Assassin's Creed 2, Splinter Cell: Conviction, Silent Hunter 5 and The Settlers 7.

The news comes via PC Gamer, who noticed users on Reddit claiming that they were able to run the games without internet connections and who posted screenshots to prove it.

Previously, some Ubisoft games needed to be online constantly in order to be playable. Disconnected them from the internet,

Earthquake trembles Southern Chile with 7.1 magnitudes

Earthquake trembles Southern Chile with 7.1 magnitudes Share

The southern part of Chile was trembled by an earthquake with a magnitude scale of 7.1 Sunday.

Tens of thousands of people were rapidly evacuated on higher ground in the midst of fears that the earthquake can produce a tsunami like what had happened last year that destroyed the place. Furthermore, Vicente Nunez, the National Emergency Office's head, stated that there were no reports of damage or deaths and there was no alerts released for tsunami.

Nunez also stated that there has been no damage to individuals, no damage to their properties. He

What Attachment Theory Can Teach about Love and Relationships (preview)

In Brief

Researchers have long observed that children have distinct attachment styles to caregivers, which appear to predict certain ­behaviors. More recently, they have begun to appreciate that adults also display attachment styles in romantic settings—and these styles can predict the success of romantic relationships. The important lesson is that your love life does not have to be left to chance; understanding your attachment style, and your partner’s, can help you find and build a satisfactory ­relationship.

Reprinted from Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It

Thousands of passengers stuck at J.F.K. International Airport

Thousands of passengers stuck at J.F.K. International Airport Share

According to the federal officials, thousands of passengers became stuck on at least 28 flights at John F. Kennedy (J.F.K.) International Airport.

The stranded passengers spent more than 11 hours on the tarmac of the airport due to the paralyzing blizzard this week. The 28 flights that got stuck had one thing in common; they all started outside the area of the United States.

Moreover, the federal officials passed a regulation this year that reprimands airlines with heavy fines if the airplanes are kept on the landing strip and one for close