Will Iran See A 'Wave Of Protests' Like Egypt's? Probably Not, Reporter Says

That nation's government has shown it's willing to crack down, and anti-government protesters have adopted a different kind of strategy regarding demonstrations.

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/02/15/133785676/will-iran-see-a-wave-of-protests-like-egypts-probably-not-reporter-says?ft=1&f=1057

Stephanie Schriock Bakari Sellers Kyrsten Sinema Brendan Steinhauser

Foreign Policy: Berlusconi's Real Women Problem

A judge ruled today that Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi will have to face trial for charges that he paid for sex with a minor. James Watson of Foreign Policy argues that, under Berlusconi, the exploitation of women goes far beyond a few underage girls ? Italy's entire feminist movement has been derailed.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/02/15/133775312/foreign-policy-berlusconis-real-woman-problem?ft=1&f=1057

LINDSEY GRAHAM JACK KEANE MARCO RUBIO Michelle Bachmann

Egypt's Leaderless Revolution

Anne-Marie Slaughter, The Daily Beast
Follow the leader. It's a game we play as children and an assumption we still make as adults: Effective action in any organization requires some to lead and others to follow.That assumption motivated the various news stories this past week on who was really leading the protesters in Tahrir Square, captured in a New York Times headline on February 8: “A Quest for an Opposition Leader.”

Source: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2011/02/15/egypt039s_leaderless_revolution_250565.html

Ben Rhodes Cedric Richmond Marco Rubio Stephanie Herseth Sandlin

Weekly Standard: Egypt's Army Could Fail Democracy

Last week, Egyptians rejoiced after 18 days of protests finally succeeded in ousting Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Now that Egypt is under rule of a military council, Reuel Marc Gerecht of The Weekly Standard argues that the army might not be able to uphold a democratic transition in Egypt.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/02/15/133772747/weekly-standard-egypts-army-could-hinder-progress?ft=1&f=1057

TOM DELAY MIKE MURPHY MARC THIESSEN R. EMMETT TYRRELL

Afghan Army Gets Training In Reading And Writing

The Obama administration plans to start transferring control of parts of Afghanistan to the country's military this year. After enduring 30 years of war, most Afghan men know how to handle a rifle. But for the same reason, many of them are illiterate. As one 40-year-old soldier says, he "was ashamed" not to be able to write his own name.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/02/15/133745097/afghan-army-gets-training-in-reading-and-writing?ft=1&f=1004

JON HUNTSMAN JR CHARLIE CRIST CLIFFORD MAY PEGGY NOONAN

Americans Disagree With GOP on Deficit

Rep. Mike Honda, Roll Call
When Republicans made the federal deficit the centerpiece of their November 2010 campaigns, it was a rare convergence of smart policy meeting smart politics.Now that they have been forced to come in off the sidelines and govern, however, Republicans have quickly ditched the smart policy in favor of smart politics. Instead of attempting to construct a feasible, bipartisan, long-term solution to the deficit, they tried to fool the American people with infinitesimally small deficit reductions.

Source: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2011/02/15/americans_disagree_with_gop_on_deficit_250543.html

Carte Goodwin Jay Goyal Nikki Haley Jaime Herrera