The Occasional Observer

Tunisia has had a revolution. There have been protests in Algeria and Morocco. King Abdullah has sacked the Jordanian government seeking to quell protest there. Qadaffi has to be looking over his shoulder in Tripoli. And of course, the biggest story of them all, Mubarak's regime is on the brink in Cairo.

Dictators and monarchs are on the ropes across the Islamic world.

Will this be the vindication of the Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld strategy in the Middle East?

I'm amazed I haven't even heard any speculation on this point in the press. And that the former V.P. (designated legacy-protection point man) has kept his powder dry.

Expect to hear a lot of arguing over this point if events continue to unfold in a pro-democracy manner.

Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman is a name you may not be aware of, but he is Romney-esque in terms of his sparkling resume (and also, frankly, his hair). And now, he's leaving the post he's been in the past two years, and possibly preparing a run for President.

When he took a job in the Obama administration in early '09, a lot of posters on Race 4 '08 thought that sealed his fate--that he was no longer a viable '12 candidate. I'm not so sure.

Interested to see where the governor goes from here.

Here's an article from back in '08 discussing the background of Jon Huntsman.

Campaign rhetoric heating up early. From the WSJ:

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a potential 2012 candidate, called President Barack Obama “chicken” for failing to address “real issues” in his State of the Union address...

...Mr. Obama “swung and whiffed at one of the biggest challenges facing the country. He didn’t even address entitlement reform. I thought the State of the Union, in that regard, was abysmal.”

No other way to interpret this:

The armed forces "will not use violence against this great people which have always played a significant role in every moment of Egypt's great history. And we reassure the armed forces are a force of stability and security for this great nation. The protection of the people is one of its core values."

If you don't know who Johnny Pizza is, check out this handy reference.

You've got girl lips

Presented by Speed Stick:

please turn out the lights.

Courtesy of some Taiwanese website

It seems as if The Donald may run for President in 2012. What do my fellow Observers have to say about it?