Good morning, Animals. Forgive me for eschewing my customary exclamation point at the end of that greeting, but it’s a grey, raining day here in your nation’s capital, the kind where one’s energy recedes, and puts a literal damper on those great plans one had to haul home a holiday tree from Eastern Market. (Yes, I said “holiday tree.”)
In truth, yesterday’s sunny, balmy weather should probably have been more a cause for concern than jubilation, but it’s hard to focus on the six-inch rise in sea levels that’s due in in less than 50 years, according to the World Bank, when December shopping at an open-air market requires no more outerwear than a fleece hoodie.
But we have other matters to consider today:
Egypt’s would-be dictator Mohamed Morsi has walked back the most controversial part of his power-grabbing decree, but that hasn’t quelled the opposition.
All the smart people at the big newspapers this morning are prognosticating on Hillary Clinton’s future, once she leaves her post as secretary of state, which she is expected to do in January. (Gotta love Anne-Marie Slaughter’s son asking her if a man can be secretary of state.) At the Daily Beast, Michael Tomasky has is own advice — well, actually, a demand — to offer.
A deal on raising the eligibility age for Medicare continues to gain traction among Washington types, with Politico featuring such conjecture as its lead story this morning. (You can find yesterday’s Political Animals discussion on the topic here.)
And that’s just the beginning. I’ll be back as soon as I dig up my tea cozy.
