Goran Tomasevic / Reuters
–Egyptian protests continue in earnest, with a large march reportedly planned for Tuesday. Food is starting to run out.
–As the Obama administration calls for an “orderly transition,” Tony Karon considers where it leaves American interests in the region. They’re preparing for a post–Mubarak Egypt.
–Israel watches nervously.
–Romesh Ratnesar argues the U.S. should throw its weight behind a regime change, with this, I think, being the core of his argument:
For decades, the U.S. has privately prodded Arab dictators like Mubarak to open up their political systems, even while plying them with weekends at Camp David and billions in American weaponry. It turns out that approach has bought us time, but not stability.
–Authorities shut down Al Jazeera in Egypt amidst its big moment in the West.
–I’m not going to engage in any arm chair foreign policy “expertise,” but from a domestic angle, I do find it interesting how some Republicans are reacting to the unrest in Egypt. After Bush’s professed hopes for Arab democracy and widespread cheerleading at Iran protests in 2009, many have come out in support of Mubarak over “radicals taking power.” Translation: They would prefer an authoritarian secular regime to a democratic system that includes Islamists, in this case the Muslim Brotherhood. The long shadow of Iran seems to be coloring Republicans view of the situation as well: Despite very different motivations and conditions, they see Egyptian protests as a reprisal of 1979; and their impressions of Mohamed ElBaradei, who’s emerged as something of an opposition leader, seem largely tainted by his handling of Iranian nuclear ambitions during his tenure at the International Atomic Energy Agency.
–Anonymous White House officials say they expect Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman to resign and explore a presidential bid. James Fallows still doesn’t see it working. Ben Smith sees a parallel:
…Huntsman will be to Romney what Obama was to Clinton: A purer, more credible version. He has one of Romney’s liabilities — the centrist credentials — without, at least, having to defend changes in his position. He has money and management credentials. He’ s a modernizer, and like Obama can cast himself as a candidate of change and the future.
—All the prospective 2012 candidates have a fatal flaw, which is to say none of them do.
–Marco Rubio will skip CPAC.
–David Axelrod pivots to the re-elect (with some unsubtle nods to RomneyCare.)
–Felix Salmon satirizes Davos.
–And making the rounds: Katie Couric trying to explain to Bryant Gumbel what “internet” is.