Morning Must Reads: Doctrine

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(Goran Tomasevic / Reuters)

–There seems to be a growing consensus in American analysis of the Libya venture that while the targets are well-defined, ultimate goals or any clear endgame remain disturbingly opaque. Tony Karon writes the conflict could drag out. Speaker Boehner calls for clarity on the mission. Dick Lugar urges caution. Romesh Ratnesar chews over the Obama doctrine, as it were:

Obama still hasn’t spelled out to the American people, as he should, the nation’s stake in the outcome of the Arab Spring and how far the Administration is willing to go to support it. But the world’s intervention in defense of Libya’s citizens has already helped vindicate some aspects of the President’s low-key, consensus-seeking, sometimes curiously passive approach to managing the U.S.’s role in the world.

–The Arab League is still on board with action against Libya.

–Jeff Goldberg, taking the long view, doesn’t think Libya ranks with challenges in the AfPak region, Iran, Iraq, Palestine or the peninsula.

–Some Yemeni military commanders have defected to the opposition in wake of a violent crackdown on anti-government protests.

–Democrats splinter over Social Security changes and Republicans break on tax increases, but, neither phenomenon being new, it’s worth noting the bipartisan Senate Gang of Six is open to both.

64 senators sign a letter to President Obama asking him to take a more hands-on approach to the deficit reduction negotiations. (Neither Reid nor McConnell were involved.) Of course if those 64 senators agreed on what to do, rather than just whom they wanted to talk about it, they could probably just send him legislation to sign.

Greenspan vs.Krugman, round 730.

–The New York Fed reorganizes bank supervision under a new Dodd-Frank mandate.

–A very welcome headline, which many states hope to see more like of as the recovery picks up steam: “Unexpected revenues help ease Colorado’s budget gap.”

–The U.S. ambassador to Mexico quits his post after WikiLeaked cables inflamed tensions with President Calderon.

–And Haley Barbour picks up some seasoned talent.

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