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Must Read Op-Eds for May 20, 2011

Here are today's top editorial and opinion columns.MAKING THINGS IN AMERICA  BY PAUL KRUGMANNEW YORK TIMESSo while we still have a deeply troubled

Here are today's top editorial and opinion columns.

MAKING THINGS IN AMERICA  BY PAUL KRUGMANNEW YORK TIMESSo while we still have a deeply troubled economy, one piece of good news is that Americans are, once again, starting to actually make things. And we’re doing that thanks, in large part, to the fact that the Fed and the Obama administration ignored very bad advice from right-wingers — ideologues who still, in the face of all the evidence, claim to know something about creating prosperity.


PEACE AND CHANGE  EDITORIALNEW YORK TIMESMr. Obama was right to warn the Palestinians that such symbolic actions “won’t create an independent state.” But the vote would also isolate Israel and the United States. Washington and its allies need to put a map on the table and challenge both sides to resume negotiations. That is the best chance for breaking the stalemate and the best chance for peace.

A NEW MIDEAST POLICY  EDITORIALWASHINGTON POSTThe president’s attempt to lay out principles for resolving the conflict provoked a bristling reaction from Israeli [PM] Binyamin Netanyahu, who, like some U.S. analysts, perceived a shift in U.S. policy by Mr. Obama toward Palestinian negotiating positions. If the president’s promise of a new diplomatic effort is to be more than rhetoric, he will need to begin by rebuilding trust in his administration among both Israelis and Palestinians.

THE NEWS IN OBAMA'S SPEECH  BY CHARLES KRAUTHAMMERWASHINGTON POSTObama made no mention here of Israeli settlements. A mere oversight? Or has Obama finally realized that his making a settlement freeze a precondition for negotiations — something never demanded before he took office — was a disastrous unforced error? One can only hope.HOW THE WHITE HOUSE WOULD POLITICIZE THE CONTRACTING PROCESS  BY SUSAN COLLINSWASHINGTON POSTIf more transparency is truly the goal, why don’t these requirements apply to organizations receiving federal grants? Campaign contributions to candidates and political committees already are required to be reported to the Federal Election Commission. ... A proposal that stifles First Amendment rights and politicizes the contracting process is a dangerous and costly step backward as we work to ensure that American taxpayers get the best value in the marketplace.A WEEK OF SHOCKS BUT FEW SURPRISES  BY PEGGY NOONANWALL STREET JOURNAL

They were open secrets. Everyone knew. And maybe the lesson this week is that people should pay more attention to what they know. Everyone knew Newt Gingrich was combustible, that he tended to blow things up, including, periodically, himself. ... The story is not shocking—[Schwarzenegger] has admitted bad behavior in the past, there have been longtime rumors. ... Human sin is a constant, none are free, and anyone who is shocked by it is a fool or lying. ... But we wouldn't be so surprised if we paid more attention to what we know, and built our expectations from there.