It's the last weekend before Netroots Nation, and the threads are getting restless.

• Good news on marriage equality from the courts: The DC Court of Appeals ruled that the DC City Council was within its rights to block a referendum that would have sought to overturn the city's recently enacted marriage equality statute.
• The California Democratic Party's Executive Board is meeting this weekend. While that would normally not sound like the most exciting news, we will see whether the CDP will choose to endorse Proposition 19 on the November ballot, which will legalize and tax cannabis. Battle lines are drawn between perhaps the more institutional Democrats who are concerned about the message a party endorsement would send, and the grassroots activists who not only believe it's the right policy, but would also help drive younger and more progressive voters to the polls come November.
• A lesson for those taking on the tea party. Definitely worth watching.
• Earlier this week, a wingnut attacked the premise of the California's Challenge panel at Netroots Nation. And quickly learned that panel moderator Robert Cruickshank is not the guy you want to mess with.
• Al Gore is so very, very fat:

  Last month was the hottest June ever recorded worldwide and the fourth consecutive month that the combined global land and sea temperature records have been broken, according to the US government's climate data centre.

  The figures released last night by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) suggest that 2010 is now on course to be the warmest year since records began in 1880.

  -- Susan Gardner

Unlike the first quarter, when opinion was sharply divided on the best hate mail of the quarter, the winner of the Q2 competition was pretty clear cut:

I loathe you. I'm gonna go eat a steak. And fuck my wife. And pray to GOD.

Congrats expert multi-tasker dude!

Fresh hate below the fold!

As previously noted, the entire rationale for Oregon GOP gubernatorial nominee Chris Dudley's campaign seems to be that he is tall. After all, this is a guy who never previously demonstrated any interest in politics, and only bothered to vote in seven of the last thirteen elections. And his campaign runs on mindless GOP boilerplate: cutting taxes, cutting government, cutting trees, and cutting land use laws. He's so politically clueless that he tries to attack Democratic nominee John Kitzhaber for things Kitzhaber didn't even do.

But Dudley is tall, and even though he had no discernible athletic skills, that alone allowed him to stick in pro basketball for a while as a career backup center. His main claim to NBA fame is as record holder for most free throws missed in a row. But he was very consistently tall, and he was a pro basketball player, and that provided him with a good deal of money and a bit of name recognition, and in the world of GOP politics, that's enough to launch a political career. Interest in or understanding of politics or policy is considered optional.

For some quarter century, the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association has held a debate between Oregon's gubernatorial candidates. They did again on Friday, except that it wasn't a debate because Dudley decided not to show. When you have no idea what you're talking about, it's probably best not to risk embarrassing yourself in front of people that do. On that level, Dudley may have been smart. As the Eugene Register-Guard editorialized:

Kitzhaber, a veteran of two terms as governor and 14 years in the Legislature, would have an advantage in any debate format. Kitzhaber knows state government from stem to stern — he could answer a question about highways by reciting statistics on vehicle registrations and the cost of asphalt, ending with suggestions for how to set the choke on a road grader. Kitzhaber would swamp Dudley with detail, expose gaps in his knowledge and catch him in contradictions.

Dudley’s best course in a race against Kitzhaber is to steer clear of such tar pits, and instead deliver a generic message of change. That’s what Dudley has done in his first two television advertisements. They say that it’s time to “turn the page on the politics of the past” and elect “a different kind of leader, a different kind of Republican.” The ads highlight Dudley’s work for the National Basketball Association players’ union and his foundation for children with diabetes. There’s nothing about Dudley’s positions on key issues.

Dudley has already learned a lesson about how easy it is to step into a trap. As Oregon school districts prepared to cut their budgets in response to the latest state revenue shortfall, Dudley urged that they avoid cutting physical education. That’s a defensible stand, but it invites the question of what should be cut instead. There is no right answer, and Dudley left the impression that he valued P.E. above reading or math. He’s kept quiet about the details of spending cuts, in education and elsewhere, ever since.

Even the generally conservative editorial board of The Oregonian was disappointed, pointing out that in such difficult times more debates are needed, not less. Because voters need to know for what the candidates stand. Besides P.E., that is. The East Oregonian, in conservative Pendleton, hardly could contain its disdain:

Our message to Mr. Dudley: Get in the game, take your best shot and show us you're the most valuable player.

Sports jargon and political manuevering aside, ducking this debate is simply disrespectful. Our voters and taxpayers deserve better.

Get with it, Mr. Dudley.

But Dudley apparently wants to follow in the footsteps of such inexperienced Republican luminaries as Bush and Schwarzenegger. Hide the inexperience and ignorance, and hope that name recognition is enough. And we know how that works out.

Good ol' Republican family values.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron Micheli wrote a letter to a Natrona County District judge on behalf of a Bar Nunn man convicted of brutally raping a woman in her Casper home last December.

While not condoning Ty Oliver McDowell's crimes, Micheli and his wife Patty urged Judge David Park in the letter to take McDowell's "past behavior, his desire to repent and make things right and the support he has from a wonderful and supportive family" in consideration in sentencing McDowell....

The Michelis, who taught McDowell as a teenager in Sunday School, said in the letter that McDowell was "an outstanding young man" who was a good friend to their daughters.

It's all fine as long as you go to the same church. Never mind that McDowell "pleaded guilty last month to breaking into the 25-year-old victim's west Casper residence, striking her repeatedly, then raping her before leaving her bound and naked on her living room floor," a crime for which he was sentenced to 60 years to life. Or that he was looking for women to rape on Craigslist. The victim was set up by her ex-boyfriend, who posted an ad posing as the woman, requesting a rape fantasy. McDowell acted on the ad, and violently attacked.

That the Michelis weren't horrified at the knowledge that this was the man they let become a "good friend to their daughters" is disturbing enough, never mind that they highlighted that relationship in their letter. The phenomenally bad judgement that led Micheli to write this letter, not to mention the callousness it implies to the victim, should immediately disqualify him. He is one of four Republicans in the August 17 primary.

He needs to take the advice of the Star-Tribune editorial board.

Micheli said he was asked by the defense to write a letter to the judge. Given the circumstances, the logical answer should have been an immediate no. A person who is running for governor should never place a personal relationship above the goal of justice for all of his constituents. A candidate seeking the most powerful position in the state needs to show compassion for the victim of a violent crime, not her attacker.

Undoubtedly, Micheli's letter will raise issues for voters concerned about his values and judgment. It will be up to the candidate to address those questions, and we encourage him to do so forthrightly. Whether or not the answers satisfy them, voters are entitled to know if Micheli learned any lessons from his decision to go to bat for a rapist whose high-profile crimes shocked the entire state.

... too often, the Republican leadership in the United States Senate chooses to filibuster our recovery and obstruct our progress. And that has very real consequences.

President Barack Obama used his weekly address this morning to blast Senate Republicans for their now routine obstructionism and its effect on the economy, particularly as it’s been affecting small businesses,  job growth and unemployment insurance extensions.

Consider what that obstruction means for our small businesses – the growth engines that create two of every three new jobs in this country. A lot of small businesses still have trouble getting the loans and capital they need to keep their doors open and hire new workers. So we proposed steps to get them that help: Eliminating capital gains taxes on investments. Establishing a fund for small lenders to help small businesses. Enhancing successful SBA programs that help them access the capital they need.

But again and again, a partisan minority in the Senate said “no,” and used procedural tactics to block a simple, up-or-down vote.

Think about what these stalling tactics mean for the millions of Americans who’ve lost their jobs since the recession began. Over the past several weeks, more than two million of them have seen their unemployment insurance expire. For many, it was the only way to make ends meet while searching for work – the only way to cover rent, utilities, even food.

The president focused his remarks most intensely on the plight of the unemployed, a good move both morally and politically. He explained to listeners the history of unemployment “insurance” as an emergency expenditure and berated the grandstanding Senate Republicans for treating it as a form of welfare. Most welcome was the president’s direct assault on the piss-poor reasoning that’s led the GOP to insist on the extension of tax cuts at the same time they’re denying relief for the jobless.

So after years of championing policies that turned a record surplus into a massive deficit, including a tax cut for the wealthiest Americans, they’ve finally decided to make their stand on the backs of the unemployed. They’ve got no problem spending money on tax breaks for folks at the top who don’t need them and didn’t even ask for them; but they object to helping folks laid off in this recession who really do need help.

In a nice summary ending to quite the barnburner of a weekly address, the president voiced some clear-spoken demands:

The fact is, most economists agree that extending unemployment insurance is one of the single most cost-effective ways to help jumpstart the economy. It puts money into the pockets of folks who not only need it most, but who also are most likely to spend it quickly. That boosts local economies. And that means jobs.

Increasing loans to small business. Renewing unemployment insurance. These steps aren’t just the right thing to do for those hardest hit by the recession – they’re the right thing to do for all of us.

More of this, please, Mr. President. And not just on Saturday mornings.

From the Texas Freedom Network comes a new poll showing residents of the Lone Star State aren't as taken in by the culture war as conservatives would like:

A new statewide survey shows Texans overwhelmingly support reforming the way the state sets requirements for curriculum and textbooks in public schools and reject key "culture war" positions the right has taken regarding public education. "The future of education in Texas stands at a crossroads," said Kathy Miller, president of the Texas Freedom Network Education Fund, which commissioned the survey. "Texans want a cease-fire in the divisive ‘culture war’ battles ... not the personal agendas of politicians on the State Board of Education."

Musing on the endless, nutty antics of their local conservative party agenda and BP loving Gov Rick Perry is much appreciated. But if you are able to do more, please volunteer (I'm told Dallas and San Antonio are in critical need of more volunteers), or donate to Democrat Bill White for Governor of Texas.

• Speaking of Texas and hope here's an exclusive: democrat David Cozad, running against Mr. BP Apology, comments on my Joe-Barton-is-a-rancid-turd post. It isn't pretty.
• Arise late with no shame my fellow night owls! A new study indicates you are smarter than the average early riser.
• Magnetic stormy Mercury is basically a hunk of metal parked near a huge free energy source; its the future Detroit Motor City of the solar system.  
• If you want to turn your kids onto science, there's no better way than dinos! Check out this review of some beautifully illustrated science books on the big scaly lugs.  
• Marine biologists discover a whole weird habitat deep below the Great Barrier Reef.

Saturday opinion.

Bob Herbert:

A few days later, I was talking to a guy who commutes every day between New York and New Jersey. He props up his laptop on the front seat so he can watch DVDs while he’s driving.

"I only do it in traffic," he said. "It’s no big deal."

Beyond the obvious safety issues, why does anyone want, or need, to be talking constantly on the phone or watching movies (or texting) while driving? I hate to sound so 20th century, but what’s wrong with just listening to the radio? The blessed wonders of technology are overwhelming us. We don’t control them; they control us.

I wonder if he tweeted that last line.

Dana Milbank:

The peaceful hamlet

Iowa Tea Party Billboard

of Mason City, Iowa, hasn't been in the headlines much since it served as the model for River City in Meredith Willson's "The Music Man." But this week, Mason City raised a real Fuhrer.

E.J. Dionne:

I don’t think Rep. Michele Bachmann, the very right-wing Republican from Minnesota, is doing her party any favors by creating a Tea Party Caucus in the House of Representatives. In fact, I imagine that this is the first thing Bachmann has done in a long time that will make Democrats happy.

Gail Collins:

This has been a bad summer for almost everybody — celebrities, shrimpers, Washington insiders, Tea Party outsiders, people who prefer pleasant weather. So far, my list of who did well only includes the Spanish soccer team and Paul the prophetic octopus. Plus, according to Senator Jim Bunning, George Steinbrenner. The Kentucky Republican praised the Yankee owner in the Senate Finance Committee for being "smart enough to die in 2010," when the estate tax is temporarily suspended.

Oh, that Jim Bunning — always looking on the bright side. Why aren’t there more people like that in government?

There will be, if you vote Republican.

Charles Blow:

The president has yet to jolt the economy into recovery, he’s made some unpopular decisions and circumstances have not always favored him. But a presidency is a never-ending series of choices. Seasons change, winds switch directions, bad times don’t last always.

In November, voters will blow off some steam, and the dust will settle. Obama will have survived it all, and not in as bad a position as many claim. As another ABC News/Washington Post poll released on Tuesday said: "The president’s solace may be his comparison to Ronald Reagan — the last president to take office in the midst of a recessionary gale. In an ABC/Post poll at about his year-and-a-half mark, and with unemployment then at 9.8 percent, Reagan’s approval rating was 49-47 percent — almost precisely the same as Obama’s now." Reagan went on to a second term and to become the gold standard of the G.O.P.

Soon Obama should get a magnificent gift: the beginning of Republican jockeying to challenge him in 2012. The list of current suspects is littered with characters, including Palin, the Tea Party Princess. A Gallup report released on Friday found that Palin is the "best known and most positively rated of five possible contenders for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination." That alone speaks volumes about the vacuousness of the Republican Party. Palin is all cheer and no leader.

The Week:

British scientists claim to have cracked one of the oldest philosophical riddles — the chicken came before the egg, they say. Case closed?

Ari Melber:

For tangible political impact, the distinction between symbiotic media coverage and direct mobilization is crucial. New research by political scientist Kevin Wallsten, for example, found that viral campaign hits like the "Yes We Can" Obama video, which topped 5 million views in one month, are driven by political organizing and citizen blogs, not traditional media coverage.

I raised this dynamic with an experienced political web operative—who did not want to go on record antagonizing Palin—and this pol argued that while Palin can drive magazine covers and book sales, her core political support remains vastly overstated. "More of the viewers were people critical of her rather than fans, although the lazy implication is for people to say, ‘Look at all her fans, she has 300k views on YouTube,' " said the operative, adding, "She doesn't have real support among actual people, even Republican primary voters. She is a self-perpetuating phenomenon of, by and for the media."

In a study covering 2002-2008, the Environmental Law Institute concluded that federal energy subsidies favored fossil fuels over renewables by a wide margin. Moreover, more than half the renewable subsidies went to corn-based ethanol.

• The vast majority of federal subsidies for fossil fuels and renewable energy supported energy sources that emit high levels of greenhouse gases when used as fuel.

• The federal government provided substantially larger subsidies to fossil fuels than to renewables. Subsidies to fossil fuels—a mature, developed industry that has enjoyed government support for many years—totaled approximately $72 billion over the study period, representing a direct cost to taxpayers.

• Subsidies for renewable fuels, a relatively young and developing industry, totaled $29 billion over the same period.
 
• Subsidies to fossil fuels generally increased over the study period (though they decreased in 2008), while funding for renewables increased but saw a precipitous drop in 2006-07 (though they increased in 2008). The largest subsidies to fossil fuels were written into the U.S. Tax Code as permanent provisions. By comparison, many subsidies for renewables are time-limited initiatives implemented through energy bills, with expiration dates that limit their usefulness to the renewables industry.

• The vast majority of subsidy dollars to fossil fuels can be attributed to just a handful of tax breaks, such as the Foreign Tax Credit ($15.3 billion) and the Credit for Production of Nonconventional Fuels ($14.1 billion, though this credit has since been phased out). The largest of these, the Foreign Tax Credit, applies to the overseas production of oil through an obscure provision of the Tax Code, which allows energy companies to claim a tax credit for payments that would normally receive less-beneficial tax treatment.

   
• • • • •

^{Green diary rescue appears twice weekly in this time slot. Inclusion of a particular diary does not necessarily indicate my agreement with it. The rescue begins below and continues in the jump.}

• • • • •

Crashing Vor gave us a good warning in "Over": "BP's new well cap is in place and pressure tests have begun, with very appropriate caution. If the tests indicate that the well bore and casings have sufficient integrity to withstand the internal pressures of the well, there is a chance that the spigot may get turned off this week.As wonderful as that news is, it will bring a chorus of sighs from the media, the government, the oil industry and well-meaning Gulf Coast residents, a chorus singing, 'It's over!' That chorus will echo throughout the mediasphere. And it will be dead wrong."

In the EcoAdvocates series, Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse offered some hope that Obama May Reverse Bush on Indigenous Rights: "Bush voted against UNDRIP (the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples) ostensibly because the declaration was subject to 'conflicting interpretations and debate about its application' and therefore not 'capable of implementation.' If this standard applied to the U.S. Constitution, it would not exist. In reality, Bush did not like that UNDRIP recognizes a range of rights that address corporate and governmental plundering of resources as well as abuse and discrimination. Elections have consequences.  President Obama recognizes that UNDRIP provides a framework for addressing the rights of indigenous peoples so he is now reviewing whether the U.S. should join 144 other countries with its endorsement."

greendem informed us about Moms Turned Mountaineers in Climb Against Coal: "We are four Washington moms, who, on Saturday July 17, will attempt to summit Mount Rainier with a message for our Governor. Our Climb Against Coal challenges Governor Gregoire to close Washington’s largest toxic polluter and point source of deadly carbon: the TransAlta coal-fired power plant in Centralia."

This evening's Rescue Rangers are jlms qkw, Rexymeteorite, grog, claude and jennyjem, who is also editing.

First up, Mark Williams gets schooled:

• Frederick Douglass Responds to the Tea Party and grannyhelen overheard. (jlms qkw)
• Vyan dissects a vile, nasty, and racist letter by Teabag leader Mark Williams in How to NOT Prove You're NOT a Racist. (rexymeteorite)

Other Topics

• Icarus Midnight takes a look at our little known side war in Pakistan and how remotely controlled munitions are changing the face of warfare...and sovereignty, in Hellfire: The Deadliest Video Game in the World. (grog)
• kindler updates us on the right wing hysteria surrounding "Climate-Gate" and explains why In Virginia, the Assault on Academic Freedom Continues. (rexymeteorite)
• The indefatigable BorderJumpers continue highlighting global food issues and the moral imperative we have to ensure everyone has enough to eat, in A Conversation About Organic Agriculture with Chuck Benbrook. (grog)
• barrettbrown says Sarah Palin as Margaret Thatcher? So Be It. (claude)
• Dumbo continues the art/science series in Thursday Classical Music OPUS 3: The Physics of Music. (jlms qkw)
• Here are two diarists trying to make a difference in their communities: first, MillieNeon has an idea for creating a job instead of finding one in Unemployed? Let's start a business. Then, Jane Stillwater joins a local protest in Cold & Hard: Spending the night in Arnieville. (jennyjem)
• Utterly wonderful absurd snark from ShawnGBR: What REALLY happened at the oilcano site... (claude)

jotter has High Impact Diaries: July 15, 2010.

asimbagirl has Top Comments: Let Them Eat Cheesecake Edition.

Enjoy and please promote your own favorite diaries in this open thread.

Walk Score is an entertaining - and potentially useful - site that's fun to play around with. It's simple: You put in your address and it returns a score (out of 100) based on how "walkable" it thinks your neighborhood is, looking at how far away things like the nearest schools, restaurants, and libraries are. It's not always perfect - it thinks the closest park to me is something called "Monarch Parking LLC"... er, almost, but it's actually a parking garage. Still, it gets quite a lot right, and can be a valuable tool if you're ever looking to move.

But for tonight - what's your walk score?

UPDATE: Take the poll!

The specifics of the bill have yet to emerge, but that hasn't stopped Ben Nelson from saying no to a climate bill containing even a utility-only cap on emissions.

Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska said Thursday he would not support a procedural vote later this month to begin debate on a climate bill that includes a cap on electric utility emissions, a declaration that underscores the tough climb that Majority Leader Harry Reid will have in trying to cobble together a 60-vote supermajority on the controversial issue.

“A carbon tax or trade piece would significantly increase the utility rates in Nebraska for businesses, agriculture and individuals,” the Nebraska Democrat told POLITICO. “I don’t think that’s an appropriate way to go. And while I’d usually vote for a motion to proceed, this is so extraordinary, that I just can’t bring myself to do that.”

It's a recent conversion for Nelson:

In 2008, Nelson voted for the motion to proceed on an economy-wide climate bill authored by Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), John Warner (R-Va.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.). The procedural vote — 74-14 — included 32 Republicans who saw the floor debate as an opportunity to criticize Democrats for supporting a measure that would increase gasoline prices.

He also voted for cloture on a Boxer substitute amendment that would have capped greenhouse emissions and established a carbon trading system. So why the flip?

Steve Benen thinks back back to the health reform debate, when Nelson was opposed to the Republican effort to filibuster. At the time he said: If you don't like the bill, then why would you block your own opportunity to amend it? Why would you stop senators from doing the job they're elected to do -- debate, consider amendments, and take action on an issue affecting every American?" So as Steve says, what's his answer to his own question now? Why is he stopping Senators from doing the job they're elected to do?

Ah, Blanche. Apparently writing tough derivatives language for financial reform--throwing a bone to the real Democrats she needed to win a primary--was all a Democratic base was going to get out of her. Yet another deficit peacock, she was a lead flip-flopper on the public option, coming down eventually on the side of "we can't afford it." And she insisted upon the bill being deficit neutral.

Now comes the estate tax, where she's teaming up with Jon Kyl to "radically" cut the estate tax. Yglesias takes it from there.

It certainly isn’t deficit neutral — CBPP found that an earlier version of the Lincoln-Kyl amendment adds nearly a half-trillion dollars to the deficit over the first ten years. Big problem, right? Well, Lincoln has found a solution:

Sens. Blanche Lincoln (D., Ark.) and Jon Kyl (R., Ariz.) on Wednesday introduced a proposal to permanently set the estate tax rate at 35%. Estate wealth under $5 million would ultimately be exempted from estate taxes, but this exemption amount phases in over a 10-year period.

The phase-in is a change from legislation Kyl and Lincoln have introduced in the past and is meant to make the short-term cost of the bill appear smaller.

This framing, at least, is refreshingly candid about the cynicism and irresponsibility on display here. Journalists who take seriously future claims of deficit concerns from Kyl or Lincoln should beware Matt’s barn.

Cynicism indeed. Deficit cutting certainly isn't going to happen on the backs of Lincoln's friends. Maybe its her sop to the banksters and their heirs. She lost them on financial reform, but here's her chance to let them know that she's really their friend, the friend of all the rich people, really, so they should keep her in office. Deficit be damned.

Republican governor candidate Scott McInnis isn't going to let a little thing like being a serial plagiarist hold him back. No, he took to his Facebook page today, a la Sarah Palin, to declare that is "in it to win it."

He also says that now he has decided to return the $300,000 he received in payment for stealing someone else's work, that "brings this matter to a close." Yeah, somehow I don't think so.

The case just gets uglier for McInnis. At Talk Left, Jeralyn has the story of the researcher McInnis has tried to foist this off on, Rolly Fischer. Fischer granted an interview to the local ABC affiliate in which he confirmed that McInnis was lying about the scandal, and that he wasn't aware that McInnis was going to use the materials he provided for the articles McInnis was being paid to write.

The 82-year old Fischer said, "I never knew about the foundation or any foundation Scott was associated with."

"Did you know how he was using these?" Ferrugia asked.

"No. I had this sophomoric assumption that he wanted them for his own inventory," said Fischer.

Check out the letter the McInnis campaign tried to get Fischer to sign:

Dear Scott:

I am writing to express my sincere apology for failing to provide appropriate attribution for the research I provided for the water articles we collaborated on. While my mistake was not intentional, it is nonetheless clear that this material needed footnotes.

This mistake was solely my own and I recognize that my work fell short of the expectations you had when you included me in this project.

Again, please accept my deep apology.

Sincerely,

Rolly Fischer

Asking an 82 year-old water expert to take the fall for you takes about as much chutzpah as compelling the guy you shot in the face to apologize for getting in the way of your aim, but McInnis is no Dick Cheney, and Fischer won't sign.

All of which just makes McInnis look even more like a heel, leading to rumors that the Republican Governors Association "is essentially abandoning McInnis and pulling funds out of the Colorado governor's race - a claim the RGA firmly denies." Although they also say that they are committed to the Colorado race and to defeating Hickenlooper, and note that McInnis hasn't won the primary. That's a strong endorsement, huh? But the situation is a mess for Republicans.

Internally, Colorado Republicans are still considering their options - none of which are particularly appealing. Replacing McInnis on the primary ballot before Aug. 10 would face a certain legal challenge from Democrats, and would be tricky to accomplish from a public relations standpoint.

But establishment Republicans--which have essentially given up on McInnis--are concerned that if insurgent candidate Dan Maes wins the primary and is at the top of the November ticket, the trickle-down effect will be damaging for other GOP candidates in terms of voter turnout and support.

Tom Tancredo says McInnis has to go: "This is a huge disaster for the Republican party unless we can get a candidate in there to make this all work."

Tancredo noted that if the state GOP fails to put up a conservative candidate, the right wing in the state is likely to revolt. As for the other Republican on the ballot, conservative businessman Dan Maes, who has some support from wings of the Tea Party, Tancredo said he regarded a Maes win as an even greater longshot. "The [Denver] Post has more on Maes than they've ever had on McInnis... [Maes] is bad news," Tancredo said. (The Post broke the plagiarism story.)

Tancredo said he himself would be happy to step up and run as a write-in and has received some encouragement to do so--but added that he's well aware that the party elite would not want him to step forward.

Hahahahah! Tancredo to the rescue. Scarily enough, Republicans in Colorado seem to want Tancredo, Mr. Obama is the greatest threat ever to this nation to step in. Ouch.

All right gang, before we all get to party in Vegas next Saturday night, there's going to be some work to do. And that's asking Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid the questions that the traditional media just doesn't seem to ever get around to addressing. The Q&A with Pelosi will be bright and early Saturday, July 24, at 9:00 a.m. and the session with Reid that afternoon at 3:15.

The fabulous Cheryl Contee, of Jack and Jill Politics fame will be moderating the panel with Speaker Pelosi. You can ask your questions on Facebook and on Twitter (use the hashtag #nn10pelosi), but as long as you're here, list them below and I'll make sure Cheryl sees them.

I'll be asking Reid your questions, and am collecting them here as well as on Facebook and Twitter.

We've had a lot of submissions on jobs, the economy, the filibuster, the lack of leadership and cohesion in the Dem caucus in the Senate, immigration, campaign finance, energy . . . all the big issues. What are the burning questions that you think need to be asked?

From the GREAT STATE OF MAINE...

What a Load 'O Bulwer!

My favorite contest---the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest---has its winners for 2010. Screw politics for a few seconds and behold a bit of beautiful badness:

For the first month of Ricardo and Felicity's affair, they greeted one another at every stolen rendezvous with a kiss---a lengthy, ravenous kiss, Ricardo lapping and sucking at Felicity's mouth as if she were a giant cage-mounted water bottle and he were the world's thirstiest gerbil.
---Molly Ringle, Seattle (Grand Prize Winner)

As Holmes, who had a nose for danger, quietly fingered the bloody knife and eyed the various body parts strewn along the dark, deserted highway, he placed his ear to the ground and, with his heart in his throat, silently mouthed to his companion, "Arm yourself, Watson, there is an evil hand afoot ahead.
---Dennis Pearce, Louisville (Detective runner-up)

The Zinfandel poured pinkly from the bottle, like a stream of urine seven hours after eating a bowl of borscht.
---Alf Seegert, Salt Lake City (Purple Prose honorable mention)

She purred sensually, oozing allure that was resisted only by his realization as an entomologist that the protein dust on the couch from the filing of her crimson nails was now being devoured by dust mites in a clicking, ferocious, ecstatic frenzy.
---Jonathan BlayBedford, Canada (Romance runner-up)

Wearing his new slacks from L.L. Bean, and entering the pen to feed his three big dogs their usual three cans of dog food, some of which ended up on his new pants, Kevin then left the house to attend a revival screening of ‘Serpico’ with Alpo chinos.
---Greg Homer---Placerville, CA (Vile Puns dishonorable mention)

Oh, and if the poll is stumping you as much as it is me, try one 'o these. Then close your eyes and start clicking like mad until ya hit something.

Your west coast-friendly edition of  Cheers and Jeers starts in There's Moreville... [Swoosh!!] RIGHTNOW! [Gong!!]

What’s coming up on Sunday Kos ....

• Laurence Lewis will wonder why the Obama administration is allowing federal agencies to prevent both scientists and the public from having full access to information about the BP oil disaster.
• Dante Atkins will wax slightly romantic this Sunday.
• Brooklynbadboy will explain why public confidence in the American military remains high despite tough challenges in multiple wars.
• How are you spending your weekend? Steve Singiser will be rifling through the 2010 FEC campaign finance reports, so you won’t have to! He’ll let you know which House campaigns are on the rise, and which races are getting hotter as the summer rolls along.
• Doom! Doom, Mark Sumner will say! And he'll explore how we handle it.
• While 71% of Americans believe we're still mired in recession, it's natural that the focus is on dealing with the acute crisis, the devastating jobs situation. But Meteor Blades will ask, why is there so little attention paid to our nation's chronic economic problems, and, worst of all, our ever-growing economic inequality?