Good advice...

...from SteveM...

Stop trying to pretend that Republicans are rational, decent, sane, patriotic people.

Map of the day.

Darryl does the math, so we don't have to, and finds President Obama with a 95.8% proability of defeating Romney...


Feel better now?

From the "Since you asked…" file.

Kenneth P. Vogel inquires…

Where's the tea party?

Since you asked, Ken, you'll find it in the same dark corner of the right side of the Republican base it briefly crawled out of, though it never ventured far.

Fun fact...

...from John Aravosis...

In French, the words "myth" and "Mitt" are pronounced the same.

From the "Since you asked…" file.

George Packer wonders…

How many times and ways can you say that the Republican Party has descended into unreality and extremism before you lose your viewers and readers?

Since you asked, at least one more, I'm sure.

Hat tip to Steve Benen.

Good point...

...from Doghouse Riley...

In Fairness To Lawyers, Shakespeare Didn't Really Know Any Journalists.

...or Republicans.

No, I didn't forget...

...I just went to sleep a bit early, so here's a wake-up edition of the random ten...

The Byrds - Hickory Wind
Bruce Springsteen - The Ghost Of Tom Joad
The Flying Burrito Brothers - To Ramona
Roger Miller - (In The Summertime) You Don't Want My Love
Townes Van Zandt - Kathleen
Todd Snider - Talkin' Seattle Grunge Rock Blues
Buck Owens - Act Naturally
Country Joe & The Fish - Superbird
Wayne Kramer - Junkie Romance
Neil Young - Flags Of Freedom

Try as I might...

...it's hard to give Chris Gregoire much more than a half-hearted cheer for her lame duck conversion to support for marriage rights. I guess I should acknowledge that it's something more than a political caluculation, since it's pretty hard to imagine any political future for the Governor. Her apparent sincerity notwithstanding, though, and as important as the issue is to me, the move comes to late, I'm afraid, to rehabilitate a reputation marred by years of compromise and capitulation on a range of progressive concerns.

So yay, I guess, for knowing that a bill will get signed if it gets passed, but with Gregoire's political capital ledger now being recorded in red ink, I'm not sure what else her tardy support will do for the cause.

Heh™.

driftglass. Just go see.

Shorter Rick Santorum...

I didn't say what I said, I said what I say I said.

Longer here.

Regarding Iowa...

...Darryl calls it...

The real winner last night: Barack Obama. Really, he won both caucuses.

Won the post-game, too, with today's recess appointments.

Chart of the day.

Via Laura Clawson...



So just how much are them that got gonna get?

As the Iowa caucus attendees assemble...

...I'm preparing to go perform a public act of folk music. I'm struggling to find a tune appropriate to the occassion. If Paul pulls it out, I suppose "I Owe A Lot To Iowa Pot" might work.

If you're in the neighborhood, drop by the perfect tavern and see what comes out of the songbag.

Back later to review the Iowa outcome.

From the "Me too" file.

Sir Charles...

I despise Ron Paul because he is a right wing lunatic, a racist, a purveyor of outlandish one-world conspiracy theories, a man who advocates a deregulated economy in which corporate power would have virtually no checks on it, and a withered federal state that would cease to perform virtually all of its current social welfare and regulatory functions.

Me too.