Lazy Saturday punditry.
Gail Collins: things can always be worse.
No matter what dreadful embarrassment your state is facing, you can always console yourself by remembering that you do not live in New Jersey. On Thursday, a vast corruption sweep there netted three mayors, two state assemblymen, five rabbis and a guy who had allegedly been running an organ-trafficking business that has left swathes of the population of Moldova walking around with only one kidney.
Charles Blow:
Whether one thinks race was a factor in this arrest may depend largely on the prism through which the conflicting accounts are viewed. For many black men, it’s through a prism stained by the fact that a negative, sometimes racially charged, encounter with a policeman is a far-too-common rite of passage.
A New York Times/CBS News poll conducted last July asked: "Have you ever felt you were stopped by the police just because of your race or ethnic background?" Sixty-six percent of black men said yes. Only 9 percent of white men said the same.
Everyone's trying to walk it back:
Mr. Obama said he still considered the arrest "an overreaction," but added that "Professor Gates probably overreacted as well."
Great idea:
President hopes debate is "teachable moment"; invites Gates, arresting policeman to White House.
William Kristol: Obama attacks docs, cops, mom, apple pie, Chevrolet, Everett Koop, Albert Schweitzer, Albert Einstein, Albert Gore, Mickey Mantle and Mother Theresa (let me check my notes - did I leave anyone out? It needn't be true - I'm William Kristol.)
William L. Iggiagruk Hensley:
The Inuit have a word, "qivit," that you do not want to have applied to you. It means to quit or give up when the going gets rough. In traditional times, and that was very recent, if you gave up as a leader you were jeopardizing yourself and everyone around you. It takes a lot of effort to maintain life in the bitter cold of the Arctic.
Now who might that apply to?? Hint: The Raven notes that the Inuit "qivit" means "point guard". Also.
National Journal bloggers and insiders on health reform.
From your federal government:
Today, we joined together with White House Homeland Security Advisor John Brennan and Dr. Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at the request of Democratic and Republican leaders in the House and Senate, to brief members of Congress on preparation for the H1N1 flu virus this fall.
We updated a bipartisan group of members on planning efforts by government agencies and the health community to prepare the nation. We asked them to join in our efforts to encourage Americans across the country to begin planning and preparing for the fall flu season.
Blogger call with John Brennan and Rich Besser here. As per my question, flu.gov now has this prominently displayed on the front page. See also Swine Flu Basics and for daily news, Flu Wiki (scroll down to today's date).