Wow. It's already the end of January; where does the time go?
Does it go into the endless sea of frustration and rage and triumph and joy and little results that is American politics?
Does it get lost in the myriad things-to-do of the day-to-day?
Does it disappear into the void as new and flashier memories replace the old and fading dull ones?
I could sit here all day writing deep thoughts for the weekend...but let's be honest, you're here for the ITEMS. So let's get to it!
ITEM! Chutzpah, thy name is Tony Blair. More here.
ITEM! The Taliban has yet to make up their mind whether to talk with Karzai. More here. Assuming that it's not a bluff or a stall (which is never a safe assumption), that's a vast improvement over being determined to destroy your enemy by any means necessary.
ITEM! benvero writes in this diary:
The response here to the President's Question Time (of which, admittedly, I've only seen 20 minutes or so) has been quite interesting...maybe even compelling. The wild swings of a thousand political pendulums that have characterised dkos for the past 6 months either deifying or vilifying Obama just...plain...stopped.
Hello? What just happened?
...
Last night, you saw a moderate on TV. And, liberal as you might be, disagreements as you might have, you enjoyed the show and felt inspired by it.
Well, yes, but it's not because the President was moderate. It's because the President showed some big, titanium-steel balls this week. Like it or not, we humans are tribal, and Democrats reward our tribal heroes. This is one reason why Alan Greyson isn't going to lack for campaign funds in 2010. (Right?)
ITEM! Al Franken has proposed legislation to fix the campaign finance mess that the Supreme Court has started:
The "American Elections Act of 2010" will keep foreign interests out of our elections by:
· Banning election contributions and spending by corporations that are controlled or highly influenced by foreign nationals (foreign governments, companies, and persons). This includes:
- Corporations that receive most of their financing from foreign nationals.
- Corporations where foreign nationals hold a controlling share of stock (as defined under leading corporate law) or a majority of the Board of Directors.
- Corporations that allow foreign nationals to control or participate in their political activities - including ad spending, donations, and political action committees.
· Requiring all corporations to certify, before giving or spending in elections, that they are in compliance with these requirements.
· Requiring all corporations to disclose in their political advertising how much of their company is controlled by foreign nationals, or if this isn't possible, how much of their financing comes from foreign nationals.
Read all about it here.
This is why I love this guy. Now..let's see who backs him up, and who doesn't.
ITEM! CBS has rejected another Super Bowl ad that might speak to gay issues; more here. These guys are awfully homophobic for a network that's broadcasting a screamingly homoerotic event, complete with passes, tight ends, end zones, scores, phallic images during halftime, and lots of balls. Just saying.
MICE!
These ARE our mice. Nema on the left, Molly on the right.
ITEM! Chicago's legendary Pump Room is dying, slowly, agonizingly, painfully....as the Tribune makes all too clear here.
All I have to say in response is that their editor did a hell of a job casting just the right pall over the joint. (Keep that in mind kids..editors have a LOT of power over how your story reads.)
ITEM! Barack Obama is working with, of all people, Orrin "This Means War" Hatch, in a bipartisan effort to fix college football. More here.
Q: Why the hell would either of these people be interested in this?
A: Because Utah should have been the champs last year, that's why.
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