Midday open thread

• 99 updates on the Minnesota Senate race/recount/legal contest? If nothing else, WineRev has stamina.
• SC Gov. Mark Sanford, already running for president in 2012, wants to reject $700 million in stimulus money.

  If Sanford can't use the money to lower the debt and lawmakers let that decision stand, then Sanford said he would refuse the $700 million, which then would go to other states.

  "There are consequences to every decision we make in life, and I'm comfortable with the consequences of this one," Sanford said. "The easiest thing in the world would have been to accept the money and move on, but it would be completely at odds with the decision-making framework that I've used over the last 15 years of my life."

  It may be great politics, but not so great for the people of South Carolina now facing the second-highest unemployment rate in the country, and even the state's Republican legislature isn't happy about it.

  South Carolina's Republican-controlled General Assembly is poised to rebuff Sanford and seek the stimulus money on its own.

  Republican legislators who have clashed with Sanford for years over his radical anti-spending stances joined Democrats in an overwhelming vote Monday to include $350 million in stimulus money in the 2009-2010 state budget.

  Asked how he could block the money with his state's 10.4 percent unemployment rate, Sanford responded:

  When he was asked how he could reject federal money when his state's unemployment rate was cresting 10 percent, he responded: “There will be no immediate answer. … Reforming state government: that can lead to job growth in the state.”

  Does that even make sense? Reforming state government leads to job growth? What? That's so stupid, even Sarah Palin is shaking her head. (Joe the Plumber, on the other hand, probably thinks it's sheer genius.) On the other hand, plenty of other states not stupid enough to elect someone like Mark Sanford governor would be more than happy to take that $700 million in stimulus money.

• The NY Times is being forced to sell their private jet. Anyone in the market for one of those?
• So this morning's Abbreviated Pundit Roundup didn't get posted because of an internal scheduling mishap. What's funny is that I got a bunch of emails of people outraged at the omission. I think the APR may be one of the most popular regular features on the site.
• Rep. Shadegg and Sen. Vitter have a plan that saves the economy and costs nothing! And gives free ponies to little girls too!

  The details of the plan? Drill baby drill. Literally.

• This "going Galt!" thing isn't going so well for the wingers.
• Stop picking on corporate America!
• Yup, Ari Fleischer is the worst person in the world.
• Paul Kanjorski is begging for a primary challenge.