Midday Open Thread

• President Obama met with the Pope today. No word on whether Obama gave him an iPod in the gift exchange, but the Pope certainly went all out:

  Benedict gave Obama a copy of a Vatican document on bioethics that hardened the church's opposition to using embryos for stem cell research, cloning and in-vitro fertilization.

• Well, this is embarrassing; a recent poll shows Governor Tim Pawlenty trailing President Obama by double digits ... in his own state.
• House Democrats are trying to lift the ban on federal funding for needle exchange programs. Expect a fight.
• Will the Pentagon ban smoking in the military?

  Pentagon health experts are urging Defense Secretary Robert Gates to ban the use of tobacco by troops and end its sale on military property, a change that could dramatically alter a culture intertwined with smoking.

• In related news:

  Evidence continues to mount that current Pentagon policies are inadequate to prevent racial extremists from joining and serving in the armed forces. In recent months, we have found dozens of personal profiles listing “military” as an occupation on a neo-Nazi website. Because the presence of extremists in the armed forces is a serious threat to the safety of the American public, we believe Congressional action is warranted.

• The New York Times is considering a $5 monthly fee to access them online.
• Freaking Blue Dogs.
• From the Department of You Can't Make This Shit Up:

   The federal government's most secure prison has determined that two books written by President Barack Obama contain material "potentially detrimental to national security" and rejected an inmate's request to read them

• Apparently everyone's favorite loon, Michele Bachmann (R-MN), isn't a fan of bike paths.
• MSNBC begins a segment with, "The Michael Jackson rumor mill continues to churn ..." How sad is that?
• And in today's news you wouldn't want to miss, Britain's royal family now has a Twitter account, although it seems that the Queen won't be tweeting herself.