File this in the Better Late Than Never category.  

A couple of weeks ago, the Department of State closed bidding on a new program to catalog and evaluate the U.S. Government’s efforts in "ministerial capacity development" in Iraq.  We don’t do nation-building, dontcha know.  This is different—it’s building capacity for governing within the Iraqi government ministries, which is completely different from nation-building.  I read the solicitation for bids at the link above, and there is some real interesting stuff in there.  None of it is a real surprise to anyone here, but it’s definitely noteworthy...

Because you don’t have enough plants in your garden.  Because you don’t feel like ponying up money for seeds when other people have them free for the asking.  Because you want to spread a little joy.

Thank you, Anthony Kennedy, Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, John Paul Stevens, and David Souter.  

Because of you, we have habeas corpus back.

Because of your decision, we don't have to depend on "because they wouldn't" take me in the night and hold me on secret evidence.  Now they can't.  

There's really not much more to say.

There's been a lot of talk about the decline of industrial employment in the US, particularly in the Rust Belt.  However, our real competition isn't necessarily China, but rather the EU.  

We can compete.  The demand for high-value manufactured products is out there and is growing.  We can pay family wages and still make a profit.  

More after the jump...

No, I'm not going to go all Jonathan Swift on you.  No cannibalism required, just a simple and yet radical reform of the primary process.  It seems rational to me, so it won't to you.  It's probably a political non-starter.  But here it is...

Every good sea story starts with an alarm and ends with a message.  Risk of death, personal heroics, etc. are also necessary.  I can't give credit by name where it's due, because the story isn't finished, but let's get started.  

This story takes place on the PACIFIC GLACIER, a 276' factory trawler...  

Health insurance and taxes, that is.  I’ve done up my taxes for this year, and came out with some interesting results when comparing my federal and state taxes to my health insurance costs.  Bear with me with some numbers after the jump...

I just got home from my local caucus in Seattle.  Never been before, probably will go back.  Here are my thoughts...

Parents quickly learn to read between the lines of what a child tells them, as children regularly split hairs on meanings (I wasn't jumping on the couch, I was stepping!).  Of course, you can apply these same skills to politicians and their statements.  I know this is a little bit of old news, but let's take a look at our good friend Ted Stevens.