Weekend Odds and Ends

I hadn't planned to do one of these today, but just found too much good stuff to post...

Via Slate magazine, a look back at what a fun adventure we've been having-



In depressing news, it does appear that all the attacks against Sen. Obama (which appear to be originating from the top levels of the Clinton camp) are having an impact. Polls show that Obama's previous leads in Indiana and North Carolina are now on shaky ground. Just a reminder to all Americans that fear and division trumps hope and change any day. Now where's my flag pin, I'm so proud.

Sen. Obama, meanwhile, gave a press conference today on the economy. OMG issues!

And Sen. Clinton continues sounding more and more like a Republican in her joining the gas tax holiday pander. Echoing President Bush's war on terror soundbyte-- and also completing misrepresenting the facts on what her proposal would do-- she said today to her colleagues in Congress, "I want to know where people stand and I want them to tell us, are they with us or against us when it comes to taking on the oil companies?" And her aide Howard Wolfson says "We believe the presidency requires leadership... There are times that a president will take a position that a broad support of quote-unquote experts agree with. And there are times they will take a position that quote-unquote experts do not agree with." Agreed, experts schmexperts!

Fear not, though, supporters of sane policies! Speaker Pelosi has made clear that she opposes this proposal.

Meanwhile, Michael Moore discussed the election with Larry King. Watch it on YouTube (Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6).

In legislative news, Sens. Feingold and Klobuchar, and Rep. Ellison, are responding to the Supreme Court's voter ID decision by proposing a bill "to help more Americans register to vote by allowing Election Day registration at polling places for all federal elections."

Let's hope that congressional Republicans don't run away from it like they are with Sen. Webb's GI Bill.

Finally, our Vice President really is a Bond villain: "Efforts to protect the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale from being killed by ships are being blocked by Vice President Dick Cheney according to leaked documents."

Finally, a good read from The Washington Independent: 'How Fraud Fueled Mortgage Crisis'