Political Bloviation

via Firedoglake » Sanford Concedes Defeat.
This is a true classic of American politics. It was rambling, disjointed and borderline incoherent. It’s up there with the ‘62 “You won’t have Richard Nixon to kick around anymore” speech.

Gail Collins distills the wisdom of the Wasilla Wonder to it’s essence:
“And a problem in our country today is apathy,” she said on Friday as she announced that she would resign as governor of Alaska at the end of the month. “It would be apathetic to just hunker down and ‘go with the flow.’ Nah, [...]

Palin to Resign as Governor of Alaska – The Caucus Blog – NYTimes.com.
She’s obviously positioning herself for a presidential run in 2012. Let the fun begin! How will she top the proud ignorance and narscism of the last run? I hope the Sarah sideshow remains a big part of GOP politics for many years to [...]

Slashdot Technology Story | GPS-Based System For Driving Tax Being Field Tested.
This seems waaaay over the top in a big-brother sort of way.

Apple has released a beta version of firmware 3.1 to developers, which is includes the following enhancements:
* Options for MMS are back on AT&T, but not sending or receiving.
* Non-destructive video editing means trimming a clip no longer saves over the original video but gives you the option to “Save as copy…”
* Voice Control now [...]

Oxdown Gazette » American Prospect’s Public Health Plan Debate, Part I.
This is an interesting debate about the relative virtues of “strong” vs “weak” public plans and the interaction with insurance exchanges. I was in grad school for an Masters in Public Health at Emory, specifically looking at the role on insurance on the delivery of [...]

Yes, it’s over call it a day…
In honor of “never say quit” Coleman:

via The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan.
Beck agrees that we need another 9/11 attack to “save” us from the evil socialist plot that is the Obama administration.

Health care is not a bowl of cherries – Paul Krugman Blog – NYTimes.com.
Krugman notes that Kenneth Arrow pointed out 45 years ago that competitive markets don’t work in health insurance market. I read and quoted Arrow in a paper I wrote years ago while studying health policy and economics in college. How is it [...]

Court Rules Franken Has Won Senate Seat – The Caucus Blog – NYTimes.com.
Well OK then, can we finally move on now? Oh right not while there’s still wankers who want to mount challenges to the vote for no other reason than to drag it out as long as possible.

The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan.
Andrew is pissed and cynical about the Waxman climate change bill and the federal government in general:
Watching how this government can do nothing to reform healthcare, nothing to end the wars and occupations that drain the coffers, nothing to tackle entitlements even as the country teeters toward complete insolvency, [...]

I’ve had a chance to spend a week with the new iPhone.
Favorite new features:

Landscape mode available in many more places
Automatic login screen for encrypted wi-fi
Speedier!! Upgraded CPU from 400 to 600 mhz
Oleophobic screen coating (fewer greasy fingerprints)
Brighter screen
Louder external speaker
Better (but not perfect) Bluetooth profiles
Retained the form factor of the original 3G (wide variety of [...]

It fills me with sadness. I have conflicted feelings about Michael Jackson. He was a victim of his own family’s greed and a target for opportunists. He may well have been a serial child molester. I don’t know if he was or not. I am certain he was a truly one of a kind talent [...]

How exactly is justice served by not allowing existing evidence to be tested? The DNA testing is not expensive and the defendant has offered to pay the cost. Why not let him? Why exactly would Alaska oppose it in the first place?
If it’s not his DNA, then justice is served by allowing him to exonerate [...]

Neda shot by the Basiji police – Iranian Riots and Protests
The death of an innocent galvanizes protesters in Iran and across the globe. A man and his teen daughter are watching, but not participating in the protests, when an unseen sniper hits her in the upper chest. It’s hard to watch. She literally bleeds out [...]

AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: With poll numbers like this, why are Democrats caving?.
Good Question indeed, with 72% supporting a public plan why are democrats running from it as if their lives depended on being as far away as possible?
Hmmmm, maybe it has something to do with the money people like Senator [...]

Economist’s View: “Russian Flat Tax Myth and Fact”.
If facts do matter then here’s a study that says the productivity gains claimed by supply-side economics fans are small. Mark Thoma notes:
The lack of a significant productivity response undercuts the main supply-side argument that cuts in taxes produce increased growth in output that generates a [...]

Sadly, No » It’s Got A Good Beat And You Can Dance To It.
Enjoy “God Hates the World” sang to the music of “We Are the World” by America’s sickest “church”. Sadly it’s not a parody, it’s normal fare for the Westboro Baptist Church.

via HOW FOX NEWS OPENED AMERICA – New York Post.
Favorite right wing warmonger Chuckie C, much like the man he’d most like to publicly fellate quoted above, drops this little nugget of truth: “What Fox did is not just create a venue for alternative opinion. It created an alternate reality.”
The sad days of “everyone is [...]

Lieberman vs. Lieberman | Media Matters Action Network.
Opposing funding the troops is only bad if your enemies do it, otherwise it’s a bold expression of patriotism!