musicalnotes.jpgSome news of note:

– In which Glenn acquires a pen pal.  And so does Wired.  And so does the WaPo.  And so do a LOT of people.  Creepy?  You decide.  Idiosyncratic syntax? Oh yeah. Politicization of the military?  Oversight, anyone?

– John Edwards is set to deliver a fantastic speech in NH today.  Via Tracy Joan at DKos:

…It’s time to tell the truth. And the truth is the system in Washington is corrupt. It is rigged by the powerful special interests to benefit they very few at the expense of the many. And as a result, the American people have lost faith in our broken system in Washington, and believe it no longer works for ordinary Americans. They’re right.

As I look across the political landscape of both parties today – what I see are politicians too afraid to tell the truth – good people caught in a bad system that overwhelms their good intentions and requires them to chase millions of dollars in campaign contributions in order to perpetuate their careers and continue their climb to higher office….

If protecting the current established structure in Washington is in your interest, then I am not your candidate. I ran for president four years ago – yes, in part out of personal ambition – but also with a deep desire to stand for working people like my father and mother – who no matter how hard things were for our family, always worked even harder to make things better for us.

But the more Elizabeth and I campaigned this year, the more we talked to the American people, the more we met people just like my father, and hard working people like James Lowe. James is a decent and honest man who had to live for 50 years with no voice in the richest country in the world because he didn’t have health care. The more people like him that I met, the more I realized something much bigger was stirring in the American people. And it has stirred in each of us for far too long….

This is our time now. It falls to us[ ] to redeem our democracy, reclaim our government and relight the promise of America for our children.

Let us blaze a new path together, grounded in the values from which America was forged, still reaching toward the greatness of our ideals. We can do it. We can cast aside the bankrupt ways of Washington and replace them with the timeless values of the American people. We can liberate our government from the shackles of corporate money that bind it to corporate will, and restore the voices of our people to its halls….

Go read the whole thing.  Also of note, Iowa Dems have moved up their caucus date.  Just FYI.  Of course, the media is getting busy with such stimulating nonsense as the spousal relationships of candidates.  (H/T Digby)  Because, as Duncan says, there not exactly anything more important to discuss in a Presidential race while things are going so swimmingly, now is there?  (snark intended) 

– The Young Turks had a great interview with Paul Krugman today on the State of Liberalism.  Worth the watching and then some.

– Why is Sen. Mitch McConnell pushing earmarked funds for a British contractor under under “criminal investigation by the U.S. Justice Department and suspected by American diplomats of a “longstanding, widespread pattern of bribery allegations”?”  That’s not going to help his already sinking poll numbers in KY, now is it?

– More on the stalled Hans von Spakovsky nomination that I updated over the weekend.   The Campaign Legal Center says that Tanner’s testimony to the HJC tomorrow spells big problems for von Spakovsky.  And that it is all Bush’s fault.  Could it be without his patron Karl in the WH, that Ed Gillespie is less than willing to spend the political points necessary to save von Spakovsky, what with the FISA fight, the SCHIP fight, the Mukasey fight, the messes in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the pending budget fights, to name but a few, all simultaneously hitting the Bush Administration?  Guess we’ll see…

– CNet discusses the basics on IM privacy.  And why you likely have none at the moment based on the FISA revelations.  Speaking of FISA, this from the ACLU is particularly good:

Caroline Fredrickson, director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office said, “Congress bowed to the fear-mongering of the administration, yet again. Democrats should not capitulate to the administration. Letting the administration dictate the terms of this legislation once more will only doom us to repeat the disaster of the Protect America Act.”

The ACLU will continue to oppose any immunity deal – whether for telecom executives or for administration officials. “The administration is trying to cover its tracks. A dribble of documents provided to Congress is a case of too little, too late,” said ACLU Senior Legislative Counsel Timothy Sparapani.

“The ACLU will be working to oppose the Senate legislation unless it is redrafted to include individual warrants for when the government spies on Americans,” said Fredrickson. “Being constitutional is like being pregnant – either you are or you aren’t. And this bill isn’t. “

With “[s]eventy-four percent of Democrats, 60 percent of independents and even 46 percent of Republicans oppose tapping Americans without a warrant,” it seems that the majority of Americans agree with the ACLU. Please make some calls today.

– This is just appalling.

– And finally, TBogg is just funny.  And he has an excellent memory.

PS — Happiest of birthdays to eCAHNomics and recoveringlurker!