Somewhere in the last few weeks, the Beltway stupor has begun to lift on obstructionist tactics.  Sort of. When even Norm Ornstein raises his eyes from the muck and sees a need for finger wagging, you know there’s been some sternly worded chatter over manchego and port in Georgetown.

• Will it pass?
• Oh no she di’nt!
• It is South Carolina, after all.
• Jacko’s obit. And Farrah’s.
• Who Would Jesus Shoot?
• Aravosis isn’t impressed.
• Name that lobbyist. 
• Sean Hannity, pallin’ around with terrorists.

Stay classy there Terry

Leningrad Cowboys with The Red Army Choir – Just A Gigolo.

What’s on your mind tonight?

I’d always considered Sanford sort of a clown, so when he behaved clownishly, I chuckled. I had always been certain that he lived where motley is worn, and shazam! I was right. Nothing changed utterly, a farcical press conference was born. To borrow a phrase.

Premier California state blog Calitics joined the Firedoglake whip of the House of Representatives today, exhorting their readers and members to contact California’s congressional delegation to ask for a promise to vote against any health care package that excludes a public option.

The confusion over the use of torture to produce “false confessions” has led the discussion over torture down some terrible by-ways. Hence you have the bizarre debate in the U.S. today between those who believe the Bush administration solely used torture to produce false confessions over Iraq, because that’s all torture can produce, false confessions, and on the other side, those like Cheney who assure us that torture does work, and

It’s important to learn lessons from the things we do so that we can do better the next time around. There are many lessons the White House can take away from last Wednesday’s announcement about benefits to gay Federal employees. Monday morning quarterbacking is far easier than governing, so this analysis is meant with the intention to help the White House get it right the next time, the time after that, and the time after that and…..Get my drift?

Ryan Grim at the Huffington Post is reporting that in a closed door meeting of the Senate Finance Committee, John Kerry proposed including a ten-year trigger in the healthcare bill.

News of Dan Froomkin’s contract not being renewed broke on Thursday, and on Saturday Washington Post CEO and Publisher Katharine Weymouth spoke at Medill’s commencement. It sure sounded like she liked the kind of journalism practiced by Dan Froomkin . . . which ought to worry Fred Hiatt.