Featuring new videos from Yo La Tengo and The Lee Boys.

Olbermann goes after O’Reilly directly for Bill-O’s distortions, lies, and dangerous invective. In return, Fox’s angry anchor goes after. . . not Olbermann, not Olbermann’s politics, but after Olbermann’s paycheck—after KO’s corporate bosses. . . . And then KO’s bosses and Bill-O’s bosses have a sit down.

Like me, I’m sure you’re all sick of watching “moderate” Democrats suck up to the right while dissing the left. But there is hope! Today, after many years of fruitless observation, I have finally discovered how to get one of them to absolutely go off on conservatives.

Exra Klein argues that the Public Option is not that important, and he points instead to the centrality of the exchange(s). It is easy to become confuse about what these two concepts do. Part II of a response.

Blue Dog Mike Ross benefits a great deal from the current state of health care in this country. But what about the people who he’s supposed to represent? According to a new report from the Main Street Alliance, the people in Ross’ state of Arkansas aren’t benefitting very much from the way things are.

Athenae notes that the NYT had three people–three reporters!!–live-blogging the “beer summit.”

What’s important about the memo leaked yesterday, revealed yesterday, from an army colonel advising American forces in Iraq that recommends an accelerated withdrawal of U.S. troops from that country? The long-overdue discussion of an obvious truth regarding the U.S. in Iraq: “The use of the military instrument of national power in its current form has accomplished all that can be expected.”

Three big health insurers are making tons of money, but not as much as they’d like. There’s plenty for lobbyists and Blue Dogs. Increasing profits to the levels they want is likely to be hard on the policyholders. Or taxpayers.

The effort by House progressives to stand together and push back against the Blue Dogs was successful. But it ain’t over by a long shot. If you’re with a blog that covers state politics and you’d like to be a a part of the effort, let us know in the form below.

Can somebody explain to me how calling these payments a “bonus,” which implies that is a reward for good performance, is not a fraud?