• Public option to be debated today.
• Bring them home, Mr. President.
• Somehow this will be “appeasement.”
• I missed this: JoeScar vs. Beck. 
• Uh, what?
• THE TEA PARTYS ARE WORKING!!!11!!1!
• Those Stalinists in Switzerland.

A story of modern media in four parts

The Ty Curtis Band – Real Kind Of Thing.  

What’s on your mind?

Not content with killing frogs on television, Beck steps into a vat of hot water with Katie Couric.

The U.S. lacks a credible, legitimate partner in our attempt to use counterinsurgency strategy as a means of counterterrorism, and in COIN operations you live and die by the legitimacy of the host nation government. The COIN manual goes so far as to call host nation government legitimacy the “north star.” Steadily rising attacks and maps of spreading insurgency are all symptoms of our lack of this fundamental prerequisite for the success of our chosen strategy. In addition, every single troop increase has been followed in the next year by an increased civilian casualty rate and a persistently increasing level of insurgent violence. Insurgents now have a significant presence in more than 90 percent of the country. Finally, evidence shows that even our humanitarian aid funneled through the military fuels violence in Afghanistan. We lack “serious” prospects for success; it is stretching to even say we have “credible” prospects for success. As such, our use of violence in pursuit of even humanitarian objectives only adds to the butcher’s bill in Afghanistan, and we can no longer be excused by our good intentions.

It appears the rank and file Blue Dogs don’t really think opposing a public option should be a top concern of their caucus. This seems to be in conflict with the Blue Dogs’ health care task force chairman Mike Ross’s firm opposition to any bill with a public option. Given the incredible cost saving potential of a robust public option, it might be getting hard to reconcile their claims of fiscal conservatism with opposition to a public option. It could also be that they have looked at the public option’s strong poll numbers in their districts and are having second thoughts.

Republicans are claiming that the proposed cuts in the subsidies to private insurers who offer Medicare Advantage will result in cuts in Medicare benefits, siting CBO. But CBO didn’t say that and the entire claim is false.

I’m at CEPR tonight celebrating with them.  Wherever you are tonight, please join us, and consider making a donation to CEPR to keep it going. We’ll be live on the YouStream above, taking questions that you leave in the comments.

Happy birthday, CEPR, and here’s hoping we celebrate many, many more with you because you are invaluable.

Between running big companies and buying power suits with shoulder pads you could land a 737 on, there are just not enough hours in the day for America’s rich executive-ladies. Whether it’s selling ink cartridges or beanie babies in bulk, it’s a fast-paced go go go go go life.

By now, you’ve probably heard the horrible story about the census worker and teacher found hanged in Clay County, KY with the word “fed” written on his chest.

Before we assume that this apparent homicide was a response solely to the attacks Michelle Bachmann and others have made on the census, it’s worth recalling how Clay County made news earlier this year, when a bunch of local officials were indicted for vote