There has been a fair amount of misinformation and disinformation about what has been said by Marcy Wheeler on this blog about Jonathan Gruber, including by Paul Krugman; there was also no foundation for it.

The White House is placing a giant collective bet on Gruber’s “assumptions” to justify key portions of the Senate bill, which they allowed people to believe was independent verification. Now that we know that Gruber’s work was not that of an independent analyst but rather work performed as a contractor to the White House and paid for by taxpayers, it should be made publicly available so others can judge its merits.

Keep up the fearmongering, Republicans. Opinion polls by two major U.S. television networks show that the majority of the country’s citizens have faith in President Barack Obama’s ability to protect them from ”future acts of terrorism”. The survey results come despite a wave of strong criticism of the administration’s conduct following the recent failed attempt [...]

Haiti suffers a devastating earthquake.

Smokey Robinson and The Miracles — You Really Got A Hold On Me.

Is it part of God’s plan that there are just so many good Sarah Palin stories tonight? Sarah, I just can’t quit you.You are a long cold drink on a hot day. And speaking of drinking, it’s been announced that Palin will be the official keynote speaker at the Wine and Liquor Wholesalers of America [...]

Hey, remember when the Washington Post had that brilliant idea to host a “salon” at the boss’s house where lobbyists could pay to mingle with government officials and WaPo news staff? Ever wonder what happened to the guy who took the fall for it? Well, TPM found him.

In the dysfunctional health insurance market, high-cost does not equal high-value; and it is not comprehensiveness of coverage that is the primary predictor of who will be affected by the excise tax, rather it is the size of the firm they work for or the age of their co-workers. The fact that Chevy plans are about as likely to be taxed as Cadillac plans is one reason to be cautious about relying on such a tax.

One of the biggest stories at the North American International Auto Show yesterday was not the cars, but the congressional delegation–led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer–that came to the show.

The fact that the insurance industry and AHIP is behind the health care attack ads from the Chamber of Commerce is something we (and others) have suspected for months now. It’s finally been proven by Peter Stone at the National Journal.