It is never a good idea to get focused on the politics instead of results of your policy. When you do you wind up making bad policy and still get hammered politically.

It is always kind of sad when someone who thinks they are a big ass kicker writes a column trying to be tough but coming off whinny. Marc Thiessen’s column in the Washington Post today is a perfect example.

Think that Medicare for all is something that has to be done all at once nationally? Thank again, Libby MT. has it, and so could the rest of the nation, if HR 676 could be passed.

• Obama defends Operation Stupid.
• Fiscal conservatism, GOP-style.
• Democrats to the rescue!
• Some good news for a change.
• What Digby said.

Rick Santorum will gladly take the medicare money you would not be allowed to have…by Rick Santorum.

Mary J. Blige — Come Rain or Come Shine.

Holy toboggans could wingnuts come up with a more racist video? Probably, but still, this video is pretty damn racist.

One of the bits of local background noise you’ll be hearing during your Netroots Nation 11 weekend in Minneapolis will be on the looming state government shutdown. There are at least a couple of ways one could fight back against this sort of asshattery: March on down to the State Capitol and make yourself heard, or show your support for two groups that Republicans seem to hate more than anyone else: poor people and brown-skinned people. Luckily, there’s a really easy way for you netrootsers to do the latter (and tweak the noses of some corporatist Dems as well)…

Must be nice to have an almost unlimited number of bigoted rubes willing to open their wallets whenever h8 comes calling. Case in point: Charles Cooper, losing lead attorney guiding the ProtectMarriage consiglieres to defeat at every single stage of the Prop 8 trial, announced Oh, Hell Yes, They Will Appeal Chief Judge James Ware’s eloquent, swift beatdown of their horrific motion to order Judge Vaughn Walker to recuse himself because, you know what — he’s Ghey!

Proposed $47 million cuts in the program of nutrition for Women, Infants and Children will make it that more difficult for pregnant women and small children, literally, to survive. These cuts are extended by Pentagon spending increases.