As the 2006 midterm elections demonstrated, Americans do not like misconduct in public office. Misbehavior by those in the public eye, particularly those elevated to high public office, erodes our confidence in the institutions and traditions that under-gird our society. This is why the revelations about Miss USA Tara Conner, quickly followed by the scandal which led to the dethroning of Miss Nevada USA Katie Rees, were so terribly demoralizing.

Bob Novak is agog at what Hayden authorized Waxman to say (that he wouldn’t be wrong to say that Plame was, under some definition, covert). Booman forgets the fact that Valerie was so covert, her employment was verified by a Public Information Officer at the Agency.  And he just can’t, you know, believe that Novak keeps attacking her! Preston Taylor Holmes is saying what a lot of us were thinking,

“In the white man’s latest attempt to carry out the purge of outspoken Native American critics of western cultural hegemony from university campuses, the so-called U of Colorado ‘Regents’—neocolonialist, fascist protectors of white privilege, the lot of them—are trying to shorten the appeals process for dismissal of tenured professors to 100 days, all so they can avoid paying me with the blood money they’ve collected on the backs of the

But in this case, that’s a good thing.  And what it makes it doubly impressive is that Democratic state Sen. Chris Romer of Denver bucked his own party AND the Senate Education Committee, which is often nothing more than a rubber stamp for the teacher’s union, in order to support a commonsense education initiative.  From the Rocky Mountain News, “Bill pushes English”: Students would have to demonstrate mastery of English

If you want to be part of her world today, Sign here, save a pet, or pray–if you pray. Damage to an area of the brain behind the forehead, inches behind the eyes, transforms the way people make moral judgments in life-or-death situations, scientists are reporting today. In a new study, people with this rare injury expressed increased willingness to kill or harm another person if doing so would save

Believe it or not, I’m all for this—provided organizers agree to extend the boycott to government agencies.  Then again, I’m for anything that will shorten the lines at emergency rooms, the MVA, and the Wendy’s drive-thru—if only for a day—so color my support of the boycott, you know, opportunistic. Still.  It’s the thought that counts. Developing…

From today’s WSJ: […]Many Democrats believe an American defeat in Iraq is etched in granite. They would not be the first to lose heart and will in war. Yet it is one thing to give up on a cause; it is quite another to advocate legislation (17 different proposals in all, according to Sen. Mitch McConnell) that would guarantee failure even before a new strategy is given time to work.

First, there’s this: A House panel today brushed aside warnings from President Bush and voted to authorize subpoenas for political director Karl Rove and other administration officials in an inquiry into the Justice Department’s dismissal of eight U.S. prosecutors. The Judiciary subcommittee on commercial and administrative law passed the measure by a voice vote, with some “no’s” by Republicans. No roll call was taken. And this: Senator Patrick J. Leahy,

Goodness!  And after all that work Glenn Greenwald(s), Andrew Sullivan, and their perpetually-outraged band of sycophants have put in trying to convince anyone who will listen that neocons and Bushies are the real threats to the soul of America. Of course, Greenwald(s) and co. have of late been advocating that the morally depraved fascist deathmerchants who continue to support the Commander in Chief need be marginalized, dehumanized, and refused entry

Since last I looked the comments were down at Cathy’s site, please take a moment to go and sign the petition I set up. Kathryn Jean Lopez notes that her Technorati buzz is greater than Paris Hilton’s at the moment, a fact that would have amused her. (h/t Reynolds) Bob Owens has an inadequate response to a grieving father, as every such response must be. David Thompson has reflections on