Longtime Phils announcer and voice of NFL Films Harry Kalas collapsed in the Phillies broadcast booth before the game today in Washington. He died about an hour later. I’m glad he got to call the Phils’ World Series win last year. He was denied that honor in 1980 because of the archaic blackout rules then in effect. I will personally miss his voice, his style, and his gentle demeanor. God bless, Harry.

1976 surely was a magical year. *

Called the Green Room. Karl’s there, William Jacobson of Legal Insurrection, Treacher, Slublog, other folks. Wish they’d made it an open diary place, like they’ve got over at Power Line, but I’m sure there will be some good writing from this crew.

It appears as though maybe at least one candidate for Obama’s Senate seat was willing to play some serious ball in exchange for Blago’s “golden thing.” Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s camp was told last year that U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) would raise up to $5 million in campaign cash for the ex-governor if he was appointed to President Obama’s U.S. Senate seat, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned. The

I haven’t really pushed the Tax Day Tea Party movement here, because you can find references to the activities everywhere, but Roxanne, lead blogger for what may well be the lead site, asked that I share my views with you and link to her site. What do I think about it? I agree with Donald Douglas: I tell you what: In my experience of 25 years of political participation and

In addition to my post, there’s a new (well-written and informative) Wiki up regarding Mr. Wone and the case. Perhaps someone with Wiki-fu can take my piece on Dean Johnson and Jeremy Conklin and wiki that up, too. Little Miss Attila has a post up drawing the patterns in the two together, and numerous commenters have provided interesting reads on the stories, including that the Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit

Jane Hamsher shows for a counter-Tea Party rally in DC that draws a couple dozen people. She claims that Fox News is financing the movement, though she later moves the goal posts. Just how far those goal posts are going to be moved is the question of the moment. Do go view the video of her frozen smile as she begs off answering the interviewer’s question. Really, the whole disinformation

Slate’s Daniel Politi on the day after Captain Phillips’s rescue by sharpshooters and the crew of the Bainbridge (link and emphasis mine): The American service members acted when the pirates appeared to be getting nervous and recognizing they they had no way out. The LAT talks to one elder in the port city of Eyl, a pirate haven, who says the pirates had dropped their demands for a ransom and