FU - FairAndUNbalanced.com

• A focus group provides a few fascinating insights into swing voters and their reactions to President Obama. Tommy Christopher of Mediaite fame gives a very good analysis of the analysis. Tommy Christopher is one of the best unrecognized pundits on the national scene. Here's my prediction. The unrecognized part won't last much longer.

• The Heathen Republican haunts this week's Republican debate as a ghost candidate for President. I might vote for him if I was a conservative, which I'm not, and a Republican, which I'm not, and kind of a kook. I suppose one out of three is enough to consider it ... Okay, consideration time is over.

• Infidel753 summarizes in a few sentences, with some links, the entire spectrum of punditry about the Republican field.

• Nancy Hanks at The Hankster finds that independent voters are angry and frustrated about the economy but don't support any particular economic strategy. Uh huh. What can possibly go wrong with that approach?

• Manifesto Joe of Texas Blues suggests that, with Labor Day, perhaps we might give some thought to how the country was built.

• Extreme conservative FUNGAZI.COM makes a surprisingly good case that unemployment is underestimated but concludes that President Obama has done a poor job of preventing illegal immigration. I dunno. The Obama administration has increased deportations by about 6% over President Bush. Increasing the removal of criminals by 70 percent seems to be a pretty good result of policy changes.

• Hey ! SJ is back with RANDOM THOUGHTS. He doesn't much care for exploiters who are bribing politicians to look away while they screw over employees. It's been happening since about forever. Welcome back, SJ.

• Jack Jodell, friend of the working blogger at THE SATURDAY AFTERNOON POST, reviews how FDR's huge mistake in 1937 almost caused a second depression and hopes President Obama isn't repeating history.

• James Wigderson makes the case for school choice: that is, parents should be free to choose. Unfortunately he argues largely on the basis that he didn't like school when he was a kid. He is such a talent. It's a shame.

• Our favorite developing spiritual leader at Why do we have to do this, Sir? takes a deep breath, looks about his temporarily empty classroom and braces himself.

• Chuck Thinks Right documents another example of the depths to which humans can go. Chuck is brief. He lets the story pretty much tell itself, then asks the right questions.

• First among equals in Mad Mike's America, Michael John Scott, takes a dim view of those who quite literally applaud state executions. Full disclosure: I am opposed to the death penalty. Here's the main reason why. But I was once a death penalty advocate until a corrupt Republican politician took a courageous stand and turned me around.

• Tim McGaha at Tim's Thoughtful Spot writes about a total failure in life who is pretty much responsible for the fact that the US is still around.

• Slant Right's John Houk takes a brief break from hating Muslims to write a glowing ode to Glenn Beck and, in the very first sentence, manages to spell his name wrong. But Houk laments that Glen (or Glenn as the rest of humanity knows him) is a Mormon. Not as bad as Muslims but you know Jesus hates a lot of people and John Houk is nothing if not a follower.

• Our favorite conservative frequently contributes to this web site, and we are grateful. Back at Saving Common Sense, T. Paine mentions gays and Muslims only in an aside, and quotes Archbishop Charles Chaput ("a brilliantly moral man"), arguing that tolerance is not a Christian virtue. Quite so. Jesus, amplified by the Apostle Paul, agree, although not in a way T. Paine and the good Archbishop might recognize. Jesus and his first century follower were not satisfied with tolerance, rather insisting on that greatest of Christian virtues. Perhaps, Mr. Paine, his Archbishop, and the rest of us, should take notes.

• Miss Capri at Christians Breaking Chain Forwards tells about a few other sites that oppose or encourage the viral email messages she fights against.

• Gwendolyn Barry with New Global Myth is back with a view about government monitoring of opposing views it considers subversive. She presents some evidence that is going on.

• At What’s Wrong with the World Lydia McGrew explains that liberals actually want to force women to have abortions. Has something to do with Biden's gaffe expressing tolerance for China's coercive one child per couple policy. I suppose I'm simply not introspective enough, having never suspected that I was for in favor of controlling such choices.

• Slant Right's John Houk is hopeful that Sarah Palin may become a presidential candidate. Along the way, he expresses anger that liberals (like me, I think) try to suppress freedom of speech by conservatives (like him) by calling them "racists, terrorists, and hobbits." I dunno. Seems to me that bigotry is part of freedom of speech. But so is calling it what it is. Am I suppressing your freedom by exercising my own? However, liberals should exhibit a little more restraint. We should refrain from calling John Houk a hobbit.

• The Heathen Republican objects to a spate of articles speculating on whether Rick Perry is unintelligent. He links to those then, in the interest of fairness, links to articles on whether President Obama is dumb. I'm okay with the contrast, I suppose, if conservatives feel like going there. In fact, like Heathen, I'm fine with the entire dumb argument.

• About a month ago, a Judge Judy segment was posted by a Christian right wing site. A young fellow told the Judge that, as a student, he got help from Ramsey County, MN on his rent. But didn't actually pay rent with it because he lived for free with his girl friend. It went viral in conservative circles. The reaction ranged from overtly racist, since the fellow was black, to a reasonable objection to fraud.

  Our favorite conservative, T. Paine, gets in on the act in Saving Common Sense. He posts the video and opines that the fellow "makes up a significant proportion of those that we tax payers are supporting. The title, "Where Too Much of Our Taxpayer Dollars Go" is a near tautology, since any amount of fraud is too much. No information is provided on the program, the size, whether it still exists, what enforcement of rules is attempted, or even how old the video is.

  Still it is absolute proof that efforts to help many must be abandoned if they are misused by even one. Right?

• Nancy Hanks at The Hankster explores the racial diversity of Independent voters. Seems like everyone gets in on the act.

• Jack Jodell, friend of the working blogger at THE SATURDAY AFTERNOON POST, explains why conservative think tanks should be regarded skeptically. Okay, so his well researched article is a bit stronger than that.

• Political punditry does get tiresome at times. Michele Bachmann made a joke about east coast earthquakes and hurricanes and serious, very serious, ever so serious liberals (which is to say those more mature than I) stomped on her for it. Holte Ender, living in Mad Mike's America, takes a different approach, approving of Bachmann's hiring of the best conceivable campaign manager.

• Tommy Christopher of Mediaite fame explores a developing Texas story about Perry, death, taxes, and state and private investor gambling on which teachers will die.

• James Wigderson provides a pretty good conservative analysis of the Wisconsin Senate race. Seems everyone's negatives are so high nobody can win. James seems to hope for another Republican candidate. I would nominate Wigderson. If I was a conservative. And a voting Republican. And living in Wisconsin. But I'm not, and I'm not, and I'm not. So I can't.

• Tim McGaha is back at Tim's Thoughtful Spot. He speculates on what it must have been like to be an aeronautical engineer in the 1950's. Some short, fascinating, video is included. It was an exciting time of dramatic technological advancement.

• In Why do we have to do this, Sir?, our favorite spiritual leader explains how a passage from the Gospel of Matthew is often misused and abused in administering Church authority.

• Vincent of A wayfarer's notes takes us through the history of a 4,000 year old epic tale, including surviving tablets and Old Testament variants. No, the Bible was not written by God. Vincent shows us that a story of friendship and loss can be timeless.

• Our John Myste at John Myste Responds begins the behind the scenes story of the ancient origins of Aesop's Fables but falls asleep.

• The Heathen Republican asks that liberals like me submit to a 15 month test of Keynesian economics. If the economy eventually rebounds without it, we'll admit it is wrong. The problem with that approach is that eventual recovery does not contradict Keynesianism. It's akin to saying that, if a smoker survives a cancer operation, we should promote smoking in elementary schools. Massive economic stimulus tends to speed recovery, avoiding severe hardship to real life people. The Bush stimulus, amplified by Obama, was too small to avoid hardship, but it did stop the slide to full blown depression.

  This chart has been making the rounds. A larger version is posted by Steve Benen. The red section is the economy with President Bush, the blue with President Obama. It's an eye test. If you can see a difference you are a Keynesian.

• At Mad Mike's America conservative Milton Thornridge suggests angry ways to make politicians shape up. I dunno. Term limits? I'd rather apply a reduction or elimination of pay until the economy improves.

• Our own T. Paine at Saving Common Sense attacks President Obama for attacking the explosion in National Debt as candidate while presiding over deficits while in office. Query. Since the Bush recession and the Bush tax cuts for the fabulously wealthy turned a surplus into a deficit, would efforts to end said recession and let the Bush tax cuts expire count at all?

• Tommy Christopher of Mediaite fame introduces us to a Jack Cafferty rant against the mental vacuity of Republican front runners. I take what I think is a more sympathetic view but, as can be seen by the comments and by an acerbic response from guest Heathen Republican, I manage to offend anyway.

• James Wigderson speculates on the next Senator from Wisconsin. He seems impatient with Republican possibilities and he has about given up on Democrats. These are the times that try the souls of Wisconsin conservatives.

• Infidel753 has a wonderful video about an intrepid reporter who journeys out to confront a bigot and finds a bit of a surprise.

• Class warfare is turning against the poor and middle class. Jack Jodell, friend of the working blogger at THE SATURDAY AFTERNOON POST, has nothing but admiration for many wealthy individuals.

• Nancy Hanks at The Hankster conducts an informal poll on how political parties are listed on ballots.

• Independent Daily finds a bit of satire that was inspired by Nancy's piece.

• Our favorite spiritual leader at Why do we have to do this, Sir? talks to a Sunday group about the identity of Jesus and our relationship with God and demonstrates one reason he is our favorite spiritual leader.

• Slant Right's John Houk has found himself captivated by a book theorizing that a KGB operative plotted with the FBI and the CIA and President Clinton to elect a stealth spy named Obama whose job it is to turn America into a Marxist-Socialist society. It is a breathtakingly astonishing account of John Houk reading a book.

• Chuck Thinks Right thinks it unfair that so many pundits speculate about how Governor Chris Christie will handle the coming hurricane. John Houk, who has recently learned to read, might point Chuck to news reports of the last natural emergency to hit New Jersey. Seems the Governor took a vacation to Disneyland while his Lieutenant Governor ran off to Mexico. However, the capable state Senate presiding officer, a Democrat, handled the emergency very well in their absence. Do you suppose he is available for hurricane duty?

• Manifesto Joe of Texas Blues recounts a Texas scheme from a few years ago in which Governor Perry almost closed a deal with a huge insurance company to insure teachers, have the state take the proceeds if they died, leaving families with nothing. Government at its best. The very flower of conservative governance.

• James Wigderson really, really hates recall elections. Although he doesn't put it this way, his point seems to be that elections are pointless unless your side wins.

• Slant Right's John Houk educates Jews on how to be Jewish. Seems any Jew who does not see all Arabs as seeking to destroy all Jews is trying to help fulfill the ubiquitous Arab dream of driving all Jews into the sea. When he finishes educating Jews, he will presumably resume instructing those of us who are Christian on who Jesus wants us to hate.

• Ned Williams at Wisdom Is Vindicated is back, explaining why respect for the innocent human life growing inside a woman's body overrules the rights of that same woman.

• Manifesto Joe of Texas Blues considers the proposition by a Texas Congressional Representative that President Obama should be impeached. The proposed reason is, well, just because.

• Tommy Christopher of Mediaite fame examines the call by Fareed Zakaria that liberals, like ... well ... me, should grow up. I dunno. I've been living by the code that, while I may be too old to be young, I'll never be too old to be immature.

• Our favorite conservative, a continuous contributor here at Fair and UNbalanced, T. Paine also has his own site Saving Common Sense. This week he examines the proposition, advanced by Louis Farrakhan, that the real terrorists in the world are members of the US military. I can hardly wait to explain that to the United States Marine in our family, soon to be deployed to Afghanistan.

• Nancy Hanks at The Hankster presents a guest view of Rush Limbaugh you don't hear much. He's hit a different sort of new low. It is that nobody cares about his new low.

• Our favorite John Myste, a prolific contributor here, has his own site at John Myste Responds. He slams conservatives who Breitbart the recent Standard and Poor's report that downgraded America's credit rating. Myste says they selectively quote, distorting the report, and thoroughly documents the accusation. T. Paine, whom we also point to as a worthy contributor here, refutes John Myste. He offers as proof the fact that he ... well ... has quoted the report. Sigh.

• Chuck Thinks Right is thrilled that some anonymous source has Joe Biden referring to Tea Party Representatives as terrorists after they held the American economy hostage. The reason he says it makes him happy is that it annoys President Obama. - - Wow. My take on the entire too-insulted-for-words controversy.

• Dorothy Anderson, who lives in Mad Mike's America, celebrates the freeing of three accused child killers who, as it turns out, are very likely innocent. Now, if we could only get some interest in a similar case here in Missouri.

• Vincent of A wayfarer's notes is about the only writer that deeply infuriates me. I enjoy writing. I really do. But I work at it. I have to. It's the only way I can write. This guy has a hard time writing this week. So he writes about how he has a hard time writing. And he makes it interesting. Interesting! I'm so de-pressed. Click and see what I mean.

• Max's Dad congratulates Michele Bachmann for winning the votes of the rapidly growing voting bloc nobody ever thinks of.

• Miss Capri at Christians Breaking Chain Forwards gets irritated at chain letters that carry death threats. Forward this. One lady discarded it, and a house dropped on her sister!

• The Heathen Republican rejects the idea that human rights come from any Creator. Our heathen contemplates the entire matter and, although not putting it this way, decides that the source of our rights is Thomas Jefferson. If Jefferson didn't say it, it isn't a right.

• Jack Jodell, friend of the working blogger at THE SATURDAY AFTERNOON POST, makes it clear. He does not hate wealthy people. No class warrior he.

• Our own "Consider This" has discovered an unusual Superhero, a for real costumed crime fighter in Seattle.

• Slant Right's John Houk is extremely disappointed with Ann Coulter. He hates that she doesn't hate enough hated people.

• Our favorite John Myste at John Myste Responds finds himself defending diversity of opinion. We must all be tolerant of other opinions. Even those that are entirely loathsome. Kind of nostalgic, actually. Takes me back to the good old days when Lena Horne and Sheriff Clark danced cheek to cheek.

• The Heathen Republican is the only undeclared candidate to participate in the Ames Republican debate in writing. My own first act if elected President would be to demand a recount.

• C.H. McDermott, residing peacefully in Mad Mike's America, watches political debates so we don't have to. His account of a boring encounter in Ames this week is witty, engaging, and informative. I think I hate this writer. Ha-ha-ha, just kidding. g-r-r-r-r

• Tommy Christopher of Mediaite fame explains why Newt objected to a gotcha question at the Ames debate. I kind of like Newt, ever since he was defanged for unintentional honesty.

• T. Paine devotes Saving Common Sense, after the debate, to ranking the contenders.

• Tim McGaha at Tim's Thoughtful Spot looks ahead, handicapping the upcoming primaries. Good, clean, highly speculative fun.

• Kent Pittman, writing from Open Salon adds a bit of context to the tax-breaks versus share-the-pain tug-o-war between the extremely wealthy and the impoverished.

• Max's Dad finds a reason to get enthused about Senator Ben Nelson. Has to do with welfare, conservative politicians, and small furry animals.

• Manifesto Joe of Texas Blues takes apart a fledgeling Republican myth-in-the-making: that the Clinton Surpluses never actually happened. Conservatives take alternate reality to a new level.

• Jack Jodell, friend of the working blogger at THE SATURDAY AFTERNOON POST doesn't much like the direction unbridled capitalism is taking us.

• Nancy Hanks at The Hankster makes the case that, with the increase in the number of independent voters, the largest segment of the electorate is excluded because they do not prefer either political party.

• Chuck Thinks Right is lost when it comes to context. Seems Obama's Press Secretary thinks it's okay for the President to spend a little time with his family, but once criticized President Bush for devoting so little time to his duties. It does, though, remind me of a contrast someone made between the easygoing President Reagan and the earnest-to-a-fault Nixon White House. If criticized for excessive vacationing, the Nixon folks produced charts and graphs comparing vacation habits of other Presidents, allowing for international events and seasonal adjustments, and the amount of Presidential business conducted while away. Reagan just said, "Well-l-l, you know, I was a little tired..."

• Gwendolyn Barry with New Global Myth looks at the underlying causes of London riots. She's for protest, but lambasts the burn-baby-burn actions of the mob.

• Our favorite spiritual leader at Why do we have to do this, Sir? has bought a GPS device. His account of his experience with global positioning is entertaining. But one observation of his loved one's degree of etiquette is worth the read.

• Vincent of A wayfarer's notes is quite frustrating. He wants to write, but can't decide between Wales and riots, and settles on bucolic photographs, ruminating on each. And that's the frustration. I labor mightily over each word, and this fellow effortlessly makes indecision something of wonderful interest.

• James Wigderson thinks a couple of Democrats ought to apologize for accusations of election tampering during the recent recall elections in Wisconsin. Well, yeah. An apology seems like a good idea after that degree of false witness.

• Vincent of A wayfarer's notes defends believing whatever pleases us. He doesn't use the Colbert word truthiness, but that seems to be what he means. Even if he means something different, it makes me feel good, so it must be so.

• Miss Capri at Christians Breaking Chain Forwards breaks her concentration on chain mail to become provoked by Tea Party influence. Possibly, she's not into truthiness.

• Our T. Paine writing at his own site Saving Common Sense, is offended by Democratic voices comparing Congressional Republicans to terrorists just because they took the US economy hostage to extreme demands. He equates that with pre-Arizona shooting conservative rhetoric using images of, you know, bullets and cross hairs. Both were uncivil so they're pretty much identical. My own take after the shooting was, I suspect, much more representative of reaction from the left. The problem with some rhetoric back then was not that it wasn't polite, but rather that it was an explicit call to violence. Find a liberal call for a "second amendment remedy," Mr. Paine, and we can both condemn it.

• Manifesto Joe of Texas Blues risks Mr. Paine's disapproval in his review of the debt ceiling hostage resolution. He observes a longer term pattern.

• Extreme conservative FUNGAZI.COM says "Barack Obama is lying through his teeth when he portrays himself as an innocent bystander in the congressional battle over the debt ceiling." Seems Obama declined to take responsibility for Republicans taking the economy hostage. "Our opponents made us do it" is an explanation as old as the hills. It is used to justify many historical wrongs.

• Kent Pittman, writing from Open Salon contacts his Republican representative and gets a personal response. I appreciate and share your concern, which is the direct opposite of what your letter said was your concern. GOP self-satire can be a bit humorous. Or frustrating.

• Max's Dad bemoans a system that gravitates toward its dumbest participants as long as they are sufficiently disruptive.

• Our favorite John Myste, scourge of conservatives everywhere, eviscerates, oh my, me. And does it HERE? Seems he doesn't like my unfair characterization of Republican ideology. Et tu, John? Still, he is pretty funny about it. Ouch.

• Gwendolyn Barry with New Global Myth urges activism in the form of protests against broken government. The 60's actually were God's gift to conservatives, as I recall.

• Nancy Hanks at The Hankster reveals one or two things about independent voters that are contrary to conventional wisdom. Unlike most pundits, she seems to value evidence.

• James Wigderson is really ticked off about the Wisconsin recall vote. He points out the election on Tuesday is a play for power. My memory of High School Social Studies is a little hazy but, in a democratic republic, isn't that kind of the point of elections?

• Slant Right's John Houk reacts to the Wisconsin recall effort, urging readers to join the Tea Party. Seems he wants to act against "leftists" who want to "intimidate fiscally responsible Republicans," by means of, you know, free and fair elections. Have John Houk and James Wigderson gotten around to exchanging decoder rings yet?

• I like to think of myself as a support-your-local-sheriff kind of liberal. But, at Mad Mike's America, Michael J. Scott documents a jury decision against 5 New Orleans officers. The jury objected to the officers taking advantage of the Katrina disaster to use fleeing black people for target practice then covering it up. Sadly, it was the coverup, not the murders, that prompted conviction. So murder is legal, but violating Civil Rights is punishable. Cecil Price is dead, but his spirit lives.

• Our favorite spiritual leader at Why do we have to do this, Sir? thoughtfully contemplates how, in the minds of too many, a right wing, anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim mass-murderer in Norway can be described as inspired by Muslims. Seems a reasonable question.

• New discovery of wreckage from the tragic Challenger disaster included flight recorders and a lot of data. Tim McGaha at Tim's Thoughtful Spot explains what was found.

• I long for the days when the History Channel showed stuff about history. Jack Jodell, friend of the working blogger at THE SATURDAY AFTERNOON POST, wrote a piece paralleling my wistful thoughts, but found that dogs ate his post.

• Tommy Christopher of Mediaite fame gets a little impatient at Fox. Seems Fox is terribly annoyed at President Obama for attending his own 50th birthday party. Why? Well, the Hip Hop BBQ didn't end unemployment. Hip Hop BBQ? Tommy is pretty much on target on this one.

• The Heathen Republican notes that President Obama gave a speech and unemployment went up. Hmmm. As I recall, Mario Cuomo made a speech one December, noting that since his opponent had defeated him and taken office, the hours of daylight had been getting shorter. He was joking. Heathen Republican is unsmilingly serious. Post hoc ergo propter hoc is classic fallacy, but Heathen Republican is, well, Republican, so we make allowances.

  Actual policy is easier to argue, but you live with the debating partners you have, not those you wish for, right?

• Vincent of A wayfarer's notes, without mentioning the word itself, pretty much defines "truthiness." He does it with such poetic style, I wonder if he realizes it. Then I wonder if I'm mistaken.

• Nancy Hanks at The Hankster still embraces independent voters as the key to a better national future. She presents voting results in California as evidence.

• The Heathen Republican invents curved Laffer type graphs straight out of his mind to show that independents will combine with Joe Lieberman and John McCain to form the new center of American politics. May God help us all.

• In the realm of Mad Mike's America our own John Myste finds a new form of terrorism in the GOP manufactured debt ceiling crisis.

• Extreme conservative FUNGAZI.COM makes a reasoned case that 14th Amendment can't be used by President Obama to get around the debt ceiling. His logic is that, while the text says the national debt shall not be questioned, it also includes "authorized by law." As with most Americans, he doesn't seem to realize that the national debt includes only what was already appropriated by Congress, which is to say it is already authorized by law.

• Chuck Thinks Right asserts that the President would be "pissing on the Constitution" if he were to invoke the 14th Amendment which amendment is actually - part - of - the - Constitution. Chuck may have written his piece in a hurry.

• Jack Jodell, friend of the working blogger, has an angry piece at THE SATURDAY AFTERNOON POST. Seems he is unimpressed by the state of our current Congress.

• Kent Pittman, writing from Open Salon finds the exact backroom where lobbyists write GOP legislation to be dutifully passed by those state legislatures dominated by Republicans, who operate on behalf of said lobbyists.

• Tommy Christopher of Mediaite fame illustrates economic policy with a comparison to gardening showing what will create jobs. Tommy has it mostly right. What works in creating economic growth depends on economic conditions. As things exist now, the need is on the demand side. Get spending money into the hands of consumers, and all will be well.

• Slant Right's John Houk, who doesn't hesitate at smearing all Muslims whenever violence is committed by a radical few, is extremely offended by mainstream media. Seems they reported that the Norway terrorist is a Christian. Houk quotes Ann Coulter to prove it isn't so because, well, Christians just don't do these things. Goose and gander arguments don't appeal to Mr. Houk.

• Ned Williams at Wisdom Is Vindicated overcomes his own Christian defensiveness with a more reflective take on Norway terrorism.

• T. Paine's Saving Common Sense presents humor based on the premise that liberals are all either gay or had parents who wanted to abort them. I dunno that his premise is really true. I'll have to check around.

• Max's Dad's agnostic sensibilities are not affected by an appearance of the virgin Mary. His gibes remind me of a few ... uh ... spirited debates on our site.

• James Wigderson finds that eternal vigilance against vandalism is the price of journalistic success. Seems someone tried to toilet paper his home. As is typical, James manages a pithy observation or two about government services.

• Max's Dad is less than impressed with the debt ceiling conflict. He names names. A coherent, profane rant.

• Gwendolyn Barry with New Global Myth ties the artificial crisis over the debt ceiling to a larger pattern. However, unlike most bloggers, pundits, and politicians, she seems not to have learned that it is a sign of weakness to resort to facts.

• Why do we have to do this, Sir? writes about BBC news "balance" between established climate science and ideological fanaticism.
  

• Manifesto Joe of Texas Blues is unimpressed with a huge GOP campaign on lightbulbs. Be patient, Joe. They'll get to employment and the economy after they finish with the important stuff.

• Chuck Thinks Right cites two studies linking the flag with Republicans in the popular imagination. My own favorite American myth is that the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776, although nobody votes on the basis of that mistaken belief. Chuck, however, concludes that the popular misconception about the flag actually means the GOP and patriotism mean the same thing.

• Tommy Christopher of Mediaite wonders why Representative Allen West (R-FL) got so blisteringly furious at Debbie Wasserman Schults over a policy criticism on Medicare. So he investigates her remarks and comes up with the answer: There is no answer. Tommy implies that she was guilty of criticizing a conservative while being female.

• The Heathen Republican criticizes hypocritical liberal bloggers like ... well ... me, I guess, for opposing voter suppression laws requiring pointless photo IDs. Seems we require comments to await moderation. The implication is that we screen out opposing comments. See how we contradict ourselves?

  Let's see. We do get an amazing amount of spam comments at FairAndUNbalanced.com. Our requirement on this site is that every comment have at least some reference to the actual content of the article to which it is directed. We screen out those who don't and ban their URLs. It's a massive problem. We deal with it without blocking opposing comments. Nobody has to show an ID at all.

  However, supporters of voter suppression have yet to come up with one case of voter fraud that would have been stopped by a photo ID law. So there is no massive problem that is addressed. The purpose is only to make it more inconvenient for those who ride buses to work, are retired, or who otherwise do not own vehicles and do not normally have a photo ID. The thought is that they might vote disproportionately for Democrats. If they can be made to jump through enough hoops they might give up and stay at home.

  To prevent non-existent voter ID fraud, we must promote very real election rigging.

• The Wisconsin Chief Justice quoted a poem on marriage, using it in an analogy to explain a legal definition. James Wigderson believes she made her decision on the basis of that poem. James is a gifted writer with a very active imagination.

• MyCue has one or two RANDOM THOUGHTS about US moves to recognize Libyan rebels as legitimately representing that dictator-exploited country. "Impatient" might describe his reaction.

• At Mad Mike's America, Holte Ender brings us updated facts on the horrors of terrorism in Oslo.

• Tim McGaha at Tim's Thoughtful Spot makes the Civil War events of 150 years ago seem like today as the conflict began to be less of a glorious game to shocked and awed Americans.

• Jack Jodell, friend of the working blogger at THE SATURDAY AFTERNOON POST has discovered a baker's dozen or so forgotten, brief, thought provoking, quotes from public figures of the past. A very good piece.

• Vincent of A wayfarer's notes explains, confesses actually, how literature beats sports.

• Nancy Hanks at The Hankster has found a good photo of one of the greatest players ever to draw breath or pitch a baseball.

• Our absolute favorite conservative, T. Paine at Saving Common Sense, a regular contributor here as well, posts a video of the most entertaining rendition of Shakespeare EVER. See it and believe it. Amazing

• Bill Miller, residing in Mad Mike's America contemplates the planet that will crash into earth in 2012 destroying all of us and fulfilling Mayan prophesy. Time to party! And here we were all concerned about jobs.

• Vincent of A wayfarer's notes has a perspective on internet writing. He thinks, therefore he blogs. But, as usual, he cannot seem to write without entertaining and informative reference to an eclectic collection of talent. This time it's French existentialist Albert Camus, British novelist Martin Louis Amis, and Russian Philosopher Leon Shestov. And he does make his ruminations hum.

• Why do we have to do this, Sir? helps students through the tautology that was once David Hume. In the 1700s Hume pointed out that miracles go against science and therefore are not to be believed. Which is to say that they are not to be taken as plausible because each and every miracle, without exception, fits the definition of miracle. Well over 200 years later, it's still hard to argue with that logic.

• Miss Capri at Christians Breaking Chain Forwards doesn't like chain mail, but she comes fairly close to making an exception in a case from two decades ago of a missing toddler.

• Nancy Hanks at The Hankster finds evidence in Indiana of the rise of Independent voting and evidence in Chicago about where it will be trending.

• Our favorite John Myste occasionally devotes time to our own site, where he provokes noted conservative T.Paine. I am delighted because their polite war of words is entertaining and informative. My favorite this week has to be a deconstruction of Paine logic in which John tortures Mr. Paine regarding torture. The entire experience is a Battle of the Titans. I'll gladly hold their coats.

• Meanwhile, T. Paine also finds time to write his own site, Saving Common Sense, where he sandblasts President Obama for proposing tax increases for the fabulously wealthy. T. Paine points out that we shouldn't raise taxes during a recession. Sadly, Mr. Paine overlooks the rest of the story. President Obama proposes that any tax increase on the wealthy be offset with an equal cut in payroll taxes on working folks. It is a proposal first raised by Republicans. They came out against it only when their plan was seconded by the President. I sense a pattern.

• Jack Jodell, friend of the working blogger, has an angry piece at THE SATURDAY AFTERNOON POST about those taxes on the wealthy. He finds other job producing possibilities which are also blocked by Republicans. Yeah, I definitely sense a pattern.

• The Heathen Republican finds evidence in extreme conservative publications and now knows what caused the recession. Oh my. It turns out to be poor folks and too much regulation. Unfortunately, this theory has been discredited by simple facts.

• Kent Pittman, writing from Open Salon writes about Republican efforts to hold the economy hostage to their plans to hold onto tax cuts for the extremely wealthy. A definite pattern is coming together.

• Max's Dad takes note of the obstruction in the US financial system. He names a name: Eric Cantor, and he doesn't mince words.

• Chuck Thinks Right takes note of Representative Michele Bachmann's extraordinary progress in Iowa.

• James Wigderson makes the case that the anti-Catholic rhetoric of her church should not be held against her. He even points out that "the Constitution did away with the religious test for office..." with no apparent sense of irony. He presents no thought on whether Ms. Bachmann would disagree with his no-religious-test standard.

• Eric Bolling of Fox News proclaims there was not one terrorist attack on the US during the George W. Bush Presidency and emphasizes it with the dates. He then is offended that anyone might think he overlooked the 9/11 attacks. Tommy Christopher of Mediaite fame pretty much deconstructs the omission and the defense.

• Slant Right's John Houk is completely enamored with Sarah Palin's movie The Undefeated and is encouraged by the "sweeping epic." He shouldn't worry, however. Some movies do well after a lonely, very lonely, beginning.

• Extreme conservative FUNGAZI.COM is outraged that the Los Angeles Unified School District has declared homework is racist. In fact, they said no such thing. FUNGAZI tends to be a little overblown in his rhetoric. But the plan to limit the grade percentage that homework affects is still a bad idea.

• Manifesto Joe of Texas Blues is unimpressed with what passes for Journalism in the publishing universe of Rupert Murdoch. Hacking into the phones of victims of tragedy? Picky, picky. Hindering a police investigation of the kidnapping and murder of a little girl? Well, in Murdoch's defense, news is news and life is filled with little tradeoffs.

• Tommy Christopher of Mediaite fame reviews a documentary style film on tort reform and eviscerates the entire case against awarding very high claims. Tommy is a scary guy to have against you, but these cases are even scarier.

• The Council on American-Islamic Relations has been a target of some because they are, well, Muslims. They finally sued one fellow for defamation, then reached some sort of settlement. Slant Right's John Houk knows why the suit was dropped, because it was explained to him by the defendant. It seems CAIR was afraid of the discovery process because they have lots to hide. However, while continuing to attack CAIR on his website, the guy who was sued had this to say in a formal statement. "I am pleased to report the CAIR lawsuit is over, and has been dismissed (with prejudice), as the parties have reached a mutually agreeable settlement." John is passionate, but he's not much for research. Otherwise he might have found what the "mutually agreeable settlement" is.

• Kent Pittman, writing from Open Salon, tells of a visit to Disney's EPCOT in Florida and the insight it gave him about pro-life activism.

• Manifesto Joe of Texas Blues noticies a disconnect between the effect of the recession on working people, and corporate CEO jetsetters.

• Why do we have to do this, Sir? talks with students about a modern medical miracle and examines whether it was really according to Hoyle.

• Tim McGaha at Tim's Thoughtful Spot marks the last space shuttle launch with a wonderful narrative and a series of brief, dramatic videos showing moments from space history. Worth watching, and worth leaving a comment thanking Tim for his effort.

• Max's Dad briefly examines the hacking of FoxNews and the posting of fake stories, amazed that anyone noticed a difference.

• Nancy Hanks at The Hankster makes an interesting point. Open primaries would threaten the hold of Tea Party extremists on the GOP, so they're for restricting participation.

• The Heathen Republican does a pretty good job of explaining the basis of supply-side economics, the Laffer Curve. He overlooks the fact that it has since been pretty well discredited. Actual research produced unexpectedly comical results.

• Vincent of A wayfarer's notes explains why a bad translation of great writing can make great writing mediocre. What I want to know is how he manages to take a dry subject and make it so entertaining.

• SJ has RANDOM THOUGHTS about peace, veterans, and patriotism. Our family has a special interest.

• T. Paine's Saving Common Sense explains why we celebrate Independence Day on the 4th of July when John Adams was against it. T.Paine is a frequent contributor on our own site. His piece on the 4th is also an inadvertent explanation of why he does so well in representing a conservative point of view at a site that is pretty unbalanced in the other direction.

• Jack Jodell, friend of the working blogger, at THE SATURDAY AFTERNOON POST, really likes Senator Bernie Sanders. Pretty good piece. Of course, I'm doubly biased. I like Sanders and Jack.

• James Wigderson is back (yaaayy) after being hacked yesterday. He posts an interesting account of the internet breaking and entering. Lemons to lemonade.

• At Mad Mike's America, Tamra White teaches us the warning signs of despair escalating into suicide. Her plea that we pay attention is heartfelt.

• Chuck Thinks Right is upset at the number of births outside of marriage. It is alarming. Fortunately, Chuck forgets to blame gay people.

From Autoblog:

We've seen some pretty bad ideas for reality TV shows come to fruition, but they all pale in comparison to De Allerslechtste chauffeur van Nederland? (Who Is The Worst Driver In The Netherlands?) – a concept that takes bad drivers and puts them behind the wheel in a series of contests.

- More -

• Glen Beck mocks the mentally disabled. Andrew Breitbart's Big Journalism defends Beck and mocks critics as mental defectives. Tommy Christopher of Mediaite fame goes on a bit of a rampage and effectively takes down both. Good for you, Tommy.

• Slant Right's John Houk is taught by Andrew Breitbart that a woman who refuses to say the Pledge of Allegiance is evidence of corrosive Obamaism. Or something. Plus there is a conspiracy to have the UN take over rural America's farms. The plan is called Agenda 21. This went viral in 1992, before the internet became ubiquitous. President George H. W. Bush and 177 other leaders started an initiative to help local governments promote economic growth. John does tend to believe every tale his crazed aunt reads in the Globe.

• Our favorite spiritual leader at Why do we have to do this, Sir? summarizes his view of another popular tabloid, this one in in Britain, by way of an entertaining video. Now why can't you think of things like that, says a member of this site. Oh my, she's speaking to me.

• The Heathen Republican has some affinity for fellow conservatives who rail against atheists. He speaks in apparent sadness, "I still have more in common with these ignorant souls than any progressive/ liberal/Democrat." It is worth being reminded that conservatives can't always be blamed for those allies with which they are cursed.

• James Wigderson features a video of a Republican Senator angry about the fact that Washington is broken, without any mention of Republican filibusters. The Republican is Ron Johnson (R-WI), boasting about how he ran a company before being elected to the Senate. Also unmentioned is that Johnson has been ducking questions about whether his deferred compensation from that same company violated the law. James Wigderson is a Very Important Journalist. His busy schedule makes it hard for him to keep up with ... you know ... news. If the Wigderson video makes you yearn for the video at Why do we have to do this, Sir?, you may not be alone.

• Tim McGaha at Tim's Thoughtful Spot posts his own excellent video, noting what you might think of as the twin anniversaries of Miles Davis and Space Flight. Interesting combination. Fascinating images, great music, and not a hint of Jame's Wigderson's Republican politician's deferred compensation. How do they get away with that?

• Chicago's Police Superintendent gets irate that lots of little black kids are killed by illegal guns, while lots of firearms manufacturers get rich from the blood, and lots of politicians look the other way, distracted by huge cash contributions. Chuck Thinks Right doesn't seem to disagree with a police chief who doesn't like that little kids are being killed by illegal firearms. Nope, no disagreement. Chuck is just bewildered about the objection. I mean, what is your problem?

• Vincent of A wayfarer's notes remembers a Portuguese poet from decades ago. A beautiful piece.

• I tell folks that in my lifetime I've met perhaps five truly great men. Three of them were my dad. Our favorite conservative, T. Paine at Saving Common Sense, tells us a little about his own never-to-be-forgotten late father. At this site, we like T. Paine a lot. But we REALLY like his dad.

• Jack Jodell, friend of the working blogger, at THE SATURDAY AFTERNOON POST gives out his “Head and Heart Award.” I kind of like this year's choice.

• Nancy Hanks at The Hankster tells us about progress of sorts toward open primaries in Pennsylvania, with side information about battles in New York State aside from those involving marriage equality.

• MyCue's RANDOM THOUGHTS include one or two about marriage equality in New York and the irony of a President who is not quite an activist for the issue.

• Ned Williams has a different take on President Obama and marriage equality. Ned is finally back at WisdomIsVindicated. It seems President Obama's position on Gay marriage is still the same. Ned is shocked and considers it a betrayal that Obama might one day change his mind. Which. he. hasn't. He's. still. opposed. Ned is kind of mercurial about his prejudices.

• Max's Dad lets his imagination run with images of Bachmanns in the White House.

• Manifesto Joe of Texas Blues asks what happened to all the money the Bachmann family accepted from government programs

• Kent Pittman, writing from Open Salon finds a secret document that can solve the debt ceiling crisis that threatens to destroy our economy. The document is called the US Constitution. He makes a compelling case.

• Back home in Mad Mike's America, Michael John Scott explores five historical mysteries. From ancient civilizations to Robin Hood.

Dialogue with a chat room bully from long, long ago.
Context here.

Burr:
Gosh, Robby. I am truly surmised at your responsive reading of my last message. I certainly won't deform your character. I am very ready to bereave your explanation of the IP addresses and passwords and all getting into the wrong handles. Still, it was nice of the hackers to tell off the young pretty ladies for insufficient holiness before posting those photos from your IPs. Those who say it was really, really you are not following the rules of judas prudence. Their intendos are preditated on putting the cat before the horse. They talk of science and safe gourds and such.

Those in chat who do not go in for miracles, well, I think they miss you too. Even those who say they were happy to see you bite the dutch.

We all imagine you doing all sorts of stuff away from chat. Like moping the floors. Or panting the walls new mordrid colors. Or dropping your trousers by the laundry. Stuff like that.

So everyone must be missing you in some way. Everyone knows you were left with the short end of the spit. But thats beating a debt house.

In the old days, there you were every day, big as lice. You were cool as a concubine. You were the cream of the cramp. You were blight eyed and busty taled.

Having you gone goes against the grange. The room is going to hell in a ham casket.

And I'm sure that most would agreen with me in a secret ballad.

You should embargo on a return. Right away.