TUESDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* Fingers crossed in the Gulf: "BP began pumping mud into the blown-out Macondo well Tuesday afternoon in a much-anticipated 'static kill' procedure that could choke the well once and for all."

* In the face of pointless Republican obstructionism, the energy bill is on hold until at least September.

* In the face of pointless Republican obstructionism, the New START treaty is on hold until at least September.

* President Obama signs the Fair Sentencing Act into law.

* Beautiful speech from NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I) in support a Muslim community center in Manhattan.

* Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has decided to lift his hold on James Clapper's nomination to serve as director of national intelligence.

* After several Republican senators express a willingness to repeal part of the 14th Amendment, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) noted, "They've either taken leave of their senses or their principles."

* Once more with The Cooch: "Virginia joined the national debate over immigration Monday when Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II issued a legal opinion that authorizes law enforcement to check the immigration status of anyone stopped by police officers for any reason."

* The "vicious infighting" at the Republican National Committee isn't close to being done.

* Some much needed attention for the "99ers," who've "exhausted the maximum 99 weeks of unemployment insurance benefits that they can claim."

* House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence (R-Ind.) hates wasteful government spending -- unless it benefits his district.

* Likewise, Blue Dogs don't care for public spending, unless it might help them keep their jobs.

* Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) apparently isn't leaving the Democratic Party.

* A creative approach in which students build their own scholarship.

* I don't know what's gotten into Tom Shales.

* Glad to see ABC's "This Week" will continue to partner with PolitiFact.com.

* And "Fox & Friends" co-host Steve Doocy seems confused about what a "debate" is.

* Final debate is underway on Solicitor General Elena Kagan's nomination to the Supreme Court. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) encouraged Kagan backed to "point out any errors" in his remarks as "so that we can, above all, get the facts straight." What a good idea.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

WEDNESDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* The "static kill" has left me feeling optimistic: "It wasn't quite the stake through the heart, because that stake has to be made of cement, not merely mud. And the stake might have to be driven in from below, not from the top. But on the 107th day of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, the runaway Macondo well has been rendered 'static' and now looks very much like a harmless hole clogged with 13-pound-per-gallon gunk."

* The long-term effects may yet be awful, but administration scientists reported today that "most" of the oil that gushed into the Gulf of Mexico since April "has dissipated or been removed from the water."

* A homemade explosive reportedly went off near Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's motorcade today. He was unharmed.

* Republicans will not filibuster Elena Kagan's Supreme Court nomination.

* Senate Democrats released a video documenting the instances in which Republicans fought against economic recovery efforts. It's quite a list.

* Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) uses an op-ed to endorse a Democratic childhood nutrition bill. Good for him.

* Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) intended to attend a funeral for four U.S. servicemembers killed last week, but stayed in D.C. for some key votes. Instead, he delivered some touching remarks from the Senate floor.

* Speaking of worthwhile remarks from senators, I was impressed with Sen. Bob Menendez's (D-N.J.) remarks after he was asked by a reporter about the GOP drive to repeal part of the 14th Amendment.

* Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) makes a funny at Sharron Angle's expense.

* Did you catch the deeply satisfying Stephen Colbert interview with GOP hack Laura Ingraham?

* Another college will no longer require applicants to submit SAT scores for admission.

* Jon Chait on Cordoba House opponents: "This episode is a major statement about American pluralism, minority rights and America's ability to make the necessary divide between moderate and extremist Muslims. A lot of people are going to eventually feel ashamed about where they stood."

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

THURSDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* It's working: "BP says engineers have finished plugging the blown-out Gulf of Mexico well with cement in their effort to permanently seal it."

* After breaking a GOP filibuster yesterday, the Senate approved the state aid/jobs bill this afternoon. The final vote was 61 to 39.

* Discouraging: "This morning, the Department of Labor said that initial jobless claims edged up last week, from 460,000 to 479,000. Economists expected the number of claims to decrease. The weekly figure is the highest since April."

* Al-Shabab is clearly trying to appeal to Somali Americans: "Federal indictments unsealed Thursday in Minnesota, Alabama and California charge 14 people with terrorism offenses for allegedly aiding the radical Islamist al-Shabab organization in Somalia."

* The Affordable Care Act has "strengthened Medicare's financial condition," with the Medicare trust fund "predicted to last a dozen years longer than expected a year ago, according to a new government forecast." I'll look forward to Republicans explaining why this is a bad thing.

* On a related note, there's no Social Security crisis, either.

* So much for net neutrality? "Google and Verizon, two leading players in Internet service and content, are nearing an agreement that could allow Verizon to speed some online content to Internet users more quickly if the content's creators are willing to pay for the privilege." Google is denying the accuracy of the story.

* In related news: "The Federal Communications Commission Thursday suspended its weeks-long series of talks with Internet providers on net neutrality, dealing a blow to efforts to produce a deal that the agency could take to Congress."

* Senate Republicans are now once again blocking the nomination of James Clapper to be director of national intelligence.

* Can cramdown make a comeback?

* Stepping up in support of 99ers: "Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) introduced a bill Wednesday that would provide extra weeks of benefits to people who've reached the end of their unemployment insurance lifelines."

* Target is sorry about its right-wing campaign contribution.

* Fascinating story about conservatives playing a rigged game with Digg.

* Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) takes a firm stance against the "shameful and divisive" tactics from the right against the Cordoba House.

* Making it a little easier to see how colleges spend their money.

* Karl Rove guest hosting for Rush Limbaugh. Imagine that.

* Fox News really should be able to tell the difference between Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and Shirley Sherrod. The network doesn't have many African-American viewers, but this is just sad. (thanks to reader D.D. for the tip)

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

FRIDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* The finishing touches: "BP is confirming that it plans to use a relief well to shove mud and then cement into the underground reservoir feeding the blown-out Gulf of Mexico well.... Crews have already plugged up the well from the top with mud and cement. But federal officials want BP to plug it from the bottom to make sure it's permanently sealed."

* In light of the disappointing monthly jobs report, Christina Romer, chairwoman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, urged Congress to act swiftly on pending jobs bills. "[T]oday's employment report emphasizes just how important the additional jobs measures before Congress are," Romer said. "In addition to the state fiscal relief nearing passage, the president strongly supports the small business jobs bill and targeted incentives for clean energy investments."

* In related news, Romer won't be making her case much longer: she's stepping down from her post next month.

* The first bill on tap when the Senate returns? The small business incentives measure Republicans blocked last week.

* After an odd week of on-again/off-again holds, the Senate approved James Clapper's nomination as the new director of national intelligence.

* In an unexpected win for Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the Senate also approved a $600 million border-security bill late yesterday.

* Democrats not only expanded the G.I. Bill, they're also making the program more effective.

* I like Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), but his opposition to filibuster reform is very hard to understand.

* I don't like Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), and his aversion to our reality is even harder to understand.

* Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) finally said something about the proposed Cordoba House today. But his message was so cryptic, I'm still not sure what his position is.

* Eva Rodriguez is right; Marc Thiessen can be pretty crazy.

* I'm not sure how anyone can continue to defend the merits of the half-century-old Cuban trade embargo.

* Breitbart parts ways with Kevin Pezzi, concludes that Pezzi's work does not reflect "the principles and values" of his far-right hatchet-job website.

* Given Liz Cheney advocacy work, isn't it unethical for her to guest-host for Sean Hannity? It would, if Fox News had any professional standards at all.

* I know being a Republican tracker isn't glamarous work, but the right really seems to be scraping the bottom of the barrel this year. "Spencer" should probably pursue some other line of work.

* As if the RNC's scandals weren't enough, a longtime employee of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) is filing a lawsuit, accusing Republican officials with creating a hostile environment for both of the NRSC's African-American employees.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

MONDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* The scope of the Pakistani disaster is staggering: "The number of people suffering from the massive floods in Pakistan exceeds 13 million -- more than the combined total of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake and the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the United Nations said Monday. The death toll in each of those three disasters was much higher than the 1,500 people killed so far in the floods that first hit Pakistan two weeks ago. But the U.N. estimates that 13.8 million people have been affected -- over 2 million more than the other disasters combined."

* Following through on a cost-saving commitment: "Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said on Monday that he would close a major military command, restrict the use of outside contractors and reduce the number of generals and admirals across the armed forces to trim back on unaffordable defense spending."

* Another deadly tragedy in Afghanistan: "Gunmen killed 10 members of a medical team, including six Americans, traveling in the rugged mountains of northern Afghanistan, demonstrating the reach of insurgents far from their traditional havens and shocking the expatriate community here."

* In Iraq, too: "Weekend bombings and shootings in Iraq left at least 69 people dead from the north to the south, intensifying fears of a possible surge of violence coinciding with the drawdown of U.S troops."

* House Republicans hope to do no post-election work whatsoever. Are these guys really that lazy?

* Leading Republicans continue to flirt with raising the Social Security retirement age.

* I guess I shouldn't be surprised by Robert Rubin's position on additional stimulus, but here's hoping Democratic officials ignore him.

* Deportations are up, but the Obama administration is sparing one group of immigrants who entered the country illegally: "students who came to the United States without papers when they were children."

* Interesting advice for law students: "When first tier law school graduates are having trouble finding jobs, the ones down the rung are just f**ked."

* Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), who has had some serious health issues in recent years, was hospitalized over the weekend.

* House Minority Leader John Boehner's (R-Ohio) golf habits draw more scrutiny.

* When conservative activists in the U.S. team up with Dutch MP Geert Wilders, there's a problem.

* R.I.P., Tony Judt.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

TUESDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Federal Reserve's confidence in the economic recovery has faded to the point that it will now "use the proceeds from its huge mortgage-bond portfolio to buy long-term Treasury securities."

* Paul Krugman reacts: "The Fed's current policy is grossly inadequate, logically bizarre, and slightly -- but only slightly -- encouraging.... [I]t was, literally, the least the Fed could do."

* A plane crash in Alaska this morning claimed the life of former Sen. Ted Stevens (R). Former NASA chief Sean O'Keefe was on board the same flight, but is believed to have survived.

* Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) doesn't appear to be going anywhere anytime soon.

* In Afghanistan, the number of civilians being killed rose 25% in the first six months of 2010, mostly at the hands of Taliban insurgents.

* Good public health news: "The H1N1 pandemic has officially ended, the World Health Organization declared Tuesday." Don't underestimate the importance of competent government agencies acting effectively.

* The House today approved a $600 million border security bill, but some jurisdictional issues means the Senate will have to vote on it again. The Senate interrupting its August recess to approve the measure is a possibility.

* Google and Verizon voice support for rules that would limit net neutrality when it comes to mobile phones.

* Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) is reportedly resting comfortably after surgery today to remove his gallbladder.

* This really isn't a healthy development: "Americans now owe more in student loans than they do on their credit cards."

* How misguided is the Republican campaign against the 14th Amendment? Fox News analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano blasted GOP leaders on the air today.

* And this isn't especially political, but I absolutely loved the story about a young woman quitting her job through 33 cleverly-written erase-board messages.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

WEDNESDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* The scope of the disaster in Pakistan may not be fully appreciated: "The United Nations is appealing for $459 million to provide immediate help to millions of flood victims in Pakistan. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said 'the worst monsoon-related floods in living memory' has affected more than 14 million people and at least six or seven million require immediate humanitarian assistance including food, clean water, shelter and medical care. It said over 1,200 people have died and at least 288,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed in the flooding."

* Making matters even worse: "The floods ravaging Pakistan are generating fears that Taliban insurgents could regroup amid the chaos and destruction. The country's already anemic economy is expected to weaken, increasing the poverty that is a factor in the militancy wracking the country."

* Petraeus wants more time; imagine that: "American military officials are building a case to minimize the planned withdrawal of some troops from Afghanistan starting next summer, in an effort to counter growing pressure on President Obama from inside his own party to begin winding the war down quickly."

* The U.S. Senate will convene briefly tomorrow to pass a resolution honoring former Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and to "give unanimous consent for $600 million in emergency funding to help secure the U.S.-Mexico border."

* Five applicants for every one job opening in the U.S.

* The ads worked: "Higher-than-anticipated response rates and an overqualified temporary workforce helped the U.S. Census Bureau keep the 2010 Census at least $1.6 billion under budget, officials announced Tuesday."

* Paul Krugman explains the significance of the 10-year bond rate, and why it's low percentage matters.

* Oh good, David Horowitz has a new project "encouraging conservative college students to be officially troublesome."

* George W. Bush apparently used to refer to Charles Krauthammer and William Kristol as "the bomber boys." How very amusing.

* Andrew Sabl considers the similarities between President Obama's first two years, and President Reagan's first two years, in that both saw falling approval ratings coincide with rising unemployment. Sabl notes a key difference, however: "Millions of lives were ruined in the Reagan Recession. But Reagan's core supporters weren't the ones most affected, and their ideology helped them rationalize not caring about those who were affected. Democrats just aren't like that. The party's political problem isn't just unemployment. It's unemployment combined with being the party that avowedly cares about unemployment and whose members are likely to be feeling it."

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

THURSDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* A fifth of Pakistan is currently underwater. The U.N. estimates that "about 14 million people have been affected by the floods, 6 million of them are children, according to the United Nations children's organization, usually known as Unicef. Estimates of the dead have ranged between 1,200 and 1,600."

* I sure wish someone would do something: "This morning, the Department of Labor reported that weekly initial jobless claims climbed to the highest level in five months, up 2,000 to 484,000, with last week's number revised up to 482,000. That was nearly 20,000 higher than economists expected."

* The Senate reconvened very briefly today, and by unanimous consent, approved a $600 million bill for border security.

* I'm really glad Republicans were prevented from killing off GM: "In a signal moment for the turnaround of the American auto industry, General Motors is edging toward a public stock sale, and its profits are now solid enough that the demanding CEO will step aside, saying his work is done."

* Jon Chait's amusing takedowns of Pete Wehner's propaganda take on a poetic flair.

* A New Hampshire state lawmaker resigned today after joking about Sarah Palin's death on Facebook.

* The Republican base, meanwhile, continues to use violent rhetoric when lashing out against Democratic lawmakers.

* I feel like I see this sentiment more and more all the time: "A sign of how radical and extremist the GOP now is: on the question of the war on terror (and immigration), some of us are beginning to see the relative moderation and sophistication of George W. Bush."

* Daniel Luzer: "At what point will Americans just refuse to pay huge sums of money to attend college? It's hard to tell but this does make for an interesting element to the 'is college worth it' discussion."

* Jon Stewart considered congressional Republicans' rhetoric on economic policy on "The Daily Show" last night. Responding to rhetoric from House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), Stewart said, "That is either the most profound or most retarded statement I've ever heard. You know what, actually it's the most profoundly retarded statement I've ever heard."

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

FRIDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* One more step in the Gulf: "Although tests of BP's Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico appear to show that it is fully sealed, the government said Friday that work on a relief well will continue to complete the job of permanently plugging the gusher."

* If only 60 senators cared: "Last month was the second warmest July on record, and so far 2010 remains on track to be the hottest year."

* Was Congress' ban on ACORN funding a bill of attainder? The 2nd Circuit says no: "A federal appellate court has reversed a lower court's holding that a congressional ban on funding to ACORN violated the Constitution, and held instead that the law passes muster." The three-judge panel was unanimous.

* White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs is wrapping up his thoughts on the "professional left," and told the Huffington Post that President Obama's desire to be pushed and held accountable by the left hasn't changed. "I also stand by my statement... that the vast majority of progressives and those on the left, whether that's bloggers or groups or what have you, do not hold those beliefs and are pushing in good faith for a better country as they see it," Gibbs said. "The president has urged those who want change to push for it and hold him accountable, and that's how he feels."

* Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) holds a press conference. The House Democratic caucus hopes no one watched.

* Dahlia Lithwick on the "real tragedy of the Omar Khadr trial."

* National Review's Andy McCarthy inadvertently makes the case that Liz Cheney worked for an organization that was "transparently pro-Palestinian and pro-sharia."

* Support for Social Security remains strong nationwide, but confusion about the program's finances is far too widespread.

* Will Fox News keep pushing the New Black Panther Party nonsense? Take a wild guess.

* I always appreciate it when Yglesias incorporates sci-fi into his worthwhile policy observations.

* Come to think of it, I also always appreciate it when Krugman incorporates sci-fi into his worthwhile policy observations, too. Isn't the overlap between political junkies and sci-fi fans great?

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

MONDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* The devastating floods in Pakistan will likely have a painful, lasting impact.

* Defense Secretary Robert Gates mused over retirement while chatting with Fred Kaplan, but despite some news accounts, he didn't exactly announce when he'd step down.

* Over the weekend, President Obama made yet another trip to the Gulf Coast. He heralded the spill-related progress, but assuring locals, "I'm here to tell you that our job is not finished, and we are not going anywhere until it is."

* And yes, he swam in the water.

* Likely to get NATO's attention: "President Hamid Karzai intends to disband all private security companies in Afghanistan within four months, his spokesman said Monday, a timeline that likely will meet with strong resistance from NATO forces who rely heavily on the companies to provide security to convoys and installations across the country."

* On a related note, while Afghan and NATO troops tend to focus on the Taliban threat in the south and east, insurgents are making new inroads in northern Afghanistan.

* An exceedingly rare occurrence on health care costs: "For the first time in 35 years, the one sector of the economy always guaranteed to get more expensive suddenly became a bit cheaper in July."

* The six-year Justice Department investigation into disgraced former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) has ended, though state criminal charges are still pending.

* Ella: "The Food and Drug Administration approved a controversial new form of emergency contraception Friday that can prevent a pregnancy as many as five days after sex."

* China is poised to overtake Japan as the world's second largest economy.

* What for-profit schools do well.

* On a related note, if Republicans took seriously the notion of getting health care costs under control, they'd love the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). Unfortunately, Republicans don't take seriously the notion of getting health care costs under control.

* Great Maddow segment on Social Security (and not just because I'm quoted towards the end).

* Veteran GOP strategist Ed Rollins was asked yesterday whether Republicans should "do something" about their ridiculous party chairman, Michael Steele. While Rollins said there's no time for a change, he conceded, "Obviously, he's been a disaster." I have a hunch Democrats would disagree.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

TUESDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* Baghdad: "A suicide bomber struck early on Tuesday at an army recruiting office here, killing dozens in the first major bombing of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan — a period made more fraught than in previous years by the looming deadline for American forces to replace their combat mission here with a training role." The toll so far: 48 dead and 129 wounded.

* Crisis in Pakistan: "With disastrous flooding spreading yet more widely in Pakistan, reports of looting and protests over food on Tuesday deepened the sense of desperation across Punjab Province, the country's most populous region and its agricultural hub."

* It wasn't much, but I'm so desperate for good economic news that a slight improvement in the housing market and a jump in industrial production seemed huge.

* The things one finds when cleaning up: "The CIA has videotapes, after all, of interrogations in a secret overseas prison of admitted 9/11 plotter Ramzi Binalshibh. Discovered in a box under a desk at the CIA, the tapes could reveal how foreign governments aided the United States in holding and interrogating suspects. And they could complicate U.S. efforts to prosecute Binalshibh, who has been described as one of the 'key plot facilitators' in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks."

* A step in the right direction: "The White House is preparing a package of measures that would expand opportunities for Americans to travel to Cuba and send money there, congressional and Obama administration officials said Tuesday." The measures won't need congressional support.

* Great pieces on Park51 from Dana Milbank and Peter Beinart.

* Don't expect George W. Bush to step up and set his party straight.

* Rep. Michael Arcuri (D) of New York really ought to be ashamed of himself.

* Jonathan Cohn is back from New Orleans, offering an in-depth look at the city five years after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. His first installment was yesterday, the second was published this morning. Worth a read.

* She's absolutely right: "Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor has taken up the cause of reforming state judicial campaign and election systems, writing that the 'crisis of confidence in the impartiality of the judiciary is real and growing.'"

* Yet another worthwhile stimulus project that wouldn't exist if the GOP had its way.

* I think Roger Simon intended this to be tongue-in-cheek. I also think a lot of folks didn't pick up on the sarcasm.

* Daniel Luzer: "[T]he majority of students who attend for-profit schools don't pay back their loans. This isn't really much of a surprise. More interestingly, however, this indicates that loan repayment rates are pretty bad everywhere."

* Elon Green lists the "10 Young Right-Wingers Being Prepped to Take Over the Conservative Movement."

* The estimable Anonymous Liberal: "If terrorists 'hate us because of our freedoms,' then failing to respect those freedoms amounts to appeasement, right? ... That makes Bill Kristol the Neville Chamberlain of this debate. If he was capable of logical thought, his head might explode."

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

WEDNESDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* Flooding crisis in Pakistan: "Shortages of the most basic supplies -- shelter, food and drinking water -- presented the biggest challenge for aid workers in Pakistan, the United Nations said Wednesday. Aid organizations and the United Nations itself have expressed alarm that the plight of millions of Pakistanis flooded from their land has yet to strike a sufficiently sympathetic nerve among donors -- neither governments nor the general public -- with aid trickling in far more slowly than needed."

* Satellite images: Pakistan before and after the flooding.

* Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) was facing 24 criminal counts, but was convicted yesterday on just one. On others, however, the jury was split 11 to 1, and federal prosecutors are likely to try again.

* One of the largest IPO's in American history: "General Motors filed paperwork on Wednesday to become a public company again and let the federal government begin selling down its stake in the carmaker."

* President Obama reminded folks today that Social Security is "not in crisis," and won't be privatized on his watch.

* He also doesn't regret his stated support for First Amendment principles.

* Massey: "Government investigators have cited Massey Energy for failing to report more than 20 accidents at its Upper Big Branch coal mine in the two years before an April explosion killed 29 miners there, according to documents released by the Mine Safety and Health Administration on Tuesday."

* I don't know what's gotten into Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) lately, but just a few weeks ago, he said there's "no question" that Elizabeth Warren is "qualified" to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Now, he's taking a very different position.

* The right hyperventilated a bit today, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) does not want an investigation into conservative critics of the Park51 community center.

* Former Bush administration Solicitor General Ted Olson, a 9/11 widower and an attorney best known for arguing on behalf of Republicans in Bush v. Gore, thinks Obama "was probably right" to support religious liberty on the Park51 matter.

* Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) has a reputation for being one of the more shamelessly anti-Muslim members of Congress, and even he thinks Newt Gingrich went too far with his Nazi comparisons.

* Note, however, that the increasingly despicable Karl Rove is making similarly vile comparisons.

* Why not have a debate about student-loan forgiveness?

* Is the DISCLOSE Act dead? Not quite yet.

* One can always tell when former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin (R) writes her own tweets -- they're the ones with made-up words.

* Do we really need another Sunday public affairs show? Probably not, but we're getting one anyway.

* For nerds (like me) only: Wil Wheaton quits w00tstock in the most amusing way possible.

Update: I almost forgot to mention that I had an op-ed in the New York Daily News today, on the consequences of rewarding a radicalized political party. Be sure to check it out.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

THURSDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* Pakistan: "As Pakistan grapples with a staggering humanitarian disaster that has left millions of people homeless and many more cut off without food or clean water, American officials both here and abroad pledged increased support to the nation on Thursday, hoping to bolster a relationship that is widely viewed as critical to stability in the region. Before heading to the United Nations to appeal for more aid, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced the creation of a special fund to alleviate the suffering in Pakistan, urging American families to contribute to it directly."

* Let's try not to forget the Gulf, OK? "New research confirms the existence of a huge plume of dispersed oil deep in the Gulf of Mexico and suggests that it has not broken down rapidly, raising the possibility that it might pose a threat to wildlife for months or even years."

* According to the Congressional Budget Office, this year's deficit will be slightly smaller than last year's. (New Democratic talking point: "GOP made the deficit bigger, we're making it smaller!")

* Mike Allen's report on the administration and Social Security caused a fair amount of consternation today, but there's ample reason for skepticism.

* With 40% of Americans in their 20s moving back into their parents' house at least once, the causes seem to be economic, not social/cultural.

* I suspect we'll be hearing more anecdotes like these: "An influential Muslim GOP donor is at the end of her tether, and tells TPM she may eventually have to leave the Republican party over its opposition to the Cordoba House project and other anti-Muslim positions. 'I don't know if I'll be a Republican a year from now,' says Seeme Hasan, who chairs the Hasan Family Foundation in Colorado, and close ties to the Republican party leadership."

* When a hysterical right-wing candidate get worked up about "Coexist" bumper stickers, it's evidence of a man with too much time on his hands.

* Oh good, Dr. Laura has found a friend after her racist on-air tirade.

* Just so we're clear, 9/11 is not a place.

* Quote of the Day from Jon Stewart: "I really think, if anything, the Republicans should be paying Fox News millions and millions of dollars -- not the other way around."

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

FRIDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* Once more, back to the table: "Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced Friday that Israel and the Palestinians would resume direct negotiations in Washington on Sept. 2, awakening hopes for the Middle East peace process but leaving many key questions unanswered. Mrs. Clinton said that she hoped an agreement could be reached within a year and that the negotiations would cover all the so-called 'final status' issues."

* Four new White House recess appointments: "Maria del Carmen Aponte to chief of mission for the Republic of El Salvador; Elisabeth Hagen to undersecretary for food safety at the Department of Agriculture; Winslow Sargeant to chief counsel of advocacy for the Small Business Administration; and Richard Sorian to assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services." None is considered especially controversial

* I'm glad to see the Chamber of Commerce back off its ridiculous blog post about the gender pay gap. The Chamber's COO David Chavern called his own blog's piece "simplistic and misguided," adding that it was built on "an argument from the 1960's."

* Charles Krauthammer should know that when he picks a fight with Greg Sargent, Greg is going to make him look bad.

* It's probably an inconvenient time to mention it, but the World Trade Center was a work of Islamic architecture.

* Some of the common perceptions about Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner's background aren't true.

* The significance of Viktor Bout being extradited to the U.S.

* When bad schemes go awry: "It seemed like a brilliant idea: provide a way for tea party-conscious consumers and tea party-sympathetic businesses to join forces and, well, support their local tea party. It ended in disaster, hurt feelings and more than a few accusations of flim-flammery."

* If the company had it to do over again, I suspect Target wouldn't be foolish enough to get involved in Minnesota's gubernatorial race.

* I do enjoy it when Adam Serwer uses video games to make broader political observations.

* It's a whole lot easier for students to pay their own way through college when tuition isn't excessively, crushingly expensive.

* Bill O'Reilly told Glenn Beck he'll give Beck his timeslot if more than 100,000 people show up for next week's right-wing rally in D.C. Bad idea: "It doesn't really matter how many people show up for Beck's rally. If 10,000 people turn out, he'll say there were a quarter of a million people in attendance. If 100,000 people do actually show up, he'll say there were nearly a billion people there. And Fox News will have his back, breathlessly inflating the turn out estimates, all evidence to the contrary be damned."

* And selective outrage about the "N-word" is never a good idea.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

MONDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* This doesn't sound good: "A U.S. district court issued a preliminary injunction on Monday stopping federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research in a slap to the Obama administration's new guidelines on the sensitive issue."

* This was opposed by many Republicans on the Hill, but it should help a lot of folks: "The sweeping reform of the credit card industry was finally completed Sunday as the last pieces of the landmark federal law designed to stop unfair or deceptive practices took effect. The final phase restricts how much card issuers can charge in penalty fees compared with the amount of the violation. For example, if you are late paying a credit card bill with a $10 minimum payment, the penalty charge cannot be more than $10."

* Xe reaches a settlement: "The private security company formerly called Blackwater Worldwide, long plagued by accusations of impropriety, has reached an agreement with the State Department for the company to pay $42 million in fines for hundreds of violations of United States export control regulations."

* The Cooch is always up to no good: "Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II, who is anti-abortion, has issued a legal opinion allowing greater restrictions on abortion clinics, drawing swift criticism from providers who say it could cause some of the facilities to close."

* Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) shows 'em how it's done.

* Media Matters has some new thoughts to share about Fox News getting a front-row seat in the White House press room. News Corp's $1 million check to the RGA changes things.

* A Texas Republican House candidate in Texas doesn't want to commit to supporting Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio). That's interesting.

* Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) believes conditions in Afghanistan are improving, thanks to the escalation. I really hope he's right, but I seem to recall Graham making very similar remarks in 2004 and 2005 about Iraq.

* How far gone is former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa./Va.)? He's praising Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) for "the quality of his arguments." Wow.

* And finally, on a personal note, yesterday was my two-year anniversary since joining the Washington Monthly team. Thanks to everyone -- readers, editors, publishers, and staff -- for all the support.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

TUESDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* Ugly: "Sales of previously built single-family homes plunged in July to their lowest level since May 1995 as job fears trumped low mortgage interest rates and relatively affordable home prices." The drop was 27.2% from June -- twice as bad as economists expected.

* Frank Ahrens tries to make us feel better: "Painful as it is to take in the short term, today's news about the plunge in home sales is exactly what this economy needs for the long run. Think of it as an economic colonic. Not pretty, but necessary."

* Deadly attacks in Mogadishu: "Somali insurgents disguised in government military uniforms stormed a Mogadishu hotel on Tuesday and killed at least 30 people, including six lawmakers, laying bare how vulnerable Somalia's government is, even in an area it claims to control. The insurgents methodically moved room to room, killing hotel guests who tried to bolt their doors shut, Somali officials said. When government forces finally cornered the insurgents, two blew themselves up with suicide vests."

* Here's hoping this news out of the Gulf is accurate: "Petroleum-eating bacteria - which had dined for eons on oil seeping naturally through the sea floor -- proliferated in the cloud of oil that drifted underwater for months after the April 20 accident. They not only outcompeted fellow microbes, they each ramped up their own internal metabolic machinery to digest the oil as efficiently as possible."

* Former President Jimmy Carter is headed to North Korea in the hopes of freeing Aijalon Mahli Gomes, a 31-year-old Boston resident who was sentenced in April to eight years at a hard labor camp for illegally crossing North Korea's border with China.

* There are now fewer than 50,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, the lowest since the 2003 invasion.

* Shirley Sherrod has turned down a job offer at the Agriculture Department. I can't say I blame her.

* Atrios speaks the truth: "10-year Treasury at 2.51. As I keep saying, at rates this low it's a crime not to borrow crazy amounts and spend it on SUPERTRAINS and fixing bridges and whatnot."

* During her work at the Bush State Department, Karen Hughes worked with Feisal Abdul Rauf -- except she no longer remembers that.

* Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) has described Rauf -- an American, a moderate imam, and an ally of the Bush administration -- as "a jihadist." What a buffoon.

* Anyone relying on right-wing blogger Pamela Geller as a reliable source of information is making a foolish mistake.

* Have I mentioned lately how confusing Jonah Goldberg is?

* Daniel Luzer: "Guess who's most likely to finish college? Oddly and surprisingly, it's heavy Facebook users."

* Tea Party activist Mark Williams' bigotry appears to get even worse.

* And finally, a Tea Party group has advised activists visiting D.C. this weekend which parts of the city to visit -- and which parts not to visit. Rachel Maddow and Eugene Robinson took a closer look at the advice in an amusing segment last night.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

WEDNESDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* Coordinated attacks in 13 Iraqi towns and cities kill dozens: "Insurgents unleashed a wave of coordinated attacks across Iraq on Wednesday in a demonstration of their ability to strike at will."

* Really not good: "Sales of U.S. new homes unexpectedly dropped in July to the lowest level on record, signaling that even with cheaper prices and reduced borrowing costs the housing market is retreating."

* Really not good, Part II: "New orders for long-lasting U.S. manufactured goods excluding transportation equipment posted their largest decline in 1-1/2 years in July while overall booking rose far less than expected, pointing to a slowdown in manufacturing."

* Relief trickles in for victims of Pakistan flooding.

* The anti-Muslim stabbing of a New York City cabdriver is so shocking, and the details about the alleged attacker so bizarre, one hardly knows where to start.

* President Obama will visit Fort Bliss, Tex., on Tuesday to meet with U.S. troops returning from Iraq. That night, he'll deliver an Oval Office address about the end of combat operations in the country.

* Yemen remains a focus of serious attention: "For the first time since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, CIA analysts see one of al-Qaeda's offshoots -- rather than the core group now based in Pakistan -- as the most urgent threat to U.S. security, officials said."

* Alan Simpson, the co-chair of President Obama's Fiscal Responsibility Commission, apologizes for his ridiculous email this week. Paul Krugman isn't persuaded.

* Republicans made dire predictions about the Obama administration's drilling moratorium. As is often the case, they were wrong.

* A Korean cult leader, the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, apparently wants the conservative Washington Times back.

* Congrats to Nate Silver and his team on FiveThirtyEight's transition to the New York Times.

* Daniel Luzer: "The recession has caused parents to save more for college, though apparently it's not working out so well."

* Former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin (R) believes political figures who use the word "retarded" in a private meeting should be fired. She also believes political figures who use the "N-word" on national broadcasts should be protected. I wonder why that is.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

THURSDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* Reversing a month-long trend, the initial weekly jobless claims dropped this week, even beating expectations. While a good week is at least somewhat heartening, the numbers are still way too high.

* Monsters who want struggling families to suffer even more: "The Pakistani Taliban called the presence of foreign relief workers in this flood-ravaged country 'unacceptable' on Thursday and suggested that militants could carry out attacks against members of aid groups."

* What a mess: "The aide to President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan at the center of a politically sensitive corruption investigation is being paid by the Central Intelligence Agency.... Mr. Salehi's relationship with the C.I.A. underscores deep contradictions at the heart of the Obama administration's policy in Afghanistan, with American officials simultaneously demanding that Mr. Karzai root out the corruption that pervades his government while sometimes subsidizing the very people suspected of perpetrating it."

* Michael Enright, who allegedly attacked a New York cab driver on Tuesday in an insane hate crime, "kept a personal diary filled with anti-Islamic rants."

* Truly nauseating: "In the latest in a spate of anti-Muslim incidents over the last two days, an intoxicated man entered a mosque in Queens on Wednesday evening and proceeded to urinate on prayer rugs, New York police officials said. The man, identified as Omar Rivera, reportedly shouted anti-Muslim epithets and called worshippers who had gathered for evening prayer 'terrorists.'"

* Last August featured town-hall events that became something of a national embarrassment. This August, not so much.

* I'd feel better about Blue Dogs if they didn't joke publicly about Speaker Pelosi's mortality.

* The controversy over how much Sarah Palin was paid by California State University, Stanislaus, earlier this summer continues to simmer, and a state judge wants disclosure on how much for the former half-term governor was paid.

* Ed Chen, the former president of the White House Correspondents Association, thinks it was a "travesty of a decision" to award Fox News a seat in the front row of the briefing room.

* Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor who is now a Fox News personality, believes the U.S. State Department, working with a moderate American imam to on Middle East diplomacy, constitutes "bailing out imams." I'm beginning to think maybe Huckabee isn't very bright.

* E.J. Dionne Jr. on the party of crazy: "The paradox is that a Republican Party in the grips of ideology needs to shift the campaign in a less ideological direction, hoping that voters simply cast protest ballots against hard economic times. Democrats, who are more doctrinally diverse, have every interest in turning the election into a philosophical contest, arguing that even unhappy voters cannot trust their fate to a party in the grips of a right-wing revolt. Once again on Tuesday, Republican primary participants seemed determined to give Democrats that opportunity."

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

FRIDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* There seemed to be widespread relief in some corners today that the Fed will save us all, but that's not quite what Bernanke said: "The Federal Reserve will take new action to bolster the economy only if conditions worsen further, Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said Friday, adding that he expects a continued economic recovery."

* Pakistan's devastating flooding: "Even as Pakistani and international relief officials scrambled to save people and property, they despaired that the nation's worst natural calamity had ruined just about every physical strand that knit this country together -- roads, bridges, schools, health clinics, electricity and communications. The destruction could set Pakistan back many years, if not decades, further weaken its feeble civilian administration and add to the burdens on its military."

* Former President Jimmy Carter traveled to North Korea to negotiate the release of American Aijalon Mahli Gomes. Carter was successful.

* A Mississippi middle school recently approved a policy whereby class presidents had to be white. Today, the school board changed direction. Good move.

* Where will all the money from Glenn Beck's rally go? That seems like a fair question.

* I liked it better when fire-department budgets were considered untouchable: "Fire departments around the nation are cutting jobs, closing firehouses and increasingly resorting to 'rolling brownouts' in which they shut different fire companies on different days as the economic downturn forces many cities and towns to make deep cuts that are slowing their responses to fires and other emergencies."

* California's state university system may be struggling, but one campus wanted Sarah Palin for a speaking engagement. She demanded $75,000 plus expenses, a hotel suite, first class airfare or a private Lear jet, pre-screened questions, and "bendable straws." She got it, and spoke for about a half-hour.

* Birthers claim to want the president's birth certificate. What do we call those who want proof of the president's baptism?

* Bill O'Reilly admitted, in print, that Fox News is "anti-liberal." Isn't he supposed to maintain the facade that the Republican network is "fair and balanced," regardless of ideology?

* The Weekly Standard's anti-intellectualism seems more sad than offensive.

* Saving for college really isn't cheap.

* Some worthwhile follow-up on the CBO's letter to Sen. Crapo on health care reform repeal.

* And Ahmed Sharif, the NYC cabbie who was attacked this week, said yesterday he's still glad to be a New Yorker. "I feel like I belong here," he said. "This is the city actually [for] all colors, races, religion, everyone. We live here side by side peacefully." Cheers to that.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

MONDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* Afghanistan: "Two separate roadside bomb attacks in Afghanistan killed seven U.S. service members in southern Afghanistan Monday, NATO said. The deaths bring to 14 the number of U.S. troops killed in action in eastern and southern Afghanistan over the past three days."

* On a related note: "Despite the presence of almost 150,000 foreign troops, violence across Afghanistan is at its worst since the Taliban were ousted by U.S.-backed Afghan forces in late 2001."

* Biden in Iraq: "Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. arrived in Baghdad on Monday to commemorate the official end of the United States combat mission and meet with Iraqi political leaders, who have yet to form a government more than five months after the March election."

* New Orleans: "President Obama on Sunday sought to assure this city, battered by two catastrophic disasters in five years, that federal efforts to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina would not waver even as the city struggles with the aftermath of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico."

* Consumer spending edges higher: "Americans spent last month at the fastest pace in four months, helped by a jump in demand for automobiles. Consumer spending rose 0.4 percent in July after three lackluster months, the Commerce Department said Monday. Spending fell 0.1 percent in April, rose a tiny 0.1 percent in May and was flat in June."

* Pakistan's flooding crisis also means a food crisis.

* Keeping an eye on Hurricane Earl.

* Agent Orange and veterans: a 40-Year wait.

* We know a fair amount about Bush-era scandals, corruption, fraud, and mismanagement -- but imagine what we'd know if the Bush White House hadn't "lost" so many officials' emails.

* I've been meaning to highlight Jane Mayer's piece on David and Charles Koch, right-wing billionaires going to great lengths, mainly through their "Americans for Prosperity" outfit, to finance Republican efforts in 2010. Frank Rich's column on this yesterday was terrific. (Pay particular attention why comparisons to George Soros are misguided.)

* Daniel Luzer and Justin Peters explore the disclosure/ethics issues involved with the Washington Post's ownership of Kaplan, and its reporting on education policy.

* Fox News had a guest on this morning who believes teen pregnancies stem from lessons on evolution. He was serious.

* And The Onion wins the week with "Local Man Knows Everything He Needs To Know About Muslims." (On a related note, The Onion probably needs to interview the perpetually silly James Tarnato, whose work often defies parody.)

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

TUESDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* It's probably best to keep expectations low: "President Obama plunges into Middle East peacemaking on Wednesday with two days of summitry he hopes will be the first step in brokering an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement within a year."

* It was nice to see a little bump in consumer confidence for a change.

* No need to panic: "A U.S. government official says the FBI's investigation of two men detained in Amsterdam is finding that it's unlikely they were on a test run for a future terror attack, even as Dutch authorities continued to hold the pair on suspicion of conspiring to commit a terrorist act. The U.S. official says the two men arrested in Amsterdam did not know each other and were not traveling together."

* Tragic, but not surprising: "A veteran of the DOJ's Civil Rights Division says he'd be surprised if the fire at the site of a mosque in Murfreesboro, Tenn. isn't investigated as a hate crime."

* And while Murfreesboro bigots are grabbing headlines, there are some displays of real decency in the community, too.

* Fingers crossed: "The Justice Department has filed its appeal of a federal court ruling that blocked federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research, warning that the decision could shut down life-saving research and stall medical breakthroughs."

* On a related note, another hate crime, this time in Seattle, where some moron attacked a convenience-store clerk, saying, "You're not even American, you're Al-Qaeda. Go back to your country." The victim was very likely Sikh, not Muslim.

* A pleasant surprise to see Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) implicitly defend health care reform from a baseless attack from his state's Republican governor.

* On a related note, the popularity of the Affordable Care Act is slipping.

* Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) has been disappointing lately, but he swears he's not going into lobbying after leaving the Senate at the end of the year.

* Donald Graham puts his mouth where his money is.

* Great piece from Dahlia Lithwick: "Ruth Bader Ginsburg shows how feminism is done. Again."

* And finally, the right was none too pleased when CBS News published an estimate of 87,000 attendees to Glenn Beck's still-pointless rally over the weekend. Unlike many conservatives, who continue to insist that several gazillion people were on hand, CBS has published a detailed report, explaining how the estimate was calculated. Sorry, conservatives, the network's count seems legit.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

WEDNESDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* The first peace talks in nearly two years: "President Obama on Wednesday began the arduous process of coaxing and pressing the main Middle East participants to define and embrace a comprehensive peace settlement. But he had to begin by joining Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel in strongly condemning a fatal attack on the West Bank and declaring solemnly, 'We've got a lot of work to do.'"

* Manufacturing numbers here and purchasing data in China offered some of the best economic news in a while.

* Neil Irwin says there are "some reasons for at least modest optimism" on the economy, and said we're "likely" to see "a slow-and-steady recovery."

* On a related note, Christina Romer, the departing chairman of President Obama's Council of Economic Advisers, offered a farewell speech to her team today, taking pride in helping the United States steer clear of "a second Great Depression."

* Some nut is holding hostages at the Discovery Communications building in a Maryland suburb of D.C.

* For the first time in 20 years, we're seeing the number of immigrants entering the country illegally decline. A weak economy and increased enforcement were cited as the main factors.

* In North Carolina, the first evacuations in anticipation of a strengthening Hurricane Earl began today.

* New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) wants to "move on" after his monumental screw up over education funding and demonstrably false criticism of the Obama administration. I'm sure he does, but that may be easier said than done.

* Ethics probes advance in controversies related to Reps. John Campbell (R-Calif.), Tom Price (R-Ga.), and Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.).

* New and improved federal financial aid for college students.

* Korean cult leader Sun Myung Moon gets the far-right Washington Times back.

* And Glenn Beck assured his followers that he went to the National Archives and held George Washington's hand-written first inaugural. That's not even close to true.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

THURSDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* Not again: "An offshore oil production platform caught fire Thursday in the Gulf of Mexico, forcing 13 workers into the water and triggering an emergency response to rescue them, the U.S. Coast Guard said. Coast Guard officials said one of the 13 was hurt and that the incident left a mile-long oil sheen on the water."

* Later, the Coast Guard revised its original assessment, and said there is no oil sheen.

* Off to a reasonably good start: "Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton formally reopened direct peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians on Thursday, acknowledging that 'we've been here before, and we know how difficult the road ahead will be,' but expressing confidence that the core disputes separating the two sides can be resolved within a year. In one small but hopeful early sign, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority agreed to meet in the Middle East on Sept. 14-15, and then to hold talks every two weeks thereafter."

* So much for that idea: "President Obama's economic team is looking for ways to accelerate the agonizingly slow economic recovery, but the top White House spokesman on Thursday said a large spending measure is not being considered."

* Beating expectations, first-time filers for unemployment insurance fell for the second week in a row. The totals are still far too high, of course, but I'll take good news where I can get it.

* Hurricane Earl inches closer to the East coast.

* Is this right? "In hindsight, if BP had removed the 5,000-foot-long tangle of riser pipe from its damaged Gulf well in the early days of the spill, a new blowout preventer or cap could have been installed, shutting down the well perhaps within weeks instead of months, according to both the federal incident commander and petroleum engineers."

* Elizabeth Warren was scheduled to teach contract law at Harvard Law School this semester. Now she isn't. Hmm.

* House Dems will not get on board with Social Security cuts.

* Did New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) lie about his administration's massive education-funding screw-up? It sure looks like it.

* Keeping a focus on the economy: "President Obama, seeking to pivot from foreign affairs to the economy, will kick off the campaign season next week with trips to Milwaukee and Cleveland, followed by a White House news conference."

* Should be interesting: "Sheriff Joe Arpaio has been sued by the Department of Justice because he has not given federal investigators documents needed for their probe into allegations the lawman's department discriminates against Hispanics."

* Sounds like a tough guarantee to keep: "A small college in Michigan has taken the remarkable step of guaranteeing that its students will get jobs if they finish school. And not just any jobs, good jobs."

* Reflecting on Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer's (R) bizarre debate performance last night, John Cole responds, "It's the Palinization of politics. Sharon Angle, Jan Brewer, just go down the list. Ignorant know-nothings who spew the right-wing talking points, refuse to take questions from the press, and when off-script, are seen for the train-wreck that they are. Yet half the country embraces these clowns. It's terrifying."

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.