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- It shouldn't surprise anyone that Republicans are now suddenly talking about the filibuster as an undemocratic abomination or that they would continue to lie out of convenience or ignorance about the costs/benefits of the Affordable Care Act. Whatever principles inform the conservative mind are conspicuously absent in the modern Republican Party. Since it's politically possible for the GOP to dismantle the welfare state, they instead do nothing and then blame Democrats for gridlock. Truly one of America's great political parties.
- Today's non-controversy concerns the absence of John Boehner at tonight's state dinner, which leads the gang at First Read to note, "The move has raised eyebrows for some, especially after Boehner turned down a ride on Air Force One to go to Tucson, and after Republican congressional leaders wanted a later date for their post-election meeting with Obama." The problem, it would seem, is that Boehner is engaging in insufficient pomp given his promotion to House speaker. One can only imagine the horror upon learning the Senate majority leader referred to Hu Jintao as a "dictator."
- Jennifer Rubin, who sees a connection between the "successful emergence of a secular, democratic Iraq" and the uprising in Tunisia, finds time to neener-neener "the left blogosphere" for failing to acknowledge the awesomeness of George Bush's democracy promotion. Now, an intellectually honest person might read a headline -- in the very same paper Rubin works for -- that says, "At least 15 killed in third straight day of suicide attacks in Iraq," and conclude that whatever political system Iraq now has, it's closer to "failed state" than "peaceful democracy."
- Remainders: Outgoing RNC Chair Michael Steele will always carry a piece of my heart; Joe Scarborough urges conservatives to stop whining about being victims; and
Robert WelchJudson Phillips provides Obama conspiracy theories on a sliding scale of intelligence.
--Mori Dinauer
