Ted Kennedy and the Death (Hopefully) of an Era  —  With the death of Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), two points immediately come to mind.  —  First is the endless, generally uncritical encomia that journalists and other public commenters immediately generate whenever any major figure, especially a controversial one, dies.

Romney for Senate?  Succeeding Kennedy Could Help in 2012  —  By Peter Roff, Thomas Jefferson Street blog  —  Though it may be hard to see at first, the passing of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts may have a profound impact on 2012's race for the GOP presidential nomination.

Mike Enzi, Gang Of Six Republican, Admits He's Simply Blocking Health Care Reform  —  Mike Enzi, one of three Republicans ostensibly negotiating health care reform as part of the Senate's “Gang of Six,” told a Wyoming town hall crowd that he had no plans to compromise with Democrats and was merely trying to extract concessions.

Dominick Dunne: 1925-2009  —  Dominick Dunne, a best-selling author and special correspondent for Vanity Fair, died today at his home in Manhattan.  He was 83.  —  The cause of death was bladder cancer, said his son Griffin Dunne.  —  Dunne—who joined Vanity Fair in 1984 as a contributing editor …

Christie Faces Questions Over '05 Traffic Tickets  —  On a Saturday night in 2005 Chris Christie was issued tickets for speeding and driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle.  A tow truck showed up at the scene but Christie was allowed to drive the vehicle with his wife …

The Coming Air Force Crisis  —  David Petraeus makes a joke: … As Robert Farley says, this kind of thing is a pretty typical ground forces joke but “the AFA whining reveals a certain insecurity.”  —  It's worth observing that this issue is going to become much more severe in the years to come.

Bauer: I won't run in 2010 if Sanford resigns  —  EXCLUSIVE - Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer plans to call on embattled Gov. Mark Sanford to step down during a noon news conference today.  Bauer will also renew his pledge to bow out of the 2010 gubernatorial race should Sanford resign within a month or so.

AARP Poll: 8 in 10 Back Public Option  —  A new survey commissioned by the AARP asks respondents to what degree they support or oppose “[s]tarting a new federal health insurance plan that individuals could purchase if they can't afford private plans offered to them” — a public option, in other words.

China admits death row organ use  —  China is trying to move away from the use of executed prisoners as the major source of organs for transplants.  —  According to the China Daily newspaper, executed prisoners currently provide two-thirds of all transplant organs.

The babies born in hospital corridors: Bed shortage forces 4,000 mothers to give birth in lifts, offices and hospital toilets  —  Thousands of women are having to give birth outside maternity wards because of a lack of midwives and hospital beds.  —  The lives of mothers and babies are being put …

The American Way Of Torture  —  Greg Sargent notes another document secured by the ACLU.  (Yes, Greenwald is right that it's bizarre the media in this country are second to the ACLU in demanding information from the government.)  This document gives a detailed account of the torture techniques used …

Tax Court Rejects Taxpayer's Attempt to Use Geithner's TurboTax Defense  —  The Tax Court yesterday rejected a taxpayer's attempt to use the TurboTax defense successfully employed by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.  Hopson v. Commissioner, T.C. Summ.  Op.  2009-130 (Aug. 25, 2009) (citations omitted):

'08 race worker held in damage to Colorado Democratic HQ  —  One of two people suspected of shattering 11 windows Tuesday morning at the state Democratic Party headquarters has an arrest record and a history of helping a Democratic political candidate, public records show.

“We have to go into the despair and go beyond it, by working and doing for somebody else, by using it for something else."  —  The title is a quote by Elie Wiesel and I use it because I've spent the last several weeks trying to write this post but failing, especially when it came to the title.

New projection: 2.3 million fewer people working in 2010  —  Yesterday the Congressional Budget Office released their “summer update” publication, in which they update their baseline budget and economic projections for changes in the economy and legislation enacted so far this year.

California holds a garage sale — with cars autographed by Schwarzenegger  —  In the latest attempt to raise money, the state is selling thousands of surplus items on EBay, Craigslist and in a warehouse auction.  —  Reporting from Sacramento - Does Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger have a deal for you.

Hopefully I am mistaken!  —  I read with astonishment weekend news agency reports on the internal politics of the United States, where a systematic debilitation of President Barack Obama's influence is evident.  His surprising electoral victory would not have been possible without …

Successor plan gains steam  —  Speaker Robert A. DeLeo ok with giving Gov. Patrick appoint power  —  House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo has given his behind-closed-doors blessing to an effort to hand Gov. Deval Patrick the power to appoint a temporary successor to U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, sources say.

Downturn Dims Prospects Even at Top Law Schools  —  This fall, law students are competing for half as many openings at big firms as they were last year in what is shaping up to be the most wrenching job search season in over 50 years.  —  For students now, the promise of the big law firm career …

Public Choice and Moral Imagination  —  I wrote the other day about how over time I've “come to be increasingly baffled by the high degree cynicism and immorality displayed in big-time politics.”  —  Some right-of-center bloggers, including Damon Root at Reason and Ilya Somin …

Vocal minority greet Howard Dean at town hall  —  RESTON, Va. — Supporters of healthcare reform showed Tuesday night that they can pack a room, too.  —  Groups backing President Barack Obama's healthcare overhaul filled the 2,700-seat gymnasium where Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) …

Vote could open 250 L.A. schools to outside operators  —  Backers of the Board of Education decision tout choice and competition.  Foes call the move illegal, illogical and improper.  —  In a startling acknowledgment that the Los Angeles school system cannot improve enough schools on its own …