Will the Kentucky Derby end the Republican filibuster of FinReg?  —  Word is that the Democrats might make the Republicans actually filibuster FinReg tonight.  That is to say, stand on the floor and talk and talk and talk.  And if the Democrats are serious about forcing the Republicans …

Crist to Run as Independent in FL Sen Race  —  Republican Florida Governor Charlie Crist has decided he will run as an independent in the race to fill the Florida U.S. Senate seat, Crist allies tell Fox News.  The official announcement is scheduled for Thursday at 5pm ET in St. Petersburg, Florida.

McCain's numbers plummet  —  John McCain has had a Charlie Crist like drop in his approval numbers over the last six months, seeing double digit declines in his popularity with Democrats, Republicans, and independents alike.  As a result a majority of Arizona voters now disapprove of his job performance.

Why reporters are down on Obama  —  One of the enduring story lines of Barack Obama's presidency, dating back to the earliest days of his candidacy, is that the press loves him.  —  “Most of you covered me.  All of you voted for me,” Obama joked last year at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner.

It's the (Bush) economy, stupid  —  Photo by Marvin Joseph of the Washington Post  —  A new Washington Post/ABC poll suggests that most Americans continue to blame the sluggish economy on former President George W. Bush, a development that could complicate Republican efforts to lay it at President Barack Obama's feet this fall.

Laura Bush Opens Up About Crash  —  Laura Bush has finally opened up publicly about the mysterious car accident she had when she was 17, a crash that claimed the life of a high school friend on a dark country road in Midland, Tex.  —  In her new book, “Spoken From the Heart,” …

The Washington Post Cannot Tell Obama From Malcolm X  —  Violent black radical Barack Hussein Obama X is learning about wind energy in Iowa, The Washington Post reports in a most unfortunate photo caption error.  —  It appears Obama and Malcolm X were actually slated for separate stories.

Opponents of immigration law call for boycott of Arizona Iced Tea - but it is brewed in New York!  —  Opponents of Arizona's new anti-immigrant law are calling for a boycott of the state's products - including the popular Arizona Iced Tea.  —  The problem: Arizona Iced Tea is actually brewed in New York.

Why 2010 Won't Be Like 1994.  (It'll Be Bigger.)  —  I might be setting myself for a healthy serving of crow on November 3rd, but I get a distinct feeling that the GOP may be headed toward to a seat gain in the House of epic proportions — somewhere over 50 seats and well above …

Supreme Court Rules Mojave Cross Can Stay -ACLU Defeated (Video)  —  The ACLU went down in defeat today.  The Supreme Court ruled that the Mojave Cross can stay.  —  (Why this had to go so far in the first place is beyond belief.)  —  Via FOX News:  —  US Supreme Court rules Mojave cross can stay …

Obama is a Bully: Kneale  —  Will someone please rein in our relentlessly hectoring President?  Barrack Hussein Obama has taken his gift for inspirational oratory—one of the traits that got him elected—and turned it into something darker and more insidious.  —  Bam is a bully.

An Open Letter to UC Berkeley Students — Passing the Israel Divestment Bill  —  Dear Berkeley students and the ASUC Senate:  —  I commend the effort of the wide coalition at Berkeley to pass the Bill in Support of UC Divestment from War Crimes.  American students can play a powerful role …

Your morning jolt: The woman who beat Sarah Palin in Alaska takes aim at the Georgia House  —  The woman who beat Sarah Palin for the beauty queen title of Miss Alaska in 1984 is aiming for the Legislature.  —  Singer and actress Maryline Blackburn of Smyrna, now a 24-year resident of the state …

Regulators Approve First Offshore Wind Farm in U.S.  —  BOSTON — After nine years of regulatory review, the federal government gave the green light Wednesday to the nation's first offshore wind farm, a highly contested project off the coast of Cape Cod.  —  The approval of the 130-turbine farm gives …

A Tale of Two Blogospheres: Discursive Practices on the Left and Right  —  Authored by Yochai Benkler, Aaron Shaw, Victoria Stodden  —  Abstract  —  Discussions of the political effects of the Internet and networked discourse tend to presume consistent patterns of technological adoption and use within a given society.

George Will On Hispanics  —  We've seen, repeatedly, that Fred Hiatt thinks it's not a problem if George Will wants to use his Washington Post column to mislead people about facts.  But Will's decided to enter a new kind of loathesomeness with this characterization of where one might meet a Hispanic:

Palin Accidentally Slams Fox News as ‘Lamestream Media’  —  Hats off to our friends at Media Matters for catching this one.  By “lamestream media,” did Palin mean Fox News?: … As they noted, unfortunately that “lamestream media” program she was talking about is Fox & Friends.

'When we understand that slide, we'll have won the war:' US generals given baffling PowerPoint presentation to try to explain Afghanistan mess  —  Its coloured charts, graphs and bullet-points are supposed to make the most incomprehensible data crystal clear.

Palin: Obama pushing racial ‘myth’  —  Former Alaska GOP Gov. Sarah Palin on Tuesday night declared that there is “no ability or opportunity” for the new Arizona immigration law to encourage racial profiling, and blamed Barack Obama for “perpetuating this myth.”

Reid set to move on climate change bill ahead of immigration  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has closed the door on the possibility of moving immigration reform before a comprehensive energy and climate bill.  —  “I am going to move forward on energy first,” Reid said Wednesday.

Burger withdraws candidacy, backs ‘union sister’  —  SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger has withdrawn her candidacy to head the union, ending a surprisingly bloodless succession fight in a group that is also one of the most important political organizations in the country.