Tidbits

- the inflatable roof on the Metrodome in Minneapolis caved in. I thought it was yet another example of America's crumbling infrastructure, but found out that Minneapolis got 18" of snow overnight, and the roof had caved in three times previously ('81, the year it was built; '82 and '83), also from heavy snowfall.

- got five transcripts published yesterday by Karoli on Crooks & Liars. She posted clips from Bernie Sanders' tax-cut "filibuster" and mentioned that she would publish transcripts if they became available from C-Span, so I sent them in. Her response: "Update: HUGE thank you to C&L community member tequilamockingbird, who took the time to prepare and mail transcripts of these videos. I am forever in your debt." (Jeez, that was easy.)

- two big topics on the news: The Obama/Republican tax proposals and Wikileaks.

- My knee-jerk reaction to the tax-cut thing was negative; it seemed like Obama made his deal with the Republicans before consulting the Democrats in Congress, and he seemed to have given up too much, too soon. (In his press conference, Mr. O compared the left-wing reaction to the uproar caused by the lack of a public option in the health care bill; I agree. He should have asked for more -- like single-payer -- and then fought like hell for a public option. Instead, single-payer was a non-starter, and he gave up the public option without much of a fight.) He was widely condemned by The Professional Left, but after listening to Mr. O and then to Lawrence O'Donnell, I had second thoughts.

Obama impresses the hell out of me every time he speaks. The right were freaking out at his "anger" and "rage" -- I guess because he furrowed his brow and pointed his finger a time or two -- but he seemed to me to be calm and reasonable, as always, if a little annoyed. The critics do have a point, though, when they say that he was admonishing his supporters rather than opponents who have vowed to thwart him. It seemed to be his judgment that with the imminent end of the tax year and a right-wing-freak Republican House in January, this was the best he could get.

A lot of Democrats insist he should have (a) fought until December 31 before caving; or (b) fought on into January and beyond. Option (b) would have caused a lot of pain to the bottom tax bracket, whose rate would have gone up to 15% from 10% -- how would you like a 50% increase in your federal taxes? Lawrence O'Donnell, whose credentials as a lefty are impeccable and who knows process, having worked for years as a congressional aide, said that a retroactive fix would be a nightmare to write and impossible to administer. So the low-income people would just have to suck it up. No more Fancy Feast; it's Purina from now on.

Fighting to December 31 would have the same result; some suggested that December 10 was the latest the tax rules could be changed so that the bureaucratic paperwork could be done in time for New Year. And if you're going to cave anyway, it's just sound and fury, signifying nothing. In any case, before the opening gavel stopped echoing in the new Republican House, John Boehner would introduce a bill -- Tax Cuts For All! -- so the Republicans could claim to be the champions of the people, not like those scheming Democrats with their political games.

- Wikileaks. It seems pretty plain to me that Julian Assange was simply doing what the administration-lapdog MSM were not. If the media were doing their job, this stuff would have come out earlier. Wikileaks behaved responsibly in releasing only a few hundred of the 250,000 documents with their big-name media partners (like The Times, The Guardian, Der Spiegel, Le Monde), apparently responsibly redacted to prevent individuals from harm. WiLe even asked the U.S. government if they would assist in the process, but the U.S. refused -- can't negotiate with terrorists, you know. The word "terrorist" is being connected to Assange a lot, along with suggestions that he be prosecuted by the U.S. as an enemy combatant in a military tribunal, or even that he be assassinated. Nicole Belle on C&L said that Bob Woodward had revealed more damaging secrets and caused more individual harm with the information in his books. How can Wolf Blitzer and other establishment media figures argue that there should be MORE government secrecy? Daniel Ellsberg says Assange and Bradley Miller (bradass84 -- not too swift, Brad), are heroes; I agree.

- a crowd of rioters attacked and did damage to Charles and Camilla's limo in London, actually breaking a window. Some were chanting, "Off with their heads!" The rioters were students protesting the tripling of university fees in Britain's austerity program. C&C weren't planned as targets, though -- it seems a breakoff group of rioters came upon the limo accidentally.

- Palin visited Haiti, where a Fox News crew covered her posing with refugees. Now she's got international experience!

- November 2012: economy's bad, Obama's unpopular, Palin is the Republican nominee -- what if there's a credible third-party candidate, like Bloomberg? George Wallace got 18% of the popular vote in 1996. 33% for Obama, 32% for the third party -- hello, President Palin! Scary thought.