The Guardian's Niall Stanage unloads on ABC and its circus barkers in a column full of disappointment and derision. He poses a question: The dumbest debate in America?

I ran across a check list of 10 considerations for those who may someday sit across a table from Iranian negotiators and wish to make a success of the exercise.

Cara Ong, whose website Iran Nuclear Watch is well worth watching, linked to a new report today from the United States Institute of Peace. It was written by Ambassador (Ret.) John W. Limbert who served in Iran, is now Professor of International Affairs at the U.S. Naval Academy, and was held hostage in the embassy from November 1979 to January 1981.

He elucidates 10 approaches in a summary of the longer report, and I've posted them here. I hope you find them as perceptive, intriguing and hopeful as I do, though I find it difficult to imagine the current crop of cowboys behaving this perspicaciously.

Right now, in the House, they're debating Rahm Emanuel's amendment to defund the Vice President's office, as a result of said official having claimed, in effect, that he's not the Vice President.

Much drollery. C-Span 1.

So far, Ralph Regula is the only Republican articulating any opposition.

This diary is just a head's up and a live blog for anyone interested in following this. I'll delete it if someone else does a better one.

The Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming is holding a hearing right now, to address climate change, energy policy, greenhouse gas emissions, and to address:

the response of the Bush administration and Congress to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the Environmental Protection Agency has the authority to regulate greenhouse gases.

Panelists are:

Stephen L. Johnson: Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency
Nicole R. Nason: Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Admin.
Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown, Jr.: Attorney General, California
Martha Coakley: Attorney General, Massachusetts

You can watch it on C-Span 2 or stream it through C-Span's website.

He's irritated at 'Democrat' bloggers who distort tax relief [sic] and took exception to ortcutt's recent post that expiring tax cuts do not equate to a tax increase.

He's requested the "ortcutt post" from the 'Daily Koze' be inserted into the record.

I'll delete this lame diary in a few minutes - just couldn't resist getting this up here. Grassley is still bleating about permanent tax relief.

Update: Thanks to the magnificent Magnifico, we have the infamous comment that attracted the Senator's attention:

One of the most heartbreaking losses in November was John Doolittle's squeaking by to win with the smallest margin in his career. After a heroic challenge, Charlie Brown lost his bid to win the Congressional seat from California's 4th district. Doolittle's been fouling up the place for way too long, and Charlie lost by just a few hairs.

But he's back!

But, this blasé admission from the Vice President that of course, we torture people, is unbearable.

See also the post over at Think Progress on this gathering.

A Progressive Governing Philosophy: Securing The Common Good

Lorraine Hunt Lieberson  1954-2006

Nobody who heard the voice of the American mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, who has died aged 52 of cancer, remained unaffected. She had an extraordinary capacity for emotional connection, such that her performances seemed to penetrate the very marrow of those fortunate enough to witness them. Inextricable from the passion she brought to her music was an incomparable beauty of phrasing, a matchless, velvety tone and a quality, barely definable, of rapture. Her artistic powers were still in full and glorious flow; she was one of the greatest mezzos of our age. A woman of immense grace, she was disarming in her candour and warmth.

The Guardian, 07/06/06

When Lorraine Hunt Lieberson sang, time itself stopped to listen.

Richard Dyer, Boston Globe

Take Back America 2006

The Take Back America Conference is a catalyst for building the infrastructure to ensure that the voice of the progressive majority is heard. Take Back America always attracts the nation's most prominent progressive leaders. Last year's speakers included Howard Dean, Antonio Villaraigosa, John Edwards, Jesse Jackson, Arianna Huffington and Bill Moyers, among others, and this year's lineup promises to be even better. Already the largest progressive gathering ever year, the Campaign for America's Future Take Back America Conference will be bigger than ever in 2006!

Say and think what you will about Randi and her tendency to get a tad overheated at times, but she spoke for me when she appeared on the Larry King show a couple nights ago. She defended the HUMAN BEINGS who are maligned in this debate about illegal immigration, and laid the blame where it belongs.

Watch her do her thing, as only she can, and check out the wingnuts nodding along with her in what looks like reluctant agreement.

PRICELESS.

Update: I just noticed that the whole segment with Randi and Ed Schultz is available on that site.

Part One

Part Two

Enjoy!

I'm proud to announce that today is the beginning of our second "Pick a Progressive Patriot" event. From the hundreds of candidates you've suggested, I've chosen several great Congressional challengers. Now it's up to you to decide who we should support. Please vote for your favorite candidate, and whoever gets the most votes will receive a $5,000 contribution from the Progressive Patriots Fund.

Vote Now!

http://www.progressivepatriotsfund.com/...

Today, in the UK's Telegraph, which is considered to be a fairly conservative rag, there are two related pieces that are well worth reading.

One is an article about an SAS soldier who's decided he can't in good conscience continue fighting an immoral war with American forces whose "illegal" tactics he reviles.

After three months in Baghdad, Ben Griffin told his commander that he was no longer prepared to fight alongside American forces.

He said he had witnessed "dozens of illegal acts" by US troops, claiming they viewed all Iraqis as "untermenschen" - the Nazi term for races regarded as sub-human.

The decision marks the first time an SAS soldier has refused to go into combat and quit the Army on moral grounds.

The world misses you. Happy 80th birthday.

It's red. It's weird. There are strange fonts.

And disconcerting large expanses of oddness!

Is this it then? The new look?

Not sure what to think, really.

Help!

Listen here.