This is hilarious (right around minute four):

Jeralyn Merritt takes the cake, she does. 

New feature! Yay! 

So I’m sure all 7.5 of you have noticed the dearth in posts as of late.  My other hats have been heavier as of late, and will likely remain that way for a bit.  Nevertheless, I’m going to keep updating IL as often as I can.  Thus, I give you…quick hits.  If I don’t have time to post much, I’ll try to give a few links and thoughts each day, at the very least.  Here goes it:

• I’m with Charles Malik on this incredibly lazy L.A. Times article on the clashes in Beirut.  The insinuation that a bunch of mall security guards constitutes something like a “militia” on par with Hezbollah is absurd.  It’s a sad attempt to create a “Sunni/U.S. vs. Shi’a/Iran” narrative, and it simply isn’t there.  Hezbollah is a professionally trained and armed para-military organization.
• It’s over, Taylor.  Get your new button here.   
• A good lesson for the West: Use all of the resources at your disposal, and diversify your energy options. 
• I know they don’t pose a real political threat, but the mental image of Ron Paul supporters running amok during the RNC this summer makes me smile.  

I’ll be a guest this evening on Sirius Radio’s Indie Talk channel 110 at 5 pm EST.  The program is called “The Blog Bunker,” and we’ll be talking about Iran, Iraq, the UN and the 2008 election. 

 Good times!  Check it out.   

Jay Cost plays devil’s advocate for Hillary:

What happens to “It’s Over” if Clinton pulls a 40-point victory in West Virginia on Tuesday, then follows it up a week later with a 30-point victory in Kentucky? If these states turn out in the same margins that states since March 4th have averaged, that would imply a net of about 290,000 votes for Clinton. That puts her within striking distance of a reasonable popular vote victory. “Over” will be over as we turn our attention to Puerto Rico.

There are good reasons not to take Puerto Rico lightly, even though the press has continued to do exactly that. I would note: (a) Puerto Ricans vote in large numbers (2 million in the last gubernatorial election); (b) Puerto Ricans have never had this important a role in United States presidential politics; (c) Puerto Rico’s politics is focused at least partially on how (if at all) to adjust its relationship with the United States; (d) Puerto Rico’s is an open primary, and the residents of the Commonwealth, who are United States citizens, do not see themselves as Republicans or Democrats.

The inference I draw is that Puerto Ricans could turn out in huge numbers. If they do, and they swing for Clinton in a sizeable way, the popular vote lead could swing, too. Add 290,000 votes from West Virginia and Kentucky to 250,000 votes from Puerto Rico, account for expected losses in Oregon, Montana, and South Dakota, and you get Clinton leading in many popular vote counts, some of which are really quite valid. If she has one of those leads when the final votes are counted on June 3rd, the race will go on to the convention.

Sorry, couldn’t resist.  But hey, remember UNSC 1701?  You know, the one calling for only one armed military in Lebanon?  The one that said all weapons sales should be approved by the Lebanese government?  Those were the days. 

But don’t worry, this definitely isn’t a coup.  Nasrallah said so: “If we wanted to stage a coup, you would have woken up this morning in prison, or in the middle of the sea.”

Fair enough.  Gateway has videos, and photos and such.     

UPDATE:

Meet the new boss…same as the old boss. 

UPDATE II:

Can someone please explain to me how the guy with the UN man-crush seems to believe it was up to the Israelis, or somewhat haughty of the Israelis, to assume the Hezbollah “crushing” responsibilities? 

I’m not certain, were I Hillary Clinton, what I would do at this point.  I’m not hung up on the personal loan to her campaign, because she still has debts that will need to be paid regardless.  It’s difficult to figure out the rationale for her campaign from this point forward.  Todd Beeton sees the opportunity for some kind of “unity tour,” but that strikes me as a concessionary plan.  More like a farewell tour than a unity bid.

This race has been spliced a million times over by now, so I won’t add too much to the pile.  I think the big winner here is the emerging Democratic coalition.  The media harped on all of the identity politics surrounding Barack Obama’s candidacy, paying less attention to the shifting party coalitions that were in conflict during these primary contests.  Clinton’s post-Super Tuesday rationale became a retro act of sorts.  Her bid represented the last gasp of the “New Deal Coalition,” which had become synonymous with the Democratic Party itself (causing much consternation for my friend Dheeraj).  Obama has ostensibly reorganized the coalition, uniting black voters, young voters and college-educated whites behind his message.  It’s not clear yet if Clinton’s support base will return home to the party, but I think it’s safe to say that the Democrats need these new voters pulled in by Obama’s candidacy.   

In short, Barack Obama has made the pie higher. 

UPDATE: Just in case there’s any confusion, the title is a Bush joke. 

More at memeorandum      

Is it over?