Every now and then a news story reminds us that the Census Bureau counts prisoners as residents of the prison where they happen to be housed when the census is taken, a decision that seriously overstates the populations of rural areas with prisons.

In 2006, experts commissioned by the Census Bureau recommended that the agency study whether prison inmates should be counted in 2010 as residents of the mostly urban neighborhoods where they last lived rather than as residents of the mostly rural districts where they are temporarily housed against their will.

That's a change a Republican legislature would never have approved. Next year it could happen. Democrats should make it a priority.

This post addresses the issue and links to three other posts that do, as well.

One of the jurors in the Ted Stevens trial apparently caught a plane out of town to be with a seriously ill family member. The court will decide today whether to put deliberations on hold until the juror returns or to substitute an alternate juror. If an alternate joins the deliberations, the jury will need to set aside prior discussions and start fresh.

Meghan McCain was in Denver yesterday to pitch her new book about her father and her. Dad John arrives today where he will campaign with former Denver Quarterback John Elway. From her interview with local 7 News,

John McCain's daughter calls campaigning with him "like being on tour with a band except we're trying to save the world."

Katie Couric asked John McCain when was the last time he cried.

John McCain: I cry regularly.
Couric: You do?
McCain: Aw, yeah. You know, I'm very sentimental.

When Brian Williams asked Palin whether she would classify an abortion clinic bomber as a terrorist, her typically convoluted answer came down to "no."

There’s no question that Bill Ayers by his own admittance was one who thought to destroy our U.S. Capitol and our Pentagon. That is a domestic terrorist. There is no question there. Now others who would want to engage in harming innocent Americans or facilities that it would be unacceptable to, I don’t know if you’re gonna use the word "terrorist" there.

At the end of the linked video, Palin reaffirms her understanding of the "terrorist" label: [more ...]

Texas has 12 executions scheduled for the next six weeks.

Two were executed the week of Oct. 13. Two were scheduled for this week. And two more the week after that. Then six more in November, adding to Texas' standing as the nation's most active death penalty state.

[Hat tip Sentencing Law and Policy.]

Gov. Sarah Palin was interviewed by Univision and said she supports a path to citizenship for the undocumented 12 million residents of the U.S.

Do you think they all should be deported?
There is no way that in the US we would roundup every illegal immigrant there are about 12 million of the illegal immigrants not only economically is that just an impossibility but that's not a humane way anyway to deal with the issue that we face with illegal immigration.

....To clarify, so you support a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants?
I do because I understand why people would want to be in America. To seek the safety and prosperity, the opportunities, the health that is here. It is so important that yes, people follow the rules so that people can be treated equally and fairly in this country.

Sarah Palin, Panderer in Chief. As Crooks and Liars notes, this isn't likely to rally the conservative base.

The Tulsa World has a two part series focusing on an inmate's family. Today's entry begins:

Nine o’clock on a Sunday morning. “B.B.” Battle jumps out of the car and races ahead of his mother and his little sister so he can be the first one inside the door.

He’s the first to slip off his shoes for the guards to inspect, the first to empty his pockets and step through the metal detector. Before anyone else has a chance to look around, he’s already sitting down at a table on the far side of the visiting center at the Dick Conner Correctional Center, north of Hominy and an hour’s drive from B.B.’s home in Tulsa.

Denver has come up with an innovative and smart program to cut prison overcrowding, save money and help the elderly at the same time:

Since May, Denver city jail inmates have been making weekly rounds to the homes of elderly and disabled residents who need help maintaining their yards.

"We take care of little minor issues," said Denver Sheriff's Deputy Michael Newtown. "If it's a tree branch that's fallen, or (at) a lot of homes, we'll take the trash out for them and stuff like that." This winter, they'll shovel snow.

The inmates, sentenced to the county jail for non-violent crimes like drug possession, disturbing the peace or shoplifting, volunteer for the program. If they have a ten day sentence and volunteer one day, the remainder of the sentence is deemed served. [More....]

It's no surprise that The New York Times endorsed Barack Obama. The lengthy editorial makes a compelling case for Obama if you're still in doubt.

You heard it here first:

Big Ten Country Will (Mostly) Go Blue

That prediction may have been unduly pessimistic. The Big Ten Battleground Poll gives Barack Obama the lead in all eight Big Ten states.

The Badgers, Gophers, Hawkeyes, Spartans (or Wolverines), Wildcats (or Fighting Illini) and Nittany Lions are solid blue. The Buckeyes are looking good. It will be an Obama landslide if the Boilermakers (or Hoosiers) turn blue. Can the Big Ten sweep? Will it be America's Bluest Conference?

Update: Add Scott McClellan to the list of Republican Obama-endorsers. The video is here.

MCCLELLAN - From the very beginning I've said I'm going to support the candidate who has the best chance of changing the way Washington works and getting things done. I will be voting for Barack Obama.

original post:

The latest Republican to abandon ship, after finally noticing that John McCain's GOP is not just out-of-touch but downright nasty, is former Minnesota governor Arne Carlson.[more ...]

Second update: The jury retired early again, citing exhaustion. The jurors seem to have resolved the chaos that interrupted deliberations earlier today. They will return tomorrow to continue working toward a verdict.

Bump and update: After a "stressful" day one of jury deliberations in Ted Stevens' trial, day two is being described as "chaotic." At least one juror is described as having violent outbursts; some jurors are asking the court to send that juror home.

The request is problematic. Is the juror refusing to deliberate in good faith (which might be grounds for excusing the juror) or simply stating opinions forcefully? If the juror is excused, is it too late to get an alternate on board, or have the alternates been contaminated by reading or viewing news coverage? A mistrial or hung jury may be coming, but it's still a bit early to make that prediction.

original post: [more ...]