DemfromCt (by contrast Nate Silver has a very cogent critique of WaPo analysis of its poll) appears to endorse the Village view that even though the public option is favored by no less than 55% of Americans (51% support mandates, though it would not occur to the Village to ask how people feel about HCR if mandates are removed), it is the public option that must go. And when you present the ACTUAL public option presented in the proposals on the table now, support for a public option rises to 76%. But that does not matter to the Villagers, of the Media and the blogger variety (I'm referring to DemfromCt, who disingenuously and inaccurately describes the support for the public option as less than perceived. Why is DemfromCt playing with facts on this?):

[I]t is the public option that has become the major point of contention . . . If that single provision were removed, opposition to the overall package drops by six percentage points, according to the poll. Without the public option, 50 percent back the rest of the proposed changes; a still sizable 42 percent are opposed. Independents divide 45-45 on a package without the government-sponsored insurance option, while they are largely negative on the entire set of proposals (40 percent support and 52 percent oppose). Republican opposition also fades 20 points under this scenario.

[More...]

The MTV-VH1 Music Video Awards were tonight. They sure have changed.

Madonna, looking relaxed, calm and very pretty, opened the show with a quiet and actually quite moving speech in tribute to Michael Jackson. After noting they were born the same year, she mentioned she lost her mother when she was a young girl. But she says Michael he got the short end of the stick: She lost a mother, he lost a childhood. She also talked about how "we" abandoned him, how while he was trying to raise a family, "we all sat in judgment of him." "There will never be anyone else like him again. He was a king." She says she's going to end on a positive note. "Michael Jackson was a human being but he was the King. Long live the King."

[More...]

Jeralyn usually does some video-themed open threads at night. But I noticed Big Brother was on, so maybe that has captured her attention. I'm watching the women's final of the US Open, while peeking in on the Bears-Packers.

This is an Open Thread.

I just noticed that digby called me an idiot* (apparently digby was joking about my propensity to actually call people idiots (which I do with some frequency) In this case, having missed the joke, I appear to have proven myself rather an idiot. My apologies for missing the joke. It is a pretty good one now that I think about it.) for disagreeing with her in this post. Digby writes:

There are many facets to negotiation but what really matters is what you are willing to to walk away from and what people think you are willing to walk away from. Here's the real difference between health care reform and war funding: Progressives want to vote for the first and they don't want to vote for the second. The strategy all flows from that.

(Emphasis supplied.) Apparently, Digby thinks making a pledge, repeatedly and in writing, and then capitulating on the issue, does not signal that you will cave in on everything. She seems to think that because the phrase "health care reform" is more pleasing than "war on terror," then of course the Progressive Block will be taken seriously on war funding. This part of Digby's post was particularly amusing:

Amazing:

New Hampshire Democrat Sen. Jeanne Shaheen[:] “I think we’re going to have a bill that has significant bipartisan input regardless of how the votes come out[.]”

This statement came after Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins unequivocally rejected the public option "trigger" compromise. So follow Shaheen's thinking - Democrats will let Republicans write the health care reform bill even though Republicans will not support it. This is simply insane. And unacceptable.

Speaking for me only

While many, including many in the "progressive" blogosphere and in the Progressive Caucus (look at the Progressive Caucus members who did not pledge to vote for a robust public option), are throwing in the towel on the public option, via Crooks and Liars, the President is still talking public option:

President Obama: I think one of the options should be a public insurance option. (Loud cheers) [. . .] I have said I'm open to different ideas on how to set this up we're going to set this up but I'm not going to back down on the basic principle that if Americans can't find affordable coverage we're going to provide you a choice.

It is clear that those giving up on the public option are giving up on President Obama. Or were against the public option the whole time. Those who want to help President Obama on health care reform should do so by standing firm on the public option. Those advocating capitulation on the public option are working against President Obama.

Speaking for me only

The New York Times has an article today about how lawyers are facing disciplinary actions over their blog postings and updates on Facebook and social networking sites, particularly when it comes to criticism of judges.

Lawyers are held to a different standard, because they are officers of the court.

I wonder if the standard also applies to comments written by others on blogs belonging to lawyers. Do we have a duty to read and delete comments that are offensive to judges or other lawyers?

[More....]

The death of Christopher Kelly, a top fundraiser, close friend and a co-defendant of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, is looking more like a suicide.

A source familiar with the investigation told the Chicago Sun-Times that Kelly, who was married, called a woman late Friday identified as his "girlfriend" and told her that he took some pills and was going to kill himself.

The woman picked up Kelly at a lumberyard near 173rd St. and Cicero in Country Club Hills, where Kelly reportedly had vomited. Police were taking samples of the vomit and searching for evidence at the lumberyard, the source said. State Police evidence technicians were also called in to search the area near the lumberyard.

[More...]

The NFL opens today. Go Giants!

Yesterday, Notre Dame proved it was as lousy as Michigan (how's that for a petty admission that I was wrong on that game?) I was right about Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor, and I was 3-3 against the spread in my picks yesterday. Early prediction for next week - Florida will be a 27 point favorite over Tennessee.

How about Serena's meltdown last night? The amazing thing about it - it was not the foot fault that ended the match, it was Serena's code violation tirade against the lineswoman. We have not seen the likes of this since McEnroe. Not surprisingly, McEnroe was all about the lineswoman, not Serena's meltdown. McEnroe, still a boor.

Just for fun, some picks for today - Tampa (+5) over Dallas, Atlanta (-4) over Miami, Chicago (+4) over GB, 49ers (+6) over Arizona and the Brett Favres (-4) over Cleveland

This is an Open Thread.

Good luck, Joe! That's to my pal Joe Tacopina who is defending NY State Senator Hiram Monserrate against some ugly charges -- the state alleges he slashed his girlfriend's face with broken glass. Trial begins Monday.

Monserrate has turned down a misdemeanor plea deal, which would have allowed him to plead to reckless assault and keep his Senate seat. Why? Joe says he's innocent. (My earlier post on the case is here.)[More...]

[More...]

A federal judge criticizes the U.S. Attorney's office for not pursuing a pot possession charge against blogger Andrew Sullivan. Sullivan is a British citizen, and the prosecutors didn't want Sully to face immigration consequences.

Sully, who owns a house on Cape Cod, was caught smoking a joint on a federally owned beach, a petty offense under 36 C.F.R. § 2.35(b)(2), which prohibits possession of a controlled substance on National Park Service lands. He was issued a violation notice. The maximum penalty for the offense is a fine of $5,000, six months imprisonment, a $25 processing fee and a $10 special assessment.

Sully, like everyone charged with the offense in MA, had the option of posting $125.00 in collateral and consenting to its forfeiture in lieu of appearing in court. [More...]

Christopher Kelly, a co-defendant and former top fundraiser for former Ill. Gov. Rod Blagojevich, has died of salicylate intoxication.

Kelly pleaded guilty earlier this year to tax fraud charges in a 2007 case. He was sentenced to 37 months and scheduled to surrender in November, 2009. According to documents on PACER, the judge recommended in its sentencing order that he serve his sentence at Yankton, S.D. and that he be allowed to participate in a residential drug and alcohol program.

Kelly was charged in a wire fraud/money laundering case in early 2009. He pleaded guilty last week. The plea agreement (pdf) called for a 57 month sentence to run consecutive to the 37 month sentence. The judge either sentenced him immediately or denied him bond pending sentencing, as he was ordered to surrender to the U.S. Marshals Service on Sept. 18, 2009. His bond conditions were also modified for the short period between his plea and September 18, 2009, to include a provision that he have no contact with three persons (unnamed in the order) and that he spend every night between midnight and 6:00 a.m. in his house. [More...]