Feds Block WikiLeaks From Own Workers to ‘Protect’ Info

The Obama administration is banning hundreds of thousands of federal employees from calling up the WikiLeaks site on government computers because the leaked material is still formally regarded as classified.

Hollywood Lies About Plame

The editors of the Washington Post want you to know that “Fair Game,” the new movie about the Valerie Plame affair, is “Hollywood myth making.” Propaganda and lies is more like it.

UN Logo UN Logo

A Right Wing Fever Swamp Feeding on the Delusions of a Lefty

Let’s keep our eye on the ball, people.

Caption Contest Winners

The Sheepless In Seattle Edition OTB Caption ContestTM is now over.

Headline of the Day

Line of the Day: Tax and Spend Edition

They aren’t going to stop, but the cliches that pass for debate sure are tiresome (plus some musings about the tax cut extension debate).

Senate Rejects Democratic Plans On Tax Cut Extension

The Senate rejected an effort to limit the extension of the Bush tax cuts based on income level. At this point, the only question is when Democrats will concede defeat on this debate.

Viacom: YouTube Ruling ‘Completely Destroys’ Copyright

Viacom says a lower court ruling in favor of Google “would radically transform the functioning of the copyright system and severely impair, if not completely destroy, the value of many copyrighted creations.”

Commenting Issues

3 of 4 Service Chiefs Oppose DADT Repeal

The commander-in-chief, secretary of defense, and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff all support removing the ban on gays in the military without further delay. A long-awaited Pentagon study showed no reason not to do so. But three of four Service chiefs disagree.

Memo To Congress: It’s The Economy, Stupid

Today’s job numbers make it clear that Congress has only one duty, and that is to do everything it can to stimulate real economic growth.

One Bizarre Poll

So, if Hispanics formed a political party, what do you think it should be called?

On the Role of States in our Constitutional Order

Sorting out, to some degree, the role of the states in our constitutional order.

Feds Tracking Your Credit Card Use Without Search Warrants

A document uncovered in a Freedom of Information Act request demonstrates the extent to which Federal law enforcement works outside the requirements of the Constitution.

Unemployment Up to 9.8%

Unemployment rose to 9.8% from 9.6% in November.

Professor Sabbaticals Under Fire

Iowa Republicans are targeting professor sabbaticals, thus demonstrating that they understand neither higher ed nor economics.

Cities Matter More Than Ever

Despite recurring predictions that the Internet and mass communications would allow people to work from anywhere, talent continues to cluster in big cities.

WikiLeaks Booted From DNS, Reappears Elsewhere

WikiLeaks domain name service was terminated for violating terms of use.

Johnnie Walker Blue vs. Single Malts

Why would anyone buy Johnnie Walker Blue, when amazing single malts can be had for less?

Repeal Amendment’s Practical Application

If 33 states can muster support to kill a law, how would it have gotten enacted to begin with?

POL 101: A Question about Representation

Are the interests of a given state different than the interests of the people living in that state?

Further Thoughts On The Repeal Amendment

Further thoughts on a rather radical proposed Amendment to the Constitution, prompted by a link from Instapundit.

Republicans Aim to Fix Budget Process

Incoming House Speaker John Boehner plans a radical overhaul of how Congress spends our money.

Blame Canada

Why Republicans Will Keep House in 2012

Republican pollster Glen Bolger makes a bold promise: The GOP will retain House control in 2012 – Guaranteed.

PFC Bradley Manning’s Charge Sheet

Michael Yon provides a digital copy of PFC Bradley Manning’s Charge Sheet, dated 29 May. It makes for interesting reading.

John McCain and DADT

Despite the Defense Department releasing its study showing that the effects of allowing gays to serve openly would be minimal, Senator John McCain isn’t convinced.

Fix The Filibuster By Making Senators Actually Filibuster

Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley wants to fix the filibuster by making Senators actually filibuster. It’s a good idea.

Transparency and College Choice

Bridget Terry Long, a professor of education and economics at Harvard, argues that we should give prospective college students and their families better information on such matters as loan burdens, graduation rates, average class size, average aid package, salaries earned and positions held by recent graduates, and alumni satisfaction.

Pentagon: We Could Have Taken WikiLeaks Down

The Pentagon could have taken down WikiLeaks but decided not to. Out of kindness, I suppose.

Meghan McCain: Who Are You Calling a ‘Blue Blood’?

Meghan McCain doesn’t know what a “blue blood” is but doesn’t want to be called one.

Caption Contest

Time for the Thursday OTB Caption ContestTM

OTB Radio – Tonight at 5:30 Eastern

Tonight’s topics: The fallout from the latest WikiLeaks dump and the Pentagon’s report on gays in the military.

WikiLeaks Kicked Off Amazon Server

WikiLeaks has been dumped from Amazon’s servers.

Presidential Candidates Never Seem Presidential

The prospective Republican field for 2012 is dismal. Then again, it always is.