Senate Democrats planned to vote on an energy bill this week that includes all the new BP-inspired legislation, but Harry Reid just announced that’s not happening after all. Republicans are filibustering.

We’re going to amend the constitution until we get it back to being the real constitution.

Really, what’s the 14th Amendment done for us lately? Couldn’t it use a pruning? Should it not make way for newer, better amendments?

In all seriousness, after Mitch McConnell said last night that he supports hearings into the 14th amendment and ‘birthright citizenship’, his decision has spurred a round of questions this morning about whether or not he actually favors the repeal of the 14th Amendment. An aide to McConnell tells Greg Sargent that McConnell does not support a complete repeal of the 14th Amendment. But that does leave open the question of a little pruning or amending of the 14th Amendment. Would he favor that? Would John McCain? We’re trying to find out.

Reporters chased a dodgy John McCain into the bowels of the Capitol a short time ago to get him to answer whether he supports the GOP’s new push on “birthright citizenship.”

All McCain would say is that he supports Mitch McConnell’s call for hearings on the issue.

But with this new-found issue percolating up from the tea party right and only suddenly enjoying any “mainstream” attention of any kind, supporting hearings is tantamount to supporting a constitutional amendment that would deny citizenship to children born on U.S. soil whose parents live here illegally. There’s no halfway point on this issue.

Can John McCain really get away with this?

Senate candidate Sharron Angle (R-NV): Reporters should only ask the questions we want to answer.

By all accounts, the ‘Uni-Tea’ Rally wasn’t a huge success. But Not Racist Week at the Tea Party movement continues tomorrow with a “National Black Conservatives Rally” in DC, sponsored by Tea Party Express. Headlining the event at the National Press Club will be none other than Alan Keyes.

Jon Stewart assesses the networks’ coverage of Chelsea Clinton’s wedding (brutal): Read More

A reader comment that nails it:

a little off topic, but I think you’re on to why the “Tea Party” was created, i.e. to give conservatives a way to rally with the Republican brand name in ruins, nothing more. They’re the Altria of politics.

You may remember Paul Babeu, sheriff of Pinal County, Arizona, as one of John McCain’s top supporters. In fact, McCain’s campaign has included Babeu in two of his campaign commercials. He was McCain’s co-star in the somewhat hilarious ‘danged fence’ ad where McCain walks with Babeu along the border getting cranky about illegal immigration.

Now, though Babeu is creeping into militia-ish territory, saying that “our own government has become our enemy” and even appearing on an openly white supremacist radio show.

McCain’s campaign has not responded to requests for comment.

An interesting situation shaping up down in Tennessee in the GOP primary for governor: Rep. Zach Wamp and Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey are working hard to outcrazy each other, splitting the uber-conservative vote and leaving the more moderate mayor of Knoxville, Bill Haslam, in the lead going into this week’s election.