The DefundoRama has now sucked in Lindsey Graham. Last week he told us defunding was hopeless. But the pod people just got to him.

With both wings of the House GOP now united on thinking Ted Cruz is a jerk (just for different reasons), Cruz issues new statement trying to get out of the hole he’s dug for himself.

To get a sense of where things are, the House folks just held a big presser and emblazoned on the podium was the hashtag #senatemustact, which in the context of the moment basically means, Ted, time to step. So the focus of the House GOP’s messaging on Defund Obamacare Day is basically attacking Ted Cruz.

Rep. Ted Yoho (R-FL) says Obamacare defunders are following in the footsteps of Rosa Parks and MLK.

A terrible tragedy for two families. But I’m not sure I’ve seen anything that better captures the trajectory of US gun policy. Men who have problems with anger management probably aren’t helped a lot by regularly carrying handguns. And only people who willfully ignore the human condition believe that arming everyone will lead to less gun violence.

Feds auction of Jesse Jackson Jr.’s loot cancelled after questions arise over authenticity of celebrity memorabilia. “”After receiving legitimate concerns about the authenticity of the guitar purportedly signed by Michael Jackson and Eddie Van Halen and out of an abundance of caution …” It gets better from there.

I’ve never had comments in the editor’s blog for reasons I’ve explained elsewhere. But I’m making a one time exception because I want to answer whatever questions you have about the new site platform, comments and everything else. Join me after the jump to ask questions or just see explanations for questions you might have. Read More

Yesterday we saw news that has cheered liberal Catholics and discomfited many of their conservative brethren. Pope Francis told an Italian Jesuit publication that the Church can’t be obsessively focused on a relatively narrow and – as he put it – disjointed grouping of Catholic doctrine at the expense of the fullness of the Christian message. He was explicitly talking about abortion, gay marriage and contraception. Read More

Rand Paul: “Does anybody remember Charlie Sheen when he was kind of going crazy…And he was going around, jumping around saying ‘Winning, winning, we’re winning. Well I kind of feel like that, we are winning. And I’m not on any drugs.”

Cuz things came out so well for Charlie Sheen.

A few notes on the new comment system after the jump. Read More

“It’s not just Tom’s good name that somehow managed to get thrown under the bus, but the people who in my estimation crossed the line from prosecution to persecution, they essentially ruined what was supposed to be his golden years,” said DeLay’s attorney Brian Wice. “For that, they’re going to have to answer to a higher authority than the Court of Appeals.”