David Brooks has an excellent op-ed in the NYT on partisanship. It’s as balanced a piece as you’ll find anywhere, and it’s backed by real data. This is a pet interest of mine, as it’s a pervasive cognitive phenomenon. People create a model of the world and then select data which reinforces it. Man is a rational animal only occasionally.

Senator Kerry is suspending his election campaign in respect for President Reagan’s passing.

I’m going to channel Mickey Kaus here, and note that this is a good deal for him. It lets him look classy, while minimizing his exposure to the American public for a few days, which should boost his poll ratings.

And in seriousness, his statement today was classy (surprisingly, to me). I didn’t expect him to say anything unclassy, but I thought he might avoid comment, or have minimal comment, so as not to upset his Bush (and Reagan) hating base.

Boy, now nobody can accuse Senator Kerry of not having a sense of humor.

My sides still hurt from the all the hijinks and hilarity.

Oh, and in case you didn’t get it, that was a joke.

Or was it (like Senator Kerry’s supposed bon mot) sarcasm? Either way, I guess it beats calling it another flip-flop (“I was going to announce my VP before I wasn’t going to…”)

Boy, now nobody can accuse Senator Kerry of not having a sense of humor.

My sides still hurt from the all the hijinks and hilarity.

Oh, and in case you didn’t get it, that was a joke.

Or was it (like Senator Kerry’s supposed bon mot) sarcasm? Either way, I guess it beats calling it another flip-flop (“I was going to announce my VP before I wasn’t going to…”)

Boy, now nobody can accuse Senator Kerry of not having a sense of humor.

My sides still hurt from the all the hijinks and hilarity.

Oh, and in case you didn’t get it, that was a joke.

Or was it (like Senator Kerry’s supposed bon mot) sarcasm? Either way, I guess it beats calling it another flip-flop (“I was going to announce my VP before I wasn’t going to…”)

Apparently Arnold is as ignorant about the “assault weapons” ban as many others. But it probably won’t hurt him much in California.

In fact, supporting an extension of the ban, while having no practical effect, may give him cover to veto some of the loonier things that the legislature does in Sacramento (e.g., the ammunition tax, or the requirement to report gun ownership when renewing drivers license registration) without being called an NRA stooge.

Several years too late, George Tenet has resigned. Now, can we please get rid of Norm Mineta?

Now that a county can no longer have a cross as part of its official seal, it’s clearly just a matter of time before cities (and counties) like “El Pueblo de Nuestra Se

Apparently the building that houses the UN is as decrepit as the institution itself.

Sounds like a good excuse to give it a new HQ.

Perhaps in Paris, or Brussels.

With someone else’s money.

Senator Kerry displayed the middle digit to a fellow Vietnam veteran who disagreed with his post-service behavior.

In front of schoolchildren.

He also accused him (without basis, as far as I know) of being “a felon.”

[Update on Wednesday afternoon]

I’m going to amend this post to “Newsmax claims that Senator Kerry displayed…” since I can’t find any other sources for the story. I still don’t find it out of character, though.

[Wednesday evening followup]

Here’s some more on the story, but unfortunately, it’s still Newsmax.