NO TOUCHING ALLOWED.

MORE ON THE JIM WEBB CAPITOL GUN STORY.

DANIEL DREZNER on the rise of trans-Pacific regulatory conflict.

THE AIR FORCE IS MOVING TOWARD non-petroleum-based fuels. Do they know something?

CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT: Obligatory CNN.

I HAD MISSED THIS STORY UNTIL THE APOLOGY: “Barack Obama apologized for his campaign’s oppo memo calling Hillary Clinton the Senator from Punjab, saying the remark was ‘stupid and caustic.'”

UPDATE: Like taking Gandhi from a baby.

And reader Kingshuk Roy emails, “I’m surprised how quick Obama is to roll on his staff everytime he gets into trouble. Although I’ve noticed it’s becoming more common among the other candidates as well, most recently Brownback.” That’s our political class!

FRED THOMPSON ON HARRY REID: He’s harsh.

BUILDING A MOVEMENT ON THE LEFT: Marc Danziger comments:

I ought to be filled with schadenfreude, but I’m actually kind of interested and impressed.

I’ve been harshly critical of the Netroots before there was a formally identified Netroots, and of the thinking of those who went on to become the Netroots – criticizing them as “the suicidal lemming branch of the Democratic Party”. But shockingly enough, I share many of their perceptions and some of their values.

Modern politics has become ossified; you need look no further than the ways in which elected offices – from local government to the White House seem to have become dynastic, which power handed down in families from parent to child. That is – forgive me, David Blue – fucking absurd, and antithetical to everything this nation was founded for.

An aristocracy has grown up, exploiting the nexus of social connection, governmental power (and spending) and private greed to perpetuate itself and the increasingly brittle web of allies, sycophants, courtiers, and bagmen who both serve as farm clubs for that aristocracy and as its enablers. One huge strike in the Netroots’ favor is that they saw this and when they did, they called a spade a spade. They gave voice to the frustration that the average American feels when they look at our political class.

Notwithstanding the netroots’ failure on other fronts, I agree. And I suspect that a lot of bloggers, regardless of political persuasion or “left -right” position (itself a tool to distract, often as not, from what’s really going on) agree too.

GOOD NEWS: You can finally buy a jetpack!

Bad news: Well, follow the link . . . .

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER: “President Bush has decided to try fiscal responsibility in his last two years in office.”

Hey, that idea’s so crazy it just might work!

SOME IMPRESSIVE NEWS about Reason online.

A LOOK AT DISASTER PREPAREDNESS IN MINNESOTA: Hey, it’s the land of 10000 lakes, so why do they want you to have so much water stored?

Oh, that’s why. Be very afraid.

BUREAUCRATS MUTILATE SOLDIERS: Have they no decency?

CERTAINLY BRAVER THAN SOME: “Her Majesty may be in her 80s and her job may be largely ceremonial, but Queen Elizabeth v2.0 stood up to the terrorists by knighting Salman Rushdie.”

Of course, that’s nothing compared to what Queen Elizabeth v1.0 probably would have done . . .

A LOOK AT CHINA’S Three Gorges Dam. Hey, it’s greenhouse-friendly power. Plus, it’s easy to bomb so it’s a hostage against war with Taiwan! Greenhouse-friendly power for peace!

CHILDREN LOSING freedom to roam.

GROUND-TRUTHING weather stations. That’s kind of interesting.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “We always find it funny that you can use sex to sell jewelry and cars, but you can’t use sex to sell condoms.”

MORE INTEREST IN regime change in Iran. Seems like a good idea to me.

TROUBLE FOR OBAMA? “During his 12 years in politics, Sen. Barack Obama has received nearly three times more campaign cash from indicted businessman Tony Rezko and his associates than he has publicly acknowledged, the Chicago Sun-Times has found.”

THE BEST OLD MOVIES for families.

POLL: ” A new public opinion poll shows a majority of the American people do not see a danger in China’s economic and military buildup, demonstrating that Beijing’s efforts to influence public opinion in the United States have been successful.”

This just suggests that Joshua Kurlantzick is right.

A “BLOCKBUSTER OPINION” on email privacy.

SUING BLOGGERS in small claims court? Seems kind of . . . petty.