HOT AIR: Holder holding out on Blagojevich connections.

P.R. CHALLENGE OF THE DAY: Putting a positive spin on scheduled Congressional pay raises.

OUTRAGE MERCHANT? I think there was a bubble, and it’s bursting.

“I, FOR ONE, WELCOME our new Fembot overlords.”

TRACKING SINGLE MOLECULES IN LIVING CELLS, using nanotechnology.

USA TODAY:

In any crisis of confidence or failure of government, it’s a pretty good bet that members of Congress are involved. The credit crisis is no exception. Lawmakers from both parties not only ignored signs of trouble but also actively invited irresponsibility in the name of protecting key constituencies. On the Democratic side, members supported virtually any program that provided credit to low-income purchasers and inner cities, regardless of whether this lending was prudent. The banking committee chairmen — Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., and Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass. — defended federally chartered Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from charges that they were taking on too much risk and prodded the companies to back riskier loans. On the Republican side, then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, and other members thwarted efforts to rein in predatory lending.

They don’t mention Dodd’s sweetheart mortgage deals from Countrywide, though. Read the whole thing.

MORE GREENHOUSE-FRIENDLY NUCLEAR POWER: After my earlier post on Polywell / Bussard fusion research, reader Bill Woods writes:

Another potential big deal is the thorium breeder reactor. For one presentation, see a Google Tech Talk: “The Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor: What Fusion Wanted to Be”.

“[T]horium expert Kirk Sorensen”, who advocates this type of reactor at http://thoriumenergy. blogspot.com/, is working on a masters degree in nuclear engineering from the University of Tennessee. Maybe you’d like to do a podcast interview with him?

And then there’s this: “Dense Plasma Fusion: Lawrenceville Plasma Physics Gets Funding”

We need faster progress on all fronts.

POLITICAL ART in the 21st Century.

IN NEW YORK, taxing them down to their iPods.

A GPS DEAL: The TomTomOne 125 for 89 bucks. All this recession-talk has certainly generated a lot of great markdowns.

TAXPROF: IRS Will Assist Homeowners by Subordinating or Discharging Tax Liens.

JIM LINDGREN: Rahm Emanuel can’t be “Advisor A.”

UPDATE: Rick Moran posts a correction.

CHARLES RANGEL UPDATE: Trips to Caribbean appear to have broken House rules.

MEGAN MCARDLE: “On a somewhat related tangent, here’s the question that really bothers me about Blagojevich: what if the reason that he thought he could get away with it is that a lot of other politicians he knows about have?” That seems plausible . . . .

FRED HOYLE, CALL YOUR OFFICE: 5 Projects Ask if Life on Earth Began as Alien Life in Space.

POLITICO: Nepotism Nation: Dems embrace dynasty politics. “The U.S. Senate could end up looking like an American version of the House of Lords – and Republicans have begun to take notice.”

WHO WILL BAIL OUT UNCLE SAM? “The United States of America is bankrupt. Don’t believe it? Consider this: Federal obligations now exceed the collective net worth of all Americans, according to the New York-based Peter G. Peterson Foundation. Washington politicians and bureaucrats have essentially mortgaged everything We the People own so they can keep spending our tax dollars like there’s no tomorrow.” If these numbers are accurate, it’s very bad news.

UPDATE: Four really bad scenarios. Remember, every well-balanced portfolio includes substantial positions in shotgun shells and canned goods! And hey, it could be worse: “I’d rather be the United States than any of these other countries.”

THIS YEAR WAS COOLER, but the planet is still warming.

QUESTION of the day.

SOAKING UP THE SUN with solar hybrids.

SHOULD THE NSA WHISTLEBLOWER BE PROSECUTED? You can vote here.

WHY BLAGOJEVICH MUST GO: Source: Ill. gov nixed job for Jackson Jr.’s wife.

Shortly after his 2002 election, Gov. Rod Blagojevich told Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. he didn’t appoint the congressman’s wife as lottery director because he had refused him a $25,000 campaign donation, a person familiar with the conversation told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “Blagojevich went out of his way to say, ‘You know I was considering your wife for the lottery job and the $25,000 you didn’t give me? That’s why she’s not getting the job,'” the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing federal investigation. . . . Jackson has been identified as one of the candidates Blagojevich was considering for the seat, and a criminal complaint said his supporters were willing to raise $1.5 million for the governor if he picked the congressman.

Even for Chicago, that’s a bit crude.

BILL ALLISON: Unraveling Rangel. “It will be interesting to see how long reporters stick with this.”

LAST-MINUTE GIFTS: World War II Fiction.

A STROLL DOWN memory lane. (Thanks to Pete Wehner for the link.)