GAY PATRIOT: The (Unexpected) Integrity of Many Gay Left Bloggers. My advice to the Gay Left is the same as my advice to the Tea Party Right — if you don’t like what “your” politicians are doing, quit donating to ’em and run somebody against them in the primary. They’ll notice. And the Gay Left and Tea Party Right might even want to talk to each other; they may find they’ve got more in common than they realize. . . .

WHEN A SCALPEL ISN’T JUST A KNIFE: Surgical Scalpel Sniffs Out Tumors While It Cuts. “A chemical sniffer combined with a scalpel is slated to begin human clinical trials next month.”

MARK LEVIN AGAINST the AAUP.

120 MPG IN BMW’s hybrid trike. Which looks “like a Stealth Bomber with training wheels.”

NAMING OPPORTUNITIES at Harvard Law School.

SOME Survival Lessons From Hollywood.

IN THE MAIL: From Theodore Roosevelt Malloch, Thrift: Rebirth Of A Forgotten Virtue.

RALLYING FOR SCHOOL CHOICE in Washington, DC.

BYRON YORK: Obama Stands By Kevin Jennings — Or Does He?

MICHAEL BARONE: “Conceptual Language” hides health care bill’s cost.

BUT THERE WILL BE NO “DEATH PANELS:” State plan may place limits on patients’ hospital options. “The state’s ambitious plan to shake up how providers are paid could have a hidden price for patients: Controlling Massachusetts’ soaring medical costs, many health care leaders believe, may require residents to give up their nearly unlimited freedom to go to any hospital and specialist they want. . . . This new system of ‘global payments’ would discourage overuse of expensive medical services, force providers to live within a budget, and improve coordination of care for patients, supporters argue.”

Think of them as “life” panels, because they’ll decide if you get to live!

WHEN BEAUTY isn’t true.

THE PRICE OF DISRUPTIVE TACTICS. A pretty sympathetic treatment. I wonder how the New York Times will treat it if people on the right start doing this sort of thing? Ultimately, who has more incentive to disrupt the smooth functioning of government — lefty environmentalists, or conservatives and libertarians?

HEH: Now, Obama wins Motor Trend Car of Year Award.

WHERE WILL WE BE in a year?

ANN ALTHOUSE: “Does SNL really deserve attention for poking fun at Barack Obama? Is it that they’re doing it at all? Because they are not doing it well!” It’s that they’re doing it at all.

MICKEY KAUS: “Where’s Crossfire When You Need It? Jon Klein’s Triumph! CNN now in 4th place, losing to FOX, MSNBC, and itself (HLN)! Somewhere Tucker Carlson is smiling.”

ROSS DOUTHAT: Heckuva Job, Barack. “Obama gains nothing from the prize. No domestic constituency will become more favorably disposed to him because five Norwegians think he’s already changed the world — and the Republicans were just handed the punch line for an easy recession-era attack ad. (To quote the Democratic strategist Joe Trippi, anticipating the 30-second spots to come: ‘He got a Nobel Prize. What did you get? A pink slip.’) . . . At the same time, the prize leaves Obama more open to ridicule. It confirms, as a defining narrative of his presidency, the gap between his supporters’ cloud-cuckoo-land expectations and the inevitable disappointments of reality.”

NEW SPIN: It’ll be good if Iran gets nukes.

MARK TAPSCOTT: Society of Environmental Homers protect Gore. “It’s been years since former Vice President Al Gore took questions from journalsts willing to ask challenging and probing questions about either alleged flaws in the evidence for his global warming views or details of his financial interests in the adoption of government policies based on those views. But for at least one question at the annual conference of the Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ), Gore was presented with an opportunity to address his critics and defend his views. Unfortunately, as this video of the encounter shows, not only did Gore do what politicians usually do – evade the question – but his SEJ buddies made sure there would be no followup questions by turning off the microphone and forcing the questioner to leave.”

Like questioning communism at a Pravda editorial board . . . .

UH OH (CONT’D): Fed’s Bullard warns on inflation, unemployment. “Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard said Sunday that unemployment is headed into double digits, while the medium-term inflation outlook poses more risk than generally believed, according to reported comments.”

TEA PARTIERS turn on GOP leadership. Given the state of GOP leadership, I’m not surprised.

PENSION NEWS STAYS BAD: Steep Losses Pose Crisis for Pensions: Two Bad Choices for Funds: Cut Benefits Or Take Greater Risks to Rebuild Assets. “The financial crisis has blown a hole in the rosy forecasts of pension funds that cover teachers, police officers and other government employees, casting into doubt as never before whether these public systems will be able to keep their promises to future generations of retirees.” The important thing to remember is that these promises were always untenable — the financial meltdown just made this apparent sooner, rather than (as the politicians had hoped) later.

UH OH: “The dollar’s position as the world’s leading reserve currency faces increased pressure as the financial crisis allows emerging economies greater influence on the world stage, analysts said.”

TRYING TO pack the courts?