A NOVEL SUGGESTION: Let Housing Find Its Clearing Price. It’s an idea so crazy it just might work!

HARTFORD COURANT: Dodd To Return Contributions From Financier Stanford. “In some cases, I’ve received money and support from people who turn out to be people you wouldn’t want to be associated with.” Some, a lot, whatever. Returning the money doesn’t mean you weren’t in bed with him. It’s just laundering the sheets, after.

MORTGAGE BAILOUTS: Renters are angry.

MORE ANGRY TAXPAYERS: Sen. Specter Jeered For Voting For Stimulus Plan.

UPDATE: Awakening the ghost of Howard Beale?

DICTATORSHIP IN TURKEY: “Prime Minister Erdogan continues to emulate Vladimir Putin as he consolidates control in Turkey. Yesterday, after warning the news group to stop criticizing him and calling for a boycott of critical newspapers, his appointees slapped a $500 million fine on the Dogan Group. Meanwhile, wiretapping scandals continue and even Turkish diplomats say they are afraid to go to restaurants and talk about politics or policy openly as Turkey continues its slide into becoming a Middle Eastern-style police state.”

TEST DRIVING THE Maserati Quattroporte Sport GTS. But it still looks like a Buick, as the Insta-Daughter has noted.

CELLULOSIC ETHANOL and green cars.

AT THE HUFFINGTON POST, A COLORFUL CORRECTION: John Gibson Did Not Compare Eric Holder To Monkey With Bright Blue Scrotum. “The Huffington Post has learned that the below video has been doctored. We regret the error and apologize to Mr. Gibson. John Gibson never compared Eric Holder to a monkey with a bright blue scrotum.” Good for them for correcting so swiftly.

THAT MISSING EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE STORY about students critical of Obama’s plans is back up now. They’re saying its disappearance was caused by “a technical error.”

IN THE MAIL: The Life You Can Save: Acting Now to End World Poverty.

IN THE WAKE OF THE PROTESTS IN SEATTLE, DENVER AND MESA, and the talk of a “Chicago Tea Party,” it’s time for another Insta-Poll. Would you participate in one of these in your area?

UPDATE: From the poll comments: “I’ve never been to a protest in my life. But protesting taxes is the most American thing you can do.” Judging by the poll results so far, a lot of people feel that way.

BAILOUT AS PAYOLA: Did Campaign Cash Influence Bailout? Banks Get 258,000 Percent Return from Investments in D.C. Pols. As I’ve said before, an economy in which political payoffs earn a much higher rate of return than real investments is not a healthy thing. But wait, look who figures prominently:

In my weeks of research into understanding how America went from economic lynchpin to a wayward ship drifting on a sea of economic trouble, I find myself baffled and appalled by statements from Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT), Chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee.

His anger seems real enough. But the stench of hypocrisy reeks up the room every time he forgets to mention the hundreds of thousands of dollars he received in 2008 as campaign donations from these same banks, their management and employees—currently now under receivership of the U.S. taxpayer. . . . While he was crafting legislation to rescue his friends, Dodd “received $854,200 from the T.A.R.P. companies in the 2008 election cycle, including money to his presidential campaign” according to a recent Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) report.

And just this week, Dodd’s name surfaced again as recipient of $27,500 in campaign cash from the latest fraudulent investment house, Stanford Financial Group of Houston, TX, and Antigua. Robert Allen Stanford was a top Democratic contributor, and is currently at large—wanted by the F.B.I. for defrauding investors by inflating outcomes—in what appears to be a multi-billion dollar Ponzi scheme.

Read the whole thing.

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL QUOTES A READER:

Now that those of us who have been making steady, on-time payments on our mortgages for years will be paying off others’ mortgages through our taxes, can we claim a tax-deduction for our neighbors’ mortgage interest too?

— Edward G. Stafford, responding to “Dukes of Moral Hazard.”

Heh.

BANNING GUNS IN NATIONAL PARKS BECAUSE OF CONCERNS ABOUT LEAD? “Park rangers carry guns, so what kind of bullets do they use and do they contain lead? I think I know the answer and I think you, do, too.”

Plus, what about fishermen who use lead weights?

OBAMA’S MOST SUCCESSFUL CABINET PICK: Hillary Clinton? So far I’d agree, though the bar has been set pretty low. . .

NO RECESSION FOR THE POLITICAL CLASS: “The deepening economic recession hasn’t stopped members of Congress from throwing lavish events to raise campaign money for the 2010 election.” The worse America does, the better they do. Some incentive system, huh? . . . .

JOHN MURTHA AND LEGALIZED BRIBERY: “The only difference between the cash stuffed envelopes of the railroad grant days and today is that congress has legalized the bribery, so long as all of the proper reports are filed.” Also, the scale of things today makes the Congresses of years past — even just a few years past — look like pikers.

HEY, IF ANYBODY’S AT THAT KANSAS TAXPAYERS’ PROTEST TOMORROW, please send me some pics.

ARNOLD KLING: Mr. Obama, Give Back My Wallet. “I’m tired of watching Paulson, Geithner, Bernanke, and now the Obama Administration picking through my wallet and giving my money to people who I don’t want to see get it.”

BOGUS MCCAIN-AFFAIR STORY BACKFIRES: Vicki Iseman’s Lawyer Claims Victory In Big Lawsuit Against The New York Times.

MICKEY KAUS is all over the auto bailout talk.

BILL CLINTON: Obama Should Sound More Hopeful. Sounds like he’s been reading Katie Granju.

UH OH: With the US deficit soaring, Treasuries aren’t a great safe-haven investment. And yet there’s talk of spending much, much more.

Plus, “the Armageddon portfolio.” “I am not suggesting boarding up your front windows, just buying a little more in case of shortages. It may seem ridiculously early to hoard, but it could very quickly become too late.” Plus: “Don’t be blinded by the allure of gold.”

UPDATE: Europe to America: We Surrender! “Helpless and divided, Europeans wait for Washington and Beijing to save them.”

And don’t forget the zombies!

HOPE, CHANGE, AND DEBT: Obama victory bash owes city $1.74 mil. “Chicago has yet to recoup the $1.74 million cost of President Obama’s victory celebration in Grant Park — despite a burgeoning $50.5 million budget shortfall that threatens more layoffs and union concessions.” This is starting to sound like a theme.

PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT IN THE TED STEVENS TRIAL. As InstaPundit readers know, I’m no Ted Stevens fan, but this does kind of stink.