STILL MORE ON THAT TSA/BLOGGER CASE. “Frischling told Threat Level that the two agents threatened to get Frischling fired from his KLM contract and indicated they could get him designated a security risk, which would make it difficult for him to travel and do his job, unless he identified his source.” I’m sure they wouldn’t have treated a reporter from a newspaper this way. But read the whole thing, including this evidence of top-flight talent at the TSA:

The agents searched through Frischling’s BlackBerry and iPhone, but couldn’t find anything from the source. The agents then told Frischling that they wanted to take an image of his hard drive. They went to WalMart to buy a hard drive, but when they returned, they were unable to get it to work.

Judging from the photo, TSA Special Agent John Enright doesn’t look like a guy who knows his way around a hard drive. The country’s in the very best of hands.

WHAT CONSTITUTES a successful surge?

VICTOR DAVIS HANSON: Obama as Greek Tragedy—Part One.

FIREDOGLAKE: Democratic Strategy in 2010: Run Against George W. Bush Again! “That’s right. He’s been out of office for almost a full year now and will have been gone for almost 2 years by the time the next election arrives, but never underestimate the ability of party hacks to run from reality.” You know, it’s amazing how much Dembloggers sound like GOPbloggers some times . . .

UPDATE: Reader Elaine Curtis-Quick writes:

That Firedoglake post you linked to …brings up a very important question: just how ticked off are democrats?

Let’s put it like this: there’s been a lot of talk on the right trying to discourage the formation of a Tea Party, since a third party would siphon off votes for Republicans, causing dems to win in historically republican districts. And that could potentially happen, were dems united and willing to make their voices heard at the ballot box as they have done in 2006 and 2008. But… if there are large numbers of democrats who are fiscal conservatives (and Tea Party turnout suggests this to be the case), as well as progressives who don’t think Obama & Co. have done enough to advance their progressive agenda, then how likely is it that some registered democrats will sit out this next election cycle? Or worse… how likely is it that the leftist radicals form their own third party? (Or possibly just go to the Green Party or some other already-existing third party?)

How likely is it that there’s not only a schism in the right, but also one in the left? How likely is it that not only democrats will be voted out, but so will republicans?

It’s starting to sound like — regardless of your party affiliation — you’re pretty unhappy about the direction our leaders are going. Change is either too far, too fast, or not nearly far and fast enough. We’re all pretty fed up with the fact that Washington seems to be deaf when it comes to the will of the people. So how likely is it that both sides — left and right — are prepared to send DC a message? And if the left is just as PO’d as the right, then doesn’t that moot the whole argument that the GOP faithful have been making to beg the Tea Partiers to not form their own party?

I actually think that there may be a coalition of the disaffected amounting to about 2/3 of the electorate. The question is whether they can unite on anything, even just throwing the bums out.

CHANGE: Personal Bankruptcy Filings Rising Fast.

THOUGHTS ON HOPE AND CHANGE FROM FREEMAN HUNT: “Ten years ago I was a very far left liberal. Probably more of a communist. And an atheist. And wanted to work for the government. Heh.”

YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT surges to record high.

I hope things don’t get this bad.

MUNICIPAL FINANCE CRISIS ONCOMING? In Tennessee, the Comptroller is worried about municipalities taking on variable-rate debt. With interest rates sure to rise sooner or later, the already-looming municipal finance crisis looks like it could get worse fast when they do.

REMEMBRANCE OF THINGS PAST: The Four Horsemen Of The Ablogalypse.

Well, the traffic is better now. Otherwise. . . .

SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED: The man behind RedState.com shakes up the Republican Party.

AT DARK WORLDS, an Avatar review. “It was amazing and not amazing in different ways.”

ABC NEWS: Obama Administration Scrubs Terrorist Databases, Adds Names to More Restricted Lists.

CHICKENS COME HOME, roost.

THE COUNTRY’S IN THE VERY BEST OF HANDS: Officials Point Finger At TSA In Newark Breach: Thousands Left Stranded Inside Airport After Man Seen Walking Wrong Way Through Security Checkpoint.

THE HILL: Ten Questions For The Midterms.

IT’S STEPHEN GREEN’S Hair Of The Dog.

“BLIGHT CONDEMNATIONS” IN NEW YORK.

FINANCIAL TIMES: America Is Losing The Free World.

CARTER REDUX (CONT’D) — this whole ’70s rerun thing just gets worse, but what’s really scary about this are the words “Only 1 left in stock–order soon.” They’ll be going Full Cleveland before this is over, mark my words . . .

VICTOR DAVIS HANSON: “I don’t think anyone knows quite what this administration’s anti-terrorism policy is.”

His nuclear weapons policy seems clear enough, though.

I’VE DEFENDED NPR’S REPORTING BEFORE, but this “Learn To Speak TeaBag” animation is just an embarrassment. It’s not actually an NPR production, if I read things correctly — it’s an animated political cartoon by Mark Fiore — but a lot of people seem to be drawing the conclusion that it represents NPR’s views. If I’m right, and it doesn’t, then NPR might want to make that plain.

UPDATE: Reportedly, the story started here, then got launched into the greater blogosphere by Dan Riehl.

OBVIOUSLY, A MEMBER OF “THE HARE CLUB FOR MEN.” Best photo commentary ever. Even Althouse is jealous. Well, at least a bit . . . [LATER: Link was busted before; fixed now. Sorry!]

UPDATE: Heh: “My body language usually translates to ‘will work in exchange for a Colt Commander chambered in .38 Super.’”

WELL, SO LONG AS IT’S “SETTLED SCIENCE:” Study: Spanked Children May Grow Up to Be Happier, More Successful. “The claims made for not spanking children fail to hold up. They are not consistent with the data.”

BREITBART RUNS A CORRECTION: A DIFFERENT BERTHA LEWIS. And that’s not all. “So far, according to unnamed White House sources, ‘different’ people with the familiar names of Malik Shabazz, Jeremiah Wright and Bill Ayers were discovered on White House visitors logs.”

BITES FROM THE APPLE: A roundup of news from the Apple Empire. Including the latest on the new Apple tablet.