INSIGHT: Reader John Spaulding writes: “One thing I’ve learned during all these shenanigans up here in Wisconsin: When the Unions buy a politician, they sure stay bought.”

CHINA CRACKS DOWN to prevent “Jasmine Revolution.” “Chinese human rights activists have been disappearing ever since a mysterious call went out on the Internet for a “Jasmine Revolution” similar to the uprisings against authoritarian regimes in the Middle East — a call that was made again this week.”

Tom Friedman was unavailable for comment.

THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT JOHN EDWARDS AGAIN: “O’Brien makes it clear that Hunter has some kind of unreported charismatic power, but doesn’t quite explain what Edwards saw in her that would prompt him to put his campaign (and party) at risk.” They said the same thing about Barbi Benton, but people were pretty sure how she exercised her special influence.

TOM SMITH: “Let’s go all Thomas Jefferson on the Somali pirates.” More here. An international “community” that can’t deal with pirates isn’t much of a community. And an international “legal system” that makes it impossible to deal with pirates isn’t a legal system at all. “Whereas the Romans used to crucify pirates and the Carthaginians used to flay them alive, the UN Security Council’s crowning achievement in its campaign against piracy is a recent report detailing the successful ‘business model’ adopted by Somali pirates (or, as the report termed them, ‘shareholders’).”

GOOD QUESTION:

Obama says: “Colonel Qaddafi needs to step down from power… You’ve seen with great clarity that he has lost legitimacy with his people.”

Note the implicit statement that the dictator once had legitimacy. Why would Obama think that?

I don’t think that’s ever been the position of the U.S. government.

JIM LINDGREN: A New Strategy For Wisconsin: Split out the union provisions and pass them by a simple majority. “One potential solution that has not received enough attention is dividing Wisconsin Senate Bill 11 into several separate bills, and passing the parts that do not require a three-fifths quorum. The most controversial provisions — the restrictions on collective bargaining — are subject to a quorum of only a majority of elected senators, and Republicans hold 19 of the Wisconsin senate’s 33 seats.”

AT AMAZON, markdowns on Leatherman multitools.

UPDATE: Reader Jeff Weimer writes: “Whatever you do, buy the extra bit set with a Leatherman. My wife bought me a Wave and bit assortment for Christmas, and there is scarcely a day that goes by I don’t use them, especially the bits – they have flat and phillips up to #3, Allen to 7/32”, torx up to T25, even square drive bits and jeweler’s screwdrivers!, And they fit in a pocket or on your belt. They are incredibly useful, I can’t recommend them higher.”

MORE ON THAT BATF GUNRUNNING SCANDAL: Agent: I was ordered to let U.S. guns into Mexico. “An Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms senior agent assigned to the Phoenix office in 2010, Dodson’s job is to stop gun trafficking across the border. Instead, he says he was ordered to sit by and watch it happen.” All while the ATF was blaming U.S. gun shops for weapons found in Mexico . . . .

MOST AND LEAST EXPENSIVE BigLaw Feeder Schools.

THREE UNIQUE TOURS through U.S. nuclear history.

WIRED: Is the Navy Trying To Start The Robot Apocalypse? “Whenever the military rolls out a new robot program, folks like to joke about SkyNet or the Rise of the Machines. But this time, the military really is starting to venture into robot-apocalypse territory: swarms of little semi-autonomous machines that can team up to manufacture complex objects (including, presumably, more robots). That’s right, the only thing scarier than a swarm of intelligent military mini robots is a swarm of intelligent military mini robots in control of the means of production. And your Navy is hard at work on making it a reality.”

JIM LINDGREN: Wisconsin Senate Does Not Need a 3/5ths Quorum to Pass Much of the Budget Bill.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SCANDAL UPDATE: Coburn Calls For Investigation in Scandal Over Education Department Tipping Traders on For-Profit College Regulation:

Oklahoma Republican Sen. Tom Coburn blasted the Education Department Wednesday for what he called “very significant inappropriate behavior in tipping hedge funds on short selling private education” and called on a key Senate panel to investigate the matter.

Coburn was referring to documents released last week by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a watchdog group that has called for federal authorities to investigate market manipulation by famous Wall Street short-seller Steven Eisman.

Coburn said the charges even could result in jail time for Education Department officials.

Ya think?

UPDATE: And don’t forget that General Accounting Office scandal involving for-profit schools. It’s like there’s some coordinated thing going on or something.

CULTURE OF CORRUPTION: Congress Questions Obama’s SEC Chief Embroiled in New Madoff Scandal. Then there’s the whole insider trading at the Department of Education scandal. It’s getting hard to keep track . . . .

WHAT WISCONSIN IS REALLY ABOUT: Largest unions pay leaders well, give extensively to Democrats. John C. Henry of the Center for Public Integrity notes: “Union treasuries – filled by dues paid by union members – not only fund programs benefiting union members and their families. The money they collect also pays six-figure compensation packages for labor leaders and provides millions of dollars for Democratic causes and candidates.”

REASON TV: To Surly, With Love: Are Teachers Overpaid?

MICHAEL MOORE vs. Abraham Lincoln.

PEJMAN YOUSEFZADEH talks to Donald Rumsfeld about microfinance.

OBAMACARE UPDATE: Breaking: Vinson stays ruling on ObamaCare – but just for seven days. “The White House asked for a clarification. They got a trip to the woodshed instead.”

BEYOND WISCONSIN: Cuomo Seeks Speedy Change in Teacher Evaluations. “His announcement came minutes after the State Senate passed legislation sought by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg that would reverse a rule protecting long-serving New York City teachers from layoffs regardless of their effectiveness.”

MICKEY KAUS: Say, how’s that GM bailout doing?

CORRECTING STACY MCCAIN: “Stacy, what evidence do you offer that porn stars are ‘beneath’ someone like this Charlie person?” Isn’t that their usual — no, I’m not going there.

ANN ALTHOUSE corrects Rush Limbaugh:

Now, that’s just ridiculous. I’ve lived in Madison, Wisconsin for 25 years — and I’ve gone over to the protests nearly every day — and I’ve never seen a used Kotex anywhere. I put up a post showing trash on one of the first days of protest, but ever since then, I’ve been impressed that they are picking up trash. They care about the impression they leave and are making a big effort about that. They are putting up signs, taping them up and sticking them in little snowmen outdoors. And there are piles of belongings, such as bedding that are piled up in a way that isn’t aesthetically pleasing. But that’s not trash. And I haven’t seen any beer drinking or beer cans or pot smoking or pot paraphernalia anywhere. The last time I was in the building, I didn’t think it smelled, but Meade was there more recently (for the Governor’s Budget Address), and he says it smelled. People are living in there, the human body is what it is.

As always, it’s valuable to have a known and trusted source on the scene of important events. That used to be big-media reporters. Now it’s bloggers.

HAPPIER PEOPLE live longer. Or maybe people with the health to live longer are happier.

WOULD YOU PAY a voluntary gas tax?