Blogging about

Slacktivist expands exponentially on everyone's database regarding the Institute on Religion and Democracy, with a must-read post about its previous divisive intrusions on mainstream churches.

Richard at Peking Duck has a nice takedown of the WSJ's reptilian James Taranto.

Responding to an excellent Digby post, Chris Andersen at Interesting Times has some terrific insights about the road ahead. I'm also taking Chris's pledge. (Via Leah at corrente.)

CincyDemo has a great post about some not-so-embedded reporting in Baghdad.

And Sam Smith has a great essay up at The Progressive Review titled "Handling the Bullies". [Thanks to Dan Chambers for the tip.] Here's the opening graf:

For many years now, the Republican right has engaged in a politics of cultural bullying that is the direct descendent of the southern segregationists. It is based on anathematizing a minority in order to solidify its own political base around false assumptions of purity and superiority. It is an illusion that deceives much of its own constituency into thinking that ultimately minor cultural differences are more important than such issues as economics, healthcare or public education. Thus it is not only mean, it is masochistic. One minority ends up being hurt by another that is being conned and hurt in other ways.

Go read it all.