(via TPM)

Jonathan Chait explores the media's disparate treatment of the Norm Coleman and Rod Blagojevich scandals:

What, you say--Norm Coleman? Yes, Norm Coleman! Let me explain. The soon-to-be-former senator's scandal is pretty simple. Nasser Kazeminy, a wealthy businessman and close Coleman friend, allegedly paid him $75,000 under the table.

And by "allegedly," I mean "almost certainly." Here's how the almost certainly true alleged scheme worked. The payments to Coleman came in the form of what Tony Soprano would call a "no-show job." One of Kazeminy's companies is called Deep Marine Technology. Kazeminy allegedly ordered Deep Marine's CEO, Paul McKim, to make a series of $25,000 payments that would go to Coleman's wife. According to McKim, Kazeminy was utterly blatant. He said the reason for the payments was that Coleman needed the money and McKim should disguise them as a legitimate business transaction.

The intermediary they picked was an insurance company owned by Jim Hays, a major Coleman donor who had given contracting work to Coleman's wife, Laurie. Hays admits getting the $75,000, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, but says he "provide[d] insurance advice" to Deep Marine and denies the money went to Laurie Coleman.

This is very hard to believe. Deep Marine was already paying $1 million per year for insurance from a London company that specializes in underwater offshore lines, which is Deep Marine's business.

Karl Rove promises he'll deliver farewell letters to President Bush on Tuesday. Here's mine.

Dear Mr. President,

You came into office under a cloud of suspicion and with ambitions that, as many Americans quickly realized, far outstripped your talents and frankly, your interest in the job. It's a shame that we didn't figure that out during the campaign; after eight disastrous years under your leadership, we look ahead to grim times both here at home and around the globe.

We look down Main Street and see businesses closing, worry about our families and loved ones losing their jobs, and mourn those who gave their lives in service to our nation. We wonder why we're taking on Wall Street's debt while our own continues to grow. We watch as our medical bills skyrocket while our wages drop. And we look around the world and see distrust in the eyes of both friend and foe.

But I believe you're right - history will vindicate you, though not with the completeness I think you expect. Your presidency and the actions that defined it will be seen as massive failures, but two key things stand out; one I think you intended, the other you probably didn't.

First, you brought to the fore some events and conflicts that I believe were inevitable, in both domestic policy and foreign affairs. You managed these events and conflicts in the most disinterested, unskilled, and disastrous manner as we've ever seen in a President. Historians won't let you off the hook for that, but it won't be revisionist history to say that you hastened conflicts that may well have been inevitable. Decades from now, we won't see wisdom in your management, but if every cloud has a silver lining, perhaps you saw the big picture early.

More importantly, you helped America find its voice, though you didn't like what you heard. Only when you had mobilized your culture warriors did it become apparent to the majority of Americans that your politics and beliefs don't match our own. You and your supporters begged us to obey our lesser demons, but instead we reached collectively for our better angels.

Your divisiveness set the stage for a true uniter to lead this great nation; maybe more than any other factor, you helped Barack Obama become our 44th President. Your administration set the stage and created a ripe political climate for what might be one of the greatest and most transformative presidencies in our history. It is one of few bright spots in a sea of darkness.

And for that, thank you Mr. President. Best of luck in your ex-presidential life.

All the best,

J. Gregory Palmer

Via Rolling Stone.

As of an hour ago, I'm officially on vacation until September. Tomorrow morning I'm putting on my journalist hat (and cape?) and will be covering the Democratic National Convention from Denver.

Keystone Politics, my business, will be credentialed to cover the convention. We'll be doing our usual stories and also have a brand-new channel on YouTube.

In addition to that, I'll be doing TV segments for NBN of the Philippines and hopefully I'll get a few pieces in the Guardian's website as well.

Phew! That'll be more than enough work for me. I'll keep you posted - look for my first Youtube video on Friday.

There are many stupid members of Congress, but Bill Sali might be numero uno. From ThinkProgress:

Rep. Bill Sali (R-ID), who is participating in the GOP's ongoing "Drill Now" energy stunt, has a unique idea about how to bring down gas prices: extracting oil from trees. In a meeting in his Capitol Hill office, Sali reportedly told a candidate for Idaho's House of Representatives, Byron Yankey, that there "'could be up to 40 barrels of oil' in a single tree."

From their glossary of political terms:

"Democracy: A moderately representative plutocracy."

Jon Voight shows his crazy in the Washington Times:

Sen. Barack Obama has grown up with the teaching of very angry, militant white and black people: the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Louis Farrakhan, William Ayers and Rev. Michael Pfleger. We cannot say we are not affected by teachers who are militant and angry. We know too well that we become like them, and Mr. Obama will run this country in their mindset.

The Democratic Party, in its quest for power, has managed a propaganda campaign with subliminal messages, creating a God-like figure in a man who falls short in every way. It seems to me that if Mr. Obama wins the presidential election, then Messrs. Farrakhan, Wright, Ayers and Pfleger will gain power for their need to demoralize this country and help create a socialist America.

Sometimes I write something and I'm not quite sure where to put it - this blog isn't really about politics, but Keystone Politics should be about Pennsylvania. But in any case, take a look at My Dream Veepstakes:

The only way John McCain could make his candidacy even more boring would be to add another white guy to the ticket. You know the type - big fluffy "Trent Lott" hair, southern drawl, wears a flag lapel pin and has memorized his favorite bible passages. Sure, another white guy would probably add some desperately-needed Jesus power to the McCain campaign, but c'mon! We've seen it all before!

So throw away the white southerners, because it'd be way more fun to see Johnny Mac pick Joe Lieberman. They've become best buds, after all. We haven't seen my favorite war hero plant a big ole' kiss on Joe's face yet, but I think it'd make a great October Surprise.