If at some point I have a little freak out while writing this post, know that everything is fine. There just happens to be some workers pounding the ceiling over my head. I am waiting for the roof to cave it - which is actually why they are up there. We have been having some leak problems. But you would think, renting property in the rather high-rent area we are in, that this could be done some time other than the middle of the workday. No big deal though. Just wanted to get that out there.

A little update:

So far, to my knowledge, this rider hasn't or will not materialize. I've heard nothing about it for a couple of days and, despite being in the office late for other reasons, have not done much work for it since I last mentioned it. That does not mean that it hasn't, or won't, come up. Just that I haven't heard anything. So stay tuned. UPDATE: This apparently is going to happen today.

At the end of that last paragraph I gave some serious thought to making fun of Alaska (Murkowski's home state), but obviously didn't. What it reminded me of, however, is something I read a couple of days ago, advising Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick on how to select an interim Senator now that the legislature has given him power to do so. It said, do not ignore the upstart, young politician that is looking to get ahead. It will bite you. In December 2002 a governor named Frank Murkowski passed on a little-known mayor from Wasilla, instead appointing his daughter, Lisa, to his own unexpired Senate seat, vacated by his being elected governor. In 2006 it came back to bite him, when that little-known mayor ran against him in his bid for re-election and wiped the floor with him. And thus, Sarah Palin was born.

Some other links for the day:

A quick way to follow what is going on in energy policy.

National Journal also has a "promise audit."

And the NJ's "Play of the Day," poking fun of the fact that all of the world's leaders arrived in massive convoys for a meeting on climate change.

A story garnering quite a bit of press is President Obama basically throwing Gov. Patterson (NY) out the window. Someone was actually quoted as saying, "if you become a probably for Obama, don't stand close to a window."

President Obama will head to Pittsburgh for the G-20.

It appears the previously-mentioned MA Senate seat will go to Paul Kirk, former DNC Chairman and Kennedy advisor.

Libya would like Obama to stay president forever.

Walter Mondale has jumped on the Jimmy Carter train, calling the attacks on Obama racist. Editors note: I am really just not going to get into this; not yet at least. In some ways I very much agree with the way Obama is handling this. While there are serious racial issues and yes I do very much believe there may be some racial tilt to these protests, the president understands that his agenda goes nowhere if he comes out and starts calling people racist. See: the Harvard professor. In addition, some day race has to stop being an excuse for black people, whether it is justified or not. Crazy people are going to say what crazy people are going to say. And yes, Glenn Beck, is crazy. His own town doesn't even want him back (and you have to admit, that crack about the Mount Vernon mayor like George Wallace is clever).

Speaking of racial issues, the Emancipation Proclamation was delivered 147 years ago Tuesday.

And sticking with the "Today in history theme":

I Love Lucy showed its final episode in 1961.
The Mormon church officially renounced polygamy in 1890.
And the first Supreme Court was established in 1789.