Take that, christianists.

* amy does evoting. bev harris. and Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman.

* laura on NPR, discussing Iran, Shulsky, Iranian Directorate etc:

Iraq, Iran and Patterns in Foreign Policy (12:07P)

It sounds as if every subject is fair game in this year's elections, but one issue that's not being debated is America's posture toward Iran. Before leaving Washington to campaign, Republicans and Democrats passed the Iran Freedom Support Act, which the President signed with little fanfare. But critics say it's strikingly similar to the Iraq Liberation Act. Voted for by most of the Congress and every Senator, it called for "regime change," and it was later used as evidence that Congress favored war with Saddam Hussein. With both parties trying to sound tough before the mid-term elections, have they created a roadblock to possible diplomacy? Will the Iran Freedom Support Act discourage other countries from helping the US to avoid a confrontation over Iran's nuclear program?

uber-hack Patrick Clawson from WINEP is also on the show. (i heart laura)

* billmon, not a liberal.

* moonietimes:

"A former federal air marshal said he will file suit against the government today to challenge use of a nonclassified label that he says allows Homeland Security officials to cover up dangerous and inept policies.
Robert MacLean, an air marshal who was fired for blowing the whistle on a cutback of flight protections in the wake of a terrorist alert, is the first federal employee to challenge the validity of the "Sensitive Security Information" (SSI) label in court.
Asked why he is challenging the bureaucratic tool, Mr. MacLean said, "Vindictive retaliation like this makes agents unwilling to report gross mismanagement.""

* if you want to see some superb wingnuttery, read this comment at EW's place. it begins: "Plame leaked her own identity at 'Vanity Fair.'" and I'm not exactly sure where it goes after that.

* josh:

"So to voters I think the pitch is, think back over the last two years. You only have one chance to go on record with your verdict. Thumbs up or thumbs down. One chance before you have to go back and sit in the stands again for another two years.

Are you on board with what's happening? Or do you want to go on record saying things have to change? One chance.

And if you give the thumbs up, how will you feel when you wake up on November 8th?"

is this right? the issue isn't thumbs up or thumbs down. the issue is whether people vote or not.

* at least we got some good news today re Hubble. Take that, christianists.

* ioz: "Andrew Sullivan's Soul" go read, be entertained.

* digby:

"George W. Bush is so desperate to get his embarrassed base out to vote that he's appearing with extremist talk show pig Rush Limbaugh tomorrow.

That honor and dignity schtick is now so dead it stinks --- they aren't even pretending anymore. He is sullying the presidency worse than a million adulterous blojobs could ever do. Just days ago that gelatinous blowhard cruelly derided a man with Parkinson's Disease for lowlife political purposes. And now the President of the United States is going to validate his malevolent cultural poison by appearing on his show."