Rumsfeld = Gay Marriage = Flag Burning

• A series of new polls (subscriber link) indicate that most workers believe they are worse off in many ways than their counterparts a generation ago. Pessimism is high. And does anyone wonder why the president's drive to privatize social security failed?
• I listen to the Al Franken show. I like the host, but I really love guests like Tom Oliphant. He makes me feel better about self-identifying as a progressive. Someone once told me that political affiliation boils down to instinct and trust. I trust smart, thoughtful, humble people like Tom Oliphant.
• Keith Olbermann has my dream job, or shall I say dream career. He gets to riff on politics and sports. A few weeks back he did a superb job of calling out the administration for their shameless, anti free-speech, fear monguring. I'm with you, Keith!
• The Democrats finally have their own wedge issue: Rumsfeld. I hope they keep pounding. All the new books on Iraq, like Fiasco, make it really clear how poor a job he's done. I've read the first 250 pages or so and I think it's impossible for anyone to read the book and vote for anyone NOT having called for the man's resignation.
• The only differences between the D's wedge issue (Rummy) and the ones put out in recent years by R's is (a) it matters, (b) it's the business of the federal government and (c) people care. Other than those minor matters, it's exactly the same thing!