morning sunshine

Lots of happy news on this lovely Thursday morning. First this, from the Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/02/politics/02nuke.html?hp&ex=1138942800&en=c8bdaff287d6aa9c&ei=5094&partner=homepage

William J. Broad writes that...

The Pentagon has formed a team of nuclear experts to analyze the fallout from a terrorist nuclear attack on American soil in an effort to identify the attackers, officials have said. [My emphasis added.]

Right, because when a nuke goes off in, say, NY or DC is, it will all be better once we know who to kill.

The government also hopes that terrorists will be less likely to use a nuclear device if they know that it can be traced...

Yup, nothing like fear of punishment to make someone reconsider killing millions and millions of people. And is it just me, or does it make you wonder if they know something we don't?

Ah, but things get sunnier from there. Slightly...

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/02/politics/02spend.html?hp&ex=1138942800&en=5d352193fc78f926&ei=5094&partner=homepage

Republicans in the House (barely) pass a bill cutting $39.5 billion in health and education programs. This comes at the same time that, believe it or not, the senate is debating yet another tax cut.

From Sheryl Gay Stolberg's article:

Mr. Rother said AARP objected in particular to a provision in the bill that would temporarily strip Medicaid coverage from elderly nursing home residents if they had given away money in the previous five years. The provision would cover money given to charity, he said, or to a grandchild for tuition.

Very nice. Hit the streets, Grandma! Hey, maybe she can move into her grandchild's dorm room.

With the Senate taking up a tax-cutting measure at the same time, Democrats used debate on the measure to sound what will be a major election-year theme: that Republicans are cutting taxes for the rich at the expense of services for the poor.

That's a huge opening for the Democrats! They should totally jump all over that! Once word gets out that Republicans hurt the poor and help the rich, they'll, uh... oh wait, this is the exact same line of argument the Democrats haven't pursued at least since Reagan was elected. (And since then, for those of you keeping score at home, the Democrats have lost both the Senate and House, and five of seven presidential elections starting with Reagan's election in 1980.)

Democrats complained bitterly that the measure had been written without them, with the help of paid representatives from the drug and insurance industries.

Good to see that the fallout from the Abramoff scandal has shaken things up. And why isn't this contention--unless it's just a wild accusation--more of a story, post-Abramoff? The Times, at least, buried this very deep in their article.

OK, finally some reason for optimism.

http://www.slate.com/id/2134929/

Slate.com's Michael Kinsley argues that the Democrats are down, but not quite out--it all depends on your perspective. He points out that if you recognize that Gore actually had more votes than Bush in 2000, the Dems have actually only lost three of the last seven presidential contests. It's a somewhat thin argument, but if you're desperate for optimism, it's a satisfying read.

In other news...

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/02/arts/music/02sann.html?8hpib

One of my favorite bands, Scottish folk-popsters Belle & Sebastian, released a new album yesterday. Times critic Kalefa Sanneh seems to like it more than I do.

http://pitchforkmedia.com/news/06-01/27.shtml#grandaddy

California indie rockers Grandaddy have called it quits, after their forthcoming album.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/basketball/more/02/01/prince.113/index.html

And finally, closing on a high note, New York high schooler Epiphanny Price--yes, that's actually how she spells it--scored 113 points in a 32-minute basketball game, and her team wins by 105 points. She shot 54-60. Top that, Kobe.