The Reaction in review (July 3, 2009)

A week's Reactions that deserve a second look:

Our Editor, Michael says it was a crazy week: First The Craziest Conservative of the Day (Thursday) is Michael Scheuer, who said, "The only chance we have as a country right now is for Osama bin Laden to deploy and detonate a major weapon in the Untied States." Michael picks The Craziest Republican of the Day, Joe Barton (for his idiotic "Carbongate" Crack) on Friday. And so it goes for the rest of the week's best:


Friday

By J. Thomas Duffy: "Now only an ex-governor, with lipstick" -- Duffy pulls out all the stops to give us all the latest funnies about the resignation announcement of Governor Sarah Palin/"Mommy Moose." (Includes videos, photos, links and a transcript)

By Michael J.W. Stickings: "The Palin resignation: What gives?" -- Michael's "quick comment" is a very interesting analysis of what might actually be happening here.

By Capt Fogg: "PALIN QUITS!" -- Fogg begins with what many of us would say, "One would think such a headline would push the Michael Jackson insanity aside long enough for some news to leak through," and ends with a good roundup of pundit reactions to the Palin announcement.

By Carol Gee: "South Asia and Middle East Developments" -- This post reports on the major changes regarding the wars that have been happening this week in Iraq and Afghanistan.

By Michael J.W. Stickings: "Mark Sanford, mental case?" -- Michael rightly concludes, "So enough with the psychological diagnoses, enough with all the talk about his 'mental state.'"


Thursday

By Michael J.W. Stickings: "The tragedy and narcissism of Mark Sanford" -- Michael explores this ever emerging story and concludes, "My feeling somewhat sorry for him aside, Sanford is hardly the Shakespearean tragic figure he is making himself out to be."

By Michael J.W. Stickings: "Karl Malden (1912-2009)" -- Michael's warm and insightful obituary piece is on one of my favorite actors; it includes recommendations of some of Malden's best movies.


Wednesday
By Capt. Fogg: "No lie too big, no mind too small" -- Fogg rolls out a very good critique of "a new and more specious attack" on President Obama from the "Our Country Deserves better PAC" .

By Michael J.W. Stickings: "And so, Minnesota's long national nightmare is over" -- This has been an ongoing story for The Reaction and Michael says, "I'm relieved . . . this outcome was not just long overdue but pretty much inevitable . . . it was just a matter of time until Coleman's legal challenge either ran out of steam or ran into a decisive decision against him."


Tuesday

By (O)CT(O)PUS: "A decision, a concession, a defection, an impression and a question" -- Our contributor wonders about the Democratic Party's 60-vote majority, "Will the Dems mess up a golden opportunity?" (Includes two good comments).

By Carl: "Fun for Oil" -- Carl provides a very welcome explanation of the outcomes, now and perhaps in the future, of the Iraqi government's offer to oil companies to contract to run the oil and gas fields in Iraq.


Monday

By Carl: "A Madoff man" -- Carl writes a good post on the sentencing of swindler Bernie Madoff and includes a transcript of the judge's sentencing comments that ignored Madoff's plea for leniency.


Creature Feature: By the Numbers -- "The new CBO score," "467,000" June's job losses, and Bernie Madoff's "150" year sentence.