Monday morning, a high-school student was beat up on a St. Louis-area schoolbus. He had been looking for a seat; not finding one, he gingerly removed a bookbag occupying space and sat there. Upon which the bag’s owner started hitting him. Another student joined in, and others on the bus cheered.

Let’s cast the scene. We have some options…

(a) The student is white; the kids beating him up are black.

(b) The student is black; the kids beating him up are white.

(c) Open casting! Doesn’t matter who plays which part, since race has nothing to do with it.

As it happens, the fact of the matter is (a) — although it just as easily could have been (b), since the truth of the moment is (c). It was a bog-standard schoolbus fight.

Which isn’t, unfortunately, how the cops first described it:

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Too bad. So sad.

WICHITA | The anti-abortion organization Operation Rescue says it’s close to shutting down unless emergency financial help arrives soon.

Group president Troy Newman sent an e-mail Monday night to donors saying the organization is in a financial crisis.

Newman blames the economy. But the Wichita-based organization has also taken heavy criticism after the May 31 shooting death of abortion provider George Tiller — not only from abortion-rights supporters but also from anti-abortion militants.

That’s nice.

Sadly, I’m sure some wingnut somewhere will turn on the wingnut welfare tap.

Operation Rescue in Money ‘Crisis,’ May Be Shut Down
[KansasCity.com]

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images North America

No, Joe, fuck you…

Whereas on September 9, 2009, during the joint session of Congress convened pursuant to House Concurrent Resolution 179, the President of the United States, speaking at the invitation of the House and Senate, had his remarks interrupted by the Representative from South Carolina, Mr. Wilson; and

Whereas the conduct of the Representative from South Carolina was a breach of decorum and degraded the proceedings of the joint session, to the discredit of the House: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives disapproves of the behavior of the Representative from South Carolina, Mr. Wilson, during the joint session of Congress held on September 9, 2009.

Box score: 240 Yes, 179 No, 5 Present.

House Passes Wilson Disapproval Motion [TPM]

Don’t tell anyone, but we have this great reality show we’ll be pitching next year: Who Wants to Be a President? Set to debut in 2011, it consists of all our favorite Republicans, debating each other every week to see who can produce the smelliest dungheap. The winner gets a flaming bag of his or her own shit delivered to the doorstep in November 2012 — and a lucky viewer gets to ring the doorbell!

We’ve been secretly signing up potential participants, and we’re proud to announce that Rick Santorum (R-Frothy Fecal Matter) has joined our cause:

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Patrick Swayze Dies After Long Battle with Cancer [KTLA]

Max Blumenthal finds some Teabaggers – including the “diper” guy: