“The Justice Department filed a civil lawsuit Thursday against Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona’s Maricopa County, accusing him and his agency of stonewalling a probe into policing practices that some call discriminatory against Hispanics.” [WSJ]

While we’re in a festive mood today, let’s all gather around the digital hearth and enjoy Jan Brewer at… uh… um… er… last night’s Arizona governor debate.

[via Political Wire]

The U.S. Coast Guard is reporting that an off-shore oil rig has exploded 80 miles south of Louisiana and west of the Deep Horizon site.  The blast occurred at 9:30 am Central Daylight Time, rescue crews are en route.

Updates to follow…

Read more »

With the holiday weekend almost upon us, please enjoy this festive clip of The Former Vice War Criminal of These United States explaining exactly what would happen if Our Glorious Republic toppled Saddam Hussein.

In 1994.

What? Oh, we’re sorry. Turns out that’s not very festive at all. We regret our profound lapse in editorial judgment.

Read more »

We’d offer a Carolina Hurricanes theme, but (a) hockey’s still a month off, and (b) I’m still bent about them moving the Whalers out of Hartford.  So it’s a Dixie Chicks reference.  Deal.  Anyway, the 2300 EDT advisory from the one, the only National Hurricane Center… Earl’s packing heat on the order of 140 mph, with hurricane force winds extending about 60 knots out from the eye and pressure at 27.52″.  Best guess is glancing blow at the Outer Banks, then a direct hit for Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, and eventually Nova Scotia.  (Because those bastards in Nova Scotia really had it coming, that’s why.)  Evacuations in N.C. to elevate from “if it’s not too much trouble” to “get the FUCK off the island” by tomorrow a.m.

“Two-thirds fewer illegal immigrants entered the country last year than crossed U.S. borders each year between 2000 and 2005, according to a new report by the Pew Hispanic Center. The total number of illegal immigrants living in the country has dropped by 8 percent to 11.1 million, down from a peak of 12 million in 2007.” [Yahoo]

We haven’t been paying much attention to all the resume-padding going on among candidates this year — then again, we haven’t been reminded before of our favorite Game Show God. Meet Colorado GOP gubernatorial nominee Dan Maes:

A statement he wrote on his campaign website that was later removed said: “At one point in my 2 years there I was place (sic) undercover by the Kansas Bureau of Investigations (sic) to gather information inside a bookmaking ring that was also allegedly selling drugs. I got too close to some significant people in the community who were involved in these activities and abruptly was dismissed from my position. I was blindsided and stunned to say the least.”

So was the director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, who can’t find any record of Maes in the archives.

GOP gubernatorial candidate Maes backs off claims of undercover police work [Denver Post, via TPM]