According to data released by the research and monitoring group Guide Star, the Candie’s Foundation has paid Bristol Palin™ $262,000 to be their “abstinence ambassador.” The nonprofit Foundation and the Palin family attorney had no comment to the Associated Press.

[AP via SF Chronicle]

You remember Liberty University, don’t you? Falwell’s joint? Yeah, that one. So, how are they doing?

Liberty University students received approximately $445 million in federal financial aid money last fiscal year, according to U.S. Department of Education data, making LU the top recipient in Virginia.

The rapid growth of Liberty’s online program has fueled the increased reliance on federal aid dollars, said Robert Ritz, LU’s executive director of financial aid.

Last year, Liberty enrolled about 52,000 online students, plus another 12,000 through its residential programs.

By a nutty coincidence, that $445 million is $25 million more than public broadcasting gets! Small world!

Read more »

David Brooks: “Last fall, the Simpson-Bowles deficit commission released a bold report on how to avoid an economic catastrophe.” No, it didn’t. [NYT, Bloomberg]

“The federal government provided part of a $60,000 grant to pay for the creation of a mural detailing Maine’s labor history. But since LePage had the artwork removed from the lobby of an Augusta building last month, a senior Labor Department official is asking for the the mural to be put back on display or the cash to be returned.” [Politico]

Of the 1%, by the 1%, for the 1% [Vanity Fair]

“Attorney General Eric Holder today announced that self-proclaimed Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammad and his four alleged co-conspirators will be tried in a military commission… The attorney general forcefully blamed Congress for compelling the Justice Department to make this decision by interfering for political gamesmanship.” [CBS]

Obama email, this morning:

Today, we are filing papers to launch our 2012 campaign.

We’re doing this now because the politics we believe in does not start with expensive TV ads or extravaganzas, but with you — with people organizing block-by-block, talking to neighbors, co-workers, and friends. And that kind of campaign takes time to build.

Reuters, this morning:

Obama amassed a record $750 million as he surged to victory in 2008. His 2012 campaign total is expected to hit $1 billion or more, even without a major Democratic primary opponent or the emergence of a strong Republican contender…

Jim Messina, a former White House deputy chief of staff who will run Obama’s [campaign], has been telling big supporters they will need to collect $350,000 each.

Yes, well, we’ll pitch in where we can. Tell us when you’re within $25 of ten figures.