Hooray! The healthcare bill passed the Finance Committee!

Well, the one without the Public Option.

It passed 14-9, all Demrats plus Star Turncoat Olympia Snowe. But while everyone’s cheering Bipartisan!, bear in mind she expressly voted to kick it upstairs, and is withholding judgment on whatever form it ultimately takes.

Now it just has to be merged with the other Senate bill, survive a filibuster, pass the Senate, squeeze through the conference committee, pass the House again, survive another filibuster, pass the Senate again, be signed by the President, and then we’ll be filling those FEMA camps with recalcitrant rebels who refuse to buy mandatory coverage from predatory insurance companies.

LIVEBLOG: Senate Finance Committee Votes On Health Care Reform Bill [TPM]

Orly Taitz doubled down, as they say in politics. So Judge Clay Land took her bet — and doubled the fine:

After a full review of the sanctionable conduct, counsel’s conduct leading up to that conduct, and counsel’s response to the Court’s show cause order, the Court finds that a monetary penalty of $20,000.00 shall be imposed upon counsel Orly Taitz as punishment for her misconduct, as a deterrent to prevent future misconduct, and to protect the integrity of the Court.

Judge Land, who called Orly’s action “breathtaking in its arrogance” and said it “borders on delusional,” was also kind enough to provide more ammo for the ethics complaint with the California State Bar:

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We’ll admit a weakness for staged public dances, as well as an affection for All Things Zombie. Well, most things — the Thriller video never rocked our casket. Might have something to do with director John Landis being a helicopter murderer.

Or maybe it’s just that after a year of Teabaggers and Town Halls, we’re not in the mood for a global simultaneous Thrillergasm — such as the one scheduled for October 24. Organizers hope to count 270,000 souls doing a mass moonwalk in more than 360 locations, breaking a Guinness record that nobody else cares about.

Or maybe — just maybe — we’re bitter. They couldn’t have organized a mass Time Warp instead?

[Thrill the World]

It’s not enough that teabaggers are threatening politicians and government employees — now they’re going after kids:

About 60 people converged Monday morning on a Burlington Township elementary school that drew controversy — and nationwide attention — for a video posted on YouTube of its students singing songs praising President Barack Obama.

The protesters stood across from Bernice B. Young Elementary School, holding placards and chanting “Shame on you.” The Obama song was first staged “in recognition of Black History Month” during an eight-skit program on Feb. 27.

The school district “does not believe that protesting in front of an elementary school in session with four to seven year old children is appropriate,” according to a statement. We thought there was a rule about perverts, criminals and douchebags maintaining their distance.

Protesters gather outside Burlco school that sang Obama praises [South Jersey Courier-Post]

Beck-backing protesters raise ruckus outside much-publicized elementary school [Raw Story]

We have no idea what this means…

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed two gay rights bills, one honoring late activist Harvey Milk and another recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other states…

In a signing message, Schwarzenegger said California will not recognize the couples as married but will “provide the same legal protections that would otherwise be available to couples that enter into civil unions or domestic partnerships out-of-state. In short, this measure honors the will of the People in enacting Proposition 8 while providing important protections to those unions legally entered into in other states.”

So did the Governator just pull a fast one? And if he did, who got pulled?

Schwarzenegger signs gay rights bills [Sacramento Bee]

• Alex Lange is among the millions of Americans who can’t get health insurance because of a pre-existing condition: He’s morbidly obese, “in the 99th percentile for height and weight” for people his age. Alex won’t diet, nor will he exercise. Alex is four months old. [Denver Post]
• Census Bureau screws up new fingerprinting procedures, may have hired temps with criminal records. Congressman Jason Chaffetz spares Michele Bachmann the trouble of pouncing on it. [TPM]
• Noam Chomsky anthology banned from Guantánamo, as if anybody could read it. [Miami Herald]
• Happy Indigenous People’s Day! [Daily Lobo]

We’re not sure this works, but since CB brought it up, we figured we’d give it a shot.