Former Ess Eff Mayor and current California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom apparently has enough time on his hands (and product on his hair) that he doesn’t need to actually be in the state’s capital to do his job. As my fellow Kalifornication resident DodgerBlue as my witness, I regularly refer to the capital of Our Nation’s Largest State as “Excremento” – nonetheless, if you are elected to the second highest statewide office, is it really too much to ask that you spend more than one day a week in the capital city?

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You can enjoy Mitt Romney being a fool for sucking up to Donald Trump. You can also enjoy Donald Trump being a fool with Wolf Blitzer. Or you can enjoy Wolf Blitzer being a fool for even talking to Donald Trump. Hey, we’re easy.

But since Trump mentions it…

The Honolulu newspaper birth notices were placed by the State of Hawaii, not the parents. We’ve only been humping that fact for three years now.

[via TPM]

Because spending money on endless wars and bailouts for criminals is preferable to taking care of people:

Third, the Great Society. Lyndon Johnson was right to use government to do more to protect Americans from the vicissitudes of capitalism. But he made a series of open-ended promises, especially on health care. He tried to bind voters to the Democratic Party with a web of middle-class subsidies.

In each case, a good impulse was taken to excess. A government that was energetic and limited was turned into one that is omnidirectional and fiscally unsustainable. A government that was trusted and oriented around long-term visions is now distrusted because it tries to pander to the voters’ every momentary desire. A government that devoted its resources toward future innovation and development now devotes its resources to health care for the middle-class elderly.

Take one flawed premise, add a dash of Burke or Hamilton, fold in a few false equivalencies, pretend that the Tea Party and other far right lunatics are a recent phenomenon, punch a hippie, bake at a nice Centrist 325 degrees and, presto, another shitty David Brooks column!

It is very important to remember that David Brooks supported the Iraq War and has been wrong about everything. He exists because people invested in the system need to have a “reasonable” go-to conservative to preserve the Great Lie of Centrism. Period.

For your pyrotechnical pleasure, enjoy last night’s firework show at the Golden Gate Bridge in celebration of its 75th birthday. If you like things that go boom, this will be for you. (Sorry about the stupid commercial at the beginning of the video).

First, a still photo:

And video, courtesy of CBS:

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Pareene takes him down, hard:

But our target here is Russert, and he is not personally responsible for NBC’s decision to bequeath him a broadcasting job. If we focus on the work and not the means by which Russert got the job, things don’t look much better. Initially, at least, the grown-ups on the air always seemed to be holding Russert’s hand as he tried to remember his lines, as if he were a child and not a fully grown college graduate and professional. It’s obvious that everyone who knew his father loves Luke. But everyone’s affection for the kid is not transmissible through a television set, alas, and Russert’s appearances seemed like some rich guy’s kid’s piano recital suddenly taking place in the middle of a professional orchestra’s concert.

I could stand Russert doing weather, or telling me how not to confuse Olivia Munn with Olivia Wilde, but politics? Nope.

Today’s the big day for the Golden Gate Bridge. Gorgeous day or night, in rain or sun. Enjoy some photos of now and then.

The Pan Am clipper flying over the unfinished bridge:

More oldies after the jump:

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What is it with these people?