If you’re wondering when those invisible-fence collars attached to wingnuts get activated, here’s an indication:

Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ) has apologized for suggesting that, if 9/11 trials are held in New York City, Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s daughter could be kidnapped.

“I saw the mayor of New York said today, ‘We’re tough. We can do it.’ Well, Mayor, how are you going to feel when it’s your daughter that’s kidnapped at school by a terrorist?” Shadegg said last night.

This afternoon, he told the Associated Press that he’s sorry — but added that his point was still a good one.

On the other hand, Michael Mukasey’s collar seems to be malfunctioning.

Shadegg Apologizes For Saying NYC Mayor’s Daughter Could Get Kidnapped [TPM]

Longtime members of Our Merry Band of Wonkette Deserters will recall the joys of Butterstick Summer, when Ana Marie Cox became unnaturally fixated upon the National Zoo’s brand-new adorable bundle of hairless baby Panda flesh.

And since the Stinque Remote Office is located just thirteen blocks north of the Sandy Eggo Zoo, we really should have paid more attention to their brand-new adorable bundle of Pandaplasm, born August 5. Just for tradition’s sake.

But we didn’t. Nor did we think to prank the zoo’s name-the-panda contest, which drew 6,300 nominations.

Which means, now that the bamboo-devouring rugrat’s driver’s license will read Yun Zi (“son of cloud”), we’re shit out of luck to bitch about it. Although we may still use runner-up Xiao Long — “little dragon” — as our porn name.

Zoo’s newest panda gets a name [SD Union-Tribune]

PandaCam [San Diego Zoo]

Levi Johnston watches the Oprah interview so we don’t have to.

Palin: [It’s] a bit heartbreaking to see the road that he is on right now.

Johnston: I think she’s going out and talking and she’s just digging a bigger hole for herself.

Palin: [It’s] kind of this aspiring — aspiring porn, some of the things that he’s doing — it’s kind of heartbreaking…

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Palin apologist and noted chickenhawk Matthew Continetti:

Like a lot of people, as soon as I got my copy of Sarah Palin’s “Going Rogue,” I immediately thought of the German literary critic Hans Robert Jauss.

And it’s all downhill from there folks.

Will Sarah Palin’s ‘Rogue’ Tactics Work? [WaPo]

Our guest columnist this morning is celebrated blogger Sarah Palin.

Any kind of perceived whine about that excess criticism… I think, man, that doesn’t do us any good, women in politics, women in general, wanting to progress this country—

The Management apologizes for hiring Sean Hannity’s intern, who completely inadvertently posted an old column from March 2008, and has been sacked. Below is the appropriate entry.

The choice of photo for the cover of this week’s Newsweek is unfortunate. When it comes to Sarah Palin, this “news” magazine has relished focusing on the irrelevant rather than the relevant. The Runner’s World magazine one-page profile for which this photo was taken was all about health and fitness — a subject to which I am devoted and which is critically important to this nation. The out-of-context Newsweek approach is sexist and oh-so-expected by now. If anyone can learn anything from it: it shows why you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, gender, or color of skin. The media will do anything to draw attention — even if out of context.

Newsweek [Sarah Palin/Facebook]

So close:

In a press release touting “unfriend” as the word of the year, the New Oxford American Dictionary may have unwittingly made a more controversial move than the New Oxford American Dictionary pretty much ever does.

No, it wasn’t another cutesy tech neologism: they included “teabagger” as one of their Word of the Year finalists.

According to the release, they define “teabagger” as “a person who protests President Obama’s tax policies and stimulus package, often through local demonstrations known as ‘Tea Party’ protests (in allusion to the Boston Tea Party of 1773).”

I think I know why “teabagger” didn’t win ….

‘Teabagger’ Was Oxford Word of the Year Finalist [ThinkProgress]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9glc6ZzC

Update: Think Progress retracts its characterization of Shields’ comments, which means we have to retract and apologize for our vicious caricature. Darn.

Speaking from the comfort of a DC television studio, Mark Shields pines for a President who waves his member at the world without shame:

It makes me nostalgic for those days when we had a manly man in the White House who could say, “Let’s kick some tail and ask questions afterwards” you know? That’s what we really need instead of any reflection.

We’re sure the families of the 4,363 soldiers killed in Iraq would totally agree with him.

Shields: I’m ‘Nostalgic’ For A ‘Manly Man’ President Who Will ‘Kick Some Tail And Ask Questions Afterwards’ [Think Progress]

Update: Think Progress regrets, as do we:

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