Morning Roundup

The more you look for news, the more you find, I guess. It's another morning with a lot of interesting stuff happening.

In the quick roundup/commentary today, we've got John McCain's brains continuing to liquify and escape, a really embarrassing White House personnel problem (a new one), an unholy environmental alliance, a hell of a lot of really good blogging (mostly by other people), and a massively cool Google partnership that might just show us how to educate more Americans about global problems.

OK, Egor, Where did you hide McCain's brains?

John McCain just cant figure out when or how to quit. First, he said that he could walk freely and unharmed in parts of Baghdad. Then he went to Baghdad and took a walk through the streets with a few close friends, a rifle company, and air support. Then he did a press conference and said that he'd just been to a part of Baghdad where Americans can walk freely. Then he did 60 minutes and said that he'd misspoken about that. Now, he's done another press conference claiming that the only reason that he brought along the rifle company was to make the general feel better, and he's sure he really could walk freely there. That's the same general, by the way, that McCain incorrectly claimed takes regular rides through Baghdad in an unarmored Humvee. Then, today, he said that he just got back from Iraq, and that while he was there he risked "nothing more threatening than a hostile press corps." Of course you didn't, knucklehead. There were a hundred guys who were risking their necks to make sure that you were safe.

To think that I used to like and trust that guy back in 2000. Dude, it's time to call Falwell and get him to give your soul back.

(via Dispatches)

Help wanted. No smart people will apply.

The White House, following the lead of previous administrations when confronted with a war against an abstract concept (poverty, drugs, terror), has decided that they need to appoint a Czar to coordinate all the administration efforts. So, they're trying to establish a War on Terror Czar to coordinate Iraq and Afghanistan efforts.

The only problem is that they can't find a War on Terror Czar. So far, we know that they've asked three retired four-star generals. All three, in addition to their military service, have worked with this administration before. All three said no. One of them - a former NATO head - put it this way to the Washington Post: "So rather than go over there, develop an ulcer and eventually leave, I said, 'No, thanks,' " he said.

Clearly, Newt doesn't understand the concept of "debate."

What was billed as a major climate change policy debate between former Presidential candidate John Kerry and possible future Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich rapidly turned into a surreal experience yesterday. Kerry's attempts to argue against Gingrich were repeatedly foiled when the former House Speaker kept agreeing with him on point after point.

You know things are getting bad when Newt starts looking like a comparatively reasonable Republican.

Lots of Carnivals:

There are three good compilations of recent blog articles available today, and I'm not just saying that because I'm included in two of them. For the best of recent medical-related blog articles, check out Grand Rounds Volume 3, #29 over at Dr. Dork's place. If you want the best that the science blogging community has to offer for the last fortnight, you can take a look at Tangled Bank #77 (over at Aetiology). If politics is more your thing (and if you're not getting enough of it at the first two carnivals), check out Carnival of the Liberals #36, at Truth in Politics.

Viewing Global Problems:

Google partnered with the United States Holocaust Museum to come up with a new way for people to look at problems elsewhere in the globe. The Holocaust Museum's database on the ongoing genocide in Darfur has been integrated with the Google Earth project. If you view Africa in Google Earth, it will show you exactly what's been happening in Darfur - satellite picture of burned-out village by satellite picture of burned out village. I'll have more on this one later.