Hey and welcome to Thursday, a day for magazines! So, speaking of welcomes, remember Iraq? We were “welcomed” there in 2003 or thereabouts, right after—and because of?!—9/11. Turns out we liked it so much over there we never left. Ha ha. Well, to be fair, Dissent is still in an Iraq Of The Mind, what with their Spring 2009 Young Hollywood Iraq Package. Let’s invade it! MORE »

• That guy, Obama, is still as popular as ever, despite the global pandemic and personally orchestrating 9/11 2: 2 Fast 2 Furious. [Andrew Sullivan]
• Recalled children’s toy Michael Steele has been  walking around mumbling that Specter’s “mama didn’t raise him” in a certain way. [CNN Political Ticker]
• If Texas were to undergo some sort of retarded mitosis and split into five states, here’s what comedies that particular future might bring about. [FiveThirtyEight]
• Meanwhile, in Virginia, Bill Clinton continues to campaign for Terry McAuliffe by screaming “Who cares!”, apropos of nothing, and reminding everyone he is an ex-president. McAuliffe/Specter 2016! [The Caucus]
• Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is using the slogan “Yes We Can” in his re-electionc campaign. Obama will be so jealous, that Ahmadinejad gets to yell “Yes We Can” in Farsi, the way it was intended to be yelled. [Ben Smith]