By the Comics Curmudgeon
What is the most amusing part of the human anatomy? While there are a lot to choose from, I’d have to say the butt, mostly because asses and humor occupy the exact same overlap in the Venn diagram between “sexy” and “gross.” Because our dying media establishment is still clinging to antiquated concepts like “dignity” and “morals” and “for Christ’s sake people don’t want to see naked asses in the newspaper,” most political cartoons do not feature naked asses per se (though there are horrifying exceptions). Nevertheless, political cartoons cannot resist the laugh riot that even the fully clothed booty brings to the table. MORE »

• What is ‘Max Baucus’? We simply do not know. [Matt Yglesias]
• Today’s RedState lecture: “How Limbaugh’s embodiment of MLK’s dream changed my life.” Please take notes because you’ll be tested on this material at the end of the semester. [RedState]
• How will Jonah Goldberg survive the impending zombie apocalypse?! Hiding in a spider hole at the bottom of Lake Superior might work, but then again, Lake Superior freezes in the winter and zombies can definitely definitely walk on ice and oh no oh no oh no no NO zombies zombies ZOMBIES! [The Corner]
• There are many sappy, vomit-inducing political ads that come and go in these United States, but Gavin Newsom’s takes the vomit cake. [The Caucus]
• Barack Obama grinds with a devastating Latina and then abruptly flees the dance floor because honestly he’s a married man and this is just torture. [Swampland]

AHHHH. 14-9. So long, terrible Senate Finance Committee! Back to your cornfields, Grassley! Back to your barbwired condo in Hell, Baucus! Back to whatever there is in Wyoming, Enzi! HAHAHAHH– oh god, they have to draft and pass a climate change bill too, don’t they? RATS. As far as health care goes, though: congratulations! Now, after eight months, our beloved bicameral legislature can move on to Step 2. “Step 2,” hopefully, is where they make it a not-shitty bill. This task belongs to… Harry Reid! NEAT. [YouTube, Washington Post]

Olympia Snowe is going to vote “yea” on health care reform today! She may not vote for it later, or she may use her leverage to gut it even further, or she may get sick of it all and pop off to Tijuana for some junk, who knows! But as of now, the Democratic leadership is ecstatic to have this single Republican vote out of 40. (Can you believe how stupid they think we are? They are doing anything to have this ONE Republican vote so as to refer to it as a “Bipartisan” bill. That’s their actual plan. “Oh look there are Democrats and Republicans for this bill!” “Yeah, one Republican, and she’s a communist.” “Hey shut up, blogger in your pajama pants!” “Unnecessary, Harry Reid. Unnecessary.” etc.) What else? Max Baucus? He’s being insufferable. MORE »

• HEALTH CARE BILL MAY FINALLY LEAVE STUPID FINANCE COMMITTEE, NOW: Look, the CBO has scored the final Max Baucus Health Kare Bill! Who cares what it says, just p-p-paaaassssss it on to Harry Reid, for his turn to destroy everything. Supposedly this is when Obama will “get involved” with the final product! Maybe you’ll be able to go to see a doctor soon. [Washington Independent]

Our dear friends in the Senate Finance Committee have voted down the Schumer/Cantwell “less cool but still cool” public option amendment as well, 13-10 (Dems voting no: Baucus, Conrad, Lincoln), so there will officially (we think?) not be a public option in the Senate Finance Committee bill. SURPRISE. MORE »

• ROCKEFELLER’S PUBLIC OPTION GOES DOWN: It’s “public option amendment day” in the Senate Finance Committee’s markup of the evil Baucus Bill, and oh look at this, Jay Rockefeller’s amendment for a strong public option with reimbursement rates tied to those of Medicare… is dead. It was voted down 15-8. Democrats voting no: Baucus, Carper, Conrad, Lincoln, Nelson. Now they’re taking up Chuck Schumer’s amendment, which isn’t as strong, but still: public option! [Washington Post]

You may have noticed by now that your editor has a serious obsession with old dingbat Chuck Grassley and finds everything he does hilarious; sorry if you do not feel the same way. But just look at this guy! What IS it? Something to do with the fact that this barking, illiterate curmudgeon, who sleeps in an oversized cornhusk behind a maintenance door in the Third Street Tunnel, is STILL a leading negotiator on Health Care Reform. Take a guess what he was wheezing about during today’s crucial Finance Committee markup. Just take a guess. Now watch the clip. Oh, that’s right, blah blah blah, some Mexican or another might still get medical attention under the current legislation, harumph, and what about those Indians, harumph harumph harumph… IN OTHER NEWS: Max Baucus got into a fight with CBO Director Doug Elmendorf, you guys! MORE »

By the Comics Curmudgeon
Hey, you know what, America: I want this health care dealio over with as soon as you do. Not because I care about my own or anyone else’s health, mind you; I am just tired of all the cartoons being churned out about it, when there could be cartoons churned out about something much sexier, like a sex scandal, or a gay sex scandal. But until that day comes, I will be forced to comment on the whole health care reform thingimabob. Fortunately, none of the cartoonists commenting on it understand it any more than I do, but they do sure do know one thing: poop is hilarious! MORE »

Barack Obama did something today that he has not been able to do very often during a health care debate: address the Youngs! Usually it is all about convincing old, voting retards that he will not kill them with black people weapons. The atmosphere at University of Maryland’s Comcast Center was so 2008! There was even a volley of “fired up, ready to go.” Remember when everyone used to love that?? Also: He referred to friendly, fat, and very unimportant Congressmen Dutch Ruppersberger as “Butch,” and all the kids started booing when he mentioned Max Baucus, ha ha. How ginchy! It’s the new college fad. [YouTube]

• (YOUR CO-OPS ARE LAME): Hey Doug Elmendorf of the CBO, how are those proposed co-ops — the non-profit alternative to Pubic Options — in the Baucus Bill going to work? Oh you just want to tell us in a parenthetical aside within your official scoring report? “(The proposed co-ops had very little effect on the estimates of total enrollment in the exchanges or federal costs because, as they are described in the specifications, they seem unlikely to establish a significant market presence in many areas of the country or to noticeably affect federal subsidy payments.)” In all seriousness, it’s pretty great that both Democrats and Republicans are pooping on this bill (these few shitsacks aside.) [Ben Smith]