Some self-hating-queer wingnut who runs some bullshit thing called “Morality In Media” released this clarifying statement today, after blaming the current American murder-suicide spree on the gay rights movement: “It most certainly is not my intention to blame the epidemic of mass murders on the gay rights movement!” Certainly! [Christian News Wire]

Jesus christ, this whole country is drowning in its own blood. We take a day off — the Sabbath — and there are another half-dozen gruesome murders or murder-suicides. Cops and the families of the killers seem to be particularly common targets. We don’t recall Homicidal Frenzy as being a normal part of, say, the recessions of 1981-82, 1991-92 or 2001. MORE »

Your Barack Obama is leading by either 103 or 174 electoral votes, depending on whether you’re looking at our AP map or the CNN. Your kindly grandpa McCain has 49 electoral votes right now, says CNN, and McCain is at 34. There are new Democratic senators all over the place — New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina — and this is turning into one weird night. MORE »

• TURNCOATS: Idaho’s Republican first lady contributes $300 to Democratic candidate. [Unequivocal Notion]

Dingbat embarrassment Michele Bachmann has blabbed her way into a losing battle to keep her congressional seat in Minnesota’s 6th District. The new polls are out, and they say Batshit Bachmann is down three points. The sixth-level druid Elwyn Tinklenberg now has the lead, 47%-44%. Magic is everywhere. MORE »

There’s an exciting new trend in these Final Days of the campaign: Some far-right wingnut congressperson goes crazy on the teevee or at one of these Palin Smackdown Trailer-Park Freakouts, and the Daily Kos site declares Financial War on the Republican representative, who of course is up for re-election on November 4 like every member of the House, and the snarling money-having liberals quickly give the dingbat’s opponent half-a-million dollars, overnight. MORE »

• WHOOPS: Dow down 449 for the day (-4.06%). NASDAQ down 109 (-4.94%). S&P 500 down 57.20 (-4.71%). The S&P is now down 26% from its peak of 1,565 in October. [Marketwatch]

Ever since its founding by George Washington in 17-whatever-something, the District of Columbia has never heard the thrilling ring of gunfire. Finally, after more than two centuries of firearm-free boredom, Washington will get its very first guns, this month! MORE »

Hey everybody, here’s the video you’re all talking about — shocking proof that not so long ago, Dick Cheney obviously knew better than to invade Crazy Land and try to control it post-Saddam. We’re not sure why this video is suddenly going around today, because these points made by Cheney also appeared in the New York Times about 11 years ago and have been transcribed and quoted pretty regularly since 2003, but maybe it’s just easier to get things across with the talking pictures. The only real question is What changed Cheney’s mind?

We’ve read a hundred theories about the “real plan” for Iraq, etc., and none have come close to offering a clear explanation of the blood-soaked clusterfuck that is America’s Occupation of Iraq by people who knew from the start that they couldn’t successfully occupy Iraq.

Despite the great process the U.S. and U.K. have made in transforming Iraq into a blood-soaked Boschian hellscape of endless horror, the former country still isn’t quite safe enough for a major political stunt such as sending an heir to the British Throne there for photo ops. MORE »

It’s a bloodbath at Time Inc as everyone who works for them but Joe Klein finds themselves out of work. MORE »