This Oughta Keep You Busy

Blogging will be light to non-existent over the next few days. I have a newspaper conference to go to for the next couple of days and Tom D. is scheduled to spend Sunday here excoriating liberals. It is sure to be a right-wing echo chamber of such proportion as to send any free-thinking members of the reality-based community into medical seizure.

In local news...

I had a chance to sit down with state Minority Leader and candidate for Attorney General Matt Entenza yesterday. He is about as tall as a Teaparty...stacked on top of a Teaparty. He summarized the Democratic legislative agenda for the upcoming session. My impression of him and his party's goals is that they have a far more cogent plan for the state than the national party has for the country.

Granted, it is a tax and spend plan, but at least it's a plan.

Entenza was low key on the partisanship, perhaps because people in the state are tired of a "do nothing" Congress. Or, perhaps it is because he is running for AG and wants to keep it moderate. Or, perhaps it is because he is under enough fire from his own side of the aisle.

I was hoping to talk to him more about his campaign but the topic of conversation stayed very much on the session.

Entenza isn't one of my favorite politicians. He vigorously defended Sara Jane Olson, which I thought was unforgivable. And, who could forget when he blamed the Governor for all the snow. But on a personal note, he seems a gracious man and was very open and attentive to issues that affect the outer ring. I wish him the best of luck with his run for AG.

(Here's an article I found on Olson from the Power Line crew before they were Powerline...I think.)

Here's a round robin to keep you busy for a few days.

Can you say: Bye bye Harry?

Reid...intervened on government matters at least five times in ways helpful to Abramoff's tribal clients, once opposing legislation on the Senate floor and four times sending letters pressing the Bush administration on tribal issues. Reid collected donations around the time of each action.

Read it all.

Can you say: Allah Akbar?

Dean: "All we ask is that we not turn into a country like Iran where the President can do anything he wants."

What kind of world can it be where Republicans are no longer welcome at the World Cup?

For hockey fans the Star and Sickle predicts the NCAA tournament will once again be dominated by the WCHA.

The four WCHA teams that reached the Frozen Four in 2005 -- Colorado College, Denver, North Dakota and the Gophers -- have a combined record of 25-10-3 in nonconference games this season.

All four teams are ranked in the top 15 of the USCHO.com poll, along with Wisconsin and St. Cloud State.

Further proof of the WCHA's dominance can be seen in its 10-4-1 record against nonconference teams ranked in the top 20. The CCHA's Michigan, ranked seventh, was outscored by a combined 15-6 in losses to Colorado College, Wisconsin and the Gophers.

Let's just say this isn't exactly Carnac type foreseeanceability. The author could have predicted a Gopher win. After all, they destroyed the North Dakota Fighting Sioux and split with the Badgers, who now have major distractions to contend with. Plus, they may get frostbite before the season is over. Still, unless Tanya Harding comes out of retirement to club Brian Elliot, the Badgers are still the team to beat in March.

Then there is the not-so-good hockey news of the day.

Finally, and on to the media, Hinderaker finds a tiny problem with AP's "Libby: White House 'Superiors' OK'd Leaks." Nothing major...just a fact check thing.