Politics and other nightmares

Erick Erickson, the editor of Red State, likes Mike Pence for the GOP presidential nomination:

Mayoral candidate Liz Brown wants to debate other Republican contenders (only Paula Hughes so far), and IPFW politics watcher Andy Downs downplays the significance of the possibility:

The Indianapolis Star gets on the gun-control bandwagon, or at least waves encouragingly at it, in editorializing about Don's Guns, identified as the No. 3 spot in the nation for sales of guns later used in crimes:

It's extremely difficult to catch stores abetting straw purchases in any case, an expert told The Star. And the argument would be less relevant if Indiana restricted quantities sold at one time.

Some members of Congress vow to follow the Constitution, and that's so unusual it's considered news:

When Republicans take over the House next week, they will do something that apparently has never been done before in the chamber's 221-year history:

The Richmond Palladium-Item takes a firm stand . . . against Tuesday Night Football. Actually, they're against the wusses who created the need for TNF by postponing the Sunday night game:

Good for Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell.

The feisty Democrat turned the National Football League's decision to reschedule Sunday night's game due to inclement weather into a fitting political broadside on our nation's lack of winning competitiveness.

Well, OK, I signed up for one of the new recycling carts, mostly because it would be a pain to deal with stacks of old newspapers without participating. And there's a bonus!

Residents may keep their current yellow and brown bins, reuse them for another purpose, or after receiving their new recycling cart, may leave their bins on the curb and crews will collect them within 72 hours.

Seriously?

Obama, his family, and friends went snorkeling yesterday at Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve in Hawaii, but White House aides kept the press far, far away.

"We are under explicit instructions that there will be no long lenses or other sneaky attempts to take pictures," said a media pool report from the site.

[. . .]

Anybody shocked?

The federal government has accumulated more new debt

Sonia Sotomayor the nominee:

Yeah, well:

In mid-December, the state Department of Education released graduation rates, and area school districts celebrated the success of their students. Fort Wayne Community Schools saw an increase in its graduation rate for the third consecutive year