Arianna is toast. No candidate can survive such a disclosure. Even though she broke no laws and did exactlty what the tax code allows, people don't want to elect someone who pays less than they do it taxes.

Now that's a smart dog!

I've been shuttling between Washington DC and Boston a lot this summer and have been joined on my travels twice by leading lights of the US Senate - Joe Lieberman and Ted Kennedy. The difference between the two? Lieberman flew first-class while Kennedy took an aisle seat in an exit row in coach (alright - so I'm not sure how comfortable I was entrusting my safety to him in case of an emergency.....). And within 30 minutes of landing at Reagan National Kennedy took the Senate floor to fight against William Pryor's judicial nomination; Lieberman, met by a state trooper on arrival at Logan Airport, was heading to a New Hampshire fundraiser.

The latest right-wing screed against gay marriage and in support of a constitutional amendment to outlaw same comes direct from the Senate Republicans. Notice how their central arguments against gay marriage seem to flow from the consequences of gay divorce - specifically as it would affect child support and the division of property. So the assertion isn't that recognizing loving same-sex relationship is the problem, but rather the (presumed) likelihood that such unions will fail. Could this be more evidence that the greater threat to marriage is not gay marriage but the way divorce laws have evolved in the past three decades? Strange how the focus is on marriage as a legal institution, not a "sacrament," which is a positive development as far as the separation of church and state.

David Brooks is probably the most insightful social analyst writing today, not to mention one of the hardest working - how many jobs does this guy have (The News Hour, Atlantic Monthly, Weekly Standard, NYT Magazine)? His new place on the NYT op-ed page may be a sign that the paper is finally back on track. Now if they'd only dump that gas-bag Krugman....

Pennsylvania's Senator Rick Santorum is an idiot who should refrain from trying to strain his tiny mind by attempting to make nuanced legal arguments. First, bigamy has to do with the regulation of marriage, which we know both states and the Federal government do (ever hear of the "Defense of Marriage Act"?). Second, bestiality is an act which by its very nature occurs without the consent of the animal, so it cannot be properly compared to homosexual activity between consenting adults. As for incest, well...he may have a point regarding the similarity, but when was the last time you heard that someone was was arrested for committing incest? How about NEVER?!

Yo, Adrien!: His win was the most thrilling moment I've had in almost 30 years of Oscar viewing.

Wait - you're supposed to love thy neighbor, not pile snow in front of his driveway

I've waited long enough: it's time to post my top Oscar picks:

Picture: Should win - Chicago; Will win: Chicago
Actor: Should win - Adrian Brody; Will win: Daniel Day-Lewis
Actress: Should win - Julianne Moore; Will win - Renee Zellweger
Supporting Actor: Should win - Chris Cooper; Will win - John C. Reilly
Supporting Actress: Should win: Meryl Streep; Will win - Catherine Zeta-Jones
Director: Should win: Rob Marshall; Will win: Rob Marshall
Adapted Screenplay: Should win: Adaptation; Will win: The Hours
Original Screenplay: Should win: Far From Heaven; Will win: Far From Heaven

I've been tuning into the BBC , which my local PSB station (KBDI) has been running on-stop. While they are slower to report new developments, and seem to rely a lot on Reuters and others, there is something comforting about listening to newpeople whom I don't know simply reporting the facts. And the fact that there are no US-centric assumptions, and certainly no jingoism, doesn't hurt eitehr.

FoxNews is leading the pack in war coverage, IMHO. They are breaking news - reports of oil fires, new scud attackes, caution about the Saddam video tape. Shep Smith did a wonderfully even-handed job of straight "we report, you decide." Who knew Dan Rather would start to grow on me after all these years? I find myself tuning in to him more and more, and to Peter Jennings less and less. Dan makes up for the teadiousness of his quirky, homespun colloqualisms with strong, clear reporting. I noticed this first after the shuttle disaster in January. Peter, on the other hand, seems so flip sometimes, and hardly unbiased in his commentary. And why does a great reporter like ABC's John McWethy seem to be relying on general knowledge, when CSB's guy at the Pentagon, David Martin keeps sharing new, breaking information each time Dan turns to him in his tiny cubicle?

The snow continues to fall for the second day in a row, and they're saying it will continue until tomorrow. I guess we need the moisture - but boy, this snow sure is heavy! Here's what the house looks like: