And in front of my custom-made blogging console once again!

After a hiatus in which all kinds of confusing shit happened in the political world, I just don't know where to begin.  I'll guess I'll start by posting excerpts of a couple of my favorite columns from the past day or so.  They help me get back into character.  I hope you'll read the full text of each of them.

From America's third-greatest columnist, Michael Kinsley, on why voters really should give "real people" like Al Franken a break when they run for public office:

Americans say they want to be represented by "real people" and not by "professional politicians."  But with their votes they reward professionalism and drain the reality from politics.  Real people haven't spent their lives plotting a political career, and therefore real people may have said things from time to time that an aspiring politician would not.  Departures from the official script are called gaffes.  This election year, the script has been more important than ever.  Despite the Iraq war, despite the sinking economy, despite the price of gasoline, we have frittered away our politics in a round robin of gaffes, mock indignation, demands for apology and more gaffes.

From James Kirchick, on how many gay men fetishize Hillary Clinton, and why it should stop:

All kidding aside, I find my fellow gays’ love for Hillary incredibly shallow.  Identifying with her hopelessness has become a manifestation of self-pity.

The diva worship that she commands amongst legions of gay men confirms every negative stereotype about us: that we’re petty, superficial and worshippers of femininity.  Her status as a gay icon would trouble me less if she did anything to justify it, that is, if she actually went out of her way to stand up for gay causes (like Cyndi Lauper, who’s actually deserving of the title).

And without excerpting, a link to hilzoy's very thorough rundown of the many horrible things Jesse Helms said and did during his thankfully-ended hate-career, and the ass-licking praise modern conservatives have offered in the days since his most timely death.  A must-read.