-In the wake of the Fort Hood shooting, James Fallows reflects on the mass shootings of his lifetime and their meaninglessness.
-From our ”The Terrorists Have Won” Department: Fox News hosts are wondering whether the U.S. military should start using “special screenings” for Muslims. (Should they also have special screenings for Irish Catholics?)
-A group fronted by the West Virginia Coal Association is offering children a coloring book that teaches them about the wonders of coal. Ugh.
-According to House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, the Democrats are close to having the 218 votes they need to pass health care legislation.
-Texas Governor Rick Perry (above) is bragging about his state’s health care system and its ability to control costs. As Ezra Klein points out, Texas leads the nation in unisured residents; a full 25% of Texans have no health care coverage.
-Do you want to see John Stewart do an impression of Glenn Beck? Of course you do.
-Nerd Alert: Chinese government agencies are battling over who gets to regulate World of Warcraft.
-This week’s Tea Party in Washington featured signs like “Get the Red out of the White House,” “Ken-ya Trust Obama?”, and another sign comparing health care reform to Dachau. Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) blames the “extreme policies” of the White House for this sort of reaction.