In telegraphing their intentions to infiltrate yesterday’s Tea Party protests, Jason Levin and his comrades gave Tea Party proponents a chance to prepare to disavow, not just folks from "Crash the Tea Party", but even nuts from within their own ranks.  Armed with signs helpfully supplied by Andrew Breibart’s "Big Government" web site, protesters could get in front of the media coverage curve and completely deflate attempts to push the perception of the movement out of the mainstream.

And it seems to have worked.  And some people brought their own signs to out the provocateurs. 

But given the history of Tea Party coverage on the broadcast news networks, this was required, and I’m guessing these signs will now become a staple at protests.  Well, at least at conservative-leaning protests.  The liberal side of the aisle hasn’t said much about the socialists that find common cause with them, but now that a precedent has been set, it’ll be interesting to see if they follow suit and let us know who does and doesn’t speak for them. 

But a big "thank you" should go out to Jason Levin for alerting the protestors and allowing them to prepare.  One wonders that if Jason really believes the Tea Partier are a bunch of racist, homophobic morons, why would they need any help looking that way?  Perhaps the premise is fatally flawed.  Consider this.

It is a vital national security interest of the United States to reduce these conflicts because whether we like it or not, we remain a dominant military superpower, and when conflicts break out, one way or another we get pulled into them.

– President Obama

Guess what, Mr. President? We LIKE it (and we do not like the alternative).

Good morning.

1. Huh!?
2. Two tracks.
3. One man’s interpretation as genius. I think that’s perhaps a stretch.
4. Hurt rider.
5. That hockey stick.
6. Libertarianism considered.
7. ID spoofing a crime? Is that warranted or necessary? 
8. When to work out.
9. OK, I’m on board with NSF increases … so what’s getting cut?
10. Tea party as enemy.
11. A bet, and the staked items are clever.
12. Somebody noticed the CBO “scoring” is less than useful.
13. Technology, economics and fantasy fiction. 
14. While we do not “owe anything to the founding fathers” in a literal sense, political philosopher Bertrand de Jouvenel would argue that their authority is the basis of our state.
15. Tax game. An answer to make me shudder would be the salaries, pensions, and benefits of those ‘elected’ morons residing in the beltway and their staff. To make me smile try the Tevatron and … hmm … well, I’m still thinking about it.