Today on the Dish, Andrew bore down hard on Obama for wimping out on the budget. Howard Gleckman joined the pile-on, Ezra Klein called it a spork for its ineffectiveness, and Annie Lowrey put the budget in a manageable perspective. Andrew nudged Paul Ryan to step up to the plate, the right debated entitlements, and Yglesias and E.G. argued Social Security for different generations. Andrew's eyes widened at Obama's delusions, but he wasn't breaking up with him yet.
Andrew remained optimistic but not delusional on Egypt, the Internet graded Obama's performance, and Obama just couldn't win with the right. Mohammed Ayoob feared military regimes, Wendell Steavenson reported the tenet of the revolution was holding, and Erik Voeten charted today's coups that lead to competitive elections. We took stock of yesterday's protests in Iran, where the government isn't beholden to American aid, and Persiankiwi tweeted again. Thomas Ruttig reminded us of Afghanistan's mini-Mubaraks, Joel Wing kept an eye on Iraqi protests, and Robert Mackey compiled the footage and accounts of Bahrain's protests.
Andrew demolished Gladwell's thesis on the Civil Rights Movement and social ties, and Kevin Drum countered David Carr on why Twitter didn't kill online news. Nate Silver compared Sarah Palin to Al Sharpton, and she spurred the voting Birthers on. The CPAC war raged on, fueled by a diminishing Limbaugh, and Julian Sanchez eviscerated the Heritage folks on the Patriot Act. Families defended their gay relatives, the internet needed display ads, and Watson would never make for great TV.
Malkin award here, sane conservatism watch here, creepy ad watch here, FOTD here and reaction to yesterday's here, quotes for the day here, here, and here, dissents of the day here and here, MHB here, a heartbreaking VFYW here, and VFYW contest winner #37 here.
--Z.P.