Midday Open Thread

Bush has backed down from threatened sanctions against states which provide SCHIP benefits for children in families above the threshold set by the administration. California, New Jersey and New York filed lawsuits against the administration over the issue.

Pakistan’s president Musharraf appears to be considering resignation in order to avoide facing impeachment or criminal charges.

Isn’t this sweet? McCain and Phil “nation of whiners” Gramm are BFFs, again, and Gramm’s apparently back on the list of official supporters. He’s raising money for McCain, anyway.

While the House Republicans continue to play Congress over the energy crisis, four Democratic Senators–Maria Cantwell of Washington, Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, Bill Nelson of Florida and Ron Wyden of Oregon–are calling on the IG of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to get to the bottom of high oil prices. They’ve requested the IG to investigate a study released by the futures market regulator that concluded speculators are not to blame for high oil prices.

In particular, the lawmakers called the interim report’s timing “suspicious.” The report was released in July just a few days before the Senate voted on a bill aimed at reining in excessive speculation in futures markets.

How fast is your Internet? The Communication Workers of America released their second annual state-by-state Internet speed report, finding “the average U.S. Internet speed was 2.3 megabits per second (mbps), representing a minimal gain of 0.4 mbps over last year’s average speed. At this rate, it will take us more than a hundred years to catch up to Japan, where average speeds are estimated at 63 mbps.” The fastest states were Rhode Island, Delaware, New Jersey, Virginia, and Massachusetts, while the slowest speeds were in rural states: Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, and Alaska.

ID-01: Sali’s little ethical issue of having his congressional press secretary also provide the face of his campaign is reaping fantastic journalistic benefits for the Idaho Press Tribune, which editorialized on the issue last weekend. That editorial prompted said spokesman, Wayne Hoffman, to accuse the paper of libel. Which prompted the IPT to create a blog to explain to him the difference between opinion and libel. Which in turn brought one of the looniest guest editorials, from Hoffman, ever to see the light of newsprint. The highlight:

“. . . the Press-Tribune has, regrettably, joined the chorus of shrill news lemmings all marching willingly to a sea of liberalism, filth and innuendo.”

Ah, fun times. H/T Ridenbaugh Press.

Mars, bitches! The Phoenix lander has sent back the very first image we’ve seen of Martian dust.

Want to go to the RNC Convention? The UpTake is making it easier, providing a New Media Space for “a safe, comfortable place for journalists to work, meet and relax during the convention,” with all the comforts of home. Provided home is 300 yeards from the convention center and has dedicated T-1 lines.

Don’t forget if you are in the Bay Area, you can attend Markos’s book release party/Netroots Nation fundraiser next Wednesday. Details at that link. There’s also a Facebook page for the event.