Its time for the weekly Saturday potluck. Kick off your shoes and relax a while.

What’s on your mind these days? Have something to share, a question to ask, or a bit of dish? Let’s hear it.

Consider this a bit of a catch-up thread.

This new ad from Americans United is a great bit of messaging, I think. Straight, concise, to the point.  And features a rebranding of Republicans to the “Party of No” for the needs of regular Americans that they have become. Grand Obstruction Party, it is.

Honestly, some days the stupid just gets overwhelming. None more blatantly idiotic over the last few years than the extent to which our nation’s legal system was end-run for reasons that are still not quite apparent beyond “because we said so and we want to, so there.” Al-Marri was indicted in a US court in Peoria, IL, this past week.  Note that the world has not come to an end.

Given the headlines and news of the last few weeks, and the grim economic forecasts going forward — for the foreseeable next few weeks anyway — I’m feeling the need for some escape from reality. Not in the expensive vacation to paradise sort of way. It’s not that I’m anti-vacay — far from it, thanks. But a less expensive mode of escape is in order these days as the fiscally responsible thing to do for my budget. So, let’s talk fiction.

This evening’s thought comes from John Adams, from his Thoughts on Government in 1776: “Fear is the foundation of most governments; but it is so sordid and brutal a passion, and renders men in whose breasts it predominates so stupid and miserable, that Americans will not be likely to approve of any political institution which is founded on it.” It’s a profound truth, but one that, alas, leaders in this nation have had to learn and relearn far too many times throughout our nation’s history.

It’s Friday. Muppets, ahoy.

For all of you in cubicle-land, this will have some special resonance.

The Peanut picked this one out special for everyone.

I wanted Kermit, but it was a no go with girl who must have Beaker and no one else but Beaker. So Beaker, it is.

Enjoy!

The WSJ attempted a character assassination on Bill Moyers in an unsigned, vicious editorial a while back. It was notable for two things: (1) that it tried to connect dots between Moyers, who was then LBJ’s chief of staff, and Hoover’s “exploits” (their word) via Lawrence Silberman (yes, THAT Lawrence Silberman)…

Sam Brownback, Catholicism concern troll, judging and then asking not to be judged for it.

Not certain it works that way, Sam. If you fundraise for Jesus based on a big, fat lie, just how many levels of blasphemy and deadly sin have you committed?

Holy roller, my ass…who died and made you Pope?

Wheeeeeeeeee! Via Duncan: Jobless Claims Rise 36,000 to 667,000; Durable Goods Orders Fall More Than Expected Down 5.2% (story developing).  More from Reuters via CNBC: Initial claims for state unemployment insurance benefits increased to a seasonally adjusted 667,000 in the week ended Feb. 21 from a revised 631,000 the prior week, the Labor Department said. It was the highest reading since October 1982, when claims reached 695,000.

Federal prosecutors filed their government’s sentencing memorandum in the Dusty Foggo plea deal. This is used by the judge as one of many sources to determine culpability, sentencing breaks or enhancements in terms of going up or down levels in the sentencing guidelines — all of which go into the court’s sentencing calculations. It is a scorcher. A sampling: