How Badly Has Congress Screwed Up Ethanol?
Two years ago the Democrats in Congress and the Bush administration got together to deliver a payoff to farmers: they required refiners to use 15 billion gallons of biofuels by 2012. They did not expect that a crashing recession would lead to a reduction in the amount of gasoline the nation consumes - the first such reduction in years. And they also didn’t expect a White House to push so aggressively for higher-mileage vehicle fleets. As a result of the changed circumstance, it looks like it will be impossible for Americans to use that much ethanol. Something has to give.

Obama Joins NFL Players In Thanksgiving Ad — Was Rush Right?
Noel Sheppard has a great post at NewsBusters about Barack Obama teaming up with the NFL to fight obesity. Seriously, is nothing sacred? Can we not escape this man at all? People watch sports in general for the love of the game and to escape the daily minutia of life. Barack Obama showing up randomly like a bad rash is annoying.

Distress in Dubai
Some major news has been hitting global financial markets hard over the last day or so: there is a prospective default by Dubai World, which is an investment vehicle operated by the second-largest of the seven United Arab Emirates. It appears that a total of about $80 billion in debt is now at risk. About $10 billion of that is subject to rollover in the very short term, and may not be fully repaid. Major holders of the assets include HSBC, the London-based banking giant; the Royal Bank of Scotland; Japan’s Sumitomo; and others. None of these organizations is in a position to sustain another big hit to capital. RBS, in particular, has been all-but-nationalized by the UK gove

MSNBC: Dean Guest Hosts on Maddow, Talks Health Care with Sen. Sanders
The argument being made by former Democratic Party Chairman Dean is really pretty simple: the only health care reform in the Senate bill is the public option, and if the four moderate Senators kill the public option, then the bill should die. Senator Sanders, again, re-affirms his opposition to his any bill that does not have a public option. Watch it here.

Further on the Matter of the Party Crashers: An Open Letter to the Secret Service
Dear Sirs: I expect better of you. Seriously. Even if, as some have suggested, this is a put-up deal, it can’t help but reflect poorly on the reputation and performance of your fine Service, which has provided a century and a half of efficient professionalism and security to the nation. Couple slips though security to crash W