Greenwald: "The one trait that defines establishment pundits more than any other is a pathological inability ever to accept blame or admit error . . ." Even though Greenwald writes frequently and often for one of the most widely read Web sites on the planet, runs (as he himself says) "one of the most popular and highest-trafficked in the blogosphere", comes from a top law firm in New York City, went to top American universities, wrote some bestselling books and is white, male and lives in the United States, don't even be thinking he's part of the "establishment".

Very entertaining (and mouthwatering) piece from Sandra McElwaine at The Daily Beast on the Michelle and Barack Obama's penchant for eating out: "Sometimes you just need a burger"

Canadians have rarely been so optimistic about their economic future, according to a new poll done exclusively for Canwest News Service and Global National.

Here's an interesting item from The Washington Times, notable not only because we have a Canadian politician trying to lend a hand to the world's most popular politician but also, I think, because the Times' correspondent here seems to be working under the impression that the U.S. Democrats are close cousins of Canada's "New Democrats." Canadian readers, of course, will know that the U.S. Democratic Party is probably somewhere between the Canadian Conservative and Liberal parties . . .

At the risk of offending more readers like this one, I call your attention to the following press release this afternoon from the Liberal Party of Canada. That party -- once known as the Big Red Machine -- has been barely pale pink when it comes to finding new members or raising money in the last two or three years. Meanwhile, the Big Blue Machine has steamrolled all comers, consistently raising twice as much than all other federal parties combined from twice as many donors as all other parties combined. Liberals know that their political survival, let alone success, depends on them being able to at least do as well as the New Democrats when it comes to filling a war chest. That is precisely why Rocco Rossi was named the party's exec director and why Bay Street lawyer Alfred Apps easily won the party's presidency. Both men have a long history of finding money for this cause or that one.

And finally, Liberal MP Ralph Goodale and NDP MP Paul Dewar rise on a point of order to convince a defiant Poilievre to retract his words . .

PMO staff have their "Tar Baby" file open and, in defence of Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre, have pointed me at the following uses of the phrase "Tar Baby" by, as they say, "a national newspaper, one from a national reporter, and one from a former Liberal Cabinet Minister."

Pierre Poilievre, the Conservative MP from Nepean, Ont. is facing questions this afternoon from opposition politicians who are curious about his use of the term "tar baby" twice in Question Period, this afternoon. Liberal Ralph Goodale and NDP MP Paul Dewar both objected to this racially-charged term with points of order in the House after QP.

The federal government took the first steps Thursday to getting out of the nuclear power business while, at the same time, committing itself to holding onto its nuclear research facility at Chalk River, Ont., the home of the rusting reactor -- now in shutdown mode -- that is the source of nearly half of the world's medical isotopes.

Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., a Crown corporation that had its origins in the Cold War 60 years ago, will be split into two business units.

The research unit, which includes the Chalk River Laboratory, will remain under the control of the government, albeit with new management that will come from the private sector.

But AECL's commercial business, which designs and sells the powerful Candu nuclear reactors that are used to generate electricity, is up for grabs to the highest bidder and the government has placed no restrictions on the kinds of proposals it will entertain.

That means there are no guarantees that Canadian jobs or technology would be protected if, as the government hopes, a new foreign partner steps up to buy a chunk of AECL. The government believes that the only hope for the survival of the Candu business is to find a major foreign partner with some hefty financial muscle and promising sales prospects in global markets.

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Members Statements has become a daily partisan battleground as Conservatives and Liberals throw verbal snowballs back and forth at each other across the aisle. Here's today's snowball fight