Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Plenty more on Michigan on tonight’s show: “Michigan lawmakers gave final approval Tuesday to legislation that would sharply limit labor rights, passing the first of two measures over the objections of thousands of people packing the Capitol in protest, some of whom chanted ‘Shame on you!’ at lawmakers from the House gallery.”
* On a related note, let’s not overlook the striking similarities between the Michigan bill and the model bill pre-written by ALEC.
* Egypt: “Islamist supporters of President Mohamed Morsi captured, detained and beat dozens of his political opponents last week, holding them for hours with their hands bound on the pavement outside the presidential palace while pressuring them to confess that they had accepted money to use violence in protests against him.”
* The Obama administration has submitted a $60.4 billion request to Congress for Hurricane Sandy aid. Congressional Republicans are already balking.
* What do Republicans think about the gay rights cases at the Supreme Court? We don’t know, they apparently don’t want to talk about it.
* Good for him: “Colin Powell, former Secretary of State under president George W. Bush, urged House and Senate leaders on Monday to support Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s (D-N.H.) amendment to extend the insurance coverage of abortion to military rape survivors.” * Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), the chamber’s president pro tem, was hospitalized yesterday “as doctors work to manage his oxygen intake.” The 88-year old chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee said in a statement, “I will be back on the Hill as soon as my doctors allow it.” * And Jon Chait has a compelling take on this disturbing Politico piece, explaining why it “offers profound insight” as “a cultural specimen.” Chait added, “The piece reads as if it were written by Upton Sinclair, if he were taken prisoner and trying to smuggle messages out to the world past a particularly literal-minded group of censors.” Paul Krugman also commented on the piece, lamenting the “delusions of wisdom.” Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
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