From the Washington Post, Tuesday, May 6, 2008:

The deadline for completion of a new farm bill has been pushed back to May 16. However, the endless wrangling over a piece of legislation that Congress once hoped to finish in 2007 has not induced a significant change in the thinking of those who regard it as an opportunity to lock in lush new benefits for American agricultural producers. President Bush has reportedly relaxed his position on means-testing for farm subsidies, offering to permit individuals earning up to $500,000 to continue receiving direct payments. Yet farm-state lawmakers are holding out for a level nearly twice that.

Some people play fantasy baseball. I've got a thing for fantasy budgets.

From the Washington Post, Monday, May 5, 2008:

For families with college-age children, it's a challenge scraping together enough cash to pay tuition. Parental savings go only so far: Two-thirds of students graduate in debt, with the average senior owing more than $19,000. Recently, the nationwide credit crunch has cast a shadow over student borrowing. About four dozen companies, representing 12 percent of the $68 billion market for federally guaranteed loans, have dropped out of the business, citing difficulties in reselling the debt as securities on secondary markets. Sallie Mae, the leading lender, has hinted that it may exit as well. Headlines warn of dire consequences for this summer's peak student borrowing season.

From the Miami Herald, Thursday, May 1, 2008:

I can no more disown [Jeremiah Wright] than I can disown my white grandmother."

From the Washington Post, Friday, May 2, 2008:

A South Florida courtroom was the setting for a remarkable scene last week. After failing to win a single conviction in two lengthy trials, a Miami federal prosecutor announced that he would put on trial -- for a third time -- six defendants charged with offering material support to al-Qaida.

If there's just one candidate of change this fall, John McCain will be the Horatio Seymour or James Cox of 2008 -- a presidential also-ran all but forgotten to history. The only way McCain can hold the White House for the Republicans is if he trumps his opponent on values and national security, and sells the public on a domestic reform agenda that keeps Democrats from sole ownership of the theme of change. Otherwise, Barack Obama will outinspire him, or Hillary Clinton outpolicy him, in a classic out-with-the-old election.

"I find it frankly a little offensive that people who don't have to worry about filling up their gas tank or what they buy when they go to the supermarket think it's somehow illegitimate to provide relief for ... millions and millions of Americans."