There are some moments in politics that you just can't make up. Here's Massa, during his Glenn Beck interview:

Now they are saying I groped a male staffer...Yeah I did. Not only did I grope him. I tickled him until he couldn’t breathe and then four guys jumped on top of me. It was my 50th birthday. It was kill the old guy. You can take anything out of context.

For the record, that tickling occurred in a house that they shared. And for the record, Massa is still denying anything sexual was going on. Here's Beck:

America, I’ve got to shoot straight with you. I think I’ve wasted your time.

Now, there are text messages waiting to come out. I really can't wait for them.

The Democrats’ determination to use “reconciliation” push through Obamacare with the slimmest of majorities threatens core principles, not just Senate technicalities. The president’s supporters cite earlier Congresses that showed the “courage” to push through major change, like Social Security and Civil Rights Bills, but those reforms won backing from big majorities on Capitol Hill and the public at large. Overcoming fierce opposition, advocates built a broad public consensus—and Social Security, Civil Rights Acts and Medicare all won heavy bi-partisan support and nationwide popularity.

Never before has our government insisted on a sweeping change that alters life for every American when only a minority supports that reform. When you ask all citizens to pay for and submit to a program that most of them oppose, that’s not a matter of arcane Senate rules—it’s a violation of democratic principle.

After all the hullaballoo, the House accepted his resignation, meaning that the guy is gone-zo for sure.

The cable news outlets and online media aren't letting go, though....

During their post-Oscar discussion yesterday, the ladies of "The View" and guest Vanessa Williams talked about Sandra Bullock's win for her role in "The Blind Side"--the true story of the impoverished upbringing of Michael Oher, now a Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman playing the NFL.  The story follows Oher's adoption by Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, a suburban Tennessee couple who raise Oher as he becomes one of the nation's leading college football players. 

I could leave the synopsis of this inspirational story at that, but apparently there's a larger picture my limited caucasian vision doesn't allow me to see: Oher is black and the Tuohys are white. 

Thankfully, the glaring ramifications of this situation weren't lost on Vanessa Williams who noted that this scenario "brings up a theme for black folks.  Here's another white family that has saved the day... another black story that has to have a white person come in and lift them up."


Williams' assessment is utterly disturbing and, if I may be so bold, racist.  This is a heart-warming story of people helping people.  It takes a true racist to look beyond all that and see only whites and blacks. 

I have to agree with Barbara Walters' reply (I know, what are the chances?).  As Walters notes, "I would hope we could get to the day where a black family could adopt a white, or that a white family could adopt a homeless black child and it would be applauded by all the races..."

Aside from the race issue brought up here by Williams, Elizabeth Hasselbeck makes the conservative case: the all-caring government agencies (schools, government, social welfare groups etc.) favored by liberals to solve society's problems failed Oher. 

Bottom line: It took a caring family--just doing what's right--to really make a real difference in his life.  This is what we've abdicated to the almighty welfare state and Oher's situation is an great portrayal of what happens when the goodness of individuals and groups is valued. 

ABC News' Rick Klein attacks Congressman Massa as the utterer of "[s]elf-contradicting, borderline paranoid ramblings" in what may -- or may not -- be a preemptive strike against someone who's going to have a lot of critical things to say about Democratic dealmaking in the health care debate.

It strikes me that any conservative who cares about maintaining credibility in the health care debate will resist the impulse to support Massa.  Doing so will allow Obama to play "rope a dope."   If a damning ethics report is released on the congressman, those who supported him will be used by the White House in an effort to portray the face of opposition to ObamaCare as unprincipled, even a little crazy.

Certainly, it's not hard to believe that Massa was run out of the House quickly because he was a "no" vote on ObamaCare.  But it's also entirely possible that he committed a number of unsavory acts that are unworthy of a US Representative. 

If conservatives embrace an unethical congressman simply because some of what he says proves to be of (transient) political advantage to us, how are we any better than Nancy Pelosi embracing Charles Rangel and John Murtha?

Florida is crazy. I know this, because I'm from Florida, but I need a reminder every so often just to keep my perspective in check.

Still, I really don't know how to deal with this Marco Rubio Has Back Hair story. I watched the video where Crist makes the accusation, and then I watched it again, and for a split second I was reminded of the demon sheep that Carly Fiorina used to make a really bizzare point nail Tom Campbell to the wall. But demon sheep and back hair are a particularly unpalatable combination, so I tried to limit my focus.

Conclusion: Master Tan Crist should not be commenting publicly on the nature of Rubio's spa purchases. I'm cool with Rubio going to a spa. I'm even cool with him going there to get his back hair waxed off (again, this is Florida, and those kinds of things are de rigeur). But Crist is not cool with any of this. Even more likely, he's not cool with Rubio's 32 point lead.

Could the message be any more clear for waffling Democrats?

In last month's issue of Townhall Magazine, I wrote a short piece chronicling the higher education bubble -- when the cost of college begins to outweigh its benefits.

Tim Cavanaugh has the latest on this trend, as he examines the most recent student aid report from the College Board. The outlook is dismal:

Student loan defaults are up. Graduate performance in the job market is down. Bankrupt states are unable to keep public university employees in the style to which they've grown accustomed...

Yet for-profit colleges are booming, and their students are pulling down ever greater sums in federal grants and guaranteed loans.

The higher ed bubble is undoubtedly reaching its breaking point because of the economy, but as Cavanaugh points out,  faulty education policy is even more responsible for the problem. In his words, "Uncle Sam is the inflationist in chief."