More On Why Josh Marshall is the Best

Whenever I get the chance, I try to point people to Josh Marshall and his Talkingpointsmemo, which is simply one of the finest examples of informed and lucid political commentary and reporting available today (and which also happens to be in the form of a blog). Not long ago, I wrote about why I like him so much, also linking to his splendid piece in the New Yorker, one of the sharpest assessments yet of the Bush gang and their collosal Iraq mistakes. And today, in posting an answer to a disappointed reader, who complains about a perceived shortcoming, he again reminds us why he's become such a go-to: his honesty.

You've just misjudged how I run the site and why I do so. I don't write
about everything I think. I don't write just to say that X is good or Y is
bad. I write when I feel I have something I can add to a discussion, and only
then...This isn't a publication of record. And you're not in a position to
judge what I think based on my silence.

A Nice Note From Columbus. After writing briefly about teachers the other day, saluting those who try to color outside the lines a bit, I got a nice note from a new readers, a teacher in Columbus named Jen, who makes a good point that I hadn't thought about: "It's pretty difficult to be an outlaw with No Child Left Behind. No outlaws need apply under this system of Bush's-way-or-the-highway! It seems to me that the best teachers are the ones who ask "why not?". It's sad that this type of thinking gets them labeled "outlaws". In a society like ours that is so fear-based I guess it's not too surprising." Thanks for the note, "Fers." And just keep looking for your own small ways to rebel against the strictures of the current testing mania as you try to do right by your kids. Your bed's already made in heaven...