PUBLICITY STUNTS: No, We're Not Under Attack; NASA Just Wants Some Attention

Monday morning, NASA plans to fly the space shuttle over NYC "at a relatively low altitude" and around popular landmarks such as The Statue of Liberty. It will be piggybacking on a 747.

This is the sort of publicity stunt that delights those in the know and scares the bejesus out of everyone else. So, we thought we'd help spread the word and help make NYC a more delightful place this Monday.

JUST THE FACTS: Founding Fathers Forced Americans to Purchase Products: "Individual Mandate" Ancient

Kevger keeps hearing about how the nature of the government of the United States will be changed forever if SCOTUS upholds Obamacare. Because of the supposedly new federal power of the Individual Mandate. That sounds scary! Is it true?

This assertion was surprisingly easy to disprove. While it would be enough just to point out one of the times in the past when the feds compelled us to buy something, the example we present here has the added appeal of being really old. Not only does it demonstrate that Congress mandated purchases of specific products in the past, without incident, but it also has the nice tricorne-hat aura of explicit Founder's intent.

How do we know the founding fathers were okay with this? Because Congress passed it on May 8, 1792:

Today in History (March 31)

Today in History
March 31

1282		The great massacre of the French in Sicily The Sicilian Vespers comes to an end.
1547		In France, Francis–king since 1515–dies and is succeeded by his son Henry II.
1776		Abigail Adams writes to husband John that women are "determined to foment a rebellion" if the new Declaration of Independence fails to guarantee their rights.
1779		Russia and Turkey sign a treaty by which they promise to take no military action in the Crimea.
1790		In Paris, France, Maximilien Robespierre is elected president of the Jacobin Club.
1836		The first monthly installment of The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens is published in London.
1862		Skirmishing between Rebels and Union forces takes place at Island 10 on the Mississippi River.
1880		The first electric street lights ever installed by a municipality are turned on in Wabash, Indiana.
1889		The Eiffel Tower in Paris officially opens on the Left Bank as part of the Exhibition of 1889.
1916		General John Pershing and his army rout Pancho Villa's army in Mexico.
1917		The United States purchases the Virgin Islands from Denmark for $25 million.
1918		Daylight Savings Time goes into effect throughout the United States for the first time.
1921		Great Britain declares a state of emergency because of the thousands of coal miners on strike.
1933		To relieve rampant unemployment, Congress authorizes the Civilian Conservation Corps .
1939		Britain and France agree to support Poland if Germany threatens to invade.
1940		La Guardia airport in New York officially opens to the public.
1941		Germany begins a counter offensive in North Africa.
1945		The United States and Britain bar a Soviet supported provisional regime in Warsaw from entering the U.N. meeting in San Francisco.
1948		The Soviet Union begins controlling the Western trains headed toward Berlin.
1949		Winston Churchill declares that the A-bomb was the only thing that kept the Soviet Union from taking over Europe.
1954		The siege of Dien Bien Phu, the last French outpost in Vietnam, begins after the Viet Minh realize it cannot be taken by direct assault.
1960		The South African government declares a state of emergency after demonstrations lead to the deaths of more than 50 Africans.
1966		An estimated 200,000 anti-war demonstrators march in New York City.
1967		President Lyndon Johnson signs the Consular Treaty, the first bi-lateral pact with the Soviet Union since the Bolshevik Revolution.
1970		U.S. forces in Vietnam down a MIG-21, the first since September 1968.
1980		President Jimmy Carter deregulates the banking industry.
1991		Albania offers a multi-party election for the first time in 50 years.
Born on March 31
1596		René Descartes, French philosopher and scientist.
1621		Andrew Marvell, English poet and politician.
1693		John Harrison, Englishman who invented the chronometer.
1732		Franz Joseph Haydn, Austrian composer.
1809		Edward Fitzgerald, American writer.
1809		Nikolai V. Gogol, Russian writer (The Inspector General, Dead Souls).
1811		Robert Wilhelm Bunsen, chemist, inventor of the Bunsen burner.
1854		Sir Dugald Clerk, inventor of the two-stroke motorcycle engine.
1878		Jack Johnson, first Africa-American boxer to become the world heavyweight champion.
1914		Octavio Paz, Mexican diplomat and Nobel Prize-winning writer.
1915		Henry Morgan, comedian, radio performer.
1926		John Fowles, English novelist (The Collector, The French Lieutenant's Woman).
1936		Marge Piercy, poet and novelist.
1948		Al Gore, Vice President to President William J. Clinton (1993-2001).

Keith Olbermann to File Lawsuit Against Current TV

Keith Olbermann's full statement in response to the termination of his contract by Current TV:

I'd like to apologize to my viewers and my staff for the failure of Current TV.

Editorially, Countdown had never been better. But for more than a year I have been imploring Al Gore and Joel Hyatt to resolve our issues internally, while I've been not publicizing my complaints, and keeping the show alive for the sake of its loyal viewers and even more loyal staff. Nevertheless, Mr. Gore and Mr. Hyatt, instead of abiding by their promises and obligations and investing in a quality news program, finally thought it was more economical to try to get out of my contract.

Current TV Announces 'Viewpoint with Eliot Spitzer'

The press release from Current TV announcing "Viewpoint with Eliot Spitzer":

Current TV's “Viewpoint with Eliot Spitzer” launches tonight at 8p ET. Former Governor Spitzer will offer up his opinion of the day’s news and then invite guests to discuss, analyze and debate.

“Eliot Spitzer is a veteran public servant and an astute observer of the issues of the day,” commented Current TV Chairman and former Vice President Al Gore. “He has important opinions and insights. Eliot relishes the kind of constructive discourse that our viewers will appreciate this important election year.”

Keith Olbermann OUT, Eliot Spitzer IN on Current TV

Current TV has terminated its relationship with Keith Olbermann and will replace his show with a program hosted by Eliot Spitzer.

To the Viewers of Current:

We created Current to give voice to those Americans who refuse to rely on corporate-controlled media and are seeking an authentic progressive outlet. We are more committed to those goals today than ever before.

The Dedication Page Of Rachel Maddow's New Book

Rachel Maddow's new book, "Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power," has an interesting dedication to former vice president Dick Cheney.

Buy the book now at Amazon.com.

JOSH MANDEL: Another Cute, Young, Republican Dick (Photos)

Josh Mandel, Ohio's treasurer, is a real dick of a Republican, and he's running for Sherrod Brown's Senate seat. But man, is he adorkable. It's not kevger's fault there are so many cute conservatives!

Here are the cutest Josh Mandel pics we could find, but we'd trade them all for just one that shows this United States Marine in nothing but black chunky glasses. Anyone?

Today in History (March 30)

Today in History
March 30

1492		King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella sign a decree expelling all Jews from Spain.
1840		"Beau" Brummell, the English dandy and former favorite of the prince regent, dies in a French lunatic asylum for paupers.
1858		Hyman L. Lipman of Philadelphia patents the pencil with an eraser attached on one end.