The Agenda

Today’s must read: How the Affordable Care Act so far is already more successful than anybody wants to admit.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has set 2013 as the target to end combat in Afghanistan.

In yesterday’s special election to replace Rep. David Wu in the Oregon 1,  Democrat Suzanne Bonamici cruised to a a 15-point  victory over Republican Rob Cornilles.

The generally-terrible Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the largest breast cancer organization, is cutting off its funding for cancer screening and education provided by Planned Parenthood. In general, I for the most part like Marcotte’s analysis: “In the end, the grant money is less important than the symbolism of Komen buying into the conservative myth of good-girl health care vs. bad-girl health care.”

President Obama’s approval rating in battleground Ohio has risen to an even 48%/48% split. Meanwhile, Mittens Romney has seen a drop in his at an uneven 28%(!)/56%.

Who benefits from the new Super PACs: “Republican groups outraised their Democratic counterparts by four to one, a fairly incredible ratio. This could very well be a year in which, stunningly, an incumbent gets outspent by the challenger.”

Kalydeco, the first drug to treat the cause of cystic fibrosis, has been approved by the FDA. It costs $300,000 a year, but the maker will give it to anybody who does not have insurance and makes under $150,000 a year.

The Indiana state senate (you know, the state that just passed that right-to-die-at-work law?) passed a bill mandating the teaching of religious life-origin stories.

Of six-pack abs and real girl bellies.

An awesome chart illustrating celebrity endorsements.

Twenty common grammar mistakes you probably made in the past half-hour.

“I’m not concerned about the very poor.” – Mittens Romney

Related posts:

1. Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul says that if you believe you have a right to health care, “you believe in slavery”
2. Having it both ways
3. This isn’t over