Morning Constitutional – 23 April 2010

Good morning, everybody. Not sure how this happened, but Helen Mirren and Russell Brand will be in the same movie. Now, here\’s your morning constitutional:

After an oil rig exploded and sunk in the Gulf of Mexico, authorities have started worrying about the environmental impact of the incident.

Unsurprisingly, newly-minted Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown has ruled out running for president in 2012. Only slightly more surprisingly, he endorses Mitt Romney.

NATO has endorsed a plan that will set in motion the phased withdrawal of NATO troops from combat roles in the war in Afghanistan and hand over responsibility to the Afghans, as two NATO troops are killed in a gunfight during a night raid on an insurgent house.

Not so much playing the violin, but senior SEC employees have been found to have been watching hours and hours of porn while the financial system collapsed. Republicans launch attacks.

The switch to hydrogen to revolutionize transportation may have died due to impracticality, but may find a second life in other industries.

Sen. Schumer wants to look into reforming the Senate\’s filibuster rule, but Sen. McConnell has doubts.

The Senate has voted to deny Congress its automatic pay raise this year. The House will likely follow suit.

Franlin Graham, son of Billy Graham, has been uninvited from the Pentagon\’s Day of Prayer celebration because of controversial remarks he has made about Islam.

The Senate budget panel cleared the 2011 budget blueprint yesterday while making it unlikely that climate or energy legislation will be able to pass by reconciliation.

According to a Populous poll for the Times, voters very narrowly say Tory David Cameron beat Lib Dem Nick Clegg in yesterday\’s debate. Labour\’s Gordon Brown landed in distant third place. The Sun, a newspaper owned by Rupert Murdoch, has been suppressing poll results that favor Lib Dems.

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has until Saturday to act on immigration legislation that would be the country\’s harshest. By Saturday, she must sign, veto, or allow the bill to become law without her signature. The legislation would make it a crime under state law to be in the country illegally, and require local police to inquire about immigration status if they are believed to be in the country illegally.

Attorneys for former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich have asked to subpoena President Obama, claiming that only he can prove Blagojevich\’s innocence.

News Media: Has the news media been making too much of the tea party?

Ten tragic moments in pants history.

Finally, more people are likely to believe in ESP when told that it\’s been scientifically discredited.