Morning Constitutional – Wednesday, 4 August 2010

Good morning, everybody. Bristol and Levi broke off their engagement again. Now, your morning constitutional:

BP announced Wednesday that the \”static kill\” effort to permanently seal off the spilling oil well in the Gulf has been so far successful. Also welcome news: According to White House energy adviser Carol Browner, almost three-quarters of the oil spilled in the Gulf has been captured, broken down, burned off, or evaporated.

An election in Kenya today in a referendum on a new constitution which would limit the power of the president and settle land disputes that have caused violent conflict in the past.

Five myths about the Bush tax cuts.

The Senate will likely confirm Elena Kagan tomorrow as the last act before the Senate goes on recess.

A \”new\” Democratic strategy for creating jobs will focus on manufacturing.

Wyclef Jean is running for president of Haiti.

David Roberts at Grist answers whether cap-and-trade will sink climate legislation knocks it out of the park:

Average citizens know almost nothing about politics and even less about policy; they don\’t care very deeply about climate change; they are highly cynical and suspicious of government and policy elites; the mechanisms that served to drive public discontent on civil rights (and other \’60s victories) are not available to climate campaigners due to the nature of the issue — the harms are mostly far away in time and space and the costs are immediate. And we\’re not just talking about persuading \”the people\” to get active, we\’re talking about creating a credible electoral threat in Nebraska and West Virginia. They\’re receptive to policy arguments from left intellectuals there, right?

If there is movement among The People on climate change, it will almost certainly come from something exogenous to the U.S. federal policy debate.

How the labor market punishes mothers: “Women do almost as well as men today, as long as they don’t have children.”

Republican senators list what they think are the 100 worst stimulus projects. Dislikes include: science, research, arts.

The Ghost of Willie Horton: Will the GOP play the race card on Rangel and Waters?

Crazies are switching from attacking black people for their racism to attacking Muslims because they were all in on 9/11. But, in the wake of Mayor Bloomberg\’s speech defending tolerance, James Fallows thinks, once again, we\’re all Americans today.

Barnes and Noble is for sale.

What social science does—and doesn\’t—know about the human condition.

Two minute hate: \”The White House has reached out to Collins, who appeared open to backing at least the Medicaid funds but leery of being the only Republican vote in this partisan climate.\”

Urban agriculture probably dates as far back as the birth of cities and might be key to their sustainability in the future.

China to build enormous buses that cars can drive under.

Finally, dog bites of man\’s toe—and saves his life in the process.