The Dish

Unsurprising but encouraging.

Romney is getting close. Ambers:

Mitt Romney’s ability to tap his own fortune has influenced every race in every state more than just about any single factor. His ability to flood Michigan with television spots helped him; he did well (enough) in New Hampshire mostly because of his television; he’s going to be competitive in Florida because of his television.

The Library Of Congress has just put thousands of classic photos on Flickr. The one above, from October 1940, has the caption:

Delano, Jack,, 1914-, photographer.

Children gathering potatoes on a large farm, vicinity of Caribou, Aroostook County, Me. Schools do not open until the potatoes are harvested.

Now go waste your workday.

NPR discovers bears – and clothing.

One reader thinks they’ll nominate him. When they’re good and ready:

I make decisions like you appear to: I consider the data, make a choice, and then I just want to get on with things. My wife makes decisions very differently. She’s like someone who has decided to jump off the high diving board but has trouble following through. She climbs the ladder, walks out onto the diving board, looks down, then scuttles back to the platform. Takes a couple of deep breaths, walks back onto the diving board, looks down — scuttles back to the platform.

In effect, she makes the same decision several times. But eventually, she jumps.

I think that’s the process that you’re seeing now with Obama. Iowa was a bold march onto the diving board.  New Hampshire was a panicked scurry back to the platform. Eventually, Democrats will take the plunge for Obama.

At least, they will if Obama is half the candidate you think he is.  The nomination process is putting him to the test.  Trust the people’s judgment:  they’ll get there, in their own time, in their own way.

The former Republican congressman charged with aiding al Qaeda signed the following manifesto back in 1986:

“We affirm that this God-inspired, inerrant Bible is the only absolute, objective, final test for all truth claims, and the clearest verbal picture of reality that has ever come into the hands of mankind. By it, and it alone, are all philosophies, books, values, actions, and plans to be measured as to their consistency with reality, visible and invisible. Whatever statements or values are in opposition to the statements and values of the Bible err to the degree of their opposition…

We affirm that the Great Commission is a mandate by our Lord to go forth into all the world and make Bible-obeying disciples of all nations. Getting men’s souls saved is only a preliminary part of fulfilling the Great Commission. Our work is incomplete unless we teach them to obey all He commanded. The words of the Lord’s prayer for God’s will to "be done on earth as it is in heaven" are another way to state the essence of the same Great Commission…

We affirm that all Bible-believing Christians must take a non-neutral stance in opposing, praying against, and speaking against social moral evils such as the following… B. Adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bestiality and other forms of sexual perversion."

Not everyone seems to understand:

What makes the allegations in the indictment so shocking, is that Siljander is a Born-Again Evangelical Christian. We had fast days in his office. There were prayer circles.

Er, yeah. Osama bin Laden has prayer circles too. Somewhere, Dinesh D’Souza is happy.

Huckabee promises to round up and deport all 12 million illegal immigrants. The lack of concentration camps and "enhanced interrogation" seems to alarm Michelle Malkin, who accuses him of being an "open borders drag queen." Anita Worker?

Is he hoping that Fred Thompson will benefit and wound Huckabee?

Richelieu looks at the GOP race so far. I’ve given up trying to make sense of it. But it’s great theater.

Jim Manzi says not to worry.