* When I heard some of “Nuestro Himno” — the Spanish language version of the Star Spangled Banner getting airplay in a few markets, I thought it was an extremely cool, uplifting, patriotic statement from the hispanic community. Apparently a great many feel otherwise (Bush: “I think people who want to be a citizen of this country ought to learn English. And they ought to learn to sing the national anthem in English.”). Carpetbagger has coverage. Vermont Radio Guy says

Now, I am as liberal as anyone, but this crap has to stop. Where do we draw the line here?

“Liberal as anyone.” Yeah, right. How about you “draw the line” by listening to something else? This upsurge in xenophobic whining really makes we want to learn Spanish. If someone can possibly come up with a reason why Nuestro Himno is in any way disrepectful, unpatriotic, or “crap” to be “stopped,” please share. I dare you.

* Libby Sternberg has left the anti-NEA Vermonters For Better Education, continuing the deterioration of Vermont’s old-guard right-wing internet set. McLaughry produces less and less (and his website looks like it hasn’t been reviewed in years), and Dwinell has been reduced to bizarre rants about Bernie being a secret agent of international communism. Perhaps the new VT right-wing blogosphere (with the likes of Cool Blue and She’s Right) is the next wave. Maybe there won’t be a next wave (a guy can dream, can’t he?)

* Vermont Yankee has once again halted its relentless upward creep to 120% power output. Everytime they restart the creep, little problems pop up. Sorta like seams popping out.

* Peasants With Pitchforks is doing what I wished I could’ve done — giving us a run-down of the media panel at UVM this week that featured (among others) Howard Dean, and his ofttime nemesis Howard Fineman. Very entertaining posts. Here’s part 1 and part 2 with the promise of more to come.

* Finally, at VTGOP.org, the local Bushies are trying to do that Karl-Rove-thing of making your candidate’s weaknesses into strengths just by relentlessly pegging the other team with your own shortcomings, despite any and all evidence to the contrary. Unfortunately for them, they just look a little…confused? Pathetic? Delusional? They’ve launched a Where’s Welch campaign attempting to highlight what they claim is Peter Welch’s unwillingness to be forthcoming on issues (and of course they picked their pet issue of the day, despite the fact that Welch has an established opinion in print on the matter). Now just think about this strategy for a second. Then spend another second trying to think of a single issue that Republican candidate Martha Rainville has clearly stated an actual opinion on. Just one. C’mon…