The Bonddad Blog: People are abandoning mortgages as prices drop, municipal bond rates are shooting through the roof, and the markets are falling. But Bubble Boy insists everything is copacetic.

Gristmill: A front for the coal industry is running some amazingly dishonest ads in advance of the Ohio presidential primary...and in other campaign news...

Ken Silverstein: John McCain's 'charitable contributions.'

Neurotopia: Convergent evolution of a gene that blocks HIV in monkeys.

War and Piece: Big trouble. More here, and here...

Sunday Bookchat: A man who was right about Iraq -- right from the start! A woman who was a mortal enemy of William F. Buckley's best buddy! An Obama critic who can't get over himself! From borderlands and bookshelves to comic books and Harlan Ellison --

Campaign for America's Future:

I'm privileged to be able to call William F. Buckley a friend. Once he even invited me to one of his fortnightly dinner parties for National Review staffers and friends. (I made an ass of myself, spilling Scotch on one of his heirloom rugs.)

Today he gets something off his chest: thanks to the war in Iraq, there are "grounds for wondering whether the Republican party will survive."

I think we're going to see more and more Republicans and conservatives try to disassociate themselves from Bush as we get closer to the election. Don't let them do it. Their sycophantic cheerleading and Swiftboat-like smears of any other voices is exactly what got us in the position we're in.

Shorter William F. Buckley:

I'd stand up for America's honor, morals, and liberties - but I'm too scared.

As justification for his lack of moral fiber, Buckley quotes a military historian who makes statements like these:

"The most widely respected Islamic authorities ... all assume that Muslims have a duty to spread the dominion of Islam, through military offensives, until it rules the world."

Leading Islamic scholars might find this statement, from someone who doesn't know their field, absurd. Savvy anti-terror strategists might observe that it plays into Al Qaeda's hands by defining all Muslims as terrorists.

But if it justifies Buckley's timidity, and his lack of reverence and respect for America's values, I guess it bears repeating.

Shorter Stephen F. Hadley (Bush National Security Advisor):

It takes guts to be this stupid.

What he actually says is that Bush "didn't take the easy way." That would be the way that looked at the facts, told the truth, and acted accordingly. No, says Hadley, we're too smart for that ...

Taylor Marsh:

"Democrats have taken the lead on national security. That's huge news in itself. But when I heard that William F. Buckley had pronounced the mission a failure, then saw his op-ed, what I have been saying for a long time passed through my mind....read on"

It's only one poll, but it says many things-none of them good for George Bush and the GOP.

Glenn wrote a piece in response to William F. Buckley's op-ed on Saturday-and now the NRO (which is labeling their article written by "editors") is answering Buckley's column in a blistering fashion-ending it with:

" Defeatism will be self-fulfilling"

(hat tip Mark)