The line is open. Cleaning up for the time being:
* DEBUNKING THE FAMILY COUNCIL: The group pushing for legalization of medicinal marijuana has created a new Facebook page that targets Jerry Cox, head of the hateful and dishonest Family Council, a rightwing fundamentalist political lobby that opened its campaign against pain relief with a racist, dishonest TV ad about the proposal.
UPDATE: Some support for medical marijuana emerged in the 2nd District congressional debate to air on AETN tonight (see item below). But Channel 4 reports the Little Rock City Board has voted to oppose the medical marijuana initiative — after a meaningless amendment to attempt to distance themselves from the racist advertising aired by the Family Council (above). Big whoop. If you're against helping suffering people, you're against helping suffering people, with or without TV ads making elderly cancer patients out equivalent to heavily armed gangbangers.
* A FINAL PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE NOTE: Charles Pierce's instant analysis of last night's debate — particularly the emergence of yet another rebooted Mitt Romney — is worth reading.
* TONIGHT!!!!! CONGRESSIONAL DEBATES: Tonight's the night to watch AETN debates in the 1st Congressional District (7 p.m.) and 2nd Congressional District (8 p.m.) Both events were taped for airing later so Twitter and other accounts will have already pre-spun things. You can spin the 1st District now. Republican U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford ducked this debate. Too busy for district-wide TV exposure. The wuss has agreed to an ASU-sponsored debate that will air on a handful of local cable systems.
2ND DISTRICT UPDATE: The reptilian Republican Tim Griffin, who boo-hooed about politics after leaving the U.S. attorney's office in shame, now blames his departure on his wife's pregnancy. What a man (reminiscent of Dick Cheney and Karl Rove and the other chicken hawks he bunkered with in the Bush administration)! Griffin also tried to score on Herb Rule's defense of his innocence in the Fayetteville traffic stop by saying Rule shouldn't have talked back to the cops (by remarking they must have something better to do than stopping him for failing to signal a lane change). First Amendment doesn't mean squat to Tim Griffin. It is lawful to question police actions, Congressman. For now at least.
UPDATE II: AP leads with Griffin attacking Herb Rule for disrespecting police, based on that single offhand comment in an even tone of voice. Unbelievable stretch by Griffin given what the video shows of Rule's questionable arrest. But Griffin suckled on the bile of Karl Rove's dirty war room, so this is par for his course. Compassionate conservative? Not. Griffin doesn't want sick people to have medical marijuana. He doesn't want poor people to have medical coverage, period. He's still vowing to upend the Affordable Care Act and the health security it provides hundreds of thousands of Arkansans.
* FOR WHAT SHALL IT PROFIT A MAN IF HE SHALL GAIN THE WORLD WORLD AND LOSE HIS OWN SOUL?: John Brummett reports a poll that shows slavery defending, immigrant-bashing, mean-spirited Republican Rep. Jon Hubbard leading in his race for re-election. Apart from perfunctory disavowal of Hubbard's most incendiary remarks by a party functionary, Republicans have been silent on Hubbard. Has a single elected Republican urged a vote AGAINST Jon Hubbard? Any of the constitutional officers? Would-be House Speaker Terry Rice? No. Crickets. They hope he wins. They want his vote to gain a House majority. They'll take him, the Lincoln-hating Loy Mauch, the child-executing Charles Fuqua and the assortment of police blotter and tax lien all-stars they're counting on in other districts. The introductory Biblical quotation would apply if the modern-day Republican Party had a soul to begin with. BTW: Harold Copenhaver, a sound, sensible, church-going businessman is the Democratic candidate in Jonesboro against Hubbard.
* REGNAT POPULUS: Lawyer David Couch says he's revised the new Regnat Populus government ethics proposal to address questions raised by Attorney General Dustin McDaniel. If McDaniel reviews it speedily, the group could have petitions printed for gathering signatures at the Nov. 6 election. If he takes all the time allotted, that will be very difficult, if not impossible. Mr. Attorney General, your move.
* WEST MEMPHIS THREE ADVOCATES PRESS WEST MEMPHIS POLICE: The group seeking new information in the West Memphis Three slaying case say they have tried without success to get information from the West Memphis police about putative calls to a tip line concerning the possible involvement of others in the death than the three men recently released from prison in the case, all professing their innocence. A news release follows: