The best of what I've read today:
Jonah Goldberg discusses why as down in the dumps as conservatives are about just about everything, we can always give thanks for Howard Dean. His hilarious use of pop culture references should give pause to anyone who has a tendency to shelter themselves and/or their children from popular culture. It's all about word pictures.
Over at Mirror of Justice, Notre Dame law prof Rick Garnett has a post on Crunchy-Cons and McMansions. "Crunchy-cons" is a term coined by Dallas reporter Rod Dreher to describe the type of conservatives that defy the red/blue stereotypes often noted by commentators such as David Brooks. Dreher has a book with the same title due out in February. For previous Seventh Age commentary on crunchy cons, go here and here.
The Volokh Conspiracy is hosting a debate on same-sex marriage between Maggie Gallagher and University of Minnesota law prof Dale Carpenter. Gallagher is blogging right now, and Carpenter will join the fray in a week. So far, there has been some serious intellectual combat. Check it out.
Michael Barone has an excellent essay at U.S. News & World Report describing the consequences of the liberal elite's disdain for America.
In other news, Bush and Bono talk poverty, and at Amy Welborn's Open Book, you can find out about the feast of the North American martyrs, which is today. Those guys were damn tough. Real men love Jesus.
As always, check out National Review's Bench Memos for the latest on the Harriet Miers flop, and for some great cultural commentary, visit the new blog "On the Square," of the great journal First Things.