To the consternation of those who hang eagerly upon the wisdom dispensed via this blog, I have been unable to comment recently.

This is largely because my poor assistant ... whose bland name ("Mark" something or other) matches his altogether unremarkable intellect and ability ... has been tied up with more trival endeavors.

It is an irony of history that the activity of great men has often been held captive by the indolence and inability of small men.

But I digress.

The reader need not fear that my lack of comment betokens a lack of profound attention to the issues of the day.

Never one to lag behind the curve, I have been devoting much thought to the next presidential election ... though it remains almost three years away.

Very shortly, I will announce to my faithful readers the names of the only two candidates that have a possibility of winning the Republican nomination in 2008.

Meanwhile, there are some loose ends relative to the Alito Supreme Court nomination:

Mortimus Squid's Astonishingly Accurate Prediction #4:

Samuel Alito will be confirmed by the Senate.  He will receive less than 60 votes, but there will be no Democrat filibuster.