April 27, 2007 3:37 PM

I'm Off to Paradise - Here's Some Weekend Reading/Viewing

After the Republican Party drove Montana off the cliff today by refusing to take up Senate-passed legislation and thus creating a budget crisis, I'm headed off for a long-planned weekend in the Paradise Valley (if you haven't been, you haven't lived). Luke and Darth will unfortunately be fighting in a special session that will cost Montana taxpayers $38,000 a day(even though Republicans, of course, are saying with a straight face they are forcing such a session in order to protect Montana taxpayers). While I'm gone, here's some good reading/viewing:

- Read Bill Moyers' follow-up slam dunk of the Washington press corps' sad attempt at damage control in the wake of his original documentary this week. Moyers is a true hero and an inspiration.

- Read Ezra Klein's new article "The Health of Nations" in the latest American Prospect. Though I gently dinged Ezra a little bit earlier this week, I said that he's a generally good writer focused on important stuff, and this kind of article is exactly what I'm talking about. The piece makes you realize that our health care problems aren't that difficult to solve - it's our political problems that are the real challenges.

- Read Cliff Schecter's little ditty on Working America's efforts to embarrass one of the health industry's most egregious profiteers: Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.

- Read Jonathan Tasini's post on how after firing all its workers in a scheme to slash wages, Circuit City handed over a truckload of cash to a departing executive.

- If you don't feel like reading, go rent/buy the new film "Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore?" I watched it last week and it is a fantastic story that shows just how much power the D.C. Establishment really has over our whole political process.

Ok, I'm off for a little R&R, and I'm not bringing anything other than the two decidedly non-political books I am currently reading, Busting Vegas by Ben Mezrich (pretty good in a pulpy kind of way) and Fargo Rock City by Chuck Klosterman (awesome in every way). Have a good weekend everyone.