In news that may surprise some of you, I’ll be off today. In fact, I’ll be off today and tomorrow. It will be the first time I’ve taken two days off in a row, including weekends and holidays, in 30 months.

That’s not an exaggeration; I actually checked. In fact, I’ve been meaning to report myself to OSHA, but I’ve been busy with work.

In any case, I’m handing the keys to the always-terrific Jonathan Bernstein, known for his great work at A Plain Blog About Politics and Plum Line, who’ll be along shortly with words of wisdom.

I’ll see you in 48 hours, at which point the normal schedule will resume. Be nice to the sub.

Steve Benen

Follow Steve on Twitter @stevebenen. Steve Benen is a producer at MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show. He was the principal contributor to the Washington Monthly's Political Animal blog from August 2008 until January 2012.