To follow up on two posts from this morning, Mitch McConnell did indeed succeed in maintaining a filibuster of the THUD appropriations bill, to the greater glory of his “clout.”

Here are some more mid-day news and views:

* Russia grants Edward Snowden temporary (one year) asylum, allowing him finally to leave Moscow airport.

* Daily Caller gives primary challenger Matt Bevin platform for taunting Mitch McConnell on Obamacare “de-funding.” Interesting.

* Brad DeLong pushes back against liberal hostility to Larry Summers.

* TNR’s Molly Redden mocks Politico’s coverage of “war” between Christie and Paul.

* New York Times‘ Steve Greenhouse provides overview of fast-food worker strikes.

And in non-political news:

* Ariel Castro sentenced to life without parole plus 1,000 years after conviction on 937 counts ranging from aggravated murder to criminal assault.

I haven’t had the news hooks to post more than two anti-war music videos so far today, but here’s one recommended by c u n d gulag:

YouTube video

Back after a break.

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Ed Kilgore

Ed Kilgore is a political columnist for New York and managing editor at the Democratic Strategist website. He was a contributing writer at the Washington Monthly from January 2012 until November 2015, and was the principal contributor to the Political Animal blog.