Read Stuff, You Should

I'll start with a general recommendation: if for some reason you haven't been reading the Monkey Cage regularly,  it's really time to try again. I've always been a huge fan of the core group, but recently they've been expanding in two ways. There seem to be a lot more guest posts, usually bringing in someone with relevant expertise when something is in the news. That's excellent. But they've also expanded their group of regular occasional contributors. I mean, having Sarah Binder (and others) was great enough, but look who they've added recently: Hans Noel! David Karol! Larry Bartels! It truly is an All Star list. I mean, the Cage was always worth reading for John Sides and the other regulars, but it's significantly better now.

Also, the great blog The Edge of the American West is back after a recent hiatus.

And now the more specific good stuff...

1. Jack Rakove on James Madison.

2. Good comments on money in politics from Seth Masket. Sounds like a great book project, too.

3. Tom Mann and Norm Ornstein knock down the bad advice David Brooks keeps giving to Barack Obama.

4. Barry Pump looks at the behavior of Senate Democrats.

5. The political scientists at Rule22 have been doing a great series on basics from "institutionalism" -- Joshua Huder looks at time. OK, that doesn't sound interesting, but really, it's important stuff.

6. Matt Glassman answers my question from yesterday about coverage of the JSC and the appropriations trainwreck-to-be. Good analysis; I especially like #5. As I said in comments yesterday, I should have noted, by the way, that Norm Ornstein has been on the the appropriations case from early on, too, so make that Ornstein, Collender, and me.

7. Excellent overview of US military policy and Obama from Fred Kaplan.

8. Adam Serwer is really good on "high tech lynching" (and by the way: it's a phrase that obviously worked, so kudos to whoever wrote it for Clarence Thomas, but there's still nothing "high tech" about either Congressional hearings or Politico stories). Question for John Dickerson, by the way: do you really want to assert that Thomas was "not a public figure or politician" at the time of his confirmation hearing for the Supreme Court? Really? Also, Conor Friedersdorf on the race-obsessed Rush Limbaugh and other conservatives, and E.J. Graff on sexual harassment. One more: David Frum on the "coming Herman Cain culture war." Yes, but I think Marx's thing about tragedy and farce probably applies.

9. Always like to see this: Spencer Ackerman has a nice post saying that he was wrong about Libya, and discussing some of the reasons. Good stuff.

10. Graff on one of the weaker arguments against choice on abortion.

11. Serwer explains the "ethnic revenge flick." Also Michael Tomasky on the ugly history of the Washington Redskins. And Alyssa Rosenberg, first on First Families and then on culture, politics, and Lil Wayne.