Weekend round-up: big issues -- and strange

Rising star of the Young Republicans, Audra Shay, may be a distant relative -- but I certainly hope not. Go to http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-07-10/the-gops-young-hatemonger/

NYT: "Obama Student Loan Plans Wins Support in House." Let's move this thing along. The U.S. student loan system (if you can call it that) is a travesty and needs a major overhaul.

This Sunlight Foundation post goes back to June 22 but was resurrected by Montana’s excellent Left in the West. "...five of Baucus’ former staffers currently work for a total of twenty-seven different organizations that are either in the health care or insurance sector or have a noted interest in the outcome." This may help explain Sen. Baucus’s opposition to "public option."

Papal news from a slip-sliding-away Catholic: National Catholic Reporter does a great job covering Pres. Obama's Rome visit with the Pope. On Sojourners God's Politics blog, Jim Wallis summarizes the Pope's new encyclical, Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth).

In other religious news: "Trickle-down Fundamentalism" or "Godly powerful rich white men should rule the world." See Rachel Maddow's interviews with Jeff Sharlet at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/

Attention gardeners: eat those squash and zucchini blossoms! Go to http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/homegarden/2009448964_yardsmart11.html