“Media critic” at the Washington Post Howard Kurtz informs his readers today that Ken Mehlman’s gayitude was an open secret. Another media critic might actually, you know, criticize the media over such an open secret well-known to everyone who produces media but no one who consumes it, but not Kurtz. Speaking of Open Secrets, though, Ken has a few others of interest as well: donations to anti-gay politicians.

It remains a mystery to me why the candidates who are able to tell the truth because they are doing the right thing aren’t able to capitalize on it. Telling the public that they are constantly given the lies of the right wing in order to get their votes against their own interests seems like something we really need to press home, over and over.

This week, Democrats find themselves trying for the third time to pass a 30 day extension to unemployment benefits. And each time they try to pass an extension, Republicans find someone like Tom Coburn, Jon Kyl, or Jim Bunning to shutdown the Senate to delay its passage.

Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning, who single-handedly blockaded extension of unemployment benefits to 400,000 and forced the furlough of 2,000 workers, is a Republican Superhero. He personifies the mean-spirited, hypocritical, wealthy-serving, obstructionist GOP.