Past the smelling salts

Well, I'm glad somebody is calling a spade a spade. The usual Washington talking heads are debating whether Haley Barbour's recent trip down memory lane with Jim Crow will hurt his presumed presidential bid. TPM's Josh Marshal administers some needed smelling salts: "Let's state it flat out. You have to be deeply, securely, and no doubt permanently encased in the DC cocoon ever to have thought that Haley Barbour was a serious presidential candidate. Really, people. Any number of things would have to change to make Barbour a remotely credible presidential candidate -- starting with erasing the image of Boss Hogg [see above pic] from the cultural memory of every American over the age of 30. And that would probably be one of the easier tasks on the list." For a dose of additional reality, read the rest of Marshal's piece here.