Postal Service Closures, O’Reilly’s Non-Apology, and More

Student Loan Rates Will Not Double:

After months of hemming, hawing and laying the political blame, congressional Republicans and Democrats finally passed a deal that will keep student loan interest rates from doubling. If Congress had failed to act, federally subsidized student loan rates would have gone from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent Sunday. As if education in this country were not already expensive enough. (Read more)

Post Office Closures to Begin: In the wake of massive budgetary problems, the U.S. Postal Service will start consolidating and shutting 48 processing plants as early as next week. The process, which will take two months, is expected to result in slower mail service. (Read more)

Worst President Ever?: George W. Bush may go down in U.S. history as one of the worst presidents ever, according to a new book that looks at the American presidency. From an excerpt of “Where They Stand” by Robert W. Merry: “Based on the contemporaneous voter assessments, the objective record, and what we know of history, it’s difficult to see him even in middle-ground territory. History likely will view Bush largely as the voters did after eight years of his stewardship. And so it’s probably just as well that he doesn’t care much about the verdict of history.” It is indeed. (Read more)

Conservatives Blame Medication for Obamacare Ruling: If you listen to some conservatives, Chief Justice John Roberts’ deciding vote to uphold President Obama’s health care law had nothing to do with logic or rational judgment; rather, it had to do with his epilepsy medication. Roberts has suffered from epileptic seizures and, as radio host Michael Savage informed listeners Thursday, “neurologists will tell you that medication used for seizure disorders, such as epilepsy, can introduce mental slowing, forgetfulness and other cognitive problems. And if you look at Roberts’ writings you can see the cognitive dissociation in what he is saying.” So does that explain Citizens United too? (Read more)

Beck Brands Roberts a Coward: If you’re not watching Glenn Beck’s GBTV show (and given that you have to normally pay to watch it, here’s guessing you are probably not) then you most likely did not see Thursday’s show with his reaction to the Supreme Court’s health care ruling. Here’s what you missed: Beck riding in on horse (a parody of “Braveheart”), his introduction of a character called “Dread Pirate Roberts” (“Princess Bride,” anyone?) and a $30 T-shirt calling the chief justice a “coward.” Because if Beck can figure out a way to make money off something, he will do just that. (Read more)

Video of the Day: Thursday on Politics Today, we wondered whether Glenn Beck’s BFF Bill O’Reilly would “apologize for being an idiot” like he said he would in March if the Supreme Court upheld Obamacare. Well, it did and he did not.

— Posted by Tracy Bloom