Today's Fresh Meat

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Veteran NBC newscaster Tom Brokaw will host "Meet the Press" through the November election,following the unexpected passing of Tim Russert, the Associated Pressreports, giving the program a familiar and popular face while along-term decision is made. The list of potential replacements includesChuck Todd, Chris Matthews, David Gregory and Gwen Ifill.

Any of our conservative friends who think tax breaks and individual plans are the solution to the health care problemshould read this Sacramento Bee story documenting the sub-standard careand out-of-pocket costs associated with this approach. It's enough tomake you want to support—gasp—a little more regulation.

San Francisco may be the focus of much of the attention on gay marriage, but the change in law puts more of a spotlight on conservative bastions like Bakersfield,where many gay couples say they are accepted, even if not entirelytreated like equals, the Los Angeles Times reports. Like many places,as the area has grown—and gotten more cosmopolitan, acceptance ofdifferent lifestyles has grown as well.

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