Today is February 15th. On this date in 1798, the first serious fist fight broke out in Congress, when Roger Griswold (CT-Federalist) and Matthew Lyon (VT- Republican) threw down. According to this article, Griswold “charged across the Senate floor and began striking Senator Lyon about the head with a heavy wooden cane. Lyon arose and retreated to a fire pit were he grabbed hot tongs to defend himself, but Griswold was able to disarm him. The two locked up and exchanged blows briefly until they were broken up.” This followed an earlier face-spitting incident, and upholds my long-standing hypothesis that you should never bring hot tongs to a cane fight. Also on this date in 1564, Galileo Galilei was born in Pisa, Italy. He is known for being the first person to have his picture taken pretending to hold up the Leaning Tower. You know, I think if Galilei were alive today, he’d take one look at this crazy mixed up world of ours and say “where am I???” But probably in Italian.

FLASHBACK: Occupy Rape Denialist Keith Olbermann in 2010 “I am Not a Rape Apologist” | Lee Stranahan
“In light of Current TV host Keith Olbermann’s firm and unconditional Tweet ‘No Occupy Rapes, No Cover-Up, No Apology, No Retraction,’ it’s worth remembering that @KeithOlbermann actually suspended his own Twitter account in 2010 over allegations made by many — including liberal reporter Tommy Christopher — that Olbermman and Countdown guest Michael Moore had treated rapes allegations with levity.”

Media Matters took $600K for gun control while carrying? | Ed Morrissey
“First, if he’s carrying in Washington DC, it’s probably not legal. And the reason it’s not legal is because of organizations like Media Matters for America, whose tax returns show a hefty amount of cash earmarked for gun-control activism”

Martin Bashir Outrageously Compares Rick Santorum to Mass Murderer Joseph Stalin | Newsbusters
“Ultra liberal Martin Bashir hit a new low on Tuesday, outrageously comparing Rick Santorum to mass-murdering dictator Joseph Stalin. In a fit of vitriol, the MSNBC anchor also connected the Republican to George Orwell’s Big Brother from 1984.”

Health Costs, Gov’t Regulations Curb Small Business Hiring | Gallup
Title of the link says it all. This echoes what the House Small Business Committee found a few weeks ago.

Today’s Word of the Day comes via Dictionary.com.
vilipend (vil-UH-pend): verb 1. To regard or treat as of little value or account. 2. To vilify; depreciate.