Stories to Watch: 3/12/11

Within a year's time, we've had a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and a possible nuclear meltdown in Japan. Here's a crazy idea; can we please start taking green energy seriously? Just a thought. Seems like the sort of thinking sane people would start engaging in at about this point. Now here's the news...


Was the incident at Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant avoidable?


Stratfor Global Intelligence uses the word "meltdown," while the Japanese government will only admit to a small radiation leak and one big explosion. It pays to point out that, while the Japanese government is almost certainly understating things, they're the only people who can get solid information on what's happening inside the plant. Long story short; unless there's a whistleblower, we're not going to get the straight dope on this immediately. The Union of Concerned Scientists explains the mechanics and the process involved in dealing with this sort of incident.


Related: whenever something like this happens, we're always reminded that some people are real assholes.


Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski breaks with her party on Planned Parenthood and Title X cuts. Surviving being primaried out seems to have left a bad taste in her mouth and the GOP may have their very own Joe Lieberman now. Have fun with that, people.


The Wisconsin 14 are coming home. Presser at noon central, then they join protesters on the square later in the afternoon. That rally is likely to be massive and last all weekend.


Remember how the Wisconsin 14 skipped out to avoid a quorum? Remember how that quorum was needed to pass a bill dealing with fiscal issues? Remember how those fiscal issues were stripped from the bill to get it passed without needing a quorum? Seems to me that the sale of state power plants is a fiscal issue. Efforts to strike the bill down in court may have just got a lot of juice. Once again, Republican impatience and overreach may have caused them to screw themselves. We'll see how that turns out.


Finally, Bill Clinton gets all "drill baby, drill!" It's classic Clinton -- once you start thinking the guy's all right, he spouts some brainless corporate BS to remind you that he's not.