Tom Garafalo, The Havana Note – Orlando Zapata Tamayo, 1967-2010

Orlando Zapata Tamayo, a 42 year old political prisoner arrested by Cuban authorities in the crackdown of Spring 2003, has died after an 83 day hunger strike.

Jonathan Chait, The New Republic – A Brief Reconciliation Primer

As Mary McCarthy once said of Lillian Hellman, everything the GOP says is a lie, including “and” and “the.”

Mitchell Cohen, The Huffington Post – The Shock of Dubai (H/T Yaacov Lozowick)

I am shocked – shocked – to discover there is killing going on in war. (And spies spying?)

ChristopherHitchensWatch – We Watch the Hitchens So You Don’t Have To

There is also The Daily Dishwater leeching off Andrew Sullivan. What am I, second rate Pâté? Where is the Obscure Writer Observer making a name off my, ah…name.

Eve Garrard, Normblog – Once more on Amnesty and Gita Sahgal

The real issue – and Amnesty must know this to be the case – is whether Amnesty should be partnering with, and thereby lending credibility to, people whose own commitment to universal human rights is in doubt. No adequate defence has been offered for this, and no adequate defence has been provided for suspending the employee who has blown the whistle on this topic, and whose own long-term commitment to universal rights for women is not in doubt.