Enough About Pollution Regulations; Here's a Riff on Amy Winehouse

There were many thoughtful comments, such as: "DHS and TSA are fundamentally broken. Disband both immediately and return our civil liberties."

But many apparently were too far over the top. "In the spirit of transparency, we plan to note how many comments we've rejected and tell you why," the agency "blog team" wrote. "Mostly the rejected comments include profane language, political rants or abusive posts that we just can't print. . . . Other than these, every post will go up as written."

Meanwhile, there were already complaints like this one: "Lots of questions, comments and suggestions but no apparent replies or answers! So what's the point of the blog?"

Still, maybe you'll feel better seeing that other fliers share your pain. The site is http://www.tsa.gov/blog.

Gap? What Gap?

There's been much talk of a gender gap among Democratic primary voters when it comes to supporting Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.). Pollsters have concluded that the gap generally looks to be in the low double digits, 10 to 15 points.

And it appears that gap is equally large when it comes to congressional endorsements. Five of the 12 senators who have endorsed Clinton are women. Only one of the eight senators who've endorsed Obama, freshman Claire McCaskill of Missouri, is a woman.

On the House side, 28 of the 73 Clinton endorsers -- that's just over 38 percent -- are women. But only eight of the 44 House members who've endorsed Obama are women. That's 18 percent.

Maybe they represent the people after all?

Back in the Whatever We Call It Now

Free Travel Alert! The State Department released this "joint statement" yesterday.

"Given the increased investment and trade between our two countries, and Russia's growing importance in the world economy, the United States and Russia will establish a formal economic dialogue to discuss issues of mutual interest. As appropriate, this dialogue will include various U.S. Departments and Agencies, Russian Ministries, and our respective business communities. The inaugural meeting of this dialogue will be in the Spring in Washington, D.C."

Doubtless no trips to Russia in winter. Sign up for the optional St. Petersburg leg now.