Web Links Wednesday

It's Humpday, everybody and I feel like I unintentionally started something last week due to a Spokane trip that will be a Musings tradition. Web Links for Wednesday. Without further ado.

• Saw this today, gotta love this kid's exuberance. Gotta say I might be hard pressed to avoid doing the same if I was that close to Benedict XVI
• A great piece on the unconstitutional health care law. Usually read this blog for the Catholicism but a great piece by my favorite blogger/law student at Shameless Popery. 
• The English text of Benedict XVI's Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum. Issued in 2007 it is basically calling for a return or at least no impediments to some of the older forms of worship including usage of the Tridentine Mass....for all of you who grew up before Vatican II that would be the Mass you remember from your childhood. Unfortunately the Vatican website doesn't have the document in English yet, so I had to dig a little. 
• Great blog from the Heritage Foundation about the 100th birthday of the greatest president of the 20th Century.
• Rush's take on Roger Vinson's ruling about Obamacare.
• All Things Super Bowl and NFLish from Sports Illustrated. My own prediction is on the way I made one last week, but may contradict it this week, tune in and find out. 
• The homepage of America's favorite quiz show. Looking forward to taking the test again next week. Here's hoping I pass again and get on the show this time.
• If at least one of the many websites covered in the blanket of this link doesn't make you laugh, check your vital signs.

Who is Going to Clean Up This Mess?

The coming election cycle should be an interesting one. Now I know a lot of you are probably tired of the last election cycle. Indeed they seem to merge into one never ending melange of political ads, posters and sloganeering. I am interested in where the GOP will find their candidate.

Some things we know already. It won't be Mike Pence, the former Indiana representative, officially took himself out of the race earlier this month. In recent times the Republican nominee has almost been decided by whose turn it was. Witness Dole '96 McCain '08. Two men who largely earned their nomination as a sort of honor for years of service. I don't think we will have the same situation this time.

The GOP needs to do one thing in the next year, close their primaries. Too many states have open GOP primaries and we allow too many "independents", "moderates" and assorted others too much sway in choosing our nominee.

All that being said here is my take for who is on the radar. The following names are in no particular order.

• Mike Huckabee -- The former Arkansas Gov., 55, has solid credentials in the conservative department, endorsed by Chuck Norris in 2008, the southerner has enjoyed exposure on Fox News Channel since then and has a national profile. He won the governorship in Ark. with the largest percentage of the vote ever for a GOP candidate. I like him, but if Chuck Norris couldn't put him over the top...who can? Not to mention the last former Arkansas Gov. to live at 1600 Pennsylvania, was a bit of a schmuck. But he was from the other party. 
• Tim Pawlenty -- Minnesota's former Gov. The 50 year old Pawlenty recently placed third at the New Hampshire Straw Poll behind Mitt Romney and Ron Paul. He is a self-described social conservative and has said Roe v. Wade was decided wrongly. Another guy I like, but I am not sure he has enough national recognition.