TIP OF THE HAT

To Martin O'Malley and Robert McDonnell, governors of Maryland and Virginia, respectively, who appeared on Meet the Press in a joint appearance. O'Malley is Chairman of the Democratic Governor's Association, and McDonnell, the Republican Governor's Association. The two had a good-natured, respectful, sometimes amusing discussion without either one getting all Santorum about anything. (One gets "Santorum" about

IRRITANT

Joe Scarborough, MSNBC gasbag and cheap-shot artist, suggests Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey is unfit for the job he holds because he called Iran a "rational actor" and refused to back down from that description in testimony before Congress. First, Demsey was using language almost identical to that used by former Israeli