Dana Perino and that missile thang.

No, I don't like Firedoglake's new layout, for exactly the same reasons Cathie describes. Not to mentioned being left at curb. It's tough to find good stuff like this.

Appearing on National Public Radio's light-hearted quiz show "Wait, Wait . . . Don't Tell Me," which aired over the weekend, Perino got into the spirit of things and told a story about herself that she had previously shared only in private: During a White House briefing, a reporter referred to the Cuban Missile Crisis -- and she didn't know what it was.

"I was panicked a bit because I really don't know about . . . the Cuban Missile Crisis," said Perino, who at 35 was born about a decade after the 1962 U.S.-Soviet nuclear showdown. "It had to do with Cuba and missiles, I'm pretty sure."

So she consulted her best source. "I came home and I asked my husband," she recalled. "I said, 'Wasn't that like the Bay of Pigs thing?' And he said, 'Oh, Dana.' "

Now I'll admit to being old enough to remember the Cuban missile crisis even though I was pretty young. As vague as it is however, it was one of those watershed events which was covered in school... during history.

Qualifications to be the Bush White House press secretary? How about complete loyalty, easy to look at and the ability to talk about history as though its something that will judge George Bush sometime in the nebulous future.

I'll bet the University of Illinois at Springfield is rethinking the curriculum for Masters degrees.

Watertiger provides some ideas for the White House press corps. And I'll provide one of my own for Ms. Perino:

Canada started exporting weather to the United States under what prime minister?

May the peroxide force be with you

Blue Gal was wading through the swamp and found a little nugget. Actually, she found more than one, but you'll have to go there to see what I mean.

In any case, White House Press Secretary Dana Perino found herself on the pointy end of some tough questions put to her by White House press gallery member and grande dame Helen Thomas.

Enter Katherine Jean Lopez who thinks, after the exchange, that Dana Perino should get a raise for having to endure Helen Thomas.

Except that K.Lo, in posting her excerpt of the White House briefing was a tad dishonest. She didn't present the entire exchange - just the part which made it look as though Perino had put down Thomas and shut her up.

Blue Gal clears up that little bit of confusion by presenting the parts which our darling Republican hack thought weren't pertinent and during which Perino makes herself look like a total ass.

The Kellie Pickler YouTube will explain BG's conclusion.

Leave your comments at Blue Gal's.