Alternate headline: “Teachable Moment Results In Nothing Much Learned.” I’ll be away from the computer while The Drink-up That Saved America is happening, sad to say, but we need a thread open so that commenters can document the inevitable media cooing about The One’s “brewski diplomacy” or “suds summit” or whatever stupid name they’re cooking up for this stunt. No presser or public statement is being planned by the participants as far as I know, but some reporter’s bound to corner Gates or Crowley afterwards outside the White House for the obligatory “productive discussion” soundbite. As for The One, he’s already on record as being “fascinated with the fascination.”

Fox News is normally my channel of choice, but given the humiliating lengths to which MSNBC’s already gone to hype this photo op plus the fact that Crowley and Gates should be walking in while Matthews’s show is on the air, you’d be a fool not to be watching “Hardball” right now. With any luck, we might actually see some tears. To entertain you while we wait for “news” to break, here’s an amusing report from Comic Con by Red State Update. Much like Crowley this evening, they’re surrounded by nerds who take themselves too seriously. Mild content warning.