A striking consensus is emerging in Washington for a closer relationship with the International Criminal Court. Even some staunch conservatives have backed the idea of lending logistical, political, and diplomatic assistance to the ICC on a case-by-case basis – to act against the most shocking outrages of genocide, crimes against humanity, and systematic war crimes.

Yet, with notoriously bad timing, the path to this cooperation may be washed away, due to a troublesome and unnecessary fight brewing at a sister criminal tribunal in The Hague. . . . It does not advance the cause of international criminal justice to threaten a person who described the boggled procedure with criminal contempt.

It’s a clown show that the clowns want kept secret. Why should that undermine confidence in international institutions, when that already describes pretty much all of ‘em?

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY.

Of course it was a bad idea. Arguably the Post did even more damage to its credibility in trying to explain itself than it did with the original concept — as for instance with the declaration that a beautifully designed and widely distributed flyer was a “draft.” . . . But before the critiques gets too self-righteous, let’s recall that the blurring of editorial and business lines is happening everywhere. Magazine journalism is full of it. We will see even more of it as the business of print publishing continues to decay and publishers scramble for revenue. The Post’s “salons” aren’t the first instance of this kind of aggressive monetization of a journalistic reputation, and they won’t be the last.

That’s true.

UPDATE: A more negative take on Houston, here. Plus, in Chicago, a tale of two tea parties.

Also, I’ve apparently understimated the diversity of the movement.

Plus, from Cynthia Yockey: How to talk to reporters at your Tea Party. And if you’re planning to attend one, how about signing up as a PJTV citizen reporter?

UPDATE: Reader Matthew DeLuca sends this picture from the Cobb County Tea Party and in a followup says there are at least 4,000 people there. I believe it’s the same event.

UPDATE: Thoughts from John Hawkins and The Anchoress.

I don’t know if it has anything to do with her decision, but she’s been subjected — along with her family — to more abuse than any other non-national-officeholder I can think of.

ANOTHER UPDATE: More thoughts from Tigerhawk. Plus, here’s video.

Also, Palin Quits To Spend More Time with Couric, Gibson. Meanwhile, C.J. Burch emails that she may be trying a Tea Party run. Could be.

MORE: Some readers think she’s cut a TV deal, and that’s why she needs to be free by August. There’s a lot of speculation, but I imagine we’ll actually know something soon enough.

As for thoughts that she might pull a Ross Perot . . . well, (1) Perot was actually polling in the lead at one point; and (2) It would serve the GOP establishment right, given how they’ve treated her . . . .

STILL MORE: Megan McArdle: “I’m second to none in my condemnation of the attention her family has received. But can you imagine a male politician resigning because comedians and bloggers were being too mean to his daughers? The state of Alaska elected her to serve a term. She owes them that much”

Well, possibly. But if the ever-so-thin-skinned Barack Obama got one-tenth the abuse that Sarah Palin has gotten, he’d cry like a little girl. And his defenders would scream raaaacciiiiism at the top of their lungs.

I’d say it’s a good start, but I agree with the guy who thinks that this ad is better. And was cheaper to produce, I expect.

O’Rourke’s got a new book out, called Driving Like Crazy: Thirty Years of Vehicular Hell-bending, Celebrating America the Way It’s Supposed To Be — With an Oil Well in Every Backyard, a Cadillac Escalade in Every Carport, and the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Mowing Our Lawn.