The Disabled. After what Gail Collins did to Rick Santorum yesterday, anything more would just be piling on. But thanks to Santorum, the senate refused to ratify a United Nations treaty that is based on the Americans with Disabilities Act. Apparently the treaty somehow threatens our national sovereignty and could allow the New World Order to forbid him from homeschooling his child. The U.S. has also yet to ratify UN treaties on the rights of children (sole ally: Somalia) and women (Iran has joined Somalia), and the Kyoto Protocol on the warming hoax. Well, at least we aren’t hypocrites. Resignations half a world apart provide hope for a saner future. In Egypt, nine ministers resigned in protest over Mohamed Morsi’s power grab, which may signal enough political will to derail his efforts to reverse Egypt’s “Arab Spring.” And Jim DeMint, the avatar of Tea Party narrow-mindedness, is leaving the senate to run the Heritage Foundation. He can do plenty of damage at the conservative think tank, but for now let’s savor his departure from the senate.

Color. Jack Brooks died on Tuesday. The Texas congressman backed civil rights in the deep South, abortion rights in the Bible Belt, and led efforts to impeach Nixon and Reagan. He was also staunchly pro-gun, and his ability to bring federal money into his district got him elected 21 times. Brooks is a reminder that we vote for real people, not bullet points. His obituary ended with the story of his last effort to bring home millions. “If it’s pork,” he said, “it’ll be tasty.”