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December 29, 2005
Monday, September 26, 2005
Monday's Links
Activism
It's either an admirable idea or a disgustingly desperate tactic; it depends on which side of the fence you're on. For the GOP, it's obviously the former, as they mobilized thousands of out-of-state Republicans to blitz the state with phone calls for GOP Gubernatorial candidate Jerry Kilgore. Ken Mehlman also sent out an email pleading with Republicans to help with the calls. If for no other reason than this, Tim Kaine needs your help. Sign up on his page here to volunteer. With so few races in 2005, Kaine needs all the support we can give him to keep Virginia's Governor a Democrat.
News
Bush: Townsend to Lead Katrina Inquiry. Are they kidding us? This would be like Gerald Ford being appointed to investigate Watergate. For those of you keeping score, Fran Townsend is Bush's homeland security advisor. She's the one who took the calls when people were dying in NOLA and Bush was playing buddy-buddy with country singers. And now we're supposed to expect that she's going to give a fair and balanced investigation? What's wrong with appointing an independent commission, as Democrats have asked for? It's not like Harry Reid has been demanding a liberal commission. He knows that an independent investigation will find the truth; namely, that BushCo dropped the ball in a big way.
Hughes Launches US Image Makeover Among Muslims. And speaking of unqualified people, Karen Hughes is in the Middle East, attempting to mend the U.S.'s image with Muslims. To continue analogies, this would be similar to having the Vatican send James Dobson to Israel to apologize for the Spanish Inquisition. How are Muslims supposed to take a country seriously that won't even consider asking Arabs for advice, much less a leader who won't appoint any? As you can see by some of the interviews in this article, it seems like the problems might be less with America and more with Bush.
A Web of Faith, Law and Science in Evolution Suit. Put aside the conservative politicians, who are routinely out of touch with mainstream America anyway, and look at the parents. It's extremely interesting to see what the parents have to say, when it comes to Intelligent Design. Parents who support ID, like the Heids in this article. Mrs. Heid is quoted as saying, "I think we as Americans, regardless of our beliefs, should be able to freely access information, because people fought and died for our freedoms." But that's not what the problem is, nor is it what Democrats are arguing. Parents that support ID want it there because they want their children to learn it; in most cases, it's because they have raised their children to believe in ID, or Creationism. But liberals argue (rightly) that ID shouldn't be taught as a science, in a required class. The Heid's live in Dover, Pennsylvania, where the first lawsuit against the teaching of ID starts today. Here's hoping that the court rules correctly, and sets a precedent. If not, what's next? An alternate theory on math? "1+1=2, but how can we know that? Maybe 1+1=7." Don't laugh - it's just as absurd and idea as teaching ID in required classes.
Editorials
Relax, Borrow and Spend! Clarence Page sums up Bush's "fiscal policy," which we discussed yesterday: Relax, borrow and spend. Costs are on the rise, and even the least educated of us know that you can only spend so much before you need to do something. Our administration's solution to all that spending: Cut current programs (thus hurting the current population) and borrow the rest (thus hurting future Americans). We're on record for repeatedly saying that we're upset Bush hasn't raised taxes, and we surprise ourselves by saying that we wish he would. Otherwise, that "surplus" that we had when Clinton left will be a long time in coming back again.
We Can Pay Teachers More. Of course we can. If we can somehow "find" 200 billion dollars to rebuild New Orleans, and untold hundreds of billions to pay for the war, then certainly we can find a way to pay our public school teachers more than the average of $46,000 that they make right now. Chris Whittle advocates a radical idea: Tearing down our dysfunctional system and rebuilding it in an intelligent manner. Maybe we could find a way to make it more efficient, and require less teachers overall, allowing us to pay them more. Whittle's specific suggestions may or may not be effective solutions, but at least he's thinking outside the box. It's quite ironic that in fixing our schools, the quality we lack is precisely a quality we want to engender in our students: Imagination.
Blogger Commentary
Disaster Czar Rove Plays Politics Instead of Focusing on Rita. Hundreds are dead. Thousands are displaced, with their homes destroyed. Fortunately, President Bush has put someone in charge of the recovery effort, namely, one Karl Rove. And apparently, Rove was so amazingly effective that he's got enough free time to go to a political fundraiser in North Dakota. Of course, those pesky Democrats keep getting in the way. In particular, Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) had the nerve to ask the President why Rove would do such a thing. But clearly, it's because Rove's already fixed everything in the Gulf Coast. Silly Democrats.
Anatomy of a Disgrace. The Cunning Realist has been all over the Pat Tillman story, even when it seemed the story had already been told. First, we were informed that the Army lied about the nature of his death. Now, we learn more about how they've co-opted his image for their propaganda. TCR points out the highlights of a San Francisco Chronicle story that peels back the lies, and reveals the real story. It's a tale of a true patriot who was abandoned by his government, and then a government that manipulated his death for maximum public gain. Tillman become a hero the moment he enlisted - it's a shame that he had to become a martyr.
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December 29, 2005
Monday, September 26, 2005
Monday's Links
Activism
It's either an admirable idea or a disgustingly desperate tactic; it depends on which side of the fence you're on. For the GOP, it's obviously the former, as they mobilized thousands of out-of-state Republicans to blitz the state with phone calls for GOP Gubernatorial candidate Jerry Kilgore. Ken Mehlman also sent out an email pleading with Republicans to help with the calls. If for no other reason than this, Tim Kaine needs your help. Sign up on his page here to volunteer. With so few races in 2005, Kaine needs all the support we can give him to keep Virginia's Governor a Democrat.
News
Bush: Townsend to Lead Katrina Inquiry. Are they kidding us? This would be like Gerald Ford being appointed to investigate Watergate. For those of you keeping score, Fran Townsend is Bush's homeland security advisor. She's the one who took the calls when people were dying in NOLA and Bush was playing buddy-buddy with country singers. And now we're supposed to expect that she's going to give a fair and balanced investigation? What's wrong with appointing an independent commission, as Democrats have asked for? It's not like Harry Reid has been demanding a liberal commission. He knows that an independent investigation will find the truth; namely, that BushCo dropped the ball in a big way.
Hughes Launches US Image Makeover Among Muslims. And speaking of unqualified people, Karen Hughes is in the Middle East, attempting to mend the U.S.'s image with Muslims. To continue analogies, this would be similar to having the Vatican send James Dobson to Israel to apologize for the Spanish Inquisition. How are Muslims supposed to take a country seriously that won't even consider asking Arabs for advice, much less a leader who won't appoint any? As you can see by some of the interviews in this article, it seems like the problems might be less with America and more with Bush.
A Web of Faith, Law and Science in Evolution Suit. Put aside the conservative politicians, who are routinely out of touch with mainstream America anyway, and look at the parents. It's extremely interesting to see what the parents have to say, when it comes to Intelligent Design. Parents who support ID, like the Heids in this article. Mrs. Heid is quoted as saying, "I think we as Americans, regardless of our beliefs, should be able to freely access information, because people fought and died for our freedoms." But that's not what the problem is, nor is it what Democrats are arguing. Parents that support ID want it there because they want their children to learn it; in most cases, it's because they have raised their children to believe in ID, or Creationism. But liberals argue (rightly) that ID shouldn't be taught as a science, in a required class. The Heid's live in Dover, Pennsylvania, where the first lawsuit against the teaching of ID starts today. Here's hoping that the court rules correctly, and sets a precedent. If not, what's next? An alternate theory on math? "1+1=2, but how can we know that? Maybe 1+1=7." Don't laugh - it's just as absurd and idea as teaching ID in required classes.
Editorials
Relax, Borrow and Spend! Clarence Page sums up Bush's "fiscal policy," which we discussed yesterday: Relax, borrow and spend. Costs are on the rise, and even the least educated of us know that you can only spend so much before you need to do something. Our administration's solution to all that spending: Cut current programs (thus hurting the current population) and borrow the rest (thus hurting future Americans). We're on record for repeatedly saying that we're upset Bush hasn't raised taxes, and we surprise ourselves by saying that we wish he would. Otherwise, that "surplus" that we had when Clinton left will be a long time in coming back again.
We Can Pay Teachers More. Of course we can. If we can somehow "find" 200 billion dollars to rebuild New Orleans, and untold hundreds of billions to pay for the war, then certainly we can find a way to pay our public school teachers more than the average of $46,000 that they make right now. Chris Whittle advocates a radical idea: Tearing down our dysfunctional system and rebuilding it in an intelligent manner. Maybe we could find a way to make it more efficient, and require less teachers overall, allowing us to pay them more. Whittle's specific suggestions may or may not be effective solutions, but at least he's thinking outside the box. It's quite ironic that in fixing our schools, the quality we lack is precisely a quality we want to engender in our students: Imagination.
Blogger Commentary
Disaster Czar Rove Plays Politics Instead of Focusing on Rita. Hundreds are dead. Thousands are displaced, with their homes destroyed. Fortunately, President Bush has put someone in charge of the recovery effort, namely, one Karl Rove. And apparently, Rove was so amazingly effective that he's got enough free time to go to a political fundraiser in North Dakota. Of course, those pesky Democrats keep getting in the way. In particular, Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) had the nerve to ask the President why Rove would do such a thing. But clearly, it's because Rove's already fixed everything in the Gulf Coast. Silly Democrats.
Anatomy of a Disgrace. The Cunning Realist has been all over the Pat Tillman story, even when it seemed the story had already been told. First, we were informed that the Army lied about the nature of his death. Now, we learn more about how they've co-opted his image for their propaganda. TCR points out the highlights of a San Francisco Chronicle story that peels back the lies, and reveals the real story. It's a tale of a true patriot who was abandoned by his government, and then a government that manipulated his death for maximum public gain. Tillman become a hero the moment he enlisted - it's a shame that he had to become a martyr.
|
December 29, 2005
It's either an admirable idea or a disgustingly desperate tactic; it depends on which side of the fence you're on. For the GOP, it's obviously the former, as they mobilized thousands of out-of-state Republicans to blitz the state with phone calls for GOP Gubernatorial candidate Jerry Kilgore. Ken Mehlman also sent out an email pleading with Republicans to help with the calls. If for no other reason than this, Tim Kaine needs your help. Sign up on his page here to volunteer. With so few races in 2005, Kaine needs all the support we can give him to keep Virginia's Governor a Democrat.
News
Bush: Townsend to Lead Katrina Inquiry. Are they kidding us? This would be like Gerald Ford being appointed to investigate Watergate. For those of you keeping score, Fran Townsend is Bush's homeland security advisor. She's the one who took the calls when people were dying in NOLA and Bush was playing buddy-buddy with country singers. And now we're supposed to expect that she's going to give a fair and balanced investigation? What's wrong with appointing an independent commission, as Democrats have asked for? It's not like Harry Reid has been demanding a liberal commission. He knows that an independent investigation will find the truth; namely, that BushCo dropped the ball in a big way.
Hughes Launches US Image Makeover Among Muslims. And speaking of unqualified people, Karen Hughes is in the Middle East, attempting to mend the U.S.'s image with Muslims. To continue analogies, this would be similar to having the Vatican send James Dobson to Israel to apologize for the Spanish Inquisition. How are Muslims supposed to take a country seriously that won't even consider asking Arabs for advice, much less a leader who won't appoint any? As you can see by some of the interviews in this article, it seems like the problems might be less with America and more with Bush.
A Web of Faith, Law and Science in Evolution Suit. Put aside the conservative politicians, who are routinely out of touch with mainstream America anyway, and look at the parents. It's extremely interesting to see what the parents have to say, when it comes to Intelligent Design. Parents who support ID, like the Heids in this article. Mrs. Heid is quoted as saying, "I think we as Americans, regardless of our beliefs, should be able to freely access information, because people fought and died for our freedoms." But that's not what the problem is, nor is it what Democrats are arguing. Parents that support ID want it there because they want their children to learn it; in most cases, it's because they have raised their children to believe in ID, or Creationism. But liberals argue (rightly) that ID shouldn't be taught as a science, in a required class. The Heid's live in Dover, Pennsylvania, where the first lawsuit against the teaching of ID starts today. Here's hoping that the court rules correctly, and sets a precedent. If not, what's next? An alternate theory on math? "1+1=2, but how can we know that? Maybe 1+1=7." Don't laugh - it's just as absurd and idea as teaching ID in required classes.
Editorials
Relax, Borrow and Spend! Clarence Page sums up Bush's "fiscal policy," which we discussed yesterday: Relax, borrow and spend. Costs are on the rise, and even the least educated of us know that you can only spend so much before you need to do something. Our administration's solution to all that spending: Cut current programs (thus hurting the current population) and borrow the rest (thus hurting future Americans). We're on record for repeatedly saying that we're upset Bush hasn't raised taxes, and we surprise ourselves by saying that we wish he would. Otherwise, that "surplus" that we had when Clinton left will be a long time in coming back again.
We Can Pay Teachers More. Of course we can. If we can somehow "find" 200 billion dollars to rebuild New Orleans, and untold hundreds of billions to pay for the war, then certainly we can find a way to pay our public school teachers more than the average of $46,000 that they make right now. Chris Whittle advocates a radical idea: Tearing down our dysfunctional system and rebuilding it in an intelligent manner. Maybe we could find a way to make it more efficient, and require less teachers overall, allowing us to pay them more. Whittle's specific suggestions may or may not be effective solutions, but at least he's thinking outside the box. It's quite ironic that in fixing our schools, the quality we lack is precisely a quality we want to engender in our students: Imagination.
Blogger Commentary
Disaster Czar Rove Plays Politics Instead of Focusing on Rita. Hundreds are dead. Thousands are displaced, with their homes destroyed. Fortunately, President Bush has put someone in charge of the recovery effort, namely, one Karl Rove. And apparently, Rove was so amazingly effective that he's got enough free time to go to a political fundraiser in North Dakota. Of course, those pesky Democrats keep getting in the way. In particular, Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) had the nerve to ask the President why Rove would do such a thing. But clearly, it's because Rove's already fixed everything in the Gulf Coast. Silly Democrats.
Anatomy of a Disgrace. The Cunning Realist has been all over the Pat Tillman story, even when it seemed the story had already been told. First, we were informed that the Army lied about the nature of his death. Now, we learn more about how they've co-opted his image for their propaganda. TCR points out the highlights of a San Francisco Chronicle story that peels back the lies, and reveals the real story. It's a tale of a true patriot who was abandoned by his government, and then a government that manipulated his death for maximum public gain. Tillman become a hero the moment he enlisted - it's a shame that he had to become a martyr.
