Rich Lowry, editor of National Review and familiar with White House insiders, writes today:
"White House reaction to the Rove controversy in case you're wondering. One word: delighted."
Suckers.
Friday, June 24, 2005
Give, But Verify
This is why unregulated aid to Africa - like debt forgiveness - is a very bad idea:
The scale of the task facing Tony Blair in his drive to help Africa was laid bare yesterday when it emerged that Nigeria's past rulers stole or misused £220 billion.
That is as much as all the western aid given to Africa in almost four decades. The looting of Africa's most populous country amounted to a sum equivalent to 300 years of British aid for the continent.
The figures, compiled by Nigeria's anti-corruption commission, provide dramatic evidence of the problems facing next month's summit in Gleneagles of the G8 group of wealthy countries which are under pressure to approve a programme of debt relief for Africa.
Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, has spoken of a new Marshall Plan for Africa. But Nigeria's rulers have already pocketed the equivalent of six Marshall Plans. After that mass theft, two thirds of the country's 130 million people - one in seven of the total African population - live in abject poverty, a third is illiterate and 40 per cent have no safe water supply.
With more people and more natural resources than any other African country, Nigeria is the key to the continent's success.
Africa's troubles - AIDS and famine and genocide - are not the result of bad luck. They are the result of decades and decade of corruption, vice, and unchallenged tyranny.
The scale of the task facing Tony Blair in his drive to help Africa was laid bare yesterday when it emerged that Nigeria's past rulers stole or misused £220 billion.
That is as much as all the western aid given to Africa in almost four decades. The looting of Africa's most populous country amounted to a sum equivalent to 300 years of British aid for the continent.
The figures, compiled by Nigeria's anti-corruption commission, provide dramatic evidence of the problems facing next month's summit in Gleneagles of the G8 group of wealthy countries which are under pressure to approve a programme of debt relief for Africa.
Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, has spoken of a new Marshall Plan for Africa. But Nigeria's rulers have already pocketed the equivalent of six Marshall Plans. After that mass theft, two thirds of the country's 130 million people - one in seven of the total African population - live in abject poverty, a third is illiterate and 40 per cent have no safe water supply.
With more people and more natural resources than any other African country, Nigeria is the key to the continent's success.
Africa's troubles - AIDS and famine and genocide - are not the result of bad luck. They are the result of decades and decade of corruption, vice, and unchallenged tyranny.
This Is Not A Ringing Endorsement
King Rex on Randolph Morris:
"In my mind, he's not a draft pick," Chapman said. "He doesn't have any post moves. He's not long. He's short. And he doesn't get off the ground.
"Where is he going to play? Most guys with a body like his have to play power forward in the NBA. Most power forwards his size have perimeter skills, which he doesn't have. Or they have to be athletic, which he isn't."
Of course, Chapman watched the same Randolph Morris whom UK fans watched last season. The one who grabbed fewer than five rebounds in 21 of 34 games. Rebounding is passion. Passion is a problem for Morris.
Basketball is serious business at UK, but it's serious business with a more expensive price tag in the NBA. Pro scouts rub their brows and look for the next big body when they see guys with marginal skills who have marginal enthusiasm for the game. That, Chapman said, is what he saw from Morris in Chicago.
"I was there for one private workout with (Memphis president of basketball operations) Jerry West and some of the top talent evaluators in the NBA," Chapman said. "(Morris) looked like he couldn't even fake it for an hour.
"It was like, 'I'm 6-9. I'm supposed to be a basketball player. But I don't necessarily enjoy it. I don't enjoy competing.' "
"In my mind, he's not a draft pick," Chapman said. "He doesn't have any post moves. He's not long. He's short. And he doesn't get off the ground.
"Where is he going to play? Most guys with a body like his have to play power forward in the NBA. Most power forwards his size have perimeter skills, which he doesn't have. Or they have to be athletic, which he isn't."
Of course, Chapman watched the same Randolph Morris whom UK fans watched last season. The one who grabbed fewer than five rebounds in 21 of 34 games. Rebounding is passion. Passion is a problem for Morris.
Basketball is serious business at UK, but it's serious business with a more expensive price tag in the NBA. Pro scouts rub their brows and look for the next big body when they see guys with marginal skills who have marginal enthusiasm for the game. That, Chapman said, is what he saw from Morris in Chicago.
"I was there for one private workout with (Memphis president of basketball operations) Jerry West and some of the top talent evaluators in the NBA," Chapman said. "(Morris) looked like he couldn't even fake it for an hour.
"It was like, 'I'm 6-9. I'm supposed to be a basketball player. But I don't necessarily enjoy it. I don't enjoy competing.' "
Holy Crap, What's Thad Selling Up There In Columbus
Greg Oden plans to play basketball at Ohio State University, a person close to Oden confirmed Thursday.
No immediate announcement is scheduled, but Oden and Lawrence North High School teammate Mike Conley are expected to make oral commitments to the Buckeyes in the near future. Oral commitments are nonbinding; the earliest players can sign a national letter of intent is Nov. 9.
Oden and Conley, both entering their senior years, could not be reached for comment Thursday night after playing in the Indianapolis Star Indiana All-Stars exhibition game in Richmond. Reached by phone Thursday night, Oden's mother, Zoe, said no official decision has been made.
A dominating 7-foot, 245-pound center, Oden this past year joined NBA star LeBron James as the only juniors to be named National High School Player of the Year.
He averaged 20 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.7 blocked shots in leading the Wildcats to their second straight state championship. In one game, he blocked 18 shots.
Word of Oden's choice came two days after the NBA changed its rules for the draft, requiring that players need to be at least one year out of high school. Oden -- widely projected as the No. 1 pick in the 2006 draft before the rule change -- has said all along that he wanted to play college basketball, narrowing his choices to Ohio State, Indiana, Wake Forest and Michigan State.
Conley, one of the top-ranked point guards in the nation, averaged 10.7 points and five assists for Lawrence North last season. He had narrowed his choices to Ohio State and Wake Forest.
Earlier this month, Oden and Conley took part in the USA Basketball Youth Development Festival in San Diego.
Shooting guard Daequan Cook, an AAU teammate of Oden's and Conley's from Dayton, Ohio, also heading into his senior year, orally committed to Ohio State this spring.
No immediate announcement is scheduled, but Oden and Lawrence North High School teammate Mike Conley are expected to make oral commitments to the Buckeyes in the near future. Oral commitments are nonbinding; the earliest players can sign a national letter of intent is Nov. 9.
Oden and Conley, both entering their senior years, could not be reached for comment Thursday night after playing in the Indianapolis Star Indiana All-Stars exhibition game in Richmond. Reached by phone Thursday night, Oden's mother, Zoe, said no official decision has been made.
A dominating 7-foot, 245-pound center, Oden this past year joined NBA star LeBron James as the only juniors to be named National High School Player of the Year.
He averaged 20 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.7 blocked shots in leading the Wildcats to their second straight state championship. In one game, he blocked 18 shots.
Word of Oden's choice came two days after the NBA changed its rules for the draft, requiring that players need to be at least one year out of high school. Oden -- widely projected as the No. 1 pick in the 2006 draft before the rule change -- has said all along that he wanted to play college basketball, narrowing his choices to Ohio State, Indiana, Wake Forest and Michigan State.
Conley, one of the top-ranked point guards in the nation, averaged 10.7 points and five assists for Lawrence North last season. He had narrowed his choices to Ohio State and Wake Forest.
Earlier this month, Oden and Conley took part in the USA Basketball Youth Development Festival in San Diego.
Shooting guard Daequan Cook, an AAU teammate of Oden's and Conley's from Dayton, Ohio, also heading into his senior year, orally committed to Ohio State this spring.
My Adopted Colonels Rule the Bluegrass State
There is no fool-proof way to gauge which Kentucky high schools had the best athletic programs this year. One old-fashioned way is to measure success in the major team sports -- baseball, boys' and girls' basketball, fast-pitch softball and football. (Soccer and volleyball aren't played in some parts of the state, and/or the number of games they play in those sports vary widely.)
Using 20 wins as the standard of success in baseball, basketball and softball, and 10 wins in football, Dixie Heights was the only program to hit the mark in each of those sports this school year The Colonels won 10 games in football, 25 in boys' hoops, 20 in girls' hoops, 20 in baseball and 23 in softball.
Scott County just missed scoring across the board, coming up one win shy in softball. Corbin, Henderson County, Lexington Catholic and Owensboro Catholic also qualified in four out of five sports. Trinity, an all-boys' school, was 3-for-3 in baseball, basketball and football.
Using 20 wins as the standard of success in baseball, basketball and softball, and 10 wins in football, Dixie Heights was the only program to hit the mark in each of those sports this school year The Colonels won 10 games in football, 25 in boys' hoops, 20 in girls' hoops, 20 in baseball and 23 in softball.
Scott County just missed scoring across the board, coming up one win shy in softball. Corbin, Henderson County, Lexington Catholic and Owensboro Catholic also qualified in four out of five sports. Trinity, an all-boys' school, was 3-for-3 in baseball, basketball and football.
Quote of the Day
From the Tennessee Times, an official publication of the UT Athletic Department:
What are your goals for Tennessee Basketball?
Bruce Pearl (UT Head Coach) -- We're going to make progress right away. I don't know in terms of winning or losing what that's going to mean. My goal is for Tennessee basketball to once again become Kentucky's rival. There's no team in the SEC that's beaten Kentucky more than Tennessee. Tennessee has beaten Kentucky 62 times. Alabama is next at 37, so it's not even close, and right now Kentucky thinks their rival is probably Florida. I'm going to change that.
I like his moxy. Too bad it won't come true.
What are your goals for Tennessee Basketball?
Bruce Pearl (UT Head Coach) -- We're going to make progress right away. I don't know in terms of winning or losing what that's going to mean. My goal is for Tennessee basketball to once again become Kentucky's rival. There's no team in the SEC that's beaten Kentucky more than Tennessee. Tennessee has beaten Kentucky 62 times. Alabama is next at 37, so it's not even close, and right now Kentucky thinks their rival is probably Florida. I'm going to change that.
I like his moxy. Too bad it won't come true.
American History of War
Victor Davis Hanson - next to Paul Johnson - is the finest historian writing today. Here's a little taste from his latest essay:
The second problem was that not only were we no longer clearly fighting a right-wing extremist ideology, but Texan, twangy, and conservative President Bush was hard to repackage into the reluctant liberal warrior in the image of Woodrow Wilson, FDR, Harry Truman, or Bill Clinton.
So there was never much room for error in this war. We are not talking in this postmodern era in terms of a past Democratic president invading Latin America, interring citizens in high-plains camps, hanging terrorist suspects, nuking cities, or bombing pharmaceutical factories in Africa, but, at least from the weird present hysteria, something apparently far worse — like supposedly flushing a Koran at Guantanamo.
In a leisured and liberal society, it is very difficult in general for a conservative to wage war, because the natural suspicion arises — as a result of the conservative's tragic view of human nature and his belief in the occasional utility of force — that he enjoys the enterprise far more than a lip-biting progressive, who may in fact order more destruction. George H. W. Bush barely pulled off freeing Kuwait, but only because he fought on the ground for only four days, used the aegis of the U.N., pulled back on televised images of the so-called "Highway of Death," and was able to avoid going to Baghdad and dealing with a murdering despot still in power.
The second problem was that not only were we no longer clearly fighting a right-wing extremist ideology, but Texan, twangy, and conservative President Bush was hard to repackage into the reluctant liberal warrior in the image of Woodrow Wilson, FDR, Harry Truman, or Bill Clinton.
So there was never much room for error in this war. We are not talking in this postmodern era in terms of a past Democratic president invading Latin America, interring citizens in high-plains camps, hanging terrorist suspects, nuking cities, or bombing pharmaceutical factories in Africa, but, at least from the weird present hysteria, something apparently far worse — like supposedly flushing a Koran at Guantanamo.
In a leisured and liberal society, it is very difficult in general for a conservative to wage war, because the natural suspicion arises — as a result of the conservative's tragic view of human nature and his belief in the occasional utility of force — that he enjoys the enterprise far more than a lip-biting progressive, who may in fact order more destruction. George H. W. Bush barely pulled off freeing Kuwait, but only because he fought on the ground for only four days, used the aegis of the U.N., pulled back on televised images of the so-called "Highway of Death," and was able to avoid going to Baghdad and dealing with a murdering despot still in power.
This Was My Idea
Apparently, the next trend in reality shows is to involve celebrities. According to Variety, Fox is in talks of airing a spin-off of American Idol, where 10 celebrity singers compete to win $1 million for their favorite charity.
Actually, my idea was to take 10-12 washed up acts without high-profile recording contracts (say, Axel Rose, Loverboy, etc.) and let them duke it out for a new, big deal with Sony or another recording studio.
Actually, my idea was to take 10-12 washed up acts without high-profile recording contracts (say, Axel Rose, Loverboy, etc.) and let them duke it out for a new, big deal with Sony or another recording studio.
Expanding the Big Tent
Do you want to know why the Democratic Party is having trouble appealing to "normal" people? From today's Kentucky Post:
Twenty years ago, the Republican Party captured the American flag, said Erlanger resident Dan McGue.
Then, with Rush Limbaugh, Republicans captured the nation's radio stations.
During the 2004 presidential election, they captured Jesus, McGue said.
"They're the only people who can talk to God, and he guides George Bush in all he does," McGue said. That anyone would believe that is really upsetting, he said.
McGue was speaking at a meeting of voters in Independence on Thursday night, voters united by their anger at Bush.
McGue, a retired railroad worker, said he has voted for Republicans, but he's totally upset with the Bush "dictatorship."
"I can't believe he gets away with what he does," he said, and he blames the national media for not taking the president to task.
Former President Clinton could not get away with what President Bush has, he said.
McGue was among about 30 voters who consider themselves progressives who met at the home of Jenny and Jamie Jameson for a Democracy for America "house party" on Thursday.
It was one of at least 50 similar events held in homes across the U.S. on behalf of the national political action committee formed out of Vermont Gov. Howard Dean's presidential campaign last year.
The organization now works mainly to get candidates elected to local and state offices. Its state chapter is called Change for Kentucky.
Jameson told his guests he was looking for people who could put a political apparatus in place in Kenton County, one that could expand to all of Northern Kentucky.
"The power of the people can win elections and it will win elections," Jameson said, and many applauded.
The first priority for the organization would be to set up a communications system, he said, so that progressives could respond quickly to media attacks.
Too often, Democrats don't speak with a unified voice, he said. His prime example was their scattered response to accusations of partisanship in the Transportation Cabinet scandal.
Jeff Hampton of Morning View, wearing a "Please Jesus, save me from your followers" button, asked for pressure on local television stations to cover news they aren't covering.
"Whatever our first issue is, our second needs to be media reform," he said.
The guests spent most of their meeting getting organized and getting to know one another. Many talked about how isolated they feel as Democrats in a heavily Republican corner of the nation.
"I feel like a man without a country," said Roger Evans of Edgewood.
Frustrated at the direction the country's been heading in, he wanted to find a way to make a difference, and hoped the new group could provide that.
An ordained minister, he says he's very disappointed in the way the "religious right" has distorted the teachings of Jesus for political gain.
"How many people have to die to avenge 9-11?" he asked. "When will we realize that Jesus taught that we don't have an eye for an eye, but we forgive 70 times seven?"
The group will focus on organizing volunteers for local elections in 2006, when county officials and many city officials will be up for re-election.
Jeremy Horton, Change for Kentucky's co-founder and political director, told the guests he was encouraged that so many had come, with the elections more than a year away.
"Politics in Kentucky is in a very grave state," Jameson said. "We're going to do something about it."
Twenty years ago, the Republican Party captured the American flag, said Erlanger resident Dan McGue.
Then, with Rush Limbaugh, Republicans captured the nation's radio stations.
During the 2004 presidential election, they captured Jesus, McGue said.
"They're the only people who can talk to God, and he guides George Bush in all he does," McGue said. That anyone would believe that is really upsetting, he said.
McGue was speaking at a meeting of voters in Independence on Thursday night, voters united by their anger at Bush.
McGue, a retired railroad worker, said he has voted for Republicans, but he's totally upset with the Bush "dictatorship."
"I can't believe he gets away with what he does," he said, and he blames the national media for not taking the president to task.
Former President Clinton could not get away with what President Bush has, he said.
McGue was among about 30 voters who consider themselves progressives who met at the home of Jenny and Jamie Jameson for a Democracy for America "house party" on Thursday.
It was one of at least 50 similar events held in homes across the U.S. on behalf of the national political action committee formed out of Vermont Gov. Howard Dean's presidential campaign last year.
The organization now works mainly to get candidates elected to local and state offices. Its state chapter is called Change for Kentucky.
Jameson told his guests he was looking for people who could put a political apparatus in place in Kenton County, one that could expand to all of Northern Kentucky.
"The power of the people can win elections and it will win elections," Jameson said, and many applauded.
The first priority for the organization would be to set up a communications system, he said, so that progressives could respond quickly to media attacks.
Too often, Democrats don't speak with a unified voice, he said. His prime example was their scattered response to accusations of partisanship in the Transportation Cabinet scandal.
Jeff Hampton of Morning View, wearing a "Please Jesus, save me from your followers" button, asked for pressure on local television stations to cover news they aren't covering.
"Whatever our first issue is, our second needs to be media reform," he said.
The guests spent most of their meeting getting organized and getting to know one another. Many talked about how isolated they feel as Democrats in a heavily Republican corner of the nation.
"I feel like a man without a country," said Roger Evans of Edgewood.
Frustrated at the direction the country's been heading in, he wanted to find a way to make a difference, and hoped the new group could provide that.
An ordained minister, he says he's very disappointed in the way the "religious right" has distorted the teachings of Jesus for political gain.
"How many people have to die to avenge 9-11?" he asked. "When will we realize that Jesus taught that we don't have an eye for an eye, but we forgive 70 times seven?"
The group will focus on organizing volunteers for local elections in 2006, when county officials and many city officials will be up for re-election.
Jeremy Horton, Change for Kentucky's co-founder and political director, told the guests he was encouraged that so many had come, with the elections more than a year away.
"Politics in Kentucky is in a very grave state," Jameson said. "We're going to do something about it."
Sigh
A classic case illustrating my stumbling block with Roman Catholicism:
Catholics are still welcome to attend, but the lack of official involvement amazed Graham biographer Bill Martin, who characterized the archdiocese's reasoning as a "change in policy" from Mr. Graham's 1991 Central Park crusade. Back then, he said, 630 Catholic churches cooperated with the crusade and information on the meetings was handed out at St. Patrick's Cathedral.
That 1991 stance had been a huge shift from Mr. Graham's first New York crusade in 1957, he said, when Catholics boycotted the event and Catholic clergy were instructed on how to counter Mr. Graham's preaching.
"So maybe something's come down from above saying not to be involved in this," Mr. Martin added.
Mr. Zwilling said he didn't remember any such cooperation from churches back then, but Catholic clergy in 1991 did receive names of Catholics who answered Mr. Graham's altar calls at the Central Park event.
In a column to be released Saturday in the diocesan newspaper the Tablet, Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio outlined the significant divide over how Catholics and Protestants understand salvation.
The bishop said he welcomed Mr. Graham into the area and promised to follow up on any names given to them by crusade organizers.
How do Roman Catholic commentators respond. Well, one of my favorites wrote this:
But I actually do see the dioceses' point. This is a Protestant evangelical event. Why should a Catholic diocese work hard to get its people out to it?
Oh, I don't know. Maybe to help introduce people to their Savior. Apparently not everyone in "The Church" would agree.
Catholics are still welcome to attend, but the lack of official involvement amazed Graham biographer Bill Martin, who characterized the archdiocese's reasoning as a "change in policy" from Mr. Graham's 1991 Central Park crusade. Back then, he said, 630 Catholic churches cooperated with the crusade and information on the meetings was handed out at St. Patrick's Cathedral.
That 1991 stance had been a huge shift from Mr. Graham's first New York crusade in 1957, he said, when Catholics boycotted the event and Catholic clergy were instructed on how to counter Mr. Graham's preaching.
"So maybe something's come down from above saying not to be involved in this," Mr. Martin added.
Mr. Zwilling said he didn't remember any such cooperation from churches back then, but Catholic clergy in 1991 did receive names of Catholics who answered Mr. Graham's altar calls at the Central Park event.
In a column to be released Saturday in the diocesan newspaper the Tablet, Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio outlined the significant divide over how Catholics and Protestants understand salvation.
The bishop said he welcomed Mr. Graham into the area and promised to follow up on any names given to them by crusade organizers.
How do Roman Catholic commentators respond. Well, one of my favorites wrote this:
But I actually do see the dioceses' point. This is a Protestant evangelical event. Why should a Catholic diocese work hard to get its people out to it?
Oh, I don't know. Maybe to help introduce people to their Savior. Apparently not everyone in "The Church" would agree.
Don't Mention That Name
One of the things I love about NASCAR is that the name of Jesus is mentioned at the end of every pre-race benediction. I guess if you're about to go out and put your life on the line, you're not too concerned about offending people's delicate sensibilities.
The Medical School of South Carolina is not NASCAR:
When the Rev. John Parker was asked to say the benediction at the graduation rite for the Medical School of South Carolina, he did what any Eastern Orthodox priest would do.
He went straight to "The Great Book of Needs," a four-volume set of prayers collected over two millennia for use during every imaginable kind of ritual.
It was easy to find prayers about Jesus and healing, including: "Do now, O Lord, give your grace to all those here gathered who have labored and studied hour upon hour, to go into all the world, and also to heal by the talent You have given to each of them. Strengthen them, by your strength, to fear no evil or disease, enlighten them to do no evil by the works of their hands and preserve them and those they serve in peace, for You are our God, and we know no other."
Then he received a letter from the president's office offering guidelines for prayers at this public school in Charleston, S.C. It required inclusive language such as "Holy God, Holy One, Creator, Sustainer" rather than prayers mentioning Jesus, Allah, the Trinity or other specific divine references.
The Medical School of South Carolina is not NASCAR:
When the Rev. John Parker was asked to say the benediction at the graduation rite for the Medical School of South Carolina, he did what any Eastern Orthodox priest would do.
He went straight to "The Great Book of Needs," a four-volume set of prayers collected over two millennia for use during every imaginable kind of ritual.
It was easy to find prayers about Jesus and healing, including: "Do now, O Lord, give your grace to all those here gathered who have labored and studied hour upon hour, to go into all the world, and also to heal by the talent You have given to each of them. Strengthen them, by your strength, to fear no evil or disease, enlighten them to do no evil by the works of their hands and preserve them and those they serve in peace, for You are our God, and we know no other."
Then he received a letter from the president's office offering guidelines for prayers at this public school in Charleston, S.C. It required inclusive language such as "Holy God, Holy One, Creator, Sustainer" rather than prayers mentioning Jesus, Allah, the Trinity or other specific divine references.
This Is Not Surprising
The WaPo puts the Karl Rove "controversy" on the front page today.
Hmmm. That's interesting. Sen. Dick Durbin's remarks never made the front page
Hmmm. That's interesting. Sen. Dick Durbin's remarks never made the front page
- June 17, A-11
- June 18 in briefs, A-5
- June 19, A-6
- June 22 apology, A-6
We Must...I Mean, Have To...I Mean, Want To Destroy the Embryos!
Will this make the nightly news. Probably not.
PITTSBURGH, June 23 /PRNewswire/ -- In a ground-breaking study, scientists at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh have discovered that adult, or post- natal, stem cells have the same ability as embryonic stem cells to multiply, a previously unknown characteristic indicating that post-natal stem cells may play an important therapeutic role. Adult and post-natal stem cells are often overlooked in favor of embryonic stem cells in the national debate over the therapeutic use of stem cells.
Until now, it has been generally believed that embryonic stem cells had a greater capacity to multiply than post-natal stem cells, making them more desirable to research as a potential treatment, according to Johnny Huard, PhD, director of the Growth and Development Laboratory at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.
PITTSBURGH, June 23 /PRNewswire/ -- In a ground-breaking study, scientists at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh have discovered that adult, or post- natal, stem cells have the same ability as embryonic stem cells to multiply, a previously unknown characteristic indicating that post-natal stem cells may play an important therapeutic role. Adult and post-natal stem cells are often overlooked in favor of embryonic stem cells in the national debate over the therapeutic use of stem cells.
Until now, it has been generally believed that embryonic stem cells had a greater capacity to multiply than post-natal stem cells, making them more desirable to research as a potential treatment, according to Johnny Huard, PhD, director of the Growth and Development Laboratory at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Nice Try
This was a rather weak effort on the part of the Diocese of Covington.
The $40 million the Diocese of Covington will put up as its share of a $120 million settlement with victims of priestly sexual abuse is the maximum it could afford without getting into dire financial straits, its lawyer said Wednesday.
"We were willing to put up virtually everything the diocese has that's not committed to a parish," said Chicago-based attorney Carrie Huff.
Huff and Stan Chesley - who filed the lawsuit on behalf of an unknown number of victims - said they came up with that figure after meeting with accountants for the diocese and examining financial and property records.
The settlement calls for the diocese to pay up to $40 million via cash on hand, securities and the sale of some of its property, including the Marydale retreat center in Erlanger. The remainder of the money will come from insurance payments - which may eventually cover the diocese's share as well.
The $40 million the Diocese of Covington will put up as its share of a $120 million settlement with victims of priestly sexual abuse is the maximum it could afford without getting into dire financial straits, its lawyer said Wednesday.
"We were willing to put up virtually everything the diocese has that's not committed to a parish," said Chicago-based attorney Carrie Huff.
Huff and Stan Chesley - who filed the lawsuit on behalf of an unknown number of victims - said they came up with that figure after meeting with accountants for the diocese and examining financial and property records.
The settlement calls for the diocese to pay up to $40 million via cash on hand, securities and the sale of some of its property, including the Marydale retreat center in Erlanger. The remainder of the money will come from insurance payments - which may eventually cover the diocese's share as well.
I'll Be Right Back, I've Got A Phone Call To Make
WASHINGTON - Callers to Congressman Ben Chandler's office have left no doubt about where they stand on the a proposal to slash federal funding for public radio and television.
"Everyone is against the cuts," said Chandler's spokeswoman, Jennifer Spalding. "We've had no one call us who is for the cuts."
I enjoy PBS programming (well, most of it), but the public subsidy must go. I think Clifford and Arthur can make it on their own.
"Everyone is against the cuts," said Chandler's spokeswoman, Jennifer Spalding. "We've had no one call us who is for the cuts."
I enjoy PBS programming (well, most of it), but the public subsidy must go. I think Clifford and Arthur can make it on their own.
Those God-Fearing Docs
This doesn't surprise me at all:
CHICAGO — A survey examining religion in medicine found that most U.S. doctors believe in God and an afterlife — a surprising degree of spirituality in a science-based field, researchers say.
In the survey of 1,044 doctors nationwide, 76 percent said they believe in God, 59 percent said they believe in some sort of afterlife, and 55 percent said their religious beliefs influence how they practice medicine.
"We were surprised to find that physicians were as religious as they apparently are," said Dr. Farr Curlin, a researcher at the University of Chicago's MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics.
"There's certainly a deep-seated cultural idea that science and religion (search) are at odds," and previous studies have suggested that fewer than half of scientists believe in God, Curlin said Wednesday.
A previous survey showed about 83 percent of the general population believes in God.
But while medicine is science-based, doctors differ from scientists who work primarily in a laboratory setting, and their direct contact with patients in life-and-death situations may explain the differing views, Curlin said.
Clarification: It's not a "deep-seated cultural idea" that science and religion are at odds, it's a "deap-seated Leftist secularist idea." Big difference.
CHICAGO — A survey examining religion in medicine found that most U.S. doctors believe in God and an afterlife — a surprising degree of spirituality in a science-based field, researchers say.
In the survey of 1,044 doctors nationwide, 76 percent said they believe in God, 59 percent said they believe in some sort of afterlife, and 55 percent said their religious beliefs influence how they practice medicine.
"We were surprised to find that physicians were as religious as they apparently are," said Dr. Farr Curlin, a researcher at the University of Chicago's MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics.
"There's certainly a deep-seated cultural idea that science and religion (search) are at odds," and previous studies have suggested that fewer than half of scientists believe in God, Curlin said Wednesday.
A previous survey showed about 83 percent of the general population believes in God.
But while medicine is science-based, doctors differ from scientists who work primarily in a laboratory setting, and their direct contact with patients in life-and-death situations may explain the differing views, Curlin said.
Clarification: It's not a "deep-seated cultural idea" that science and religion are at odds, it's a "deap-seated Leftist secularist idea." Big difference.
A Confederacy of Dun...Supreme Court Justices
More foolishness from the high court:
WASHINGTON (AP) - A divided Supreme Court ruled Thursday that local governments may seize people's homes and businesses against their will for private development in a decision anxiously awaited in communities where economic growth often is at war with individual property rights.
The 5-4 ruling - assailed by dissenting Justice Sandra Day O'Connor as handing "disproportionate influence and power" to the well-heeled in America - was a defeat for Connecticut residents whose homes are slated for destruction to make room for an office complex. They had argued that cities have no right to take their land except for projects with a clear public use, such as roads or schools, or to revitalize blighted areas.
As a result, cities now have wide power to bulldoze residences for projects such as shopping malls and hotel complexes in order to generate tax revenue.
The case was one of six resolved by justices on Thursday. Among those still pending for the court, which next meets on Monday, is one testing the constitutionality of displaying the Ten Commands on government property.
Writing for the court's majority in Thursday's ruling, Justice John Paul Stevens said local officials, not federal judges, know best in deciding whether a development project will benefit the community. States are within their rights to pass additional laws restricting condemnations if residents are overly burdened, he said.
"The city has carefully formulated an economic development plan that it believes will provide appreciable benefits to the community, including - but by no means limited to - new jobs and increased tax revenue," Stevens wrote.
Stevens was joined in his opinion by other members of the court's liberal wing - David H. Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen G. Breyer. The bloc typically has favored greater deference to cities, which historically have used the takings power for urban renewal projects that benefit the lower and middle class.
They were joined by Reagan appointee Justice Anthony Kennedy in rejecting the conservative principle of individual property rights. Critics had feared that would allow a small group of homeowners to stymie rebuilding efforts that benefit the city through added jobs and more tax revenue for social programs.
What this court needs is another Scalia or Thomas...or two.
WASHINGTON (AP) - A divided Supreme Court ruled Thursday that local governments may seize people's homes and businesses against their will for private development in a decision anxiously awaited in communities where economic growth often is at war with individual property rights.
The 5-4 ruling - assailed by dissenting Justice Sandra Day O'Connor as handing "disproportionate influence and power" to the well-heeled in America - was a defeat for Connecticut residents whose homes are slated for destruction to make room for an office complex. They had argued that cities have no right to take their land except for projects with a clear public use, such as roads or schools, or to revitalize blighted areas.
As a result, cities now have wide power to bulldoze residences for projects such as shopping malls and hotel complexes in order to generate tax revenue.
The case was one of six resolved by justices on Thursday. Among those still pending for the court, which next meets on Monday, is one testing the constitutionality of displaying the Ten Commands on government property.
Writing for the court's majority in Thursday's ruling, Justice John Paul Stevens said local officials, not federal judges, know best in deciding whether a development project will benefit the community. States are within their rights to pass additional laws restricting condemnations if residents are overly burdened, he said.
"The city has carefully formulated an economic development plan that it believes will provide appreciable benefits to the community, including - but by no means limited to - new jobs and increased tax revenue," Stevens wrote.
Stevens was joined in his opinion by other members of the court's liberal wing - David H. Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen G. Breyer. The bloc typically has favored greater deference to cities, which historically have used the takings power for urban renewal projects that benefit the lower and middle class.
They were joined by Reagan appointee Justice Anthony Kennedy in rejecting the conservative principle of individual property rights. Critics had feared that would allow a small group of homeowners to stymie rebuilding efforts that benefit the city through added jobs and more tax revenue for social programs.
What this court needs is another Scalia or Thomas...or two.
The Brain Speaks
This, sadly, is right on the money:
"Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 in the attacks and prepared for war; liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers," Mr. Rove, the senior political adviser to President Bush, said at a fund-raiser in Midtown for the Conservative Party of New York State.
Citing calls by progressive groups to respond carefully to the attacks, Mr. Rove said to the applause of several hundred audience members, "I don't know about you, but moderation and restraint is not what I felt when I watched the twin towers crumble to the ground, a side of the Pentagon destroyed, and almost 3,000 of our fellow citizens perish in flames and rubble."
Told of Mr. Rove's remarks, Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York, replied: "In New York, where everyone unified after 9/11, the last thing we need is somebody who seeks to divide us for political purposes."
Mr. Rove also said American armed forces overseas were in more jeopardy as a result of remarks last week by Senator Richard J. Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, who compared American mistreatment of detainees to the acts of "Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime - Pol Pot or others."
"Has there ever been a more revealing moment this year?" Mr. Rove asked. "Let me just put this in fairly simple terms: Al Jazeera now broadcasts the words of Senator Durbin to the Mideast, certainly putting our troops in greater danger. No more needs to be said about the motives of liberals."
"Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 in the attacks and prepared for war; liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers," Mr. Rove, the senior political adviser to President Bush, said at a fund-raiser in Midtown for the Conservative Party of New York State.
Citing calls by progressive groups to respond carefully to the attacks, Mr. Rove said to the applause of several hundred audience members, "I don't know about you, but moderation and restraint is not what I felt when I watched the twin towers crumble to the ground, a side of the Pentagon destroyed, and almost 3,000 of our fellow citizens perish in flames and rubble."
Told of Mr. Rove's remarks, Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York, replied: "In New York, where everyone unified after 9/11, the last thing we need is somebody who seeks to divide us for political purposes."
Mr. Rove also said American armed forces overseas were in more jeopardy as a result of remarks last week by Senator Richard J. Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, who compared American mistreatment of detainees to the acts of "Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime - Pol Pot or others."
"Has there ever been a more revealing moment this year?" Mr. Rove asked. "Let me just put this in fairly simple terms: Al Jazeera now broadcasts the words of Senator Durbin to the Mideast, certainly putting our troops in greater danger. No more needs to be said about the motives of liberals."
Enter the Twilight Zone
I'm posting this entire article because it is just sooooo weird:
Katie Holmes' Missing Days
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
By Roger Friedman
The newly engaged Katie Holmes still has some explaining to do to her friends and family.
There were 16 days in April during which no one seems to know where she was.
Holmes made a public appearance on April 4 at the premiere of "Steel Magnolias" on Broadway.
She came with her publicist, Leslie Sloane Zelnick, and a couple of other friends. They were there to support Rebecca Gayheart, who was making her Broadway debut.
I know this because I spoke to Holmes at length during the play's intermission. She said she had just moved into her New York apartment and was looking forward to seeing the city.
I also know that on April 4, she had not yet made the acquaintance of Tom Cruise. She briefly dated Josh Hartnett after breaking up with actor Chris Klein.
Hartnett, Klein, Cruise: Which of these three is not like the others?
Klein and Hartnett are young and tall. Cruise is middle-aged and height-challenged.
On the other hand, he's the biggest movie star in the world. They are not.
Holmes was busy during that first week in April. On April 7, she was photographed at the Fragrance Foundation's FiFi event.
Four days later, Holmes was still in New York and was photographed at VH1's "Save the Music" concert. She still had not met Cruise.
Sometime that week, her friends say, she flew to Los Angeles for a meeting with Cruise about a role in "Mission: Impossible 3." The meeting took place after April 11.
The next time anyone heard from Holmes was on April 27, when she appeared in public as Cruise's girlfriend and love of his life.
Where was she during those 16 days?
Somewhere during that time, she decided to fire both her manager and agent, each of whom she had been with for years and who were devoted to her.
The manager, John Carrabino, also handles Renée Zellweger and is beloved by his clients.
Holmes also acquired a new best friend, Jessica Feshbach, the daughter of Joe Feshbach, a controversial Palo Alto, Calif., bond trader.
The Feshbach family, according to published documents, has donated millions to the Church of Scientology. Jessica's aunt even runs a Scientology center in Florida.
According to Richard Behar's now famous 1991 story in Time magazine about Scientology, the Feshbachs were the subject of congressional hearings in 1989.
Behar wrote: "The heads of several companies claimed that Feshbach operatives have spread false information to government agencies and posed in various guises — such as a Securities and Exchange Commission official — in an effort to discredit the companies and drive the stocks down.
"Michael Russell, who ran a chain of business journals, testified that a Feshbach employee called his bankers and interfered with his loans. Sometimes the Feshbachs send private detectives to dig up dirt on firms, which is then shared with business reporters, brokers and fund managers."
The risk-taking Feshbachs, known the world over for making their fortune "shorting" stocks, and the level-headed, conservative Holmeses would be a difficult mix at a dinner table.
Katie's father, Martin Holmes, is the senior partner in a large and respected Toledo, Ohio, law firm. His son, Martin Jr., has recently joined the firm. He's a Harvard graduate. Katie's mom, Kathy, is frequently cited in Toledo for her charity work.
There is some fear among Holmes' close circle that her instant romance with Cruise is not as organic as portrayed.
For one thing, Holmes was raised a strict Catholic. Also, gone from the picture are two close Holmes friends who used to be with her when she did publicity for a film.
One of these is Meghann Birie, a childhood friend who has suddenly disappeared from Holmes' world. Another, a local TV producer here in New York, was too afraid to discuss the situation with me.
We know that Cruise auditioned several actresses for this role before settling on Holmes. This column reported a story about Jennifer Garner. There have been published stories about Kate Bosworth, Lindsay Lohan and Jessica Alba being approached.
A newer one involves Scarlett Johansson, who ran for her life when presented with a fait accompli dinner at the Scientology Celebrity Centre in Hollywood.
And history has been rewritten since the April 27 unveiling.
Curiously, since the Cruise-Holmes situation popped up, we have heard over and over again that Cruise was the young actress' idol when she was growing up.
That's certainly interesting because all of the publicity that used to run on Holmes — still found all over the Internet — lists another Tom as her favorite actor.
That would be Tom Hanks.
Katie Holmes' Missing Days
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
By Roger Friedman
The newly engaged Katie Holmes still has some explaining to do to her friends and family.
There were 16 days in April during which no one seems to know where she was.
Holmes made a public appearance on April 4 at the premiere of "Steel Magnolias" on Broadway.
She came with her publicist, Leslie Sloane Zelnick, and a couple of other friends. They were there to support Rebecca Gayheart, who was making her Broadway debut.
I know this because I spoke to Holmes at length during the play's intermission. She said she had just moved into her New York apartment and was looking forward to seeing the city.
I also know that on April 4, she had not yet made the acquaintance of Tom Cruise. She briefly dated Josh Hartnett after breaking up with actor Chris Klein.
Hartnett, Klein, Cruise: Which of these three is not like the others?
Klein and Hartnett are young and tall. Cruise is middle-aged and height-challenged.
On the other hand, he's the biggest movie star in the world. They are not.
Holmes was busy during that first week in April. On April 7, she was photographed at the Fragrance Foundation's FiFi event.
Four days later, Holmes was still in New York and was photographed at VH1's "Save the Music" concert. She still had not met Cruise.
Sometime that week, her friends say, she flew to Los Angeles for a meeting with Cruise about a role in "Mission: Impossible 3." The meeting took place after April 11.
The next time anyone heard from Holmes was on April 27, when she appeared in public as Cruise's girlfriend and love of his life.
Where was she during those 16 days?
Somewhere during that time, she decided to fire both her manager and agent, each of whom she had been with for years and who were devoted to her.
The manager, John Carrabino, also handles Renée Zellweger and is beloved by his clients.
Holmes also acquired a new best friend, Jessica Feshbach, the daughter of Joe Feshbach, a controversial Palo Alto, Calif., bond trader.
The Feshbach family, according to published documents, has donated millions to the Church of Scientology. Jessica's aunt even runs a Scientology center in Florida.
According to Richard Behar's now famous 1991 story in Time magazine about Scientology, the Feshbachs were the subject of congressional hearings in 1989.
Behar wrote: "The heads of several companies claimed that Feshbach operatives have spread false information to government agencies and posed in various guises — such as a Securities and Exchange Commission official — in an effort to discredit the companies and drive the stocks down.
"Michael Russell, who ran a chain of business journals, testified that a Feshbach employee called his bankers and interfered with his loans. Sometimes the Feshbachs send private detectives to dig up dirt on firms, which is then shared with business reporters, brokers and fund managers."
The risk-taking Feshbachs, known the world over for making their fortune "shorting" stocks, and the level-headed, conservative Holmeses would be a difficult mix at a dinner table.
Katie's father, Martin Holmes, is the senior partner in a large and respected Toledo, Ohio, law firm. His son, Martin Jr., has recently joined the firm. He's a Harvard graduate. Katie's mom, Kathy, is frequently cited in Toledo for her charity work.
There is some fear among Holmes' close circle that her instant romance with Cruise is not as organic as portrayed.
For one thing, Holmes was raised a strict Catholic. Also, gone from the picture are two close Holmes friends who used to be with her when she did publicity for a film.
One of these is Meghann Birie, a childhood friend who has suddenly disappeared from Holmes' world. Another, a local TV producer here in New York, was too afraid to discuss the situation with me.
We know that Cruise auditioned several actresses for this role before settling on Holmes. This column reported a story about Jennifer Garner. There have been published stories about Kate Bosworth, Lindsay Lohan and Jessica Alba being approached.
A newer one involves Scarlett Johansson, who ran for her life when presented with a fait accompli dinner at the Scientology Celebrity Centre in Hollywood.
And history has been rewritten since the April 27 unveiling.
Curiously, since the Cruise-Holmes situation popped up, we have heard over and over again that Cruise was the young actress' idol when she was growing up.
That's certainly interesting because all of the publicity that used to run on Holmes — still found all over the Internet — lists another Tom as her favorite actor.
That would be Tom Hanks.
The Fertility Timebomb
Britain is facing an infertility crisis, with the number of couples who experience problems conceiving expected to double within the next 10 years.
A leading fertility expert warned yesterday that, by 2015, one in three couples may need IVF treatment or similar fertility procedures. The low success rates of such treatments means soaring numbers will be left childless. Professor Bill Ledger predicted a looming "infertility timebomb", with thousands of couples forced to go through physically and mentally draining treatment, at a cost of millions of pounds to the NHS each year.
He blamed the soaring rates of fertility problems on modern lifestyle factors such as obesity, women delaying starting a family, falling sperm counts among men and rising rates of sexually transmitted infections, particularly chlamydia. Smoking is also a main factor in infertility in men and women. Professor Ledger, of the University of Sheffield, called for the Government to recognise infertility as a "disease".
A leading fertility expert warned yesterday that, by 2015, one in three couples may need IVF treatment or similar fertility procedures. The low success rates of such treatments means soaring numbers will be left childless. Professor Bill Ledger predicted a looming "infertility timebomb", with thousands of couples forced to go through physically and mentally draining treatment, at a cost of millions of pounds to the NHS each year.
He blamed the soaring rates of fertility problems on modern lifestyle factors such as obesity, women delaying starting a family, falling sperm counts among men and rising rates of sexually transmitted infections, particularly chlamydia. Smoking is also a main factor in infertility in men and women. Professor Ledger, of the University of Sheffield, called for the Government to recognise infertility as a "disease".
James Lileks on Gitmo
Q: What is Gitmo?
A: Contrary to what some suggest, it does not stand for "Git mo' Peking chicken for Muhammad, he wants a second portion." It stands for "Guantanamo," a facility the United States built to see if the left would ever care about human rights abuses in Cuba. The experiment has apparently been successful.
A: Contrary to what some suggest, it does not stand for "Git mo' Peking chicken for Muhammad, he wants a second portion." It stands for "Guantanamo," a facility the United States built to see if the left would ever care about human rights abuses in Cuba. The experiment has apparently been successful.
I Killed This Guy
From Tucson.com:
Corwyn (Cory) William Zimbleman
Tucson, AZ (formerly of Champaign, IL)
Age 53. Born April 18, 1952 to the late Willard and Gilda (Ebert) Zimbleman, died June 10, 2005. Throughout his life Cory was an extraordinary artist. His artistic talent and imagination would bring awe to all who viewed his work. His works grace an LP cover and numerous books; using Computer Aided Design (CAD) he designed home and business exteriors, interiors, and furniture for several architectural firms. His talent went beyond the fine arts as he added sculpturing, woodworking, metals, and other mediums to his repertoire. Having never gained the recognition he deserved in his own lifetime his family hopes to publish a book of his works. Another of his passions was herpetology. As a child he was always bringing home reptiles. His friends nicknamed him "Snake." He even built a turtle pond in his backyard. An avid atheist, he studied the bible and religion with more fervor than most Christians. He had strong political opinions and followed Amy Goodman's radio broadcast "Democracy Now." Alas the stolen election of 2000 and living with right-winged Americans finally brought him to his early demise. Stress from living in this unjust country brought about several heart attacks rendering him disabled. Cory, a great man, so very talented, compassionate and intelligent, dedicated to the arts and humanities and the environment, will be greatly missed by his wife, family, and friends. He is survived by his wife, Patricia Montiel; his step-daughter, Esperanza Hernandez both of Tucson; his brother, Mike (Dana) of St. Louis, MO; his sisters, Susan St. Claire of San Jose, CA and Laura Zimbleman of Ypsilanti, MI, and his turtles Heidie, Skinhead and Studley and many other pets. A memorial service will be held Tuesday, June 21, 2005 from 6:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m., please call 883-2862 for information. Cremation has taken place.
Corwyn (Cory) William Zimbleman
Tucson, AZ (formerly of Champaign, IL)
Age 53. Born April 18, 1952 to the late Willard and Gilda (Ebert) Zimbleman, died June 10, 2005. Throughout his life Cory was an extraordinary artist. His artistic talent and imagination would bring awe to all who viewed his work. His works grace an LP cover and numerous books; using Computer Aided Design (CAD) he designed home and business exteriors, interiors, and furniture for several architectural firms. His talent went beyond the fine arts as he added sculpturing, woodworking, metals, and other mediums to his repertoire. Having never gained the recognition he deserved in his own lifetime his family hopes to publish a book of his works. Another of his passions was herpetology. As a child he was always bringing home reptiles. His friends nicknamed him "Snake." He even built a turtle pond in his backyard. An avid atheist, he studied the bible and religion with more fervor than most Christians. He had strong political opinions and followed Amy Goodman's radio broadcast "Democracy Now." Alas the stolen election of 2000 and living with right-winged Americans finally brought him to his early demise. Stress from living in this unjust country brought about several heart attacks rendering him disabled. Cory, a great man, so very talented, compassionate and intelligent, dedicated to the arts and humanities and the environment, will be greatly missed by his wife, family, and friends. He is survived by his wife, Patricia Montiel; his step-daughter, Esperanza Hernandez both of Tucson; his brother, Mike (Dana) of St. Louis, MO; his sisters, Susan St. Claire of San Jose, CA and Laura Zimbleman of Ypsilanti, MI, and his turtles Heidie, Skinhead and Studley and many other pets. A memorial service will be held Tuesday, June 21, 2005 from 6:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m., please call 883-2862 for information. Cremation has taken place.
O'Conner Out?
Bill Kristol - who sometimes is in the know - has this little nugget concerning the Supreme Court:
(1) There will be a Supreme Court resignation within the next week. But it will be Justice O'Connor, not Chief Justice Rehnquist. There are several tea-leaf-like suggestions that O'Connor may be stepping down, including the fact that she has apparently arranged to spend much more time in Arizona beginning this fall. There are also recent intimations that Chief Justice Rehnquist may not resign. This would be consistent with Justice O'Connor having confided her plan to step down to the chief a while ago. Rehnquist probably believes that it wouldn't be good for the Court to have two resignations at once, so he would presumably stay on for as long as his health permits, and/or until after Justice O'Connor's replacement is confirmed.
(2) President Bush will appoint Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to replace O'Connor. Bush certainly wants to put Gonzales on the Supreme Court. Presidents usually find a way to do what they want to do.
And his aides will have an argument to make to conservatives (like me) who would be unhappy with a Gonzales pick: Bush would not, after all, be replacing a conservative stalwart like Rehnquist with Gonzales. Gonzales would be taking O'Connor's seat, and Gonzales is likely to be as conservative as, or even more conservative than, O'Connor. Indeed, Karl Rove will continue, Gonzales is as conservative a nominee to replace O'Connor as one could find who could overcome a threatened Democratic filibuster. Bush aides will also assure us privately that when Rehnquist does step down, Bush will nominate a strong conservative as his replacement. They might not tell us that nominee would be as an associate justice, for Bush would plan to then promote Gonzales to chief justice--thus creating a "Gonzales Court," a truly distinctive Bush legacy.
(1) There will be a Supreme Court resignation within the next week. But it will be Justice O'Connor, not Chief Justice Rehnquist. There are several tea-leaf-like suggestions that O'Connor may be stepping down, including the fact that she has apparently arranged to spend much more time in Arizona beginning this fall. There are also recent intimations that Chief Justice Rehnquist may not resign. This would be consistent with Justice O'Connor having confided her plan to step down to the chief a while ago. Rehnquist probably believes that it wouldn't be good for the Court to have two resignations at once, so he would presumably stay on for as long as his health permits, and/or until after Justice O'Connor's replacement is confirmed.
(2) President Bush will appoint Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to replace O'Connor. Bush certainly wants to put Gonzales on the Supreme Court. Presidents usually find a way to do what they want to do.
And his aides will have an argument to make to conservatives (like me) who would be unhappy with a Gonzales pick: Bush would not, after all, be replacing a conservative stalwart like Rehnquist with Gonzales. Gonzales would be taking O'Connor's seat, and Gonzales is likely to be as conservative as, or even more conservative than, O'Connor. Indeed, Karl Rove will continue, Gonzales is as conservative a nominee to replace O'Connor as one could find who could overcome a threatened Democratic filibuster. Bush aides will also assure us privately that when Rehnquist does step down, Bush will nominate a strong conservative as his replacement. They might not tell us that nominee would be as an associate justice, for Bush would plan to then promote Gonzales to chief justice--thus creating a "Gonzales Court," a truly distinctive Bush legacy.
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
W Is A Fiscal Fraud
Today, we know that compassionate conservatism is really just big government and changing the tone means his veto pen is buried under the ground. The last four years, total spending has risen 33 percent - a figure larger than Clinton's two terms combined. Adjusted for inflation, one would have to go back to Lyndon Johnson to find a larger increase. Moreover, real discretionary spending increases in FY2002, FY2003, FY2004 and FY2005 are 4 of the 10 biggest annual increases in the last 40 years.
Monday, June 20, 2005
Happy Father's Day
Some belated Father's Day wisdom from Homer Simpson:
The code of the schoolyard, Marge! The rules that teach a boy to be a man. Let's see. Don't tattle. Always make fun of those different from you. Never say anything, unless you're sure everyone feels exactly the same way you do.
Son, when you participate in sporting events, it's not whether you win or lose: it's how drunk you get.
Kids, you tried your best, and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try.
Lisa, if you don't like your job, you don't strike: you just go in every day and do it really half assed. That's the American way.
Kids, just because I don't care doesn't mean I'm not listening!
When I look at the smiles on all the children's faces, I just know they're about to jab me with something.
I never apologize Lisa, I'm sorry but that's just the way I am.
Marge, don’t discourage the boy. Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It’s what separates us from the animals … except the weasel.
I won't lie to you, fatherhood isn't easy like motherhood.
The code of the schoolyard, Marge! The rules that teach a boy to be a man. Let's see. Don't tattle. Always make fun of those different from you. Never say anything, unless you're sure everyone feels exactly the same way you do.
Son, when you participate in sporting events, it's not whether you win or lose: it's how drunk you get.
Kids, you tried your best, and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try.
Lisa, if you don't like your job, you don't strike: you just go in every day and do it really half assed. That's the American way.
Kids, just because I don't care doesn't mean I'm not listening!
When I look at the smiles on all the children's faces, I just know they're about to jab me with something.
I never apologize Lisa, I'm sorry but that's just the way I am.
Marge, don’t discourage the boy. Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It’s what separates us from the animals … except the weasel.
I won't lie to you, fatherhood isn't easy like motherhood.
Do It For "The Children"
I'm all for keeping the kids safe, but isn't this going a bit too far.
The Campbell County High School football field could be a safer place to play and march next season thanks to some old tires and a new surface.
The field is being refurbished using a product called crumb rubber, made from recycled waste tires, providing more cushion than traditional dirt fields.
"The process serves kind of a two-fold purpose," said Cathy Guess of the Kentucky Division of Waste Management. "It is a beneficial reuse of waste tires, and we have found there are fewer injuries to students after this is incorporated."
Now, even the dirt and grass are a danger to "the children."
The Campbell County High School football field could be a safer place to play and march next season thanks to some old tires and a new surface.
The field is being refurbished using a product called crumb rubber, made from recycled waste tires, providing more cushion than traditional dirt fields.
"The process serves kind of a two-fold purpose," said Cathy Guess of the Kentucky Division of Waste Management. "It is a beneficial reuse of waste tires, and we have found there are fewer injuries to students after this is incorporated."
Now, even the dirt and grass are a danger to "the children."
If Only the Pigs Had Restrained Themselves
This piece from The Scotsman starts off great, but ends with a sigh:
IT IS one of the big, untold stories of the global economy. America's public finances are improving at last, to the great relief of the White House but to the puzzlement of much of the commentariat, which cannot fathom how tax cuts can possibly go hand in hand with a smaller budget deficit.
The US budget shortfall fell to $35.3bn (£19.4bn) in May, down 43.5% on the $62.5bn seen during the same month last year, thanks to a continuing surge in tax revenues. This year's deficit was the smallest May shortfall since the $27.9bn seen in May 2001, which was also the last year the government ran a budget surplus. This is a much better outcome than almost anybody was forecasting; it follows a series of US tax relief packages between 2001 and 2003, making the lower deficit all the more surprising to most analysts.
This apparent paradox has a simple explanation: President Bush's 2003 tax cuts played an important role in boosting economic growth and share prices; in turn, this triggered an explosion in tax receipts which is now compensating for the revenue lost originally. Of course, there are other reasons why the US economy has bounced back, including the strong international recovery and normal cyclical effects. But there is no doubt that the tax cuts helped a great deal.
Another explanation for why mainstream forecasters got it so wrong is that they attributed the deficit almost exclusively to the president's tax cuts. But the deficit's primary cause was the economy's poor growth after the collapse of the dot.com bubble. President Bush's decision to throw caution and principle to the wind and embark on an astonishing spending binge - much of which had nothing to do with his military or security policies - was an equally important reason.
The deficit could easily be abolished entirely by freezing spending for 18 months or so. Bush now seems likely to meet his campaign pledge to cut the deficit in half as a percentage of GDP by 2009; but if he had the guts and the support of the supposedly conservative Congress, he could easily eradicate the deficit simply by not spending more.
But Bush's and Congress's profligacy remains largely unchecked, with government spending in May hitting $188bn, up 5.7% from the same month of last year. But this was swamped by improved revenues of $152.7bn, up 32.3% from May 2000, led by an exceptional performance from income tax and corporation tax - thanks to, rather than despite, the 2003 tax cuts.
IT IS one of the big, untold stories of the global economy. America's public finances are improving at last, to the great relief of the White House but to the puzzlement of much of the commentariat, which cannot fathom how tax cuts can possibly go hand in hand with a smaller budget deficit.
The US budget shortfall fell to $35.3bn (£19.4bn) in May, down 43.5% on the $62.5bn seen during the same month last year, thanks to a continuing surge in tax revenues. This year's deficit was the smallest May shortfall since the $27.9bn seen in May 2001, which was also the last year the government ran a budget surplus. This is a much better outcome than almost anybody was forecasting; it follows a series of US tax relief packages between 2001 and 2003, making the lower deficit all the more surprising to most analysts.
This apparent paradox has a simple explanation: President Bush's 2003 tax cuts played an important role in boosting economic growth and share prices; in turn, this triggered an explosion in tax receipts which is now compensating for the revenue lost originally. Of course, there are other reasons why the US economy has bounced back, including the strong international recovery and normal cyclical effects. But there is no doubt that the tax cuts helped a great deal.
Another explanation for why mainstream forecasters got it so wrong is that they attributed the deficit almost exclusively to the president's tax cuts. But the deficit's primary cause was the economy's poor growth after the collapse of the dot.com bubble. President Bush's decision to throw caution and principle to the wind and embark on an astonishing spending binge - much of which had nothing to do with his military or security policies - was an equally important reason.
The deficit could easily be abolished entirely by freezing spending for 18 months or so. Bush now seems likely to meet his campaign pledge to cut the deficit in half as a percentage of GDP by 2009; but if he had the guts and the support of the supposedly conservative Congress, he could easily eradicate the deficit simply by not spending more.
But Bush's and Congress's profligacy remains largely unchecked, with government spending in May hitting $188bn, up 5.7% from the same month of last year. But this was swamped by improved revenues of $152.7bn, up 32.3% from May 2000, led by an exceptional performance from income tax and corporation tax - thanks to, rather than despite, the 2003 tax cuts.
Quote of the Day
"America doesn't have a lack of empathy; they just don't know the issues as well. Actually, today I had to defend the Bush Administration in France again. They refuse to accept, because of their political ideology, that he has actually done more than any American President for Africa. But it's empirically so." -- Live 8 (and Live Aid) organizer Bob Geldof in Time magazine
Elections in Lebanon
From the NY Times (and you know they hated publishing that last line):
Opponents of Syrian domination claimed a stunning majority victory in the final round of Lebanon's parliamentary elections on Sunday night in a rebellion touched off by the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri four months ago.
An anti-Syrian alliance that tried to bridge religious lines and was led by Mr. Hariri's son, 35-year-old Saad Hariri, a Sunni Muslim, won at least 21 of 28 contested seats in northern Lebanon, the last polling area in the elections that have been staggered over the past four weekends. That gave the alliance a majority in the next 128-seat Parliament.
It was a startling change in the way politics have usually been carried out here - along strict clan and religious lines and long under the control of Syria - and perhaps an example of a greater yearning for democracy in the Arab world.
Opponents of Syrian domination claimed a stunning majority victory in the final round of Lebanon's parliamentary elections on Sunday night in a rebellion touched off by the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri four months ago.
An anti-Syrian alliance that tried to bridge religious lines and was led by Mr. Hariri's son, 35-year-old Saad Hariri, a Sunni Muslim, won at least 21 of 28 contested seats in northern Lebanon, the last polling area in the elections that have been staggered over the past four weekends. That gave the alliance a majority in the next 128-seat Parliament.
It was a startling change in the way politics have usually been carried out here - along strict clan and religious lines and long under the control of Syria - and perhaps an example of a greater yearning for democracy in the Arab world.
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