Great bit from Taranto today.
The Washington Post's Dana Milbank gives the game away, though:
"Most Republicans skipped the hearing, leaving Democrats largely unchallenged as they assailed Bolton's knack for making enemies and disparaging the very organization he would serve."
That would be the U.N.--but of course the American ambassador to the U.N. is supposed to serve America, not the U.N.
Best of the Web Today - April 13, 2005
By JAMES TARANTO
Filibuster Buster
Believe it or not, someone on the Democratic left has actually written something interesting about the filibuster. Most of the pro-Democratic commentary on the so-called nuclear option has been torpor-inducing because so obviously insincere; these people do no care about the hallowed traditions of the Senate per se but are merely making opportunistic use of them.
But Matthew Yglesias of The American Prospect takes a different approach:
Democrats should counter loose talk of going nuclear with a proposal of their own: The Senate as a whole could vote, through proper procedures, to end filibusters on votes of all kind, allowing passage of any bill (or nominee) that can secure a majority vote. Republicans may reject the offer, of course. But if they do so, that will only strengthen the Democrats' hand politically in combating the nuclear option--by demonstrating a fair-minded commitment to principle over short-term partisan advantage.
Alternatively, the GOP might agree. In the short term, this would produce bad results: confirmation for some bad judges. In the long run, however, eliminating the filibuster will be good for liberals, and Republicans will rue the day they decided to sacrifice a major prop of conservatism in order to put a handful of under-qualified nominees on the bench.
Yglesias argues that the filibuster is much more often employed against liberal than conservative legislation:
Indeed, as conservative activist Jim Boulet Jr. has wisely argued in a memo to his comrades, the filibuster is crucial to conservatism. By his account, without it, majorities would exist to raise the minimum wage; reform labor law to make new union organizing easier; ban discrimination against gays and lesbians in employment; reduce greenhouse-gas emissions; and close the "gun-show loophole." I'm not a gun-control fan myself, but everything else on the list is a key priority. In the past, of course, the filibuster is most famous for its role in delaying the dawn of civil rights. Less well known is that it was integral to the defeat of Bill Clinton's health care plan in 1993. If liberals ever get another chance to go for comprehensible health-care reform, the filibuster will once again rear its ugly head.
Why haven't the Democrats embraced Yglesias's idea? Well, maybe they just haven't thought of it. Maybe they're thinking tactically instead of strategically, for as Yglesias notes, "At any given moment, the filibuster rule helps the minority party. Right now, that's Democrats." Or maybe they are thinking strategically and figure they're unlikely to retake a Senate majority any time soon.
Arrivederci, Antonin!
There's been a lot of crazy talk lately about the judiciary, from both sides of the political fence: conservatives calling for mass impeachment of activist liberal judges and liberals insisting that criticism of judges imperils our very structure of government. But blogger Orin Kerr made us laugh with this offering:
As every right-thinking person knows, the judiciary recently has run amok. It's high time we did something about it. I think the solution is clear: we need to impeach Justice Antonin Scalia.
If you think about it, Justice Scalia is directly or indirectly responsible for many of the problems with the modern judiciary. Not only did Scalia personally fail to intervene in the Schiavo case, ignoring the will of Congress, but he has repeatedly urged judges to simply ignore Congressional intent. He refuses to cite legislative history, woodenly following the "text" rather than deferring to clear statements of what Congressional leaders intended to do. This kind of judicial hubris is simply unacceptable.
Scalia is even worse in the area of constitutional interpretation. His activist opinions have invented new constitutional rights for marijuana growers, given thousands of convicted criminals a "get out of jail free" card, and tried to limit the President's ability to fight the war on terror. In addition, Scalia has relied heavily on foreign legal sources to interpret allegedly ambiguous provisions of the Bill of Rights (see part II A). Indeed, Scalia's contempt for our system of Government is so great that he admits he wants to see the Constitution "dead."
The American people deserve better than Scalia's satanic Marxist activism. It's time to impeach Nino.
Wife Without Parole
Massachusetts guarantees its prison inmates the right to marry, and it also guarantees same-sex couples the right to marry. But trying to exercise both rights at once is a bridge too far even for the Bay State, reports the Boston Globe:
The state Department of Correction has denied permission to two male inmates to marry at a state facility for sex offenders, according to a letter signed by the prison superintendent and obtained by the Globe yesterday.
Essie Billingslea and Bruce Hatt "requested permission to marry in early February" but Superintendent Robert Murphy denied the proposal:
''A wedding/marriage between you and resident Bruce Hatt would present a significant security risk to the Massachusetts Treatment Center and the Department of Correction," Murphy wrote in a March 23 letter to Billingslea. ''A marriage between two residents . . . would have a direct impact on the orderly running of the facility." . . .
Supporters of same-sex marriage said the timing of the letter's release was suspect.
''It seems likely that supporters of Governor Romney are trying to diminish the validity of our relationships by connecting us to sexual predators," said Arline Isaacson, cochairwoman of the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus. ''They are trying to change the image of the gay couples who have married or plan to, from the very traditional and conservative people they are, to the image of sexual predators. It's clever, very clever. It's an old trick that used to be used against the gay community all the time."
It's the second time the department has denied a marriage request from a pair of men incarcerated in the same facility. It did allow a female con to marry another woman who wasn't in prison. So we guess the Massachusetts rule is that gay couples are allowed to marry, so long as at least one partner is out.
Heaving at Harvard
Elise Stefanik of the Harvard Crimson describes how the Angry Left makes its opinions known at America's most prestigious university:
At 3 p.m. yesterday, the Harvard Office of Career Services hosted a counterterrorism career panel that included representatives from the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Homeland Security, and two non-partisan security think tanks. Joining the panelists were two distinct groups of Harvard students: one genuinely interested in potential careers in counter-terrorism, and another group consisting of rude, self-proclaimed morally superior, intellectually indoctrinated protestors.
Let me be perfectly clear, while a tasteful protest marched on outside the Science Center, I am referring to the disruptive protestors sitting at the event. The propagandists' techniques of disruption varied: their base tactics ranged from coughing incessantly to the point where none of the panelists could be heard, interrupting presentations to ask ludicrous questions such as "Isn't it true you train your employees to torture," staging a mock deportation of an ethnic minority protestor midway through the discussion, clapping obnoxiously to halt the dialogue, and ridiculing students who posed legitimate questions to the panelists. A protestor sitting three rows behind me physically made himself vomit.
A Crimson news account identifies the pukester as alumnus Matthew R. Skomarovsky, a member of the class of 2003. "Several audience members said they were unimpressed by the protesters' disruptive tactics," the report adds:
"I hate torture as much as the next protester," Nathan A. Sharp '08 said.
"But the best way to address the humanitarian disregard or the incompetence of the CIA is not by harassing their recruiters," Sharp said. "I don't know why they'd want to prevent the CIA from reaching out to people who might improve upon their errors."
If the Angry Left wants to persuade people, it is going to have to do better than regurgitating the same old ideas.
Four Cheers for John Bolton!
Has he been confirmed yet? Has he been confirmed yet? Sorry, but we're really excited about John Bolton being U.N. ambassador. Just look how crabby Gail Collins and crew are over at the New York Times:
. . . outrageous . . . withering disdain . . . just as disturbing . . . Mr. Bush's rewarding loyalty rather than holding officials accountable for mistakes . . . added reasons for denying the job to Mr. Bolton . . . false claims about a weapons program in another nation . . . a detailed indictment of his views . . . long public record of attacking the United Nations . . . Mr. Bolton's lamentation . . . Mr. Bolton's contempt for that process . . . misrepresenting intelligence on Cuba . . . That sounds scary, but it was not true. . . . Mr. Bolton became enraged . . . attempts to dodge accountability . . . almost comical . . . not remotely believable . . . nifty theme music . . . flatly contradicted Mr. Bolton's claim . . . the way the administration vilified another intelligence officer . . . a "kiss-up, kick-down sort of guy" . . . intimidation had had a lasting effect . . . the "no harm, no foul" ploy, saying his misbehavior shouldn't count . . . With America's credibility as low as it is . . .
The Washington Post's Dana Milbank gives the game away, though:
Most Republicans skipped the hearing, leaving Democrats largely unchallenged as they assailed Bolton's knack for making enemies and disparaging the very organization he would serve.
That would be the U.N.--but of course the American ambassador to the U.N. is supposed to serve America, not the U.N.
Homicide Shooters?
From a New York Times editorial on Israel's pending expulsion of its citizens from Gaza: "Mr. Abbas, for his part, will have to do much more than just sit on the sidelines and watch the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. He must figure out a way to stop his fellow Palestinians from shooting themselves in the foot--as they are prone to do--by attacking the Israeli settlers on the way out."
Actually, if the Palestinians shot only themselves, Mideast peace would be at hand.
Winning Isn't Everything, Lombardi Says
"U.S. Has No Exit Strategy for Iraq, Rumsfeld Says"--headline, Bloomberg News, April 12
" 'We don't have an exit strategy, we have a victory strategy,' Rumsfeld told soldiers during a surprise visit to Baghdad, according to a pooled broadcast report from the capital. 'The goal is to help the Iraqi Forces develop the skills and the capacity to provide their own security.' "--second paragraph, same story
Hey, One President Per Person!
"Should Hillary Clinton Run for Presidents?"--headline, Associated Press, April 12
Taking Ted Down a Notch
The Daily Illini, student newspaper at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, reports that alum Rick Kaplan, now president of MSNBC, spoke on campus on the subject of blogging:
He said bloggers can act in a mob mentality and may not be accurate in their reports.
"The bloggers' accuracy rates are good for baseball, not for journalists," Kaplan said. "A baseball player can make seven out of 10 at bat and be highly respected. If journalists are only right seven out of 10 times, this would be terrible."
Which raises an obvious question: What is Ted Williams--whose lifetime batting average was a mere .344, and who only once, in 1941, did better than four out of 10 at bat--doing in the Baseball Hall of Fame?
Great Moments in Public Education
"A 16-year-old disabled girl was punched and forced to engage in videotaped sexual acts with several boys in a high school auditorium as dozens of students watched, according to witnesses," the Associated Press reports form Columbus, Ohio. It happened last month at Mifflin High:
The principal, Regina Crenshaw, was suspended and will be fired for not calling police, school officials said. . . . The girl was forced to perform oral sex on at least two boys, according to statements from school officials, obtained by The Columbus Dispatch. Part of the alleged assault was videotaped by a student who had a camera for a school project.
School officials found the girl bleeding from the mouth. An assistant principal cautioned the girl's father against calling 911 to avoid media attention, the statements said. The girl's father called police.
Her father said the girl is developmentally disabled. A special education teacher said the teen has a severe speech impediment.
Why Can't Ningwakwe Read?
The Cape Breton (Nova Scotia) Post reports on an "aboriginal workshop on literacy":
For Ningwakwe-Priscilla George each colour in a rainbow signifies an aspect of aboriginal literacy.
During a workshop held at Membertou Trade and Convention Centre Monday, George presented the Rainbow Approach to Aboriginal Literacy.
The first colour in the rainbow is red, she said. It's the colour understood by some aboriginal cultures to mean confidence, which has within it the knowing, the ability to plan and to start a process. Red represents the language of origin of First Nations individuals and their communities, said George.
She also outlined the colours orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet and explained their connection to the aboriginal culture.
What does this have to do with literacy? We thought you'd never ask:
In development for nine years, the educational program incorporates a holistic approach to literacy.
George said that when teaching is expanded to include the mind, heart, body and soul, the impact on aboriginal students is greater than traditional methods of teaching. . . .
"Right now, funders are using a restrictive definition of literacy," she said. "It's mostly print-based. There are different kinds of ways people can express themselves beyond the written word."
Aha! So a "holistic approach to literacy" means, "Who cares if you can read?"
What Would Ross Gittins Do Without Monkeys?
"According to monkeys, high taxes can make us work less and live more, writes Ross Gittins."--subheadline, the Age (Melbourne, Australia), April 14
She's Very Smart, but Has a Poor Self-Image
"Mentor Wants Silicone Breast Implants"--headline, Reuters, April 13
Killer Napkins
Local officials in Gloucestershire, England, had printed paper napkins with the anticrime slogan "Lock, stop, chain and check," which they planned to distribute to local oldsters participating in a meals-on-wheels program, reports London's Guardian. But the plan was held up:
The delay has been sanctioned by the crime and disorder reduction partnership in Tewkesbury, where the problem was raised at a meeting intended to give the final go-ahead.
The group's development manager, Debbie Kemp, said: "We were discussing it at the meeting and it was brought to our attention that we should consider health and safety issues.
"Things were put on hold while we checked the rules and made sure the napkins were safe."
The specific fear was that the geriatric gourmands might try to eat the napkins and choke to death. In the end, they were deemed safe for seniors. Still, the Guardian quotes Pat Scannell of the Gloucestershire Pensioners' Forum: "To risk-assess a napkin is utterly ridiculous and an unnecessary cost to the taxpayer." (Hat tip: Overlawyered.com.)
Dressed to the Nines
Anna Ayala, the sue-happy Las Vegan who claims to have found a human finger in an order of chili at a San Jose, Calif., Wendy's, now says she doesn't plan to litigate, the Associated Press reports:
Ayala dropped her claim because it "has caused her great emotional distress and continues to be difficult emotionally," said her attorney, Jeffrey Janoff.
Court records show Ayala has a history of making legal claims against corporations, including a former employer, General Motors and a fast-food restaurant. She acknowledged receiving a settlement for medical costs a year ago after claiming that her daughter was sickened after eating at a Las Vegas restaurant.
Well, that's what you get when you bite the hand that feeds you. Wendy's is still taking the incident seriously:
Wendy's spokesman Denny Lynch declined to comment on Ayala's decision to drop the lawsuit but said a reward hot line to receive tips will remain open. Wendy's has offered $50,000 to the first person who can provide verifiable information that identifies the origin of the finger.
Hey Denny, wasn't "receiving tips" the problem in the first place? But seriously, we'd like to claim the $50,000, and our information can be verified through the State Journal-Register of Springfield, Ill.:
Charlie Mullin hasn't felt whole since his black leather jacket was stolen from a Springfield tavern two weeks ago. It's not so much the jacket itself but what's in one of the pockets that he misses most."Normally I wouldn't care, BUT, I had the tip of my finger in my coat pocket," the suburban Chicago resident wrote in an e-mail to The State Journal-Register.
We looked up the full story on Factiva. It seems Mullin was at a "rugby party" last June, where his finger was severed by the chain of a minibike. "It's a pretty good chunk of my finger; what I lost is from the knuckle up," Mullin told the paper. "It was a pretty crazy party":
The wife of one of Mullin's friends works with epoxy and offered to seal it for him. Mullin said he wanted to keep the finger for sentimental reasons.
"It's pretty well preserved," he said. "I brought it that night so I could show it to people."
Although Mullin said his leather jacket was expensive, he doesn't really care about its return. What he wants back is his fingertip. "I could replace another jacket," he said. "I want people to know (the finger) belongs to somebody." . . .
Although he misses his finger, Mullin said he can't help but appreciate the humor in someone inadvertently discovering the precious memento. "It would almost be worth losing a finger to see somebody finding it," he said with a laugh.
Mullin lost the finger March 15, exactly a week before Ayala's digital discovery. We don't exactly know how it might have traveled halfway across the country, but San Jose is in the heart of Silicon Valley, center of the digital revolution. |
