John Edwards is running...again

In the Wednesday Roundup I gave Johnny "I chase ambulances" Edwards props for being the at the top of the heap in the Democratic struggle for front-runner status (if they can't even agree if they're for or against the war how do we expect them to decide much else?). He's been in the headlines for his work with the Center for Poverty, Work, and Opportunity ("Look at me I'm running for President!") at UNC. Of interest is the Hotline blog coverage of a "major policy address" by Edwards, an evolution of his old "Two Americas" schtick which he called "A Working Society" (maybe I'm just being a crass capitalist pig but I'd say, with an unemployment rate of 4.6%, we're already there). Edwards' plan inherently appeals to the populist, less-than-free-market instincts of his base (he's getting a lot of chatter in the blogosphere) through the abolition of poverty in 30 years, with a one-third reduction in ten years and the creation of a welfare state to reward hard work. His plan includes minimum wage hikes, "stepping stone" jobs (?), housing vouchers, and a refocusing of the education system (please tell me that means school vouchers and I might not call him a quasi-socialist). He claims housign vouchers are necessary to get working families out of "bad neighborhoods" - but why doesn't he challenge working families to improve the neighborhoods around them. In cities across the nation, innovative public-private partnerships have driven back gangs and reduced crime by acting as a community again, that elemental social unit that, while not the primary means of raising a child, is essential to preserve identity and some sort of order in larger metrolpoli (pl?). Oh, and all of this would smack of a lot less hypocrisy if Edwards himself weren't so filthy rich while simultaneously claiming that ours is a society that rewards the rich and ignores the poor.

(Belated) Morning Roundup

Lots coming off the wires, so let's get started folks.

• Ozzie Guillen was fined for his anti-gay slurs this week, though he's not out of the woods yet with the aggrieved columnist calling for his suspension and some talk about him having to go sensitivity training. As much as I despise the Sox, and abhor Guillen for what he said, sensitivity training?! This is baseball, people, not ballet. But best part of this whole disaster so far were Guillen's attempts to talk his way out, claiming his vitriol would have had a different context in his native Venezuela (...right), and - this is when it gets priceless - "He also said that he has gay friends, goes to WNBA games, went to the Madonna concert and plans to attend the Gay Games in Chicago." Rest of the article is here.
• In what can't come as a surprise to anyone with a little bit of common sense, General Casey has explicitly linked Tehran to Shiite extremist groups, saying that the Iranians have provided training, IED technology, and weapons both directly through their special forces and indirectly through their Lebanese lackeys. Beyond the obvious problem, Casey said (and I agree) that such support works to increase Sunni suspicion of the new government. Calling Tehran out might not stop their aid altogether, but it may force them to back off a little bit.
• A two-tour Iraqi veteran lets off steam about the Iraqi plan (since revised) to give amnesty to those insurgents and terrorists who killed only Americans, not Iraqis. I heartily agree, and was disappointed when some Senators found it within themselves to vote in favor of such an amnesty plan, hoping it'd go unnoticed (I'm not goign to name names). Thankfully I've heard elsewhere that the Iraqi government realized that they'd just stuck their foot in their mouth and revised the proposal, refusing amnesty to those killing Iraqis or their friends (US, UK, etc.) but still letting those found carrying weapons go...I swear this place makes Deadwood look like Pleasantville.
• Thank you Captain Obvious. Pew's put out a new poll on the Muslims perception of the Western world and vice-versa. Nothing too stunning there, though I found the regional disparities within the Western perception of the Muslim world interesting. Feedback welcome as always.
• Apparently we've broken up another attempted terrorist attack, this one aimed at targets in Miami or Chicago, with the target in the latter city being the Sears Tower. These guys apparently dreamed big but had no real means of carrying out their attacks; I've read elsewhere that they thought taking out the Sears Tower would cripple the nation...seems like a leap to me. In other homeland security news, cities have finally gotten around to talking about banning transhipment of dangerous chemicals through densely-populated areas. Everytime one of those cars derails out in the boonies they have to evacuate half a county - can you imagine that in a major city? Of course it won't end the threat, but if enacted, these measures will go a long way to securing America's big urban centers (oh and I'm shocked that the railroad lobby can possibly defend such bans on economic grounds...that'll go over real well).
• In some of the greatest news I've heard for democracy in a long while, my favorite for the Texas gubernatorial, Kinky Friedman, has made it onto the ballot. Kinky, for those of you aern't familiar with it, burst onto the scene with a C&W band called "Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys" - and it's been uphill ever since. His website is here - and I hate to admit it, but the man makes some sense. The joke in the primaries was "Rick Perry got the most votes, incumbent Republican Carole Keeton Strayhorn [Scott McClellan's mom] took second - who took third? Kinky or the Democrat?" Rick Perry should still win without serious effort, but this will be an amusing race now that Kinky's on the ballot.
• In our second "Duh" moment of the day, Democrats angling for the White House stressed the importance of being able to relate to middle-class voters on things like faith and NASCAR. I'm not going to say anything more - tre fact they had to step up and say that themselves just shows why Democrats cannot win national elections. Victor Davis Hanson also points it out, noting that most of their doom and gloom predictions (or wishful thinking, i.e. Karl Rove being indicted) have failed to materialize, to say nothing of their continued stubborn lack of vision or big ideas...yes they rolled out a program last week, but college tax credits don't count as big ideas, indeed they're about as quotidien as one gets in the world of policy.
• The House passed two bills of some note yesterday, one scaling back the death tax, after the Senate had failed to abolish it, and the other passing a weaker form of the line-item veto, a mechanism by which they hope to reduce wasteful spending. We'll see if either one gets through the Senate.

That's all for now folks, sorry about how late this is getting out.

Hmmmm...

Why haven't I seen this in the mainstream media? British-based Islamic terrorists planning on turning cameras into stunguns (how?) and using them to hijack aircraft to crash into the Canary Wharf development on the East End.

If anyone else is keeping score, the media is 0/2 on two pretty big stories in the last 24 hours. Much better, in the case of CNN's website, to keep hooting and hollering about global warming...

My News at Noon

• Some form of energy sanity has finally prevailed, with the House Committee on Resources voting overwhelmingly to lift restrictions on coastal driling. I swear in the debate about oil and gas drilling, critics are stuck in the 1930s with the images of the great gushers in the Permean Basin...things have gotten so much cleaner since then. The drilling permitted by the vote would be out of sight from shore, within our broad belt of territorial waters. Although it's not as good as finding cleaner sources of renewable energy, anything that's not Saudi oil or Russian natural gas is okay in my book.
• Two former Clintonistas show some courage on foreign policy. Perry and Carter urge a first strike on that Taepodong missile which is causing everyone such a headache, which would also send a clear signal to North Korea about the gravity of the situation. The worst the North could do is threaten an invasion of the South, they say, a threat they're unlikely to carry out. I largely agree with their analysis, but unfortunately it will have to be a largely unilateral action; I don't think Seoul would support us on the offchance Kim Jong-Il is actually crazy enough to invade. Japan would support us only if in their strategic calculus such an action does more to stabilize than destabilize the volatile region. As for our friends in China, I suspect they'll be vehemently opposed merely because of the precedent set. Yet in some way I think our back is to the wall, we've used the proverbial carrot for a decade now with no tangible results. Smacking "Dear Leader" around a little bit might make him realize that he's the ruler of an impoverished nation of starving people with a third-rate military, his fantasies of greatness aside.
• In the Washington Senate campaign, the wishy-washy Maria Cantwell is steadily losing ground to former Safeco CEO and Republican challenger Mike McGavick. It's not a race that has been in the headlines much, but at present Cantwell holds a slender four-point lead (44%-40%), and her numbers have been steadily declining over the last couple of months. McGavick is the sort of candidate whose beliefs mesh with the dual nature of Washington politics, what with its liberal Seattle face and conservative trans-Cascades bit too. I also feel like Washingtonians remember the recent governors race where, and I'm not being a partisan hack here, it certainly seems like the Democrats stole the election from Dino Rossi. Cantwell may just be unlucky enough to feel their wrath in November.
• The House won't vote to renew the Voting Rights Act right away; don't worry, it's not as bad as it sounds. The original act contained provisions designed to ensure the compliance of select (read: Southern) states via federal oversight. The "rebellious" Reps feel that those days are gone and thus those provisions should be removed. In an interesting piece on Tuesday, WSJ OpinionJournal argued that the removal of those Section 5 clauses might permit (God Forbid!) an end to racially-based gerrymandering and the resultant creation of majority-minority districts to provide safe Democratic and Republican seats. The removal of those same provisions might also allow states, if they so desire, to publish ballots only in English...though, call me crazy, but I feel like if you don't speak English you shouldn't really be voting anyways? That there has been such a "Republicans are racist" firestorm is easy to understand considering the relative complexity of the issue and its intersection with racial tensions; hopefully some sanity at all levels will soon be forthcoming.
• Looks like Carl Levin's amendment, what's been termed "cut and jog" by some, has also failed. Again, as soon as the Senate posts the votes I'll break them down.
• Saddam valiantly presses on with his hunger strike - no more eating your Doritos in his underwear? (It was one thing when Gandhi would go on hunger strikes, he always looked on the verge of expiration; Saddam, not so much).
• US loses, Italy wins. Italy and Ghana will advance. I'm bitter about this - Stanley Cup: done, NBA: finals done, World Cup: US is out...what am I supposed to watch now?
  

Kerry-Feingold Amendment Goes Down in Flames

86-13 (no idea who didn't vote, I'll get the Rollcall and any comments up here ASAP).

Going down in flames also seems to be the fate of US Soccer...it's painful to watch.

Hank Paulson and China

Bloomberg reports that Hank Paulson, Bush's new nominee for Treasury Secretary, replacing the outgoing John Snow (by the way, who ever thought that in the 21st century, a railroad executive was a good choice for Treasury Sec? A Goldman guy is much better) is divesting himself of any assets that may prove a conflict of interest - including shares in a Goldman fund which is invested solely in the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC).

As Treasury Secretary, what will Paulson's stance on China be? He's long been oriented that way in his work at Goldman, as they and their competitors rush in to that enormous market. Given that he previously had a personal financial interest in the region's success, will he in any way be inclined to take positions that might not always be 100% in the US's best interest? Just idle speculation, I hope. But with Robert Zoellick's resignation last week, and with it the departure of one of the main figures shaping US-PRC policy, will Paulson step into that void, taking on issues beyond his traditional portfoli?

Morning Roundup

(This one will be brief)

• MSM coverage of the WMDs in Iraq, announced yesterday by Santorum and Hoekstra, can best be described as "lalalalallalalalalalal I can't hear you lalalalallalalallalala" - that is to say an attitude of "if we don't cover it, it didn't happen." Of course it's out in the conservative blogosphere, some good stuff there - links later.
• DailyKos's coverage, just for amusement, is here. Headline? "PA-Sen: Santorum Makes Shit Up" - including an innane childish barb that when Santorum said "Congressman Hoekstra and I are here today to say that we have found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, chemical weapons" he literally meant he andHoekstra - no you moonbat idiots, that was not the royal we. That was we as in the United States, a nation which I often think you and your fellow leftists despise.
• In a victory against one of the more insidious forms of anti-Semitism (or at the least anti-Zionism), NYT reports that the Presbyterian Church (USA denomination) backed off a two-year old commitment to divestment. Thank god they're finally being logical
• Bush's attempt to rachet up on the pressure on Iran and North Korea has received some unexpected support and encouragement from European leaders, marking the first time they've gotten their heads out of the sand in Western Europe since we saved them from fascism. (Later: discussion of a French neo-con movement slowly gaining ground)
• I am a Cubs fan, ergo I suffer. After just four starts this year, Kerry Wood wonders if he'll be able to pitch any more this year. Memo to Jim Hendry and Dusty Baker: sometime soon you two will have to admit that having a mediocre rotation + Wood+ Prior = a mediocre rotation. Simple math. Oh and it's a pisspoor rotation when Zambrano gets all emotional...so let's try and invest in some better pitching staff and not pin the hopes and dreams of thousands on two expensive cripples?
• USA-Ghana today, 9:30AM ET. A win, plus an Italian win over the Czech Republic, would put us in the next round. Considering this is the same Italian squad that scored on themselves against us Saturday, and then managed to only battle to a draw despite our being a man down (actually 10-9 but whatever), that may be a tall order...y'all better be watching.
  

ChiSox are such a bunch of gentlemen...

ESPN says that Ozzie Guillen called Sun-Times sports columnist Jay Mariotti a fag, among other things. Hope he gets some sort of penalty for that...full story here.

What was that about no WMDs?

Rick Santorum just said on Fox that US troops have found 500 chemical-weapons filled munitions in Iraq - can anyone still tell me there were no WMDs in Iraq?

More later.

UPDATE I
Santorum's released report claimed the munitions found were filled with sarin and mustard gas, two highly dangerous chemical agents which even when decayed can still be lethal.

Also, nearly an hour after the story first broke, neither CNN nor Fox News have the story; CNN is still fixated on the conviction of those seven Marines and one sailor - they'd rather talk about soldiers as war criminals rather than a crucial piece of evidence supporting our prewar case for invasion...typical. Maybe they think we've had all the good news we can handle for the month, what with al-Zarqawi's death?

More later.

Avian Flu Update

The Wall Street Journal has put out a great table about the victims so far of H5N1 avian flu, 130 to date, across nine countries. Thus far it clearly indicates that the virus has not mutated to permit human to human transition. However, it is clearly centered thus far in nations where the healthcare infrastructure is insufficient to permit any real quarantine and bird destruction should a serious outbreak occur; further, many of these countries lack even the ability to really keep track of cases. Of even greater significance is the fact that many of these countries have alerady shown resistance to WHO inspectors when it's suggested they destroy birds because of the economic impact.

Foreign Affairs devoted several articles in an issue last year to the topic, they can be found here.

UPDATE
New York Times ran this article today, I meant to include it - obviously didn't. In essence, the Ag Department has failed to put in place sufficient mechanisms to allow proper identification of the virus among poultry and wild birds. While I'm not generally in favor of government intrusion, and I suspect that it may be right to say that poultry-producers have their livelihood invested in making sure there are no infections, on something like this I almost feel better safe than sorry is the way to go.

Wednesday Roundup (Dems)

This week's take on the Demo contenders for the White House...

1. (Shockingly) John Edwards: He had a great showing in an Iowa straw poll about ten days ago, "his" candidates did well in the Iowa primaries, and if (for some silly reason) the minimum wage becomes a serious issue, no one is better positioned to capitalize than Edwards. He's still, as I've noted before, the union darling - he's also a young, handsome populist who caters well to the base instincts (er...base's instincts?)
2. Hillary Clinton: Considering the lack of a really strong Senate candidate in the Empire State - and who ever volunteers to be the sacrificial lamb? - Hillary is able to both fundraise for herself and for others, building a fat warchest and loads of IOUs...one potential pitfall for her will be the Iraq debate, if of course her party can ever figure out a common position. Of course the looming, and damning, question is whether or not she can be succesful in the retail politics so crucial in Iowa and New Hampshire.
3. Mark Warner: Still popular, interesting, and wealthy, but he's not exactly a rockstar right now. His heavy-handed attempts to win the love of the Kossacks at YearlyKos appear to some to have backfired, making them suspicious of his intent. Meanwhile, he seems to have found it difficult to stay relevant while out of office - also hard to maintain the necessary profile. Rumor has it he had a succesful fundraiser in Georgetown Monday night, but while schmoozing the big-dollar donors is important, more important is connecting with the average voter.
4. Evan Bayh: Bayh, in the Senate, is having trouble staying relevant but he's still got an impressive resume and good credentials; if he's truly serious about any sort of run he needs to make some noise on some big issue soon. Hopefully we'll have fundraising numbers soon...
5. John Kerry: Don't ask me what I'm thinking, just look at the fawning attention he's been receiving from the anti-war left lately. These folks are the ones that vote in the primaries! But he's still got the scent of spoiled goods about him, a scent that may be impossible to shake and eventually damning.

Others, in no particular order:

• Tom Vilsack: Vilsack too will soon face the relevancy problem as he'll be term-limited out of office in January. It's unclear even if he'll be able to play any real role as a kingmaker in 2008, considering that primary voters pretty much ignored his endorsements.
• Barack Obama: The man's slowly lining up consultants - he's too young to be a serious candidate, but would be a great VP pick...

Daschle, Clark, Feingold, and Richardson are out there, but I don't see any of them as all that serious at present.

Priceless Pt. Deux

Courtesy of Little Green Footballs

Can't actually believe it myself!

More Good News in Arizona

I heard from a friend today that down in Arizona, one of my favorite Senators, Jon Kyl, is continuing to wipe the floor with his Demo opponent. A new poll shows Kyl up on Jim Pederson 43%-29%. Kyl's one of the best voices and hardest workers we've got in the Senate, and after he's reelected this fall, hopefully will be Majority Whip.

Wednesday Roundup (GOP)

Here's the first installment of what I hope will be a weekly update, with my impressions, on Presidential candidates and how their relative standing is affected by the events of the week. Ranking is some sort of measure of strength.

1. Mitt Romney: Usually counted among the Big 3, Mitt the Mormon seems to be the only top-tier candidate not getting kicked around in the media. For no other reason than evading being a MSM Pinata, Romney rates this week's #1 spot.
2. John McCain: It's been an upsy-downsy week for McCain. On the one hand, McCain still seems to be on the wrong side of the immigration debate, and though others say it isn't really a make or break or won't be that crucial in 2008, for the time being he and the conservative base don't see eye to eye on what is shaping up to be one of the definitive domestic issues of 2008. Also, in a CNN poll released yesterday, a third of respondants said they definitely wouldn't vote for McCain; his positives (will definitely vote for?) were a lukewarm 12%. Yet on the plus side he continues to dominate media coverage and garner favorable reviews from both sides of the aisle. If the American public is ready for an end to the partisanship characterized by Congressional hammers like Delay and shrews like Pelosi, McCain may benefit immensely.
3. George Allen: Facing a tougher-than-expected November challenge from former Republican Jim Webb (funny how in a highly-touted race only a former Republican can challenge a Republican) and Democratic attempts to further the fallout from his comments that he's bored in the Senate, Allen's looking a little pained. But he's well-funded and well-liked so this should only be a bump in the road. Whether or not he can standout from the pack and whether or not another George can win the White House remains to be seen.
4. Rudy Giuliani: That same poll that had mixed reviews for McCain was pretty good news for Giuliani considering he's been incredibly coy about his intentions. I'm not at all convinced that he can win over the base and succeed in the primaries, but if he were to do so, he'd be incredibly dangerous in the general. Also, I remember reading/hearing somewhere recently that he hosted his first big PAC fundraising dinner in ages - is he up to something? (if you have a source for that let me know!)
5. Bill Frist: Not convinced. He's failed to get the setpieces of his agenda through the Senate, and while some were destined for failure (FMA), others (Death Tax) should have been passable. He'll leave office in January probably with at best a mixed record; whether or not he can change voters' minds in the intervening year (till Iowa) remains to be seen. Also, his cat-killing days might come back to haunt him.

Best of the Rest (in no particular order): Pataki, Rice, Huckabee, Tancredo

Lefty Foolishness

Though the title could refer to Mickelson's Meltdown on Sunday, I think a better term would be idiot.

No, what I'm really referring to this clown (need proof? his blog has a "Draft Gore 2008" banner), who for the past year has been the brains (lobotomy?) behind what has become known as "Operation Yellow Elephant." The cutesy name refers to plans to protest College Republicans, calling on them to "volunteer to fight in the war they demanded." Smells like Vietnam, doesn't it?

It's more insidious than that, it is in truth a vitriolic attack on College Republicans for all of their activities. Yes they supported the war in Iraq - as did the majority of Americans prior to the conflict. If they've failed to enlist in large numbers, perhaps it's because they're in college! The Left, since Vietnam, has had a problem with educational deferrments whether they be implicit or explicit; thus that attack. But while CRs may not been enlisting in droves, conservative youth are. Clown-boy brings up the manpower shortage and suggests that CRs might help solve it. On a most basic level, there's not enough of them (and from personal experience I can say many will serve after graduation). The real solution is enlisting more liberals, the children of the 1960s generation where cause and event are ignored and belittled, moral relativism runs rampant, and an absolute inability to take responsibility for the consequences of one's actions are par for the course. Their kids could learn a little something from USMC drill sergeants.

His attacks then turn to spittle-flecked blathering - College Republicans should also serve because of their other heinous acts such as immigrant hunts and affirmative action bake sales, to say nothing of underwriting and bringing to campus Malkin, Coulter, Horowitz, etc. With the exception of Horowitz, who the left dreads merely because he's often so damn good, the rest of his charges are specious. Such speakers and events might be taken seriously by a minority of attendees, but for most they really only serve to elevate the level of debate and provoke lefty students and universities into saying and doing stupid things. CR brings in someone like Coulter who they might find amusing but don't take seriously, and local Democrats and liberals take her all too seriously and go on the warpath. Every time they open their mouth they look more foolish and justify our provocative tactics. No more perfect example exists than this clown.

Morning News Update

Anything mildly important/interesting/amusing that happened while I slept.

• The Heat beat the Mavs 95-92 last night to clinch their first franchise championship; if you read this here first, you're pathetic.
  
• I'm starting to think the award for "Most Dangerous Job in Iraq" goes to Saddam's defense team - three of them have been killed since his trial began. As much of a farce as it is, and that's thanks almost entirely to the former dictator's delusional antics, it's good to see the Iraqi people pursuing him through rule of law rather than vigilante justice. Yet because they're trying to address these issues legally, it really is unfortunate that his lawyers keep dying.
• Chris Cilizza reports on the Democratic fundraising lead, a lead that is only extant in comparing Congressional and Senatorial committees; the DNC is still getting kicked around by the RNC. And the latest NRCC/NRSC numbers don't include the $27 million that Bush raised for them on Monday night!
• Bush is in Vienna talking to the EU - because they so obviously respect the President and are honestly going to listen to what he has to say. Send flowers and a letter of condolences for their slowly collapsing economies.
• North Korea is still rattling its cage. If they follow through with their harebrained threats (backed up by some of the worst logic and reasoning I've ever heard), it won't prove that Kim Jong-Il ranks among the ballsiest world leaders, merely the stupidest. Complain about the picture if you want, it's early, I think it's funny.

More later.

A Blog Most Worth Visiting

I just added a link that should have been up long ago, to a blog called "Not Your Average GI Joe" - the author is going through US Special Forces qualifications and his story is both enlightening and inspiring. Read, enjoy, share.

I Really Hope Our Missile Defense Shield Works

Apparently Washington and Pyongyang have gotten into what might be described as an international ballistic pissing contest. If you live under a rock, the story in short is that North Korea is threatening to launch a missile that has the potential to hit Alaska if not the mainland US; needless to say I suspect that's got some folks pretty nervous at the Pentagon so we're threatening to strike back and shoot it down using our vaunted missile defense system. Of course the problem is so far the thing has proven to be a pile of junk, incapable of hitting its intended target; now with national pride on the line, I really hope we get lucky. Oh, Leno last night: "Since we're exchanging knowledge here, it might be good for them to know we have a few thousand missiles that could reach North Korea in about an hour. In fact, if Kim Jong-Il ordered a pizza right now, our missile would get there first." Good point. We could reduce North Korea to a stinking inhospitable pile of rocks populated by starving people - but isn't that what it is already?

Signs of the Apocaylpse (+ Apologies)

Back on 6/6/06, Letterman did a top 10 signs of the Apocalypse. They were funny, but I'll add one to that: A Southern team has won the Stanley Cup...by beating a Canadian team. Now honestly I'm not much of a hockey fan, but since when did Southerners get so into hockey? The RBC Arena in Raleigh was PACKED for all of the Hurricanes' games; maybe they're just nuts about all sports? (After all this is the region that is home to the greatest rivalry in sports, namely Duke-UNC).

ALSO - Slow day at the office thus I'm trying to catch up with everything I've been ignoring for days/weeks...I'll try and be more regular, I just haven't discovered how to fit blogging into my overall schedule.

Stevens to Retire?

WSJ's Political Diary today noted the ever-present rumors that Justice John Paul Stevens, a reliably liberal member of the Supreme Court, and one appointed by Republican Gerald Ford, might retire at the end of the term. It was a year ago on July 1st that Sandra Day O'Connor retired, so such a move would have a well-remembered precedent. Should Stevens retire, the ramifications will be far greater than when O'Connor stepped down.

For one, with a number of hotly-contested Senate races this fall, the bases of both parties could be mobilized by a vociferous debate. Two Democrats whose political careers are on the line voted against Roberts; four such Democrats (plus one Republican) voted against Alito. The pressure on Ben Nelson of Nebraska will be especially fierce considering his votes for both Roberts and Alito. With a formerly liberal seat on the line, expect not only Harry Reid, but also MoveOn.org and the whole bunch of usual leftwing suspects to break his arm and vote no. If he votes to confirm, it'll be interesting to see if Move On and the rest continue to villify him (possibly handing his seat to a Republican) or whether they don't shoot the party in the foot.

Also of interest is the nominee; WSJ predicts a woman, I'm inclined to think so as well. Attempting to put Miers on the bench was a stupid move by Bush (she was undeniably an intellectual lightweight); given the chance he'll likely nominate another woman. Some of the names WSJ suggests are mildly familiar ones: Janice Rogers Brown and Priscilla Owen became household names among political junkies during the Senate's "nuclear option" standoff. As they point out (and I'm proud to say I can also take credit for the same thought), with Brown, Bush would be putting the first minority woman on the bench.

Of course before all of this debate and strife can begin, Justice Stevens needs to retire.

Global Warming Brouhaha

So somehow the liberals behind the global-warming scare machine slept through biology (possibly because there wasn't a Marxist interpretation - things evolve for survival not profit or proletarian revolution) and thus seem to lack any sort of broader perspective about global history. The world, I would argue, has gone through repeated periods of cooling (i.e. ice ages) and warming ("when dinosaurs ruled the Earth"). So, call me crazy, isn't it possible that we're experiencing such a shift now? Of course the larger questions are this: how much are we enhancing the effects of an otherwise natural climactic change; and how much temperature shift can modern society take without suffering some sort of collapse? On a related note, the Norwegians have begun construction of what some are calling a "Noah's Ark" of crop seeds, a vault whose purpose it is to preserve seed samples from around the world in case of some catastrophic disaster. Not to be a naysayer, but if the Norwegians don't survive, how are we going to find the damn thing?