Go to http://www.theartoftheblog.com for my new site.
California Recall Burns Flame Retardant
Bill Clinton advised California Governor-for-now Gray Davis to start doing more governor-like things to survive the Oct. 7 recall election.
The first thing Davis did in response was to sign a bill last Saturday phasing out two flame retardants by 2008, making California the only state to do so.
posted by TAotB at 12:21:00 PM
Blacked-Out Iraqis Offer Useful Advice
—2: USE FOUL LANGUAGE. "When the power goes out, I curse everybody," said Emad Helawi, a 63-year-old accountant. "I curse God. I curse Saddam Hussein. And I curse the Americans."
posted by TAotB at 12:18:00 PM
Edwin J. Feulner: Medicare's future
But my colleagues here at The Heritage Foundation have been running the numbers. Economists Brian Riedl and William Beach recently wrote that, should either bill become law, a baby born today would inherit, in 2030, an extra tax burden averaging $1,125 per household. And that whopping bill, which would only get larger in subsequent years, is simply for the proposed drug benefit; Elizabeth’s generation will have to pay still more to keep Medicare and Social Security afloat even without it.
In 2030, she’ll be on the hook for a 15.3 percent Medicare payroll tax, plus $2,855 in extra taxes needed to cover the shortfall in the current Medicare program. These taxes also will rise over the next 40 years, which means Elizabeth will be so busy paying for everyone else’s retirement she won’t be able to save up enough money for her own.
What would Elizabeth get for all that spending? Nothing. All of it would go to provide retirement support for older generations. Other governmental obligations won’t go away, either. Elizabeth will have to pay still more in taxes to run the government and provide a military to protect ourselves.
posted by TAotB at 10:34:00 AM
A 'Big Government Conservatism'
Is President Bush really a conservative? When that question came up this summer, the White House went into crisis mode. Bush aides summoned several of Washington's conservative journalists to a 6:30 a.m. breakfast at the White House to press the case for the president's adherence to conservative principles. Aides outnumbered journalists. Other conservative writers and broadcasters were invited to luncheon sessions. They heard a similar spiel.
posted by TAotB at 10:30:00 AM
Mike S. Adams: Our new class policies
Welcome back! It has been a long summer and we are eager to start another year at the university. Before we begin, take the time to read this memo carefully as there have been some significant changes in our class policies since last semester. . . .
Please remember that we are not interested in you as an individual. Group identity is our sole point of reference.
posted by TAotB at 9:09:00 AM
Davis appoints judges in flurry - The Washington Times: Nation/Politics
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Gov. Gray Davis, after months without filling a single judicial vacancy, began churning out appointments the day the election to recall him was certified, state records show.
posted by TAotB at 8:40:00 AM
TownHall.com: Election 2004: Senate Analysis
Thoughts of the 2004 Senate races bring smiles to the faces of Republicans these days. The GOP is expecting to pick up at least a couple seats, based in part on pure numbers -- the Democrats are defending 19 seats while the Republicans have only 15 to defend -- and in part on the Democratic retirements in the increasingly conservative South. The Republicans have some vulnerable seats of their own to defend of course, but not as many.
posted by TAotB at 8:33:00 AM
Critics Dog Jesse Jackson's Corporate Donors
WASHINGTON — Black conservatives and other watchdog groups say they pressured NASCAR (search) to cut off its annual gifts to the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson’s Rainbow/Push Coalition (search) because they don’t want the popular motor sports giant to be the victim of a race-based shakedown racket.
posted by TAotB at 2:47:00 PM
Boy does THIS sound like a bad idea. Prior to the Pentagon issuing orders to our Special Forces, they will have to get a permission slip from the president. A bureaucratic process that takes TIME. And here I thought that Special Forces were supposed to be lightning-strike-type operatives. Silly me.
Didn't we learn anything from all the restrictions placed on the CIA and it;s intelligence gathering operations in the 90's? They were unable to deal with "disreputable individuals" when trying to track down terrorist ---holes. Why does this proposed rule give me the same itch on the back of my neck as those rules did?
The authors of the proposed rule try to get around this by saying that "traditional military activities" will not be affected. They define covert activities, those covered by the rules, as things designed to influence political etc. conditions in areas where the US is not known to be working. Why does this hair splitting not make me feel better? How long will it be before someone who disagrees with an administration either tries to change the wording to include "traditional military activities" or simply tries to block certain happenings based on this rule, regardless of the definitions involved? Remember, as many of these operations are time-sensitive, any delaying action they could take may be able to render the point moot and thus win their cause even if it were subsequently ruled to be an illegitimate challenge to an operation.
Congress to restrict use of Special Ops - The Washington Times
"We want to be able to deploy [special-operations commandos] in minutes and hours instead of days and weeks,' said the former special-operations officer. 'And this will get us delays. It will make it hard to kill terrorists by turning over deployment decisions to the Senate."
posted by TAotB at 2:38:00 PM
"I'm probably going to mess it up,' Walker said matter-of-factly, indicating that he would likely use the money to buy crack cocaine. 'Then I'll go out and get some more.
'Why would I go to work and make $300 to $400 a week when I make $750 to $900 a week swinging a sign?"
posted by TAotB at 9:20:00 AM
Briton held in scheme to sell missile - The Washington Times
A British national was arrested yesterday in an international antiterrorism sting operation against a scheme to smuggle Russian-made surface-to-air missiles into the United States that could shoot down a commercial jetliner, federal authorities said.
posted by TAotB at 9:15:00 AM
Fashion Sends a Message: But Is It the Right One?
NEW YORK — "Gorgeous." "Sexy." "Beautiful." Many young women are all these things, but a fashion trend that has them wearing these words on their busts and bottoms is raising some eyebrows.
posted by TAotB at 10:29:00 AM
Dennis Prager: What makes a liberal?
Hence the liberal attempt to either erase the Judeo-Christian code or at least remove its influence from public life. Nothing could provide a better example of contemporary liberalism than the liberal battle to remove the Ten Commandments from all public places. Liberals want suggestions, not commandments.
posted by TAotB at 9:51:00 AM
Rich Lowry: First terminate the unions
If you were to distill all that is worst about American politics into one man, he would have perfectly combed hair and he would answer to 'Gray.' A cautious political hack whose only strength is selling out to unions and trial lawyers, Gov. Gray Davis is Bill Clinton without the conscience, Al Gore without the charm.
posted by TAotB at 9:46:00 AM
IF this turns out to be true I predict two things:
1 - the Dems and the Media will complain that they were not told immediately upon discovery. And,
2 - the Dems will almost immediately cut the strings on the Iraq criticism and focus on the economy as their silver bullet to bring down Bush.
WASHINGTON -- Former international weapons inspector David Kay, now seeking Iraqi weapons of mass destruction for the Pentagon, has privately reported successes that are planned to be revealed to the public in mid-September.
posted by TAotB at 9:25:00 AM
So we used napalm against hardened targets. That's what it's for.US Admits Using Napalm in Iraq
American pilots dropped the controversial incendiary agent napalm on Iraqi troops during the advance on Baghdad. The attacks caused massive fireballs that obliterated several Iraqi positions.
posted by TAotB at 9:08:00 PM
