Always Right

Rev. Al, come on...

I'm very glad to learn that Rev. Al Sharpton is "upset about violence in rap music." Really, I am. But, to ask the FCC to punish the rappers and music stations connected with that violence - that is certainly not the solution. I have a feeling that even rap music (including the radio stations that play it and the music stores that sell it) is subject to the "invisible hand" of the free market.

The solution is not getting the federal government to shut down rap music, rather, the solution lies in stemming the demand for rap music. Come on, Rev. Al - if can convince people not to listen to rap music your problem is solved. Good luck.

Bias? What Bias?

Ross Douhat takes a look at the supposed biases of the competing doctors in the Terry Schiavo case...

Cheney for President in '08?

Today's Washington Times reports that a small Cheney-for-President contingent is growing both larger and more vocal. Larry Kudlow who writes for National Review, Fred Barnes of The Weekly Standard, and Tod Lindberg of Policy Review have all written columns recently urging the VP to run for the Oval Office in 2008.

They say his foreign-policy credentials make him the most qualified heir to Mr. Bush's legacy of Middle East democratization. "He's the logical successor," Mr. Barnes said. "He has the experience at the highest levels of government that no one else can match. And he is the embodiment, along with President Bush himself, of the achievements of the Bush administration."

It seems as though the list of possible/probable Republican candidates grows larger everyday. Cheney in '08? Sitting here today, in March of '05, I find it highly unlikely that Vice-President Cheney would run for office in 2008. However, if no one in the already large group of hopefuls is able to break away from the pack by summer of '06 he might be forced to run.

Townhall.com

One of my favorite websites, Townhall.com, is splitting from its parent company, The Heritage Foundation, so that it can now "mobilize its readers and urge them to take a distinct political stand."  IRS regulations allowed Townhall.com only to "educate" its readers, not "tell them what to do." I, for one, look forward to seeing Townhall.com's new direction in action.

Gov. Bush and the state police power

William Bennett and Brian Kennedy argue:

The "auxiliary precautions" of Florida government — in this case the Florida supreme court — have failed Terri Schiavo. It is time, therefore, for Governor Bush to execute the law and protect her rights, and, in turn, he should take responsibility for his actions. Using the state police powers, Governor Bush can order the feeding tube reinserted. His defense will be that he and a majority of the Florida legislature believe the Florida Constitution requires nothing less. Some will argue that Governor Bush will be violating the law. We think he will not be violating the law, but if he is judged to have done so, it will be in the tradition of Martin Luther King, Jr., who answered to a higher law than a judge's opinion. In so doing, King showed respect for the man-made law by willingly going to jail (on a Good Friday); Governor Bush may have to face impeachment because of his decision.

Governor Bush pledged to uphold the Florida constitution as he understands it, not as it is understood by some Florida judges. He is the rightful representative of the people of Florida and he is the chief executive, in whom the power is vested to execute the law and protect the rights of citizens. He should use that power to protect Terri's natural right to live, and he should do so now.

They make an interesting separation of powers argument. If Gov. Bush were to order the feeding tube reinserted he would certainly be breaking the law as decreed by the Florida courts. But, contrary to what most jurists may think, the judiciary is a co-equal branch of government with the executive and legislative branches. If two out of the three branches agree that an action is constitutional while the other branch does not why must the branch in the minority prevail - assuming that the three branches are co-equals?

SCOTUS in the news

Two recent articles in national publications about the SCOTUS are well worth a read. This month's The Atlantic has an article entitled "Rehnquist The Great?". Also, this week's issue of The New Yorker features a very good article about Justice Scalia written by Margaret Talbot entitled "Supreme Confidence." Both are well worth a read.

Coalition for Darfur

Feddie of SA and Eugene of Demagogue have teamed up to form the Coalition for Darfur. These two "have teamed up to raise awareness about the genocide in Darfur, Sudan and money for a worthy organization doing vital work there: Save the Children." I think we've all seen the horrible images of suffering women and children in Darfur - here's your chance to do something about it. Please take a look at the site and if you can, make a donation to Save the Children. It would mean so much to those that are in desperate need of our help.

The ubiquitous Jeffrey Sachs

The man TIME magazine calls "the world's best-known economist" seems to be everywhere lately. With the publication of his latest book, The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities of Our Time, Sachs has been making the rounds on the talk show circuit. Last week, TIME excerpted a portion of Sachs' new book, and today, Claudia Rossett reviewed the book for the WSJ. Also, Sachs contributes an article to the March/April issue of Foreign Affairs entitled "The Development Challenge." He's everywhere.

Sachs has also been quoted recently as disapproving of President Bush's nomination of Paul Wolfowitz as the next head of the World Bank. With this I must disagree with Mr. Sachs. I believe Wolfowitz is a fine choice for president of the World Bank and his CV thoroughly suggests that this is so. As a former Ambassador to Indonesia and dean of Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies Wolfowitz has dealt with development and aid at both the practical and theoretical levels. Also, his time at the DoD has prepared him for the burden of overseeing a large bureaucracy.

The World Bank's mission is to alleviate poverty around the world. Here's hoping that Mr. Sachs will join Mr. Wolfowitz in this endeavor instead of being a thorn in his side.

Calls for DeLay's ouster grow stronger

Ross Douthat and Reihan Salam, both blogging over at American Scene, argue that DeLay's gotta go. Salam's post is especially good.

At this point, DeLay can only bring House Republicans more agony as some of his past, unscrupulous actions come to light. Now, he's using the Schiavo situation to deflect attention from himself. Does this remind you of anyone? Kinda like Clinton bombing Iraq in an attempt to deflect Monicagate, huh? Let's put a muzzle on DeLay like we did Trent Lott a few years ago. That has worked out pretty well so far... 

Herman Cain and "sneak-a-taxes"

Herman Cain looks at what he calls "sneak-a-taxes" over at Townhall.com. Sneak-a-taxes include the AMT, withholding taxes, and the double tax on dividends, just to name a few. Check it out here...